KHADIM: Yes.

DANIELSON: It’s a dance.

KHADIM: Oh.

DANIELSON: Yeah. It’s a big dance at the end of the school year.

KHADIM: It sounds like fun.

DANIELSON: But two-thirds of the school doesn’t care about that kind of fun.

KHADIM: Wow.

DANIELSON: Yeah. Wow.

(beat) I see that you were on the cross-country team.

KHADIM: Briefly, yes.

DANIELSON: Why briefly?

KHADIM: Why?

DANIELSON: Why did you stop being on the team?

KHADIM: I don’t know. I had just come to the school and I was a little overwhelmed and I didn’t have enough time to be on the team.

DANIELSON: That’s too bad.

KHADIM: I know. I like to run.

DANIELSON: You like to run?

KHADIM: It’s very relaxing.

DANIELSON: I never understood that as a form of recreation. I was a wrestler.

KHADIM: Really?

DANIELSON: That’s right. Right here at Sheff High.

KHADIM: You went here?

DANIELSON: School Pride is Self Pride. I was a rassler.

KHADIM: You wrestled?

An awkward beat between them.

DANIELSON: Yeah. I did.

KHADIM: You were on the wrestling team.

DANIELSON: Yeah, I was.

It’s the best sport there is.

Even if . . .

Well, things change with time.

KHADIM: Things change?

DANIELSON: When I was a student here it was a different time.

KHADIM: Wow.

DANIELSON: Yeah.

You smoke, Khadim?

KHADIM: Cigarettes?

DANIELSON: Or anything else?

KHADIM: No, Dr. Danielson. Smoking kills.

DANIELSON: Where’d you go when you left school after the fire alarm?

KHADIM: Where’d I go?

DANIELSON: After the fire alarm.

KHADIM: Home. I went home.

DANIELSON: You went home. After the fire alarm. You were in class, left the school for the fire alarm and then went home.

KHADIM: Yeah.

DANIELSON: No you didn’t.

(he smiles at Khadim) You didn’t, did you? You didn’t go to class at all.

Before, I said that you had been there, and that you didn’t return after the fire alarm. But the truth is, you never went to class. Isn’t that right?

(beat) Not trying to be a tough guy here, Khadim. I just want to get this story straight. You never went to class.

But when I mentioned that you were there, you went along with it. You didn’t correct me. You thought I had made a mistake.

KHADIM: I guess.

DANIELSON: Okay. You never went to class. Where did you go?

KHADIM: Home.

DANIELSON: Were your parents there?

KHADIM: No.

DANIELSON: Where were they?

KHADIM: They were at work.

DANIELSON: Where do they work?

KHADIM: My dad has a company. My mom works there too.

DANIELSON: What kind of company?

KHADIM: Shipping.

DANIELSON: Shipping.

KHADIM: Yeah. Shipping.

DANIELSON: And they were at work this past Tuesday?

KHADIM: Yes.

DANIELSON: And you went home?

KHADIM: Yes.

DANIELSON: What did you do this past weekend?

KHADIM: What? Nothing. I studied.

DANIELSON: You studied. That’s good.

KHADIM: Dr. Danielson, I’m getting the feeling that you’re mad or something.

DANIELSON: Not mad. Just curious.

KHADIM: About what?

DANIELSON: Here’s the thing. And I am coming to you as your friend and as your vice-principal, okay? So please don’t feel like you’re being attacked here, but I’m wondering all sorts of things, Khadim, like why you’re sitting here in my office and lying to me about everything.