TAMARA: Kinda looks the same, Miss.

PETCHALL: Late note? Waiting.

TAMARA: She waits not for long/

PETCHALL: I’m waiting. I’m/ waiting…

TAMARA: … waiting not for long.

We know that, Miss. Lost my late note—can go and get one but then I’ll miss more essential English Six.

PETCHALL: Sit down then.

TAMARA: We fuck about muck up swallow last crumbs of shit turn phones to silent hide ’em flick earphones inside collars turn them down real quiet drum beat’s still there…

Boom boom/ boom boom.

PETCHALL: Tamara/

TAMARA: What now? Not doing nothing, Miss.

Boom boom boom boom on my neck turned right down quiet Kelly Blacklock yawns/

PETCHALL: Off now.

TAMARA: Alright!

She makes a drama about turning her iPod off and putting her earphones away.

Through the window bottom of a plane flies over school to land, Miss drowned out.

Kelly Blacklock’s eyes shut—caffeine don’t work—plane gone, Miss back/

PETCHALL: Your time as much as mine. So little time left until/

TAMARA: Miss points at black numbers on a whiteboard.

PETCHALL: … your exam and I trust you all remember the date.

SQUID enters.

TAMARA: In he comes, in he comes looking like a rock star a football god shirt all tight round his arms.

PETCHALL: Ah Jasyn. Nearly forgotten what you looked like.

SQUID: Handsome, ay Miss?

PETCHALL: Sit down. Not there. Seating plan. Next to Phong.

TAMARA: Sucked in/ next to Phong.

PETCHALL: Kelly, what date is the exam?

TAMARA: Blankness empty nothing/

PETCHALL: Kelly!

TAMARA: Scares her wakes her turns her music down.

PETCHALL: Out of ears, Kelly. The exam date?

TAMARA: Surprise on her face, exam?

PETCHALL: Write it down this time, tattoo it on your brain if you can. Anyone? The exam date?

TAMARA: Nothing no-one nothing/

PETCHALL: The twenty-seventh. Diaries out? Diaries out. Write it down, write it down.

And why do you need to do the exam?

TAMARA: So we can get a job and leave our mark on the world, Miss.

PETCHALL: Good. Now.

Cast your minds back to what we did yesterday. Opinion. The importance of having an opinion and being able to express it?

I believe in arranged marriage.

TAMARA: Yawn/

PETCHALL: I think rugby league is for animals/

TAMARA: Mexican yawn/

PETCHALL: I think Fridays should be made into a weekend day/

TAMARA: Mexican yawn flying round the shit box.

PETCHALL: What about you? What do you think? Today you can crystallise your opinions because we are/ revising writing an opinion piece.

TAMARA: Revising writing an opinion piece all faces say the same.

PETCHALL: Too early in the morning to have an opinion, is it?

TAMARA: Don’t ask me/

PETCHALL: Solomon, Ezekiel?/

TAMARA: Sitting like the living dead/

PETCHALL: Eze? You two awake? No? Who is/

TAMARA: Not me/

PETCHALL: Who would/ like to…

TAMARA: Anyone else not me/

PETCHALL: … come out the front and write/

TAMARA: No-one moves.

Cement class.

No-one does nothing.

PETCHALL: Tamara.

TAMARA: No.