Episode Two: Friends and Enemies...
Acted by drama students from Leicester Grammar School: Alex (Jo), Rob (Andy), Shivani (Ayesha) and Toby (Rocco). Written by graduates from De Montfort University: Richard Briggs and Julie Wilson. Filmed, directed and edited by Sonia Kataria from BBC Leicester. Scene One - Kitchen (Richard Briggs)
 | | Wavelengths: Episode two - Scene one |
Andy is at the table, flipping through a magazine and drinking coffee. Ayesha enters. She stomps to the counter, jabs the kettle on, slams a mug down, reaches for the coffee. She’s not happy – something has definitely wound her up. ANDY: If it’s your magazine, I’m sorry. It was just lying here. AYESHA: Pardon? ANDY: Well, you’re obviously not happy about something. By the way, there’s no – Ayesha opens the coffee jar. Empty. In her present mood, she doesn’t take it well. AYESHA: Who finished the coffee?!! ANDY: That would be me… AYESHA: Typical! AYESHA throws herself into a chair opposite ANDY, folds her arms, pouts aggressively. ANDY: Let me guess. Your meeting with James? AYESHA: He’s changing the programme! Again! He says we need more material on the fire. ANDY: The fire’s a great opportunity. You know the piece where I described step-by-step how it spread? I’m going to use that as my sample tape… when I start applying for jobs. AYESHA: You destroyed a Lego building brick by brick on camera. With sound effects. It was like seeing my 3-year-old cousin get hired to direct ‘War of the Worlds’… ANDY: You know what they say. Show don’t tell. AYESHA: I understand it’s the biggest story we’ve ever had. But everything else didn’t just stop when the Bull burned down. We’re not Sky News here, we’re supposed to be a community-based show. ANDY: Sky’s profit after tax increased by 32% to £425 million. We could live with being a little more like Sky. AYESHA: How do you know things like that? You have a very scary mind, Andy. ANDY: So what does James want to drop? AYESHA: Not drop, postpone. Andy starts to interrupt Ayesha waves him aside. AYESHA: (Continuing) I know. He always says that, then it winds up in the files and we never see it again. He wants to drop – ANDY: (Air quotes) Not ‘drop’, ‘postpone’. AYESHA: He wants to ‘postpone’ Jo’s happy-slapping report. ANDY: You’re joking! Those kids kicking that bloke in the shins on the
mobile camera? That was hilarious! AYESHA: Andy, it was not hilarious. It was dangerous. That was the whole point of the report! ANDY: (Chastened) Well, yes. Obviously… But you have to admit – AYESHA: Jo spent ages on that report, it’s a great piece of work. She’s going to be devastated. How am I going to break it to her? ANDY: Responsibilities of management, Ayesha. Anyway, I think that’s a problem that’s just solved itself. Off Ayesha’s puzzled look, Andy indicates the café door. Jo is standing there. She looks devastated. Scene Two – Open Centre (Julie Wilson)
 | | Wavelengths: Episode two - Scene two |
Rocco is sitting down, looking at a magazine. Jo walks in. She looks mad and slumps down in a chair. Rocco looks up. ROCCO: What’s up? JO: They’re cutting the Happy Slapping. ROCCO: What? JO: (emphatic) My story! They’re cutting it. I’ve just heard Andy and Ayesha talking. ROCCO: Why? JO: (sarcastic) Oh …. Let me guess. The Black Bull fire? I wish it had all gone up in smoke. She realizes what she’s said but Rocco gets there first. ROCCO: You’d better watch what you’re saying! JO: Sorry, Rocco. I didn’t mean it. It’s just … that was my first story that’s … you know … cutting edge. This Happy Slapping business is rife, you know. It’s really bad! ROCCO: (thoughtful) I guess the fire’s affected us all, one way or another. JO: I’m not standing for it, Rocco. I mean, I know about your sister and you and everything, but it’s still just a story. They shouldn’t let it take over. ROCCO: (distracted) Yeah. Just a story. | 
