Ackley Bridge (2017) s02e07 Episode Script

1 If Riz weren't your best mate, what would you do? - You'd wipe him out, wouldn't you? - It wasn't my fault.
- He told me to wipe him out.
- I didn't mean that, Cory.
- You and Riz? - I love you, darling.
You love all this? You stopped loving us years ago.
I hate to think of you missing out cos of me.
- Marry me.
- I quite like it when you get jealous.
Makes me think you still want me.
We are going find you the fittest girl in Ackley Bridge.
Oi! If you care about your future, then join our rally this weekend.
Your country has become a dumping ground by Muslim extremists.
Join us, as we fight back to keep England English.
Oh, I'm getting really good at this now, ain't I? Yeah.
- Oh, morning, Mr Nawaz.
- Morning.
Have you seen this? - Yeah.
- Join us, this Saturday, two o'clock Ackley town centre! Er, hello.
No, I don't think so.
Not on school property.
We're not on school property.
Where's your permit saying you can distribute - racist materials, then, lads? - It's not racist.
It's free speech, innit? - Oi! I paid good money for them.
- You were robbed.
Now, move it along.
And if I see you round here again, it'll be more than just the flyers you lose.
That's not exactly the welcome we had planned for you.
But you've hit the ground running, eh? Now, look, I was thinking of shadowing you today.
You know, don't worry, I won't get in the way.
- I assume that's all right? - Yeah.
Of course.
We'll catch up after period one.
He's getting the ring resized.
How sweet is that? Yeah, it's cute.
It is just practical.
It's her! What? Hold on.
- Hi, I'll, erm, I'll have those back.
- What? They're my sister's trainers, and I saw you take them.
- At the mosque.
- It weren't me.
Yeah, it was you.
You know it was you, you were all dressed up as a chicken.
It weren't me.
Go on, Nas, let the lezza have it! - Think you can all have a go at me, do you? - Whoa! - Come on, then! - Get off! Start on my cousin, you start on me.
Fight! Fight! Fight! Lesbian wrestling? We could make a fortune! Break it up.
Break it up.
Get off her! Urgh! Go back to class, now! Go on, all of you.
What is the matter with you? - You started it! - You two, my office now! - What? - Go on.
Off you go! Oh! She stole my sister's trainers.
Her sister called me a lezza.
Is that true, Nasreen? Think it's OK for her to use language like that, do you? No, of course I don't! I heard there might have been a bit of a commotion.
Are you all right? Are you sure? - Nasreen! And Samantha - Sam! Yeah, there's been a scuffle, but Mr Shah's dealing with it.
Sam was actually about to apologise to Miss Keane.
So, what would you do if you were in my shoes, Saman Sam? Give us another chance.
Got kicked out of your last two schools for fighting.
Who's to say it won't happen again? It won't.
Cos I'm sorry.
Right, well, er, here at Ackley Bridge College we do believe in second chances.
So you can be on report to me and then spend the rest of the day in isolation.
Nasreen, you're also in isolation.
Yeah, of course.
Off you both go.
Who runs the LGBT support group? If we're keeping her here, she should at least be going to it.
There's been one at every school I've taught at.
I'm happy to help set one up.
Well, sounds like a good, practical solution.
Well, yes, but we need to be sensitive about how some members of the community might react to that.
That'd be pandering to people who aren't willing to get with the times.
It's not about pandering to them.
It just needs managing carefully.
Yeah? So, look into all the options, and then we'll all talk again.
Oi! Sadiq is doing my head in, along with Javid.
You knew it was going to be like this, Mand.
You need to relax.
Imagine what all that cortisol's doing to your body.
- Have you had your period yet? - No.
Shh! See? Stress.
Messes everything up.
Thanks.
Thanks for your input there, Dr Bell.
And she took my crisps! Get off! Don't touch me.
What are you doing?! Get off! Get off! This is what you get for touching my sister! Stay still.
Stop moving.
Stay still.
Get off her now! Get off her! You're going to regret this! All of you! THEY LAUGH Pathetic.
Are you all right? I've had worse.
What? Cheese and pickle.
I remember.
Thank you.
Whilst we're here, I was wondering if I could have the honour of taking you for a driving lesson.
Oh, but Miss Keane, she Has a lot on her plate.
Oh OK.
- Er, mind if I, er ? - Oh, no, of course not.
