The students in the class are talking to one another in their circles. The teacher comes into the classroom and outs her things on the desk. She claps her hands to quiet down the class, and the class faces forward towards the teacher.
Teacher: Alright class, quiet down. Today’s the day that we talk about your final English project of the year.
Students take out their notebooks as the teacher begins to write on the dry-erase board. She writes out “Teenage Tell-Tales”
Teacher: You guys will be partnered with people you don’t normally interact with to complete this project. The “Teenage Tell-Tales” is a project where you document your journeys throughout NYC in pictures as well as either poetry, music; whatever you and your partner decide works best for you. It will be an eight-week project and I expect it to show in your project. I don’t want to see 8 entries of the same day because you decided to start your project a week before it’s due. Be creative and artsy; I know many of you are capable of doing exciting things for this project.
Mollie twirls her pencil on her desk; Milo watches as he leans his head on his hand.
Teacher: Now like I said earlier, you will be paired with a person you haven’t worked with this year, so please do not ask me to change your partner for no reason whatsoever. Your teachers in high-school will not excuse that behavior, so I’m not going to either.
The teacher walks over to her desk and open up a notebook.
Teacher: For the rest of the period, you will get to know your partner and exchange any info needed to start this project.
She flips to the page she needs and stands in front of the class.
Teacher: Alright, so the partners are… Laurie Warren and Brooke Michaels…
Laurie is seen rolling her eyes; she looks towards the girl with a bright pink mullet and painter’s smock.
Teacher: Mollie Sue Castro and Veronica Summers…
Mollie: *to Milo* Veronica Summers? Who the hell is Veronica Summers?
Milo: The Soccer player?
Milo nod his head in the direction of the girl; Mollie turns around and looks. The girl nods back.
Mollie: *turns around* This should be fun…
Teacher: Milo Kamalani and Sophie Lee…
Milo’s eyes widen as soon as he hears her name. He doesn’t turn back to look at her, he just squeezes his eyes. Mollie laughs.
Mollie: Yo, good luck being the partner of one of the minions; she’ll probably be so lost without Laurie there!
Milo doesn’t anything, he just squirms uncomfortably in his seat.
Teacher: Alright, please be seated with your partners, get to know each other; you guys talk up a storm when you shouldn’t, so now I better hear talking in this next period.
The students switch their seats. Milo gets up from his chair and turns around to go and sit next to Sophie. She looks just as nervous when he sits down next to her.
Milo: Hi.
Sophie: Hi…
The two teens don’t say anything after that. Sophie looks at MIlo and begins the conversation again.
Sophie: You haven’t spoken to me in a couple of days.
Milo: Hmm. I’m surprised you noticed, considering you were so busy hanging out with your friends.
Sophie: Are you mad at me for making up with my friends?
Milo: Those aren’t your friends, Scout! They treat you like shit and as their scapegoat.
Sophie: They are my friends and we worked things out. I see you worked things out with Mollie.
Milo: I have to work things out with her, she’s Jennifer’s younger sister!
Sophie did not know that about Mollie and Milo. She doesn’t say anything back, she just flips through her notebook and takes out a pen. She writes “Teenage Tell-Tales Project” on the top of the page.
Sophie: So how are we going to do this pathetic and stupid project?
Milo doesn’t say anything back. He watches Sophie jot down information needed to carry on with this project.
Letters From Liz. 