Page 168 - Student: dazed And Confused

[beat]

[chuckles] Not me. I haven’t. Not a one. Never have. I probably never
will.

[beat]

Yeah she’s my bird. And so what? And so what nowadays?

He places the cigarette in his mouth.

Shane They say you shouldn’t talk with your mouth fu ll.
[beat]

Fuck ‘em. I’ve been playing this game a while now. Ducking and diving.
Dodging and weaving. Whatever you want to call it, it ain’t got me
nowhere except under someone’s thumb [gives a thumbs up]. You’re
up [turns his thumb do w n]. and then you’re down.
[beat]

I should really expect more.

[beat]

Or less. More or less.

Shane goes to light the cigarette but is distracted by the fluid inside the
lighter. He turns it up and down and watches it flow.

Shane That stuff.

[beat]

That stuff stays rooted to gravity. Follows its every word. Trusts it like
it’s a dog with a wagging tail. All it needs is a spark.

[beat]
A spark. And then bollocks to gravity. Fucker goes up. Should happen
more often, but then they put the stuff in little containers like this, let a
bit of it out at a time.

[beat]
Til one day it’s all gone. Then when you put it to ground it don’t
do nothing. Just smashes up, empty.

Shane leaves and Harriet continues.

"I’m out of my scull!” I’m on my third warning! I’ll get the sack if they catch me drunk

again! You would be too, if you had to deal with this filthy rabble! They all say