Act 2, Scene 3
Little Evan
Friday, April 2nd, 12 noon
In the Yard, Wickham School, lunch period, two days after the
unfortunate occurrence during the spelling lesson.
Evan Ethridge and Nigel Macmillan were virtually inseparable, but they
could not have been more dissimilar. Evan often indulged in slapstick
and pratfall comedy, which Nigel found absurd. The truth was, Nigel
hadn't much of a sense humour. He could be dour and serious, like a
little old man. In all subjects, Nigel excelled while Evan struggled
understood well what it was like to be repeatedly humiliated by other
children. It had made him compassionate before his years.
Nigel and Evan always ate lunch together. They frequented a secluded
spot, a warm place away from the older and meaner boys, behind the
school plant, the same plant that had indirectly been the source of
Nigel's humiliation. Well, it should have been a humiliation. It
would have been near fatal for an unexceptional child, but Nigel
seemed rather unruffled by it all.
"Do you think Mrs. Farthley will come tomorrow, Nigel?" Evan asked,
nibbling on a pickle
.
"I don't know." Nigel replied.
"Is she sick?"
"I suppose so." Nigel replied. He tore a piece of crust from his
sandwich. He didn't like crust. "It must have been after Mum went to
see her."
"Your MUM went to talk to Mrs. FARTHLEY?"
"Mum and Dad both."
"BOTH! God! Beastly! I bet you got in trouble, didn't you?"
"Not actually," the boy responded matter-of-factly. "When I told her
what I had done at school, Mummy was upset and started using those
words, the ones she always apologises for, or says she'll pay me a bob
if she uses one, but then she always forgets to-you know, like
"Get on!" Evan nudged him with an elbow.
"Then when I told Mum that Mrs. Farthley ordered me to stand naked
like Hermes on Mount Olympus, she went right off like a skyrocket."
"Well, she only made you stand like that for a minute before sending
you to the lavvie." Evan reminded him.
"I told her that, but she got her coat and scarf and went down to
school, saying a lot of bad words out the door. She came back and
"BOTH! And saying BAD WORDS?"
"Yes." Nigel acknowledged.
Evan paused to examine the last bite of pickle.
"Look!" Evan suddenly exclaimed, "It's a bogie!"
Nigel glanced over at him. Evan had stuck the last of his pickle up
his nose. He snorted up a tremendous sneeze and sent it bouncing off
over the pavement. Evan collapsed in embellished laughter
.
"That's gross!" Nigel complained. "You're disgusting."
"So you didn't get in trouble?" Evan asked, suddenly somber.
children."
"Oh."
"Well, it was warm inside! I was uncomfortable!"Nigel whined. "I
don't want to go!"
Almost as an afterthought, he added, "I've got to see Mr. Chandler
today, too."
"The HEADMASTER?" Evan breathed.
"Yes, right after lunch."
On cue, the period bell rang. Evan stumbled to his feet and grabbed
Nigel's hand
.
"Come on. You'd better put your clothes on, then!"
HMSVV2010
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