- SHE LAUGHS - Didn't fancy school dinners, then? Too many bad memories of chips and spotted dick.
I've got some great resources I used when setting up the LGB group in my last school.
You could probably use them as is.
Well, there's no harm in looking, is there? So what we going do about this, then? As if they believe halal food funds terrorism.
This food's more terrorising than we are.
THEY LAUGH You all right? Yeah.
I was just thinking about, you know earlier, when when Raz said to Sam about being a lezza? I just thought, well, maybe I hoped that something like that wouldn't be that big a deal to her, you know, but Oh, my God! Have you all had a good look?! Yeah? This is what a dyke looks like! You think you can embarrass me? Scare me? Well, you can't! Cos I'm a lady-loving - no, you can't watch - raving lesbian! And I don't care who knows! - Sam! - Get down now! ALL SHOU Want another go? You're going to have to go through me first.
Don't think we're not going find out exactly what has gone on here.
Homophobic bullying will not be tolerated at this school.
Did you put them up to this?! No! Of course I didn't! I would not do that! Well, I bet they regret it now.
Shut them all up, didn't I? Here you go.
You, er you know what you what you said in the canteen? Have you Have you done that before? Not to so many people, but I've never had "dyke" written on me head either, though! I get called it all the time.
So I just say, "And what?" as loud as I can.
You should try it! What? What do you mean, I should try it? - I mean, it's not like - Yeah, right! Oh, my God, you are so full of yourself! Do you know, if you actually stopped getting up in people's faces and stealing people's things, people might actually start to like you? Have you ever thought about that? Get lost! Yeah, but, how did she know? Gaydar, innit? You knew she was.
Yeah, she literally had it written on her head! How's your luck, eh? You want some lady lovers to appear, and you end up with a Murgatroyd kissing you in a toilet! You what? Who's kissing you? Just some angry girl from school.
Right.
Nas, what are my mum and Hayley doing? Weekly shop? Oh, my God.
They're throwing a party? An engagement party? What?! No, Missy! We agreed we weren't going to make a big deal of this.
- Like, we've not even sent our wedding date around.
- Aw, but Do you really want to let those sweet little cherub faces down? Well, I don't have a choice, do I? Oh, Sadiq.
- I didn't know we had a meeting in the diary.
- We don't.
So, to what do I owe this pleasure? I've just come back from an emergency meeting with the governors.
Well, that's the first I've ever heard of it.
It was about the investigation into Riz's accident.
Right, well, I know that Steve was distracted with the Wilsons, - and I think that - He told Cory to wipe Riz out.
That constitutes gross misconduct in my book.
So What did the governors recommend? That Steve's suspended - whilst they carry out an investigation.
- SHE SIGHS But, of course, the final decision rests with you.
DOOR CLOSES That was a long meeting.
I waited to start tea.
Thanks.
Picked up a fajita kit, not the spicy one.
We can use that chicken up.
What's wrong? You're going to get an e-mail from the governors.
They're looking at suspension while they investigate Riz's accident.
- You can't be serious.
- I'm so sorry.
Well, you can stop this.
Appeal, tell them that they've made a mistake.
I mean Head teachers do it all the time.
You don't get it do you, Steve.
This isn't just a school matter.
This is This is bigger than that.
So, you're not going to defend me at all? Well No, you have You have to follow procedure, respond to the allegations properly.
I can't do that for you.
Well, it's good to know where your priorities lie.
I am in an impossible situation here! I'm I've got Sadiq and the board on my back, I've got a responsibility to the whole school, including its students, one of whom could have died! Oh, so you think that was my fault? I'm SHE SIGHS I think that Riz deserves a proper investigation.
As do you.
Just call in sick tomorrow, speak to the union, prepare your written representation.
Just give yourself every chance of fighting this.
Steve? What about dinner? Just make it yourself.
- Are you going to go? - SHE GIGGLES Well, if I do go, then I may as well write lesbian across my forehead.
That look's becoming quite fashionable, I hear.
Well, if we don't go to that one, then maybe we could make up our own! What, just you and me? (SHE CLEARS HER THROAT) So, switch on.
- Mm-hm.
- Start by talking about any social issues.
- Eh? - You know.
Like, er, living in a Brexit austerity Britain and having to contend with the twin shackles of racism and homophobia that binds our lives.
Right.
Right.
And where did that come from? - Diva Magazine.
