Advanced English Folio Piece - Dramatic Monologue.
Beginning and end.
The Girl from Durrell Street by Callum Judge
A teenage schoolboy enters a small, single floored bus; his schoolbag slung around one shoulder. The bus is relatively empty, except from a few elderly ladies. Grasping onto a pole he swings around into a seat, landing with a heavy thud. He sighs, shaking his head at the audience, his face slightly furrowed.
I can’t stand another kiss from her. The last one was a kiss goodbye. I think it should stay that way. I can’t stand her tongue squirming around in my mouth. I mean, Sarah means well, but I just can’t see much of a connection between us. I’ll need to get rid of that girl. I don’t mind sitting by myself on the bus. Besides, I’ll pass Durrell Street in a couple of minutes. I like Durrell Street, the bushes there are nice. And I like the hedges too. And Jessica [He straightens his shoulders.] She gets on the bus there. [His delivery becomes more eager, and his speech becomes brighter.] Well, I think that’s her name. The first time she sat next to me, on this very bus, she had a big brown school bag and there was a biology jotter poking out the top that said “Jessica” in the most beautiful handwriting. It could have been a friend’s, but I’m almost certain it’s not. Anyway, she’s quite fashionable, Jessica. Those bags are the big thing amongst the girls right now. [He shifts his gaze to the floor and begins to rub his hands together.] Sarah and all her friends have one, but I don’t really care for them. [He straightens up and his hands fall neatly into his lap as begins to look at the audience again.] But I don’t need to tell you that Jessica has impeccable taste. I mean, she sat next to me, [He smirks to himself, stretching his arms wide open.] when she got on, the bus was very busy, and granted, the only seat left was next to me, but she must have seen me and thought, “I’m not going to stand, when I can sit next to that mysterious boy at the window.” And that’s what she did, of course. [He gives a self-satisfied smile.] She must have thought about how lucky she was, getting to sit next to me; I know that’s what I was thinking. I’ve got to admit, I didn’t know what to think of her at first. When she sat down her ponytail hit me in the face, and I did have to give her some leg room because of her bulging bag, which I thought was a bit rude. But her eyes drew me in. They were blue. Or green. Bluey-green. They were very nice. She just kind of caught my eye really, the way she just sat in her own world. She didn’t turn round to me once, she just played it coy. I found it very charming. [He begins to enter a daze, but jumps enthusiastically as he remembers more about her.] Plus, Jessica likes the Smiths. Well, I say that, she looks like she’d be one of those girls who listen to them all the time. She seems like the kind of person who would take the album sleeves and put them on her wall. I find that very creative. She probably sings the words aloud with angelic glee as she walks to the bus stop on Durrell Street where we met. Sarah likes the Smiths, but I just think she doesn’t appreciate them like Jessica would. And she must be very academic. I mean, Biology isn’t easy. I failed it last year. [He looks shocked after revealing this.] A lot of people did, but she must be smarter than that. [He rests his chin in his hand.] I picture her being a marine biologist. You know, sitting over the side of a boat off the coast of some Caribbean island somewhere, and studying the sea life. She’d probably discover a new species, and become world famous, and I would be able to say “I knew her before she was famous!” [He laughs to himself a little.] Sarah’s always harping on about being famous, just because she can play a couple of chords on the guitar. [He shakes his head.] She goes busking, and teaches some of the younger kids in school to play. I doubt she’ll make it. She just doesn’t understand that being famous takes hard work. Jessica’s more mature. She gets that. [He pauses, and his enthusiasm begins to fade slightly.] I’ve never actually spoken to Jessica. [He begins to blush.] I mean, that time she sat next to me was the only time I’ve actually been close to her. But who’s to judge? I mean, the moment I looked into her eyes I knew that we had a connection. [Reassuringly.] That’s why I couldn’t speak to her; the nerves got the better of me. But that won’t stop me this time. I’ve got it all planned out in my head, how I’m going to play it. I’ll turn to her and ask her if it hurt. Intrigued she’ll ask “Did what hurt?” and that’s when I’ll say “When you fell from heaven.” She’ll melt right there. She’ll grab my arm and pull it towards her, and just rest her head on it, like lovers in the films do, except this isn’t fiction. [He presses his head against the window, trying to peer at the road ahead. He pulls some gum from his pocket and takes two pieces.] Here it comes, Durrell Street! The familiar bushes and hedges always remind me. It’s like they almost want this to happen, like they know that this is meant to be. I swear when it’s windy and you pass this street you can actually hear the bushes whispering “Jessica.”[He puts his hand to his ear as if he is expecting to hear the wind. He laughs quietly and begins to style his hair and smooth over his clothes. The lights fade, and begin to brighten again. We see the boy sitting, blushing and clearly very disappointed.] She’s not there, again. [He chuckles to himself.] Well, I can’t blame her; this is the only bus stop for a good few miles. She could be anywhere, and if she thinks I’m running after her she’s definitely got the wrong idea. It’s probably better she doesn’t see me here anyway; I’ve got a spot on my cheek, so if she wanted to kiss me she’d be very put off. [He frowns slightly and shrugs.] It would be nice, though, to see her more than once. I’ve scoured the social networking sites, but I just couldn’t seem to find her. I have to be quite secretive about it though. If Sarah heard me doing all this she’d flip. [He laughs to himself, but his smile quickly disappears.] I think she just likes me too much; I don’t want that kind of burden. The thing about Sarah is I don’t really find a lot of things about her appealing. Don’t get me wrong, Sarah’s nice, but I just don’t see us lasting very long. She’s very clingy, and she’s always talking about how when we first met she knew we’d be a couple, and how it was fate. She said that there’s an instant connection. I don’t know what she’s talking about. I don’t believe in love at first sight.
