- Your typical school,
presents us with a stunning variety of living creatures.
Most numerous of these, are the students.
They have their own law, their own patois,
to these creatures, every day is about survival.
Further up the food chain, is a species generally larger,
and somewhat older.
These are called teachers.
- Teachers in their natural habitat
are bad enough,
take them out of their natural habitat, and things get ugly.
I blame the school cleaners.
The school cleaners went on strike, which was cool.
Because if it goes on long enough, then they have to
cancel classes.
Instead of classes we got something called
"activities week."
- Today, is the annual nature walk.
Your task is to embrace living nature.
To find it, and appreciate it in its natural habitat,
as you make your way back to school.
- What time does the bus leave?
- What bus?
- No, please no, I don't do nature.
- Now come on, this is going to be a long and satisfying
expedition.
We go!
- We're walking back?
Are they serious?
- Looks like it.
- I can't, I can't be here.
There's somewhere else I have to be.
- Me too.
In the surf.
- Sasha had an appointment with Egg.
Let me explain.
- Can't leave enrichment class until you've been awarded
five gold stars.
- I think I'm enriched, I feel very enriched.
- Well there is one procedure for early release, but...
Well it's complicated.
And you'll glimpse a side of me you may not like.
- I'll do it.
- We're talking full court martial.
Character reference, victim statements, your case will
get heard by a parole board, it's long, involved.
Takes a whole day.
- Whatever it takes.
- It all began and ended with Ms. Archer's
chicken curry.
Jeffrey.
I didn't know you were here.
- I live here.
- Hey, you're just in time for dinner.
- I'm making chicken tikki masala curry.
- Right, I don't want any.
- You will when you see it.
- Never gonna happen.
I don't want any curry, of any kind, in this house.
Ever.
It will never be welcome here.
- Ms. Archer and myself, we're...
Going our separate ways.
She, or her curries won't be visiting here, anymore.
- Is that what you want?
- Sure.
- But Egg knew Rev was lying.
He also knew it was all his fault.
- You sure you're alright?
- Yeah I'm good.
I mean, I failed as a friend, and I failed as a father,
but apart from that, I'm terrific.
- You haven't failed.
You're a great dad.
- What class are you in at school?
- Enrichment class.
- That was when Egg decided, he wanted out.
So today was D-Day for Egg.
- You sure you ready for this?
- I hope so.
- Phillip meanwhile was home in bed.
- Phillip, hot lemon.
- Thanks, mum.
Um, do you think this bandage is correctly secured?
- I'm sure it is.
- The doctor said it was a rare case of
mixed doubles tennis elbow.
Which is weird, considering Phillip plays netball.
But it gave mum a chance to play mum.
Which seems to come naturally to mum.
- You know all you need is peace and quiet.
I'm gonna draw the curtains.
- That's what I need, rest and semi-darkness.
And regular fluids.
- Well, drink your lemon drink.
- Is Phillip sick?
Can we see him?
- Of course girls.
Come in.
- Mum was excited about Phillip's newfound
popularity.
- Phillip, you have a friend or two, or seven.
- Lockie wait.
Let's take a shortcut.
We can cut across and get back to school heaps faster.
- Let's do it.
Which way?
- I don't think that's the way
we're supposed to go.
- Who cares?
If it's faster.
- Stacks faster.
- Yeah, but Squasher told us to follow him.
- You follow him then, you love him.
- A natural habitat of the dung beetle.
Marvellous.
- Okay, let's do it.
- On behalf of the special parole board for enrichment
class, I now declare this hearing in session.
Comprising the board today, myself,
Sergeant Leonard, and enrichment class alumni,
Shane Longbottom.
Now, Jeffrey.
If your character witnesses are all prepared, and present.
Let's begin with one of your peers.
- My student witness isn't present yet.
- Well can anyone take their place?
- No, definitely not.
- Right then, well let's, let's push on.
Ms. Archer, can we hear your victim impact statement,
please?
Can you tell us what Jeffrey did?
- Meanwhile, we'd been walking for quite a way.
When we came to a crossroads, literally.
- This way.
- You reckon?
- Yeah, come on.
- That's the way to the creek.
- No it isn't.
Is it?
- The creek?
I don't do creeks, there's no way I'm getting wet.
- Good idea.
There's leeches in water, and spiders.
Swimming spiders.
- Mel was so hardcore, stirring up Sasha,
she was worse than a boy.
- Come on then, we'll go Mel's way.
- Hang on, you just said it's the creek.
- It's nowhere near the creek.
- This better be the right way, I've only got SP 15 on.