- Diva Magazine.
- Seriously, that's where I learnt it.
- Wow.
You knew I wanted to deal with this situation sensitively, so putting these up has completely undermined me.
I didn't meant to do that.
But after what happened to Sam, it just felt too important to wait.
Well, it is, but I just - I want to make sure we're doing it right.
- We are.
I'm using the resources Mr Shah gave me from his previous school.
So, you knew about this? - He didn't know I'd gone ahead with it, no.
- I'm sorry.
A student was assaulted in school for being gay.
We can't let that happen again.
So, I'd like a full debrief after the first session, please.
And, Mr Shah, I'd like you to deal with the students - who did this to Sam.
- Already done.
Isolation for two days.
Thank you.
It's the first LGBT meeting, so we'll just wait a few more minutes.
What?! What do you think you're doing?! You wanted to come to that meeting.
No, I didn't.
I needed to talk to Ms Keane.
Sure.
You should learn to take a risk some time.
You might even enjoy it.
Whoa.
What do you think you're doing?! Text me when you're ready to take that risk.
Boo! As if you'd text her.
You haven't? No.
Not yet anyway.
No! No, I won't allow it.
You, Nasreen, are a ten.
She's a three, on a good day.
Is that why you're walking slowly? - Hoping you might see her? - No.
She rides her bike home.
So, why are you ? Hang on, it's not Is it my party tonight? SHE HUMS SHE SQUEALS If you think I'm going to my own engagement party dressed like this, you've got another thing coming! ALL: Surprise! THEY SCREAM What's all this? You knew, didn't you! I can't even get a stupid surprise party right.
No, it's perfect, Mum.
Absolutely perfect! Show off your fiancé with a big smooch.
What? Well, OK.
Right.
Let's get this party started! THEY SCREAM Ohh, I love this one! Dessert loving in your eyes all the way If I listen to your lies Would you say I'm a man without conviction I'm a man who doesn't know How to sell a contradiction You come and go You come and go I'm dying for a wee.
- Are you coming dancing? - No.
No thank you.
- What?! - These are the spicy ones.
- - Buffet is my favourite food.
Look at those! Oh! Hey, this is the best bit! - Nah, you go.
- Come on! Right.
If I'm doing it, you are, too.
Come on.
- - Come on Eileen Oh I swear What he means At this mo DOGS BARK HORN HONKS Hi.
This is what you came for.
So You can go now, if you want.
I was erm I thought you might have some more rubbish chicken jokes for me.
Try it on? Er, no.
I do not think so.
Why? Too chicken? SHE IMITATES A CHICKEN You are so weird.
That's why you like me.
What's all that for? This? Oh, erm Well, we threw Missy an engagement party, so It's called Mehndi Henna.
It's kind of a tradition.
I like it.
MUSIC PLAYS - Come on.
- No.
- Come on.
- No, I don't want to! Come on.
Tonight you're mine - Come on.
- I'm not very good at dancing.
I'll show you.
I mean, it's not like you're not dressed up for it.
SHE GIGGLES That's true.
of love is in your eyes But will you love me tomorrow Close your eyes.
OK.
Is this a lasting treasure Or just a moment's pleasure Can I believe the magic of your sigh Will you still love me tomorrow Tonight with words unspoken You say that I'm the only one But will my heart be broken When the night When the night Meets the morning sun Meets the morning sun I'd like to know that your love Is a love I can Did you kiss? Nas, tell me! Well, we did a bit more than kiss.
- What? - We did, like everything.
Oh! Oh, my God, you dark horse, you! I need all the details.
Actually, no, I don't.
Yes, I do.
What was it like? Well it just felt right.
It felt like Like we were the perfect fit.
You know.
Is that what it was like with you and Aaron? Er, I was just pleased to get it out of the way, to be honest.
Not that it weren't great, cos it was.
It is.
But you know.
No, I know exactly what you mean.
I just, I've never felt so good.
I think I really like her.
Mum! I'm going into town with Nas.
Do you want anything? Mum? Mum? What have you taken? Not again, Mum.
Night, Missy.
Night.
Nas, I, I I can't go with you.
Those scotch eggs from last night, they're playing havoc with me.
Um, make sure you send me pictures of everything you try on, though, yeah? OK.
Mum? This is our England! Our parents and our grandparents went into Europe to fight the Nazis.
We are dealing with a different form of extremism here.
