SQUID/DANE: Good news, Aunty?

DANE: Isn’t it?

SQUID/DANE: He’s coming home./ I’m coming home.

PETCHALL: Weekend conference. Professional association. Try-hard teachers who take notes at a two-star hotel near Central, friands, endless cups of stewed coffee. Last session on Sunday, most of the teachers shot off already. Last session of the day is called ‘Challenging students—keeping them there—making it real’. Giving them a chance to make something of themselves. Believe in them more than their mothers.

TAMARA is in her room. She has her iPod in and dances like a possessed teenage slut. SQUID appears in her doorway and watches her for a while. She suddenly becomes aware of him.

TAMARA: What the fuck do you think you’re doing?

SQUID: I…

TAMARA: Reckon it’s okay to barge in and spy on me, do you?

SQUID: Your dad let me in. Needed to…

TAMARA: What?

SQUID: Talk.

TAMARA: Yeah right. Fuck off.

SQUID: I wasn’t spying.

TAMARA: You heard me. Fuck off, Jasyn.

SQUID: But…

TAMARA: Get out. Fuck off.

SQUID stays in the doorway. TAMARA whacks him in the head.

SQUID: Shit. What you do that for?

TAMARA: You deserve it. You don’t get nothing, do you?

SQUID: Sorry.

TAMARA: What for? Bet you don’t even know.

SQUID: For wrecking your privacy.

Pause.

TAMARA: Yeah. For wrecking me fucking privacy.

SQUID: What were you listening to?

TAMARA: Fuck off. What do you want?

SQUID: Want to ask you something.

TAMARA: Go on then.

SQUID: Will you/

TAMARA: What? Stop stuttering like a spaz.

SQUID: Will you go to the formal with me?

TAMARA: Thought you didn’t want to go.

SQUID: Changed my mind.

TAMARA: You said it’s gonna be shithouse, waste me money.

SQUID: I know.

TAMARA: So?

SQUID: I want to go. With you.

TAMARA: I’ll think about it. You better piss off now. Dad’ll hear us and go mental.

SQUID: But he let me in. Need to talk…

You don’t want to hang out?

TAMARA: No.

SQUID exits. TAMARA is both embarrassed and excited.

PETCHALL: Staffroom—finally get a phoneline—endless ring at the other end—Wendy waiting next to me—tapping a pen clicking her tongue. Voice saying hello—faint at the other end—hello is this Mrs Donovan? It’s Helen Petchall from the school? I’m ringing about Jasyn—Wendy tapping her watch pointing at the door. I’m ringing to say… It’s good to see him back. No that’s all. It’s just… I thought we’d lost him.

Staff meeting—staff sitting, sighing, sweating hot afternoon the usual carnivals, raffle tickets, footy tipping, plans for morning teas, detention rosters, clock watching, fed rep counting seconds till we’re free just like the kids and then I’m meant to report back on the conference meant to summarise two days in two minutes.