I usually wear SP 30, and if we don't get back within
the next half hour, I'll burn.
- It was all my fault, I totally blame myself.
And Jeffrey probably didn't realise the full nature of
his actions.
- What actions?
You haven't told the board what actually happened yet.
- My recorder was violated.
- Your recorder?
- Violated?
- It became so I could hardly play it anymore.
It was so devastating, I don't want to say anything
negative about Jeffrey, I'm sure it was a mistake.
He's a lovely boy.
- Who violated a recorder, I mean who does such a thing?
You can sit down Ms. Archer.
- But I just want to say--
- You've said quite enough.
Jeffrey, shall we hear from your staff referee now?
- That's me.
- You can't speak, sorry.
- But I'm the relieving school chaplain for the next
eight business days.
- You're also related.
It's a breach of the rules, you're disqualified, I'm sorry.
- But--
- Zip it, reverend!
- Surprise, surprise.
Mel's shortcut turned out to be the way to the creek.
- I'm not going in the creek.
There's no way I'm getting my shoes wet,
they'll be ruined.
- Don't stress, you won't be going in the creek.
We'll just cut through those reeds instead.
- Are you serious?
We don't know what's in there.
- Yes we do.
Spiders.
Jumping spiders.
And snakes.
- Stop it.
- Fine, if you don't want to come with us, we'll
just meet you back at school.
Unless, you're a big girl, too?
- I'll race you, through the reeds?
- Hey, you can't leave me here!
- I promise that if you follow close behind me,
you will be fine.
- Stop telling me I'll be fine.
- What do you want me to say?
- Nothing.
You wouldn't understand.
- The thing is, Mel's shortcut was way more
fun than following old Squasher, and we really were
embracing nature.
- You took your time.
Should I give you a head start next time?
- Yeah, well I had to stay behind and get Sasha--
- Where is Sasha?
- Sasha?
- I can't go on.
I'm bitten.
What if it was a snake or something?
- I think you'd know if it was a snake.
- You've got puncture marks.
- They're freckles, Sasha, you're fine.
- You want a rematch?
- Yeah, you're on.
- Listen to me,
if I'm poisoned, if I can't go on,
you guys have to do one thing for me.
- What?
- You have to tell Egg that I wanted to be there, for him.
- Be where?
- Parole board, I want you to understand,
Egg is a good man, a just man,
a man who if given half a chance,
could someday be a great man,
and a fine citizen.
Can he do this?
I say yes he can.
- Yes I can.
- When's all this happening?
- Now.
That's why I wanted to get back in such a hurry.
- He never asked me.
Why didn't he ask me?
- It's not like you two have spent much time together
lately.
- I'm still his friend.
- No, I'm his friend.
- Well I'm his friend, too.
And I'm not gonna let him down.
Come on.
Show us the rest of the shortcut.
- I don't know a shortcut.
- Are you kidding?
- How would I know a shortcut?
I'm new in town.
- Follow me, we're going my way.
- In the wild, some take charge of their environment,
while others adapt to their surroundings.
- We need you on the team.
- I am on the team.
- You have to play this afternoon,
we've got a comp game on and we need you.
Tell him Mrs. Leonard.
Tell him he has to come and play.
- That's really up to Phillip.
Do you want to play?
- I'll be there.
- That's more like it.
- If I'm up to it.
- What?
- If he's feeling better by then.
- One should know better than to mess with a cub
in front of its mother.
Rawr.
- Tell us what you need, to get you better.
Um, a hot chocolate wouldn't go astray.
- Let's get him a hot chocolate, Mrs. Leonard,
can that be organised?
- I suppose so.
But he probably just needs sleep.
- Fast as possible, Mrs. L.
Hot chocolate.
What else would you need, Phillip?
- Give me a minute to think about it.
- Do you actually know where we're going?
- If we follow the creek we should be fine.
- It's a boat.
Useless, it's got a hole.
It'll sink in three seconds.
- Hey, Sasha.
Give us one of your shoes.
- What for?
- 'Cause they're so pretty and I wanna try one on.
- No, you've got your own shoes.
- Let me try one.
I've always wondered about girls' shoes.
- You're weird you know that, don't you?
You can try on one, but that's all.
What are you doing?
- Well, if we can use the boat, we can get back heaps
faster.
- Otherwise we have to walk all the way back, through
the reeds.
- This is the worst day of my life.
- It's one of my best.
- Let's give it a go.
- My shoe.
- Next idea?
- I'm out of ideas.
- Hang on.
It's my mum.
- You've got a phone?
- Yeah, of course.
- So, are you feeling well enough to get back on the
court yet?
- I'm not sure.