We are heroes! We are keeping our children safe.
I stand here today for our children, to stop them falling prey - to this stain on our great country.
- What the hell do you think you're doing? You don't think they deserve it? We get told our views aren't welcome, but the public response says they are welcome In any town, any city, and especially in Ackley Bridge! Oh, look who it is! CROWD CHAN Whose streets? Our streets! Whose streets? Our streets! It's time we took back control of our country.
We're England till we die We're England till we die I know I am, I'm sure I am We're England till we die Go get her! Get her! SLURPING MOBILE RINGS Missy! You're not gonna believe what's happened.
Mum's missing, she's done it again.
She used to stay here all the time.
Hey, no, no.
I'm sorry.
I'm useless, I know I am.
I'm useless.
- No, you're not.
- I am.
It's just So hard.
Everything I do I mess it up.
- The party - Everybody loved the party.
You don't understand.
Why don't you tell us, then, yeah? Make us understand.
I just wanted a smoke, all right? Nowt's as good without a smoke.
Nothing's changed at all, has it? - It has, I swear! - No.
- Missy! - What are you doing? How many times have we heard this? I can't do it any more, Mum.
Me and Hayley, we need to be able to move forward.
And you, you just keep dragging us round in circles.
Hayley! Baby, tell her.
We can get through this.
If you love us even a little bit, you will leave us alone.
Missy, please.
Hayley.
Hayley, please.
Please! I'm so sorry, Steve.
That place doesn't know how lucky it is to have you.
- Oh, thanks.
- I mean it.
You're hands down the best teacher I've ever worked with.
Oh.
I really don't know what I'm gonna do.
I don't, I mean, teaching Teaching is all I know.
Well, what's the boss said? Mandy, you know what she's like.
She does everything by the book.
Yeah, but it's not a normal situation, is it? You're not just some random employee.
You're her husband.
Maybe you should tell her that, then.
You deserve better.
- Do I? - Yeah.
Someone who's willing to fight for you.
I'm sorry.
That's not a good idea.
Hey, I'm really sorry, it's my fault.
Back early.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I've had a bit of a day of it.
What have you been up to? Nothing, just writing what I'm gonna say at the suspension meeting.
You are such a liar.
Excuse me? Claire was here.
- Nothing happened, Mandy, I swear.
- Right, so she was, she was just here - to help you sharpen your pencils, was she? - Oh, here we go! I knew, I knew you'd just assume the worst.
Well, what am I supposed to think? I don't know, Mandy, maybe try trusting me? Oh, says the man who just lied to my face.
Cos St Mandy never lies, does she? I have your lies - shoved in my face every single day at work! - I'm not doing this.
- I'm not having this same argument! I'm not having it! - Every single day! - You're the one that came in and started it.
- Stop it! Stop it! What was she even doing here? I just needed someone - to talk to.
That is it.
- Talk to? Right.
Right.
So I have been breaking my back trying to do the right thing by everyone in this awful situation, and this is what I get in return, is it? - Oh, that is not fair! - I know.
- I don't deserve it.
- No, you don't, no.
- Oh, stop it.
- Right.
Do you know, I, I I honestly thought that we were past all this, but we're not, are we? Maybe we never will be, maybe we're just destined to have the same argument - over and over again, aren't we? - Mandy I'm a good teacher! I'm a good teacher, and you make me feel like I'm some sort of mistake.
- Like I'm just some big headache.
- No.
That's ridiculous.
You're doing it right now, darling.
- Right now.
- Steve, I can't do this.
I can't live like this.
Oh.
OK, well, I'm going to make it really easy for you.
What, you're just gonna walk out, are you? You're gonna Bye.
You can't be here.
Why did you throw an egg at me? - Because you're a racist! - No, I'm not.
If I were, we wouldn't've had sex, would we? I've never been in an Indian house before.
It's a Pakistani.
But I suppose all brown people do look the same to you, don't they? Just like another one of those, erm, Muslims that you were shouting to get out of your country.
It's all right for Muslims to stick together, so why can't whites do it? It's a racist march, Sam.
Those people hate me.
What why on earth were you on it? Me mum gets called a slapper when she walks past the mosque wearing a skirt.
Me grandpa got spat on cos he walked down a street where no whites were allowed.
It ain't right.
This is our town.
Look OK, what happened to your family, that's wrong.
