Synopsis Six

Two 15 year old girls, Steph and Rachel, in school uniform are sitting on a wall. Rachel is blissfully reading a magazine and smoking a spliff while Steph fidgets nervously. She’s fixating on Rachel who is oblivious at first. Also, she is grasping a school report which instigates Rachel to say “Bet it’s the first time you’ve been on one of those!” Steph fails to reply which fuels another response from Rachel “you have to take it to every lesson you know?” Steph replies in a slight, smug manner “yeah, if I was actually going to any!” Following this, She screws up the report and throws it on the floor.

Eventually, she shifts towards Rachel, who looks up and catches Steph looking at her. She says “do you fancy me or something?” causing Steph to quickly retort with “what?” Rachel lets out a slight laugh, “you’re staring at me as if you do!” She continues to wind Steph up. “Why you moving around so much? You on something?” Steph innocently asks “on something?” Rachel jokingly replies “Yeah, like drugs! Do you want some of this?” Rachel extends her arm out, offering Steph the spliff, however, she declines with certainty. “You hungry?” Steph takes a few seconds to think of how to reply to the sudden topic change. “Yeah, I am as it goes but I don’t have any lunch anyway.” Rachel rummages through her bag and pulls out a £5 note. “Here, take this and get yourself something. Get me a packet of fags too.” Steph nods reluctantly, takes the £5 note, crosses the road and walks towards the shop.

While Rachel is left sitting on the wall alone, she notices a car pull up near her. From the way the car is parked it isn’t possible to see clearly who is inside. She picks up her can of drink and takes a sip while stubbing the spliff against the wall.

Inside the shop, Steph edges around and looks at the magazines. She discreetly turns her attention to behind the counter, where the cigarettes are, before reverting back to the magazines. She picks one up and begins scanning it. Eventually, the shop keeper says abruptly “are you going to buy one of those?” Steph shakes her head. “I’m just looking.” Their eyes meet awkwardly before Steph looks away.

A man steps out of the car and walks over to Rachel. He pulls out a badge, tells her he’s a police officer and asks why she’s not in school. She replies rudely “I’m on a weeks exclusion!” The police officer is sceptical and aks why there are two cans of drink on the wall. Rachel sarcastically states “I’m thristy.” He tells her he’s looking for a girl around the same age who must be playing truant because her absence from school is rare. Rachel knows he’s talking about Steph but insists she can’t think of anyone it could be. She jumps off the wall as if she’s about to walk away. However, the police officer halts her “hang on, you seem a little dazed, as if you’ve been on…something. Not doing anything you shouldn’t, are you?” Rachel lets out slight, nervous laughter. “No…” The police officer smiles “I didn’t think so but you wouldn’t mind turning out your pockets, just for good cause?”

Rachel’s eyes widen as she pulls out the contents of her pockets. The police officer takes a tiny, transparent packet from her hand. It’s empty which causes him to smell it. From inside the shop, Steph is staring out of the window, witnessing everything that’s going on. She clutches the £5 note tightly. She see’s Rachel being led to the police officer’s car before it drives away . Steph leaves the shop and crosses the road. She notices the scrunched up report on the floor so she picks it up and unscrews it before putting it in her bag. She walks off down the road.