The stage is set up with two desks and two chairs, side by side, upstage

and facing the back.

On the right hand side of the stage (downstage) a girl is getting dressed
for school. She is whistling as she buttons a shirt neatly and tucks it in.
She realizes that she has no tie, and begins looking through the bag at her
feet, calling to an unseen person. She fnds it and puts it on, kisses the
person goodbye and lea!es.
On the left hand side of the stage (downstage) a boy begins to get ready
for school. "is clothes are #uch shabbier than hers, and he see#s to be
trying !ery hard not to wake #ake any noise as he goes through the
#otions of dressing and brushing his teeth. "owe!er, he drops his bag on
the way out, and winces as so#eone backstage yells at hi# to shut up (of
course you do$). (That will be #e. %ackstage.) &ootsteps are heard (#e,
backstage), and he apologizes to an unseen person. "e falls not to be
pedantic, but it #ay be a bit e'tre#e for hi# to fall (thats one hell of a
slap) to the (oor as though he has been slapped, and then scra#bles to
his feet and hurries away. )ust a suggestion * perhaps rather than a shut
up and footsteps, etc. how about +ust !iolent knocking backstage, Three
sla#s, or so#ething. -nd #aybe he +ust winces at that, -gain (sorry, .!e
done this out of se/uence * youll understand later), representing rather
than i#plying what is there.
-fter a #o#ent the two reappear fro# separate entrances upstage. The
do not engage with one another0 the girl is studying fro# a te'tbook, and
the boy has earphones in and is listening to #usic. They sit, and begin
interacting with unseen people * the girl, asking if the person ne't to her
was able to do /uestion c, and the boy talking to so#eone in his own
language about the weekend. They beco#e rowdy, and on what see#s to
be challenge, he throws a balled up piece of paper at the girl. They begin
arguing1 2erhaps try to a!oid too #uch contact with other people * this
will be /uite di3cult to achie!e without #aking it di3cult for yoursel!es
and the audience. 4ather work with silence and space to de#onstrate the
rift, 5.g. The girl sits and copiously takes notes6 the guy chews gu#,
listens to his #usic so that its audible for e!eryone else (you know that
freakin annoying so#eone else listening to #usic sound) 4olling +oints or
so#ething rando# (#aybe less clich7) and then si#ply lifting his head8
breaking fro# what hes doing to de#onstrate so#ething else drawing his
attention * responding with a nod, and then throwing the paper9ball. She
ignores it at frst, "as no ti#e for this stupidity. "e does it se!eral ti#es
(#aybe e!en +ust pieces of eraser) * pretending its not hi# (you know the
type * like :ark, ;an or "labi). Then she snaps.
<irl0 Seriously,, This sounds fa#iliar
%oy0 Sorry, sorry1 co#plete accident. 2erhaps #ore abrasi!e0 =hat,
<irl0 ;ude. <row up. 5!en #ore fa#iliar
%oy0 (so#ething) :utters under his breath in the !ernacular, . would gi!e
a few suggestions but . ha!e no clue how to spell any. . . The#ba will
know.
<irl0 5'cuse #e,
%oy0 .# +ust saying1
1 but are interrupted by a teacher. This is shown by a loud slap on the
desk, and both characters looking sharply up nice. They both lea!e their
seats reluctantly, and follow the unseen teacher 2erhaps less of a follow
and #ore of a lea!e * again trying to rather focus on the action to
con!ince us, rather than i#plying a presence 9 that wont con!ince us. .
hope that #akes sense, o> stage through one door, reappearing al#ost
i##ediately fro# the other. The idea is that they are now in a di>erent
space (another classroo#) So rather than all this * go with the slap on the
desk6 attention (like in the ar#y) and they instantly get up and lea!e and
co#e back. =hat . #ean is, rather than showing us the action, represent
it. =e dont need to be shown that there .S a teacher. ?on!ince #e of the
charaters on stage, not whoe!ers not there.
<irl0 Thanks a lot.
%oy0 .ts not #y fault$ :n#.
Silence #aybe, . hear what you said about the +iltiness * 2erhaps use
silence and pause #ore than incessant arguing * these two ha!e nothing
to say to each other. =e know they dont like each other, and so we dont
need to be shown that again in the argu#ents.
