Irony

I

Jake, Katy and Violet are in the school cafeteria. Katy is crying and trying not to draw attention to herself.

Jake: ... such a fucking bitch.

Violet: Maybe it's a good thing, I mean you can't carry on hiding yourself forever.

Katy (sobbing): Yes, I could have! But that's not even the point, it's just so fucking humiliating. Everyone knows everything, I feel like a failure every time I see someone staring at me in the corridors, but hey, I was thinking; maybe I could go home, bawl my eyes out in secret and get on with this piece of shit of an existence, but now it's only a matter of time until my parents find out and then they are gonna... (breaks down) God damn it.

Violet: We live in the twenty-third century and people are still hung up on their bullshit homophobic agendas. Unbelievable.

Katy: You mean my parents or Liv?

Violet: ... both, I guess.

Jake: Seems like some things will forever be part of humanity, regardless of time and space.

Violet: So you're OK with the situation?

Jake: That's not what I'm saying, it truly fucking sucks. Some of us get lucky while others suffer.

They notice how Katy is starting to hyperventilate.

Katy: I can't breathe.

Violet grabs her bottle of water and encourages Katy to drink and pace her breaths.

Violet: There must be something with the air today, I almost passed out during P.E.

Jake: Maybe it's the atmospheric bubbles. There just doesn't seem to be much oxygen in the air today. Same thing happened in New-Venice a couple of years ago.

Violet: Yea I remember seeing it on the news. (sarcastic) Maybe we need a near-death experience to forget about our personal troubles.

Jake: You never know. Maybe we are going to be the unlucky ones this time.

Katy (to herself): Cause I haven't been so far.

Violet: You said that in such a serious way, Jake. I was trying to lighten the mood. Besides, you're due to receive that e-mail about the internship today. You always act the most pessimistic when you should be excited, it's infuriating.

Katy: Guys, I'm still having an existential crisis over here.

Jake and Violet: Sorry.

Jake and Violet carry on comforting Katy.

II

Sophy wakes up. Coffee. Bullet train ride. Almost fall asleep on the way. Reluctantly enter the building.

And then, for a moment, everything gains color, life is the kaleidoscope of possibilities it should be as long as... Matt is in it. But the meeting comes to an end, and everything fades again.

Shift at the Environment Maintenance Center is over. Get home. Dinner alone accompanied by the seventh season of a mediocre TV show. Glass of wine. Fall asleep way too late.

Wake up. Coffee. Bullet train ride. Fall asleep on the way. Reluctantly enter the building. Matt, color, emotion, excitement, possibilities, ... over. Shift at the EMC ends. Get home. Dinner with the TV show. Glass of wine. Fall asleep.

Repeat.

Repeat.

Repeat.