Detention

Scene takes place in a small, congested office with no windows. SECRETARY 1 types on her computer at her wooden desk, and across from her SECRETARY 2 does the same thing at another desk. The room is almost a corridor because it is connected to two other offices, and has a third door that people can use to enter the main hallway. An American flag hangs from a black wire flagstick which is mounted on the wall above Secretary 1. The fluorescent lighting makes the room unusually bright. MR. CURRY stands hunched over examining papers near Secretary 1.

Enter CHIVES from the hallway door. He is visibly nervous; he looks around at the two secretaries and then at Mr. Curry, unsure of whom he should address first.

MR. CURRY: Are you looking for someone.

CHIVES: Um. I-- I don't know. I just got this.

He offers a piece of paper to Mr. Curry, who takes it brusquely and skims it. While Mr. Curry reads the paper without expression, Chives mostly looks down at the ground and picks skin off his cuticles idly. After a moment he takes a quick glance at Secretary 1 and smiles sheepishly. Secretary 1 looks back down at her computer.

MR. CURRY: Okay. Come with me.

Mr. Curry leads Chives through the office, avoiding the cluster of desks, into one of the connecting rooms. He does not close the door. This office is more spacious and has a window with a view of the front lawn of the high school. It is sunny outside and a man is mowing the grass.

MR. CURRY: So it says here you were disrupting Mrs. Sugar's class.

They are both standing in front of Mr. Curry's desk; Chives puts one hand on the arm of a chair for support--he seems to want to sit down--but Mr. Curry remains standing and uses his height and girth to his advantage. He sets a steady, severe glare upon Chives. Chives is obviously uncomfortable with the eye contact and looks to the side.

CHIVES: Yes.

MR. CURRY: Why were you disrupting Mrs. Sugar's class.

Just as before, Mr. Curry's question is more of an edgy, aggressive statement.

CHIVES: I-- I wasn't really. I mean I was. But I was just whispering--

MR. CURRY: It says here you were disrupting class. I don't think Mrs. Sugar would have sent you here if you weren't being a nuisance.

CHIVES: I guess it, it wasn't the first time. I shouldn't have been talking when she was talking.

MR. CURRY: Okay. Now we're getting somewhere. So more than once you were having your own conversations while she was trying to teach a class?

CHIVES: Yes.

MR. CURRY: Why.

CHIVES: I, I don't know. It was stupid of me.

Mr. Curry takes his eyes off Chives and reexamines the paper. He takes out a pen and writes something down.

MR. CURRY: You're going to have to spend some time after school with me. What you need to do now is sign here and then go back to class and talk to Mrs. Sugar about this when the bell rings.

He proffers the paper back to Chives and hands him the pen. Before Chives can sign the paper, Mr. Curry leaves the room. Chives reads the paper and signs it, then looks out the window. He rubs his hands together as if they are cold, while waiting for Mr. Curry to return.

MR. CURRY: (overheard from the other office) Do they have permission to be there?... Okay... Okay, why don't you send them to me...

Mr. Curry comes back into the room and confronts Chives.

MR. CURRY: Okay, are we clear on what you're going to do next?

CHIVES: I'm going back to class and talking to Mrs. Sugar about it. Then I'm going to detention?

MR. CURRY: That's right. After school, today. Do you know where detention is? Okay. Goodbye.

Chives hands the paper and pen back to Mr. Curry and leaves the room. Mr. Curry takes the paper and puts it aside on the desk, atop a stack of at least twenty others. Then, with unexpected and intimidating speed for a large man, he marches back into the first office.