But any decent person would say that, no matter what colour they are.
And this is our town, too.
And there are some places you just can't, you can't go if you've got brown skin No, you're all right.
You try and fit in.
It's just the extremists we want gone, the ones who wanna make everything halal.
Why does it matter if something's halal? It funds terrorism.
Oh, my No, no, it does not! That's what me grandpa says.
Have you ever thought that maybe your grandpa could be wrong?! There's nothing wrong with wanting to keep Britain British.
I am British, Sam.
Eating something halal does not mean that you hate this country.
Wearing a hijab, in fact, doesn't mean that you hate this country.
You can be more than one thing, you know.
Just not gay.
Wow.
You need to go.
If Razia catches you here, it'll be more than an egg you get in your face.
It's all right for your family to be against gays, but it's not all right for mine to be against Muslims? - Whoa They're not against - Oh, so they do know about you and me? No.
But does your family know about me? Because I would love to know what your grandpa would say if he knew you were sleeping with a dirty Paki.
Every time, Sam, every time there's one of those anti-Islam marches, for weeks, I am scared or been, "Hopefully, I won't get shouted at today, called a terrorist, told to go back to my own country!" Me! And that is because of people like you.
Why did you ask me out, Sam? Why did you sleep with me? Because I like you.
But I've never felt like this before.
I don't know what to do! You can't be with me and be in that group.
Why were you even walking around - in some halal fried chicken costume? - It's a job.
There's nothing else.
Oh, my God, I don't know who you are.
But if you're the same person that was on that march I don't want anything to do with you.
Fine.
Get lost, then.
- Aaron.
- Yo.
Whoa! Hey! What's up with you, mardy bum? Are you angry with me? No.
What is it, then? Are social gonna take me away again? No.
How do you know? Cos we've still got an adult living here.
I'm moving in.
Right.
We cannot truly understand energy unless we use some ourselves, so I'm going to split you into two groups and we are going to conduct a short experiment.
I'm not working with her.
What's your problem? She's a racist, you both are.
- Tahira - No, we're not.
They were at that march, sir.
Ah, yes, the anti-Muslamic march, if I read the flyers correctly.
That doesn't mean we're racist.
Of course it does.
If she's a racist, why did she sleep with one of your lot, then? CLASS: Ooh OK I'm here for the meeting.
So are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Steve, thanks for coming.
Nas - We've got a problem.
- What's going on? Nobody believes you slept with an Asian.
Made it up so people won't think you're a racist? Just tell 'em who it is, shut 'em up.
You think I'd throw her under the bus so you can hassle her as much as you hassle me? She don't deserve that.
Steve, wait! Why? Are you gonna formally escort me off the premises? No, so that we can talk.
Where have you been all weekend? At Will's.
At least someone round here's got my back.
- Don't.
I tried.
You know I tried - Tried?! Not hard enough! This is my career done.
It's done.
Isn't it? Suspended, could be for months.
There is no coming back from that.
Where you gonna go? My brother's.
Well, why don't I drive you so we can talk? - There's things I wanna say.
- Talk? - Steve - Shut up.
I'm done talking.
Hey.
Thank you.
For what? For not saying that it were me.
But do you understand now? You understand why I can't - I can't be who I am - not round here? You can be yourself round me.
We could go somewhere where you don't have to pretend.
Come on.
You're not chicken, are you? You know, you're the first Indian Pakistani girl I've ever really spoke to.
- Really? - Yeah.
My schools were all white and I've always lived in a white area, so What about your job, though? Yeah but, nah.
Not properly.
Most people - I don't just mean Asians, but most people - don't really wanna talk to me like that.
See, I have met other girls who are, like gay, but none around here.
You're actually the first one my age.
So you only like me cos there's no other choice? No.
I don't think so.
It would actually be easier if I didn't like you.
Why? - Cos this can't work.
- What? Cos I'm white? Because I'm Muslim.
And when we're on our own and no-one else is around, we can pretend that none of that matters, but it does.
It doesn't have to.
Sam, your family hated me literally for being who I am.
Maybe if they got to know you like I have Sorry.
It's just not enough.
MUSIC: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles Tonight you're mine completely You give your love so sweetly Tonight the light of love is in your eyes But will you love me tomorrow? Is this a lasting treasure Or just a moment's pleasure? Can I believe the magic of your sigh? Will you still love me tomorrow?