<irl0 @o, youre right6 . got kicked out all by #yself. Aea!e #e alone.
@o response. She wants a fght #aybe, "es not interested * he couldnt
care two hoots about school, why would he care about her, -gain,
stillness * this frustrates her,
<irl0 =hat is your proble#,,
%oy0 @o proble#.
<irl0 :B proble#, . dont ha!e ti#e for this rubbish$ SO:5 of us take life
seriously.
%oy0 4ight, because your life is so tough.
<irl0 =hats that supposed to #ean,
%oy0 .# +ust saying1
<irl0 Boure always )ust Saying. ;o #e a fa!our and stop saying.
They work ;o they, or does she, in silence for a while, but the boy soon
begins hu##ing singing, to the #usic he has put back in his ears. :aybe
he +ust lies on his back, on his phone rather than working.
<irl0 Stop that.
%oy0 (still listening) =hat, :aybe he ignores her,
<irl0 Stop Singing$
%oy0 . cant hear you1 "e stops singing and starts hu##ing
<irl0 5'actly$
She leans o!er and pulls out the earphones.
%oy0 -re you always this anal, =ould so#eone underpri!ileged use this
word,
<irl0 Only around people like you.
%oy0 Bou need people like #e.
<irl0 =hats that supposed to #ean,
%oy0 @othing. "e puts his earphones back in his ears and carries on
listening * although no longer hu##ing or singing * +ust bobbing his head.
:aybe returning his attention back to his phone. -gain, ignoring her, hes
not interested, so why would he fght with her,
<irl0 &ine. Aooking desperately for a response fro# hi#.
%oy0 &ine.
They retreat back into silence for a while. The boy gets up and sits on top
of the desk ;oes he, Or does he stay chilling on his back on his back (you
know the pose) * +ust chilling with his #usic, and, taking a beer bottle out
of his schoolbag, he begins to drink in silence.
<irl0 =hat the hell are you doing,,
%oy0 =hat does it look like .# doing, -gain, no response. =hy would
he,
<irl0 Bou cant drink in here$
%oy0 Aooks like . already a#. "e takes a sip to say that line, rather than
saying it.
<irl0 =hat is wrong with you,$
%oy0 @othing. =hats wrong with you, Shrugs his shoulders
<irl0 ?an you +ust put that away before so#ebody co#es in and sees
you,
%oy0 ?an you please stop talking, - bit childish * . know that #ay be the
intended idea, but it feels wrong. -nd ruin your pretty reputation,
<irl0 ;ont be an ass. 2ig,
%oy0 .# not the one looking down #y perfect little nose. :ight be fun to
link the pig and the nose,
<irl0 :e, .f anyones looking down their nose its you$ Bou think +ust
because you co#e fro# so#e tough real9world background you think you
can sit back and pass +udg#ent on the rest of us, Bou know nothing
about #e$ Bou dont know #e.
%oy0 -nd you think +ust because your daddy can f' e!erything you can
sit there and act like you would be :iss So#ebody without #e, . dont like
the daddy reference * since when did he get in!ol!ed, Ba, but like youre
anything without #e.
<irl0 =ithout you, =ho the hell do you think you are,,
%oy0 Bou sit here with your perfect #arks and your pretty little attitude,
but youre nothing arent anything until theres so#ebody for you to be
better than... =ake up sweetheart =ould he say sweetheart,. There isnt
a top without so#eone at the botto#.
The girl opens her #outh to respond but has nothing to say. She fnally got
the fght she wanted, but it didnt turn out the way she wanted. Shed
hope to put this little twit in his place. -fter a #o#ent she looks as if
shell speak, but changes her #ind ?hanges her #ind, or has she been
silenced, and gets up to sit on top of her desk, like the boy. She reaches
out her hand, and he looks at her for a #o#ent before slowly passing her
the bottle. She takes a deep sip ;oes she, Or does she think about it and
then decide not to. She takes a #o#ent, perhaps e!en gets ready to
drink, but stops, and then sets it down between the#. 4ather than ha!e
her enter his world, rather de#onstrate her e#pathy and understanding.
They are still separated by their worlds, but so#ethings changed. 4ather
than drinking, she can +ust sit with hi# to show this.