Welcome to another fan-fiction. This one won't be updated so regularly, as this is just going to be one I write when I can't think of what to do it my other fics. Call it 'writer's block therapy'. OK, this one is based on an Australian mockumentary by Chris Lilley called Summer Heights High. It's about three people, all played by Lilley himself, as they go through a term of Summer Heights High. Again, I've added my own character: Autumn Westerfield. You'll find out more about her as this goes on. This story is about the Year 8 Tongan breakdancing character, Jonah Takalua, with minor chapters with Drama Teacher Mr. G and Year 11 exchange student Ja'mie King.
Pre- Episode 1
"So you guys are making a documentary? About... Jonah?" Autumn raised an eyebrow.
The documentary crew sat around her, the camera out and already filming, as she and the Polyforce crew sat in their English classroom. Jonah sat at the centre of the group, as Autumn sat on a desk behind them. She was wary about these people, as they watched Jonah sit there in uncomfortable silence. She wasn't sure that their agenda was all that pure.
"We're making a documentary about general life at an Australian high school, and we are doing that by filming three candiates which we believe suit the criteria of being typical at an Australian high school." the director, a short man with blonde hair and wearing wiry glasses, explained to her. His sharp blue eyes peered over the rim of his spectacles at her, knowing that he wasn't dealing with a fool. Autumn realised the same thing.
"So you be following us 'round?" Leon asked, "And filmin' us?"
"We'll be watching you with the cameras and we'll only go where you permit us to go." the director reassured Leon.
"When dis is done, will we be on TV?" Thomas asked, eyes sparking up at the possibility of being well-known.
The director nodded. Thomas and Joseph hi-fived each other while Ofa watched them, frowning. The director noticed this and turned to her.
"Do you have any concerns, young lady?" he asked.
Ofa turned to him, "Dis is stupid. Why should we agree to anythin'? What will we get in return?"
The director observed her carefully before responding, "You will recieve the satisfaction of being well-known and recieve a hefty pay-check."
Ofa looked at him warily before shrugging her shoulders and looked at the others, "Well, I'm in. Who else?"
Autumn shook her head gently. She looked at Jonah, who was looking down at the table and being quiet. This was very unusual for Jonah. Autumn turned to the director.
"Can I please have a moment to speak to Jonah?"
The director nodded and Autumn turned her chair to face Jonah, lowering her voice to a whisper, "Jonah, remember, you don't have to agree to this"
Jonah looked up at Autumn as she continued, "It doesn't matter what we think. This is about you and is completely your decision. You don't have to do this if you don't want to. If you do, we will support you all the way. It's your choice"
Jonah looked at Autumn in deep contemplation before looking back at the director, "How long does dis go on for?"
"Approximately one term" the director replied before looking at Autumn, "And I can assure you that the school work interference will be to a bare minimum"
Jonah looked back at Autumn before looking at the director, "Where do I sign?"
As Jonah's friends all cheered their agreement as Jonah signed the contract, Autumn had a feeling that this documentary stuff was going to lead them all into something that they will regret.
Episode 1
The first day of filming started off mainly by just getting know Jonah and his friends, filming them while they are breakdancing or just standing around in the ampitheatre. Autumn was a little cautious to begin with, as they tended to interview her when she was alone instead of with the Poly Force crew. Autumn sat down on one of the ampitheatre steps as the interview began.
"So, Autumn, how did you first come to meet Jonah?" the interviewer asked
Autumn thought carefully, "Jonah and I came to this school around the same time. I move around a lot, and he had just been expelled from his last school. We became friends in our first week in after he chased off a couple of bullies. That was about a month ago. We've been friends ever since"
"What is Jonah like as a person?" the interviewer asked.
Autumn once again thought carefully, "Jonah is a very volatile person. He has his mood swings like everyone else. Usually, he is a boy you can easily get along with. He loves to laugh and plays pranks and all, but sometimes they go a step too far and I have to be there to get him out of trouble"
"Miss Westerfield!" Autumn turned to see her English teacher, Miss Wheatley, calling out to her.
Autumn groaned. The interviewer leapt on this opportunity, "Who's that?"
"My English teacher" Autumn turned back to them, "It seems that they aren't that fond of you when you have a wider volcabulary than them"
Autumn turned away and headed over to Miss Wheatley. The camera crew followed her, which Autumn ignored. She had a feeling she would have to get used to this feeling. Miss Wheatley stood there, arms crossed, lip pursed in that usual cross fashion, as Autumn approached. Autumn put on her best fake smile and waved.
"Hello, Miss. How may I be of assistance?" Autumn inquired
"I wanted to talk to you about your English work" Wheatley replied
Oh, God, Autumn moaned internally but answered, "What about it, Miss?"