A teenage schoolboy enters a small, single floored bus; his schoolbag slung around one shoulder. The bus is relatively empty, except from a few elderly ladies. Grasping onto a pole he swings around into a seat, landing with a heavy thud. He sighs, shaking his head at the audience, his face slightly furrowed.
I can’t stand another kiss from her. The last one was a kiss goodbye. I think it should stay that way. I can’t stand her tongue squirming around in my mouth. I mean, Sarah means well, but I just can’t see much of a connection between us. I’ll need to get rid of that girl. I don’t mind sitting by myself on the bus. Besides, I’ll pass Durrell Street in a couple of minutes. I like Durrell Street, the bushes there are nice. And I like the hedges too. And Jessica [He straightens his shoulders.] She gets on the bus there. [His delivery becomes more eager, and his speech becomes brighter.] Well, I think that’s her name. The first time she sat next to me, on this very bus, she had a big brown school bag and there was a biology jotter poking out the top that said “Jessica” in the most beautiful handwriting. It could have been a friend’s, but I’m almost certain it’s not. Anyway, she’s quite fashionable, Jessica. Those bags are the big thing amongst the girls right now. [He shifts his gaze to the floor and begins to rub his hands together.] Sarah and all her friends have one, but I don’t really care for them. [He straightens up and his hands fall neatly into his lap as begins to look at the audience again.] But I don’t need to tell you that Jessica has impeccable taste. I mean, she sat next to me, [He smirks to himself, stretching his arms wide open.] when she got on, the bus was very busy, and granted, the only seat left was next to me, but she must have seen me and thought, “I’m not going to stand, when I can sit next to that mysterious boy at the window.” And that’s what she did, of course. [He gives a self-satisfied smile.] She must have thought about how lucky she was, getting to sit next to me; I know that’s what I was thinking. I’ve got to admit, I didn’t know what to think of her at first. When she sat down her ponytail hit me in the face, and I did have to give her some leg room because of her bulging bag, which I thought was a bit rude. But her eyes drew me in. They were blue. Or green. Bluey-green. They were very nice. She just kind of caught my eye really, the way she just sat in her own world. She didn’t turn round to me once, she just played it coy. I found it very charming. [He begins to enter a daze, but jumps enthusiastically as he remembers more about her.] Plus, Jessica likes the Smiths. Well, I say that, she looks like she’d be one of those girls who listen to them all the time. She seems like the kind of person who would take the album sleeves and put them on her wall. I find that very creative. She probably sings the words aloud with angelic glee as she walks to the bus stop on Durrell Street where we met. Sarah likes the Smiths, but I just think she doesn’t appreciate them like Jessica would. And she must be very academic. I mean, Biology isn’t easy. I failed it last year. [He looks shocked after revealing this.] A lot of people did, but she must be smarter than that. [He rests his chin in his hand.] I picture her being a marine biologist. You know, sitting over the side of a boat off the coast of some Caribbean island somewhere, and studying the sea life. She’d probably discover a new species, and become world famous, and I would be able to say “I knew her before she was famous!” [He laughs to himself a little.] Sarah’s always harping on about being famous, just because she can play a couple of chords on the guitar. [He shakes his head.] She goes busking, and teaches some of the younger kids in school to play. I doubt she’ll make it. She just doesn’t understand that being famous takes hard work. Jessica’s more mature. She gets that. [He pauses, and his enthusiasm begins to fade slightly.] I’ve never actually spoken to Jessica. [He begins to blush.] I mean, that time she sat next to me was the only time I’ve actually been close to her. But who’s to judge? I mean, the moment I looked into her eyes I knew that we had a connection. [Reassuringly.] That’s why I couldn’t speak to her; the nerves got the better of me. But that won’t stop me this time. I’ve got it all planned out in my head, how I’m going to play it. I’ll turn to her and ask her if it hurt. Intrigued she’ll ask “Did what hurt?” and that’s when I’ll say “When you fell from heaven.” She’ll melt right there. She’ll grab my arm and pull it towards her, and just rest her head on it, like lovers in the films do, except this isn’t fiction. [He presses his head against the window, trying to peer at the road ahead. He pulls some gum from his pocket and takes two pieces.] Here it comes, Durrell Street! The familiar bushes and hedges always remind me. It’s like they almost want this to happen, like they know that this is meant to be. I swear when it’s windy and you pass this street you can actually hear the bushes whispering “Jessica.”[He puts his hand to his ear as if he is expecting to hear the wind. He laughs quietly and begins to style his hair and smooth over his clothes. The lights fade, and begin to brighten again. We see the boy sitting, blushing and clearly very disappointed.] She’s not there, again. [He chuckles to himself.] Well, I can’t blame her; this is the only bus stop for a good few miles. She could be anywhere, and if she thinks I’m running after her she’s definitely got the wrong idea. It’s probably better she doesn’t see me here anyway; I’ve got a spot on my cheek, so if she wanted to kiss me she’d be very put off. [He frowns slightly and shrugs.] It would be nice, though, to see her more than once. I’ve scoured the social networking sites, but I just couldn’t seem to find her. I have to be quite secretive about it though. If Sarah heard me doing all this she’d flip. [He laughs to himself, but his smile quickly disappears.] I think she just likes me too much; I don’t want that kind of burden. The thing about Sarah is I don’t really find a lot of things about her appealing. Don’t get me wrong, Sarah’s nice, but I just don’t see us lasting very long. She’s very clingy, and she’s always talking about how when we first met she knew we’d be a couple, and how it was fate. She said that there’s an instant connection. I don’t know what she’s talking about. I don’t believe in love at first sight.
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...Enjoy?