- What else would help?
- Pancakes,
with lemon.
And ice cream.
And, a dash of sutling.
- He needs pancakes.
- What?
- He needs pancakes.
- He needs peace and quiet.
Besides we haven't got any milk, so I'd have to pop down--
- There's no time for that, come on girls.
- What?
No, no no.
- There's no time!
- You're hurting me!
- Stop!
Everybody!
I want you out!
- In the wild, sometimes a mother must act decisively to
protect her offspring.
- Who are you?
- Mel's mum was called Sunny,
she was nice.
After she picked us up, she took us back to her houseboat
to treat the injured.
- There and there, that's where I got bitten, you can
see the marks.
- Well at least you're still in one piece.
- Found it, cure for stings.
- Sounds like you had a lot of fun.
- Fun?
Are you kidding?
I lost a shoe.
- It's such great weather.
- Mel, what are you doing?
- Nothing.
You should get going, to Egg.
- I will, once your mum is finished helping Sasha.
The bites.
She won't be long.
'Sup?
- I never, never, never have anybody visit my house.
Never.
- Your house is cool, I'd love to live on a boat.
- You've got no idea.
You really should get going.
- Wait on, what's wrong?
- I don't have friends here.
Friends are not allowed to see where I live.
It's a jinx.
- Why?
- Because, every time, no matter where we are,
every time a friend comes and visits,
then three weeks later we pack up and move to the next
town.
- Well, maybe it won't happen this time.
- We move, every time.
- You just called me a friend.
- No I didn't.
- Yeah, you did.
You said I was your friend.
- Yeah?
Doesn't matter.
Now you've come here, everything's ruined anyway.
- Nothing could ruin today.
It's perfect.
Come on.
Let's get going.
- Egg's a good guy.
We're great friends.
Well, we were.
Until he turned all my friends against me,
and humiliated me.
Pretty much ruined my life, really.
I still have nightmares.
Everyone thinks I'm this big bad guy,
and I am, but that doesn't mean I don't feel pain too,
you know?
- Meanwhile, Phillip was making an effort
to get to the netball game.
- Are you sure you should play?
- I'm a crucial part of the team.
- I suppose you don't want to let your friends down.
- They did make me all that food today.
It's the least I could do.
- No they didn't,
that was me.
Now don't think all of that food was just for you.
- They only want me for my head.
They love my head.
- They bounce a ball off it.
- They used me!
They used us!
- Phillip, you know all those science experiments you do
in your shed.
They're not all dangerous are they?
What about that one with the pink smoke?
- Stop, stop, stop.
Hold everything, I'm here.
- Sasha finally made her appointment.
Even if both her shoes didn't.
- I, Egg is a fine, a great, insect.
- Insect?
- Insects and bugs, biting.
- What he bit you?
- Too much wildlife.
- Nice work, Lockie.
Maybe you'd like to say a few words about Egg?
About Egg's character.
- Egg.
We don't hang out as much as we used to.
So yeah, but he's, pretty good.
Egg's a creature from a certain habitat,
and enrichment class isn't natural.
I mean for Egg it's not natural.
- Not natural?
- I think what he means is that every creature thrives
in its own natural habitat,
and when taken out of our natural habitat,
we suffer.
- Amen to that.
- And Egg is not in his natural habitat in enrichment class.
He's like an introduced species.
I know this because I, I am an introduced species.
Or I have been up until recently.
An introduced species threatening the delicate biosphere
of other living creatures.
- You shouldn't feel like that.
- It's only natural.
- Ms. Archer, are you trying to say that Egg
is some kind of insect?
- I'm simply saying Egg does not belong in enrichment
class, and should be released immediately.
- Way to go, Ms. A.
- Why don't you come around one day, and cook?
Curry if you want.
It's not like I have anything against it.
It's just, gotta get used to it.
- Maybe one day.
We'll see.
- So you got out.
- Guess I did.
I'm sorry if I, you know,
ruined your life and everything.
- It's cool.
- You could do it.
You could get out of enrichment class too.
- I'm a lifer, you know?
I'm here for the long haul.
- It's your natural habitat.
- You bet.
Like a snake with a pigeon.
- I had a feeling that maybe Egg and me,
we might be seeing each other more.
Phillip never made it to netball.
He spent the afternoon in the shed instead.
That was where he seemed happiest.
And mum figured it was his natural habitat.
And as for me,
well I was keen to get to the beach.
I had work to do down there.
- Okay, it's good, but you're getting up too slowly.
That was perfect, you got it.
- Really?
- Time for the real thing?
- Yeah, right here, this would have to be the
best natural habitat of all.