"I have to say, it is undeniably very good" Wheatley reassured her. Autumn didn't need reassuring, she knew how good a bullshit artist she was, "But, I am concerned with how your work could be without the interference of... disturbing influences. Is there anyone in our class you would prefer to be transferred?"
Autumn nearly glared at her. She was trying to shang-hai her into back-stabbing Jonah, Leon and Joseph. Like hell she would do that. Anyway, the only person she wanted transferred out of that class was Wheatley. The teacher stood there, arms crossed, awaiting Autumn's answer.
Autumn looked Wheatley dead in the eye and answered, "Miss Wheatley, I am perfectly capable of focusing on my work when I need to and have not found any persons to be a disturbing influence to me. If that is all, I need to go get ready for Drama"
With that answer, Autumn walked off, leaving Miss Wheatley to weasel-eye glare after her. Autumn, smirking, headed off towards the ampitheatre. Autumn nearly jumped when she heard the interviewer's voice.
"So, you don't get along with your English teacher much?"
Autumn looked back at the camera crew following her. They had been right when they had said that she would forget them being there. She continued to walk and talk.
"Well, you see, Miss Wheatley and Jonah don't exactly see eye-to-eye and because I get along with Jonah, she hates me too" Autumn smiled and looked over at the ampitheatre, "It doesn't really bother me. I don't like her much either. People who treat me like an idiot or a inferior life form annoy me"
Autumn suddenly frozen. As she headed over to the ampitheatre, she noticed the figures of Jonah, Leon and Joseph being led off by Mr. Peterson, the school's welfare officer. That only meant trouble. As she went to hurry over, another figure got in the way. Autumn fell to the ground, dropping her books.
"Excuse me, watch where you're going! You could break my keyboard!" a voice snapped. Autumn glared at the school's diva drama teacher, Mr. G, as he walked off. He obviously had rehearsals for that new musical and he was annoyed that he wasn't in charge this year. Douche. Autumn didn't like him much either. She then noticed another crew watching Mr. G as he walked.
"Are you filming him, too?" Autumn asked incredulously, gathering her fallen books.
The interviewer nodded, "The director thought him to be an interesting character"
"They got that right." Autumn picked herself up and ran over to the ampitheatre.
Ofa saw Autumn and waved her over. Autumn dropped her bag next to the only female FOB of Polyforce and clutched her books, something she always did when angry or stressed.
"What happened to Jonah, Leon and Joseph? I saw Peterson taking them off to Welfare." Autumn asked.
"Aw, dey were being stupid again. Dey threw a ranga's bag ova the train line, tagged it all up and shit." Ofa answered, "The ranga went and told fucking Peterson and, well, he said dat it was all Jonah's idea."
"Of course." Autumn rolled her eyes, "Oh, Jonah, what will we do with him?"
Ofa laughed, "I think you should be more worried bout what his dad will do."
Autumn nodded. She had seen Jonah's dad pick him up a couple of times, when Jonah was sent home for causing trouble. He wasn't a very cheerful man. But he always liked Autumn, spoke to her nicely. She remembered the first day that he had met Mr Takalua.
"It is your fault, Jonah. You're the one who tagged the whiteboard in permanent marker." Autumn pointed out calmly.
Jonah shrugged, "Dey jus can't take a joke, you know. I was jus having some fun."
Autumn sighed, "I know, Jonah. But remember, some things you think are fun aren't much fun for others."
"Then dose people are fu- I mean, idiots."
Autumn glanced around the empty playground. After Jonah had been kicked out of their Health class, he refused to go to Peterson's office and headed straight for the ampitheatre. Autumn immediately offered to keep an eye on him while Peterson warned that he would call his father. So Autumn was now watching out for Peterson or, worse, the scary enigma that was Jonah's father. Jonah seemed almost petrified at the mere mention of him, like what the school could do means shit all to what he could do. Autumn returned her attention to Jonah after a moment.
"Autumn?"
"Yes, Jonah?"
Jonah looked straight at her, the first time he had done it through their entire conversation, "Do you think dat I was an idiot when I tagged da board?"
Autumn paused for a moment before speaking carefully, "Well, it wasn't exactly smart, was it?"
Jonah looked away again. He seemed almost... ashamed? Autumn was puzzled by his unsual reaction.
"Jonah!"
He seemed to flinch at the calling of his name. Autumn looked up to see a tall, Tongan man strolling across the empty playground towards them. He had a dark scowl across his face, like he was ready to unleash Hell at any moment. He seemed scary as he loomed upon the two sitting at the ampitheatre.
"What da fuck did you do now?" Jonah's father demanded, "I am at fucking work, Jonah, and suddenly I get da call dat you been fucking around at school again! What da fuck am I supposed to do with you?"
