Tuesday 3lst January 2012
Lesson Six, Chemistry
[Scott and Jazmin enter in silence and sit.]
Scott: Why do you have a jumper in your bag?
Jazmin [dreamily]: Its Tristan's... I told him I forgot to give it back to him yesterday, but really I just wanted to keep it one more day...
Scott: Stalker.
Jazmin: He's my boyfriend, it doesn't count.
Scott: It's still freaky.
Jazmin: It's not. It's sweet.
Scott: It's freaky.
Jazmin: Oh shut up, Mr Moody.
Scott: When did you start calling me Mr Moody?
Jazmin: Just now.
Scott: Sorry, wrong question: why did you start calling me Mr Moody? I'm not in a bad mood.
Jazmin: No, but you were on Saturday. And yesterday, you kept glaring at me in the corridor.
Scott: No, I was glaring because you were with Tristan.
Jazmin: I thought you guys were like best friends?
Scott: Yeah... Well, now we're not.
Jazmin: Oh... d'you want me to talk to him about it?
Scott: I can talk to him myself, you know. I do have a voice.
Jazmin: Hey, calm down!
Scott: Sorry, I'm having a bad day.
Jazmin: I... I totally understand.
Scott: look, I know you're with Tristan, but d'you wanna go out and grab a coffee together after school today?
Jazmin: You mean in ten minutes?
Scott: Yeah...
Jazmin: Sure. My mum might kill me, but sure.
Scott: Great. look, I've gotta go to my locker first, so I'll meet you at the gate?
Jazmin: Okay. One thing, though: you should know I don't actually drink coffee. I prefer milkshakes.
Scott: You are so weird.
Jazmin: I know, right!
After School, by the school gates
[It's nearly four. Scott is standing on his own when he is approached by Toby.]
Toby: Why are you still here?
Scott: Oh, I... I dunno. Why are you here?
Toby: Detention.
Scott: Oh.
[Toby stands awkwardly.]
Toby: Are you waiting for someone?
Scott: I was...
Toby: And you're not now?
Scott: We were gonna go and get a coffee together... I guess she just forgot.
Toby: Ouch.
Scott [shrugs]: I'm okay. I'll just text her or something.
Toby: Well, I really have to go.
Scott: See you.
Toby: Yeah bye.
[Toby walks off, leaving Scott on his own. He gets his phone out.]
Scott [into the phone]: Mum, can you pick me up? [Pause.] No I wasn't kept behind at school. [Pause.] But I'll have to walk home... [Pause.] Yeah. [Pause.] Yeah. [Pause.] Fine, I'll walk home.
[Scott ends the call, turns off his phone and starts to walk home.]
YOU ARE READING
Chemistry
RomanceIt all starts when Jazmin's Chemistry teacher sits her next to Scott Alexander in the new seating plan. Together, they battle through a term's worth of Chemistry lessons, weeks of broken relationships, and finally realise that, just maybe, the perso...