[It opens two months later with a shot of a framed photograph that contains Tracey with Sissel, who has long hair and wears glasses along with a red hoodie, both at the beach. The shot passes over the top of a guitar and moves over towards the alarm which reads 11:11. A hand places on it and switches it off. The camera pans out to show a woman in about her mid-30’s wearing a black hoodie and jeans with a black ponytail. She has her phone to her side. She’s looking at a bed currently with Sissel laying on it and not moving, facing away from her. She sighs.]

Velma: [sad] You’re gonna be late again.

[He doesn’t say anything or move.]

Velma: [sad] I’ve called College for you. I told them you’ll be there for your catch up so… we have time to talk.

[There is more silence. She groans and starts to leave.]

Velma: Just… just be out of bed soon. Please.

[Velma closes the door and the room remains quiet for a few seconds. It moves to outside where Velma texts someone on her phone labeled “Olivia C”. The text being typed out is shown behind her.]

Velma: [text only] He’ll be there soon, keep an I for me

[She sends the text and pockets the phone. Through an overhead shot, it shows the message get carried across the town and into a college. The message travels along the corridors and eventually stops in a corridor. Camera focuses on two specific people firstly a ginger girl wearing a black t-shirt and a short brown haired boy wearing a white button shirt and a black jumper. They’re both walking down the corridor, but a phone vibration is heard. The girl takes the phone out and sees the message.]

Olivia: [text only] Okay, thank you.

[She pockets her phone, Vince turning and looking at her.]

Vince: What is it?

Olivia: Sissel’s mum. He’ll be in later.

Vince: [relieved] Oh, that’s good… that’s good.

[Vince looks down at the floor as they walk to a lift, Liv pressing a button.]

Liv: You okay, Vince?

[Vince looks at Liv, thinking.]

Vince: [hesitantly] I dunno… it’s just that we’ve all been talking and… we don’t think we should bring him back into the group.

[The doors open and Vince enters, Liv look offended.]

Liv: [surprised] What?

[Cuts to downstairs, the two leaving the lift and walking through a group of people.]

Vince: [loud] I’m not saying that I agree with them, I just… I see where they’re coming from!

Liv: [loud, offended] We are not kicking him out of the Mad Tea Party!

Vince: [loud] Come on, Liv, you can’t be like that!

Liv: [loud, offended] What do you mean? Come on, he’s your cousin, you should stand up for him!

[Vince turns in the corridor to face Liv, visually upset. Behind them, there’s an African man who notices the two and begins walking over. He’s wearing a white shirt and black jeans, while texting on his phone.]

Vince: [loud, offended] That’s why I don’t get rid of him! I’m just saying that it make sense!

Liv: [loud, offended] His girlfriend is dead, we can’t just abandon him! Especially not you!

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Vince: [loud, offended] He’s my cousin, I am not abandoning him!

[The African man arrives, not noticed by either.]

Gary: [confused] Who are we abandoning?

[Vince and Liv jump, moving slightly back. Once they realise who it is, they calm down.]

Vince: [calmer] Hey Gary.

Liv: [annoyed] Why are we abandoning Sissel?

[Gary has a sharp inhale, turning to Vince.]

Gary: [quietly] She found out then.

Liv: [angry] What, you were gonna keep this from me?!

Vince: I’m just gonna…

[Vince started moving back down the corridors, Liv chasing after him. Gary sighed and walked off behind the two. It then cut into a classroom, lined with chairs and with a projector at the end. A male and female are sat in the room. The male is wearing a beige button up shirt and ripped jeans with scruffy black hair. The girl is wearing a blue shirt with a jacket over it, having long blonde hair. There is a slight commotion outside before Gary enters, quickly followed by Liv and Vince.]

Gary: Hey, so Liv knows.

Chelsea: Crap.

Leigh: [sarcastic] Yay.

[Chelsea and Leigh stand up.]

Liv: [angry] Both of you, we are not doing this. Are we clear on that?

[Liv turns, facing Vince and Gary. As she talks, she looks between them.]

Liv: [angry] Especially not now! Okay, we have… we have just started college and he’s going to be alone and still mourning so we can just abandon him after all of this! Okay?

Leigh: [calmly] With all due respect-

Liv: [angry] No, shut up! You don’t… this was your idea, wasn’t it?

Chelsea: Liv, calm down.

Leigh: [calmly, slightly louder] With all due respect-

Liv: [angry] Leigh, how do you think Sissel is going to react to you kicking him out?

Leigh: [angry] You don’t have a place to say!

[The others in the background look at each other, Liv and Leigh staring at each other.]

Vince: [concerned] Um… Chelsea, how about we give them some space?

Chelsea: [concerned] Yeah, good idea…

[Chelsea quickly moves around and the three leave, Gary being pulled out by Chelsea after staying. Liv and Leigh are alone in the room.]

Liv: [annoyed] What do you mean “I don’t have a place to say”?

Leigh: [annoyed] Because it was your mess in the first place to do all this. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t be in this shit, would we?

Liv: [annoyed] What, so… so now it’s my fault? I’m just meant to take the blame.

Leigh: [calming down] You just... look, none of us want to do this but Vince’s cousin has never been comfortable here, he’s told you that. If he stays around, it’ll just remind him of Tracey.

[Leigh raises one finger.]

Leigh: So one day. That’s all, then he can find his own place with people he deserves and not who he’s uncomfortable around.

[Leigh lowers his finger, heading out of the room.]

Leigh: The Mad Tea Party’s last hurrah, send off for Sissel and Tracey! Got it?

[Liv sighs, then nods. Leigh opens the door.]

Leigh: Good, then I’ll see you after hours.

[Leigh leaves, the door thudding behind him. Liv is visibly upset and annoyed as he leaves.]