"I don't f-" Jonah went to swear at his father but then caught Autumn's eye, "I don't know..."
His father seemed to freeze in his ranting. He seemed stunned by Jonah's lack of defensiveness. He immediately moved his attention from his son to the stranger sitting next to him.
"And who are you?" Mr Takalua asked her, cautiously.
Autumn smiled and held out her hand, "I'm Autumn Westerfield. I'm Jonah's classmate."
"Autumn?" Mr Takalua looked from Autumn to Jonah before looking at her outstretched hand and shaking it, "Nice to finally meet you. Jonah has mentioned you many times at home."
"Really? Well, he has certainly mentioned you too." Autumn replied cheerfully, noticing Jonah going a dark shade of maroon.
"Dad, stop. You don't have to be 'ere." Jonah said softly.
"Cause I do, you idiot. I'm your father. I have to fucking look afta you!" His father snapped at him.
Autumn decided it was time to intervene, "If I may, Mr. Takalua, it was only a prank on Jonah's part. You see, he was writing something on the whiteboard as a joke, but he didn't know that it was a permanent marker he had grabbed from the teacher's desk, not the whiteboard one. It was just a mistake."
Mr. Takalua stared at Autumn before turning to Jonah, "Then why the fuck did you go off at da teachers?"
"I... I don't know..." Jonah looked down, "Coz... I felt stupid..."
Autumn paused and looked at Jonah. Did he actually regret what he had done?
Mr. Takalua sniffed and stood tall, "You're damn right dat was stupid. You are going inside to apologise and den you will take your punishment like a man."
"Yes, Pop." Jonah nodded.
"This is what dey called me out for? Fucking school." Mr. Takalua snarled under his breath before turning to Autumn, "Thank you, Miss Autumn."
Autumn was now puzzled, "Why?"
"You're good for Jonah. He keeps talking to you, he might jus make it through da year." Mr. Takalua nodded at her, "I hope to see you more."
"Perhaps, sir." Autumn nodded.
"Uh, Mr. Takalua?"
They all turned to see Mr. Peterson and the principal, Miss Murray, strolling across the playground towards them. Autumn stood to attention as they approached while Jonah got up from his seat to face them.
"Hello, thank you for coming by." Mr. Peterson began, "I'd just like to-"
"I was an idiot, sir."
Autumn froze. Her heart probably did too. She turned and stared at Jonah, as everyone else around him did. Shifting uncomfortably on the spot, he kept his eyes on his feet.
"I was being stupid. It was jus a joke, sir, but I grabbed da wrong marker. I didn't mean to swear at the teacher... I was..."
Jonah looked at Autumn, a little confused, "Autumn, what's dat word when you feel stupid bout something?"
Autumn went out on a quick limb, "Embarrassed?"
"Yeah, 'barrassed." Jonah looked back down, "I was 'barrassed bout what I did. Sorry."
Miss Murray bristled herself, "Well, that is a starting point. However, you must be punished for what you did. You cannot just say sorry to get out of it."
"I know." Jonah nodded, "What do you want me to do?"
"Do you have any ideas, Mr Peterson?" Miss Murray turned to the Welfare Officer.
Mr. Peterson was still in shock from what Jonah just said. Quickly, he shook himself out of it and did some quick thinking.
"Jonah, I want you to spend every lunch for the next week cleaning out gum from underneath all the English classrooms. Any complaining or mucking around, you'll do it every afternoon as well. Is that understood?"
Jonah opened his mouth- Autumn thought he was going to complain- but he simply said, "Yes, sir."
'Yes, sir'.
Those two words haunted Autumn's thoughts. She knew that Jonah could never change into a goody-two-shoes. Autumn probably wouldn't be friends with him if he was. But those two words gave Autumn hope that, maybe, he could make it through the year without getting expelled.
"Autumn? You dere?"
Autumn shook her head out of her daze, "Sorry, Ofa. I need to go."
"What? Where?" Ofa gave her a look.
"Welfare."
"But you can't! You'll get in trouble!"
"I'm not going to break Jonah out. I just need to have a talk with Peterson."
"Do you usually look out for Jonah, Autumn?"
That question came from the cameraman, still following turned to them, having momentarily forgotten that they were there again. Who did they hire to man these things, ninjas?
"Jonah's my friend. Friends look out for each other. It's what they do. Anyway, you're meant to be following Jonah, not me. I'll take you to where he is."
With a farewell wave to Ofa, Autumn headed off to Welfare. She just prayed that, whatever Jonah's punishment was, it wasn't explusion. After all, this school would be so boring if he wasn't it.
That's Chapter 1 done. Review, rate, do what you do. Tell me what you think
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