Episode 1: Disappearance
(It’s the new school year, and Lara and Sarah heads off on her way to school. While she’s heading at the entrance, how about a little intro?)
Lara: Oh, hey guys! Lara speaking. New year! New start! New… well… let’s not push it.
Sarah: Seriously? You gonna do this nonsense again?
Lara: Anyways, (waves enthusiastically at Khadija) Hey, Khadija!
Khadija: You’re late!
Lara: Oh, haven’t I told you? School starts at 7:45.
Khadija: (in awe) Really?!
Lara: … P.M.
Khadija: You’ve arrived really early, my dear! Best of luck!
Lara: Thanks, Khadija! You’re the best!
(The sisters enter the school after Lara successfully tricked Khadija.)
Sarah: Did you really have to gaslight her? Again?!
Lara: Yeah, I had to! I still feel bad when I do that to her. Oh well. You know what time it is?
Sarah: (sighs) Don’t tell me.
Lara: (mimics drum roll) It’s intro time!
Sarah: Oh, no.
(Lara takes Sarah’s hand and dashes to her class, 9B. She then begins “intro time”!)
Lara: (enthusiastically and quickly) Hey, guys! Welcome to 9B, best (worst) class in the whole wide world!
(Her classmates just look at her with surprise, but Lara continues regardless, introducing her classmates.)
Lara: (placing a hand around Sarah’s shoulder) Over there’s Sarah, my sister, mi hermana, mon…!
Sarah: Enough! You’ve done it a million times already! It was never good, and it’ll never be good!
Lara: (chuckling nervously) Anyways, meet Baderia! Ria for short.
Baderia: Who exactly are you talking to?!
Lara: (unamused) Oh well; (enthusiastically) say hi to Nancy, the shortest temper on Earth !
Nancy: (annoyed) Yeah yeah, whatever.
Lara: Really, girl? You gotta drop that attitude.
Nancy: Unfortunately, the force of gravity doesn’t work when you’re around!
Lara: Oooh! Nice one!
Nancy: It’s not supposed to be nice!
Lara: (chuckles) Next up… well… let’s just stop here.
Hana: Weren’t you gonna introduce me?!
Lara: Yeah, but on second thoughts, you’re probably not worth the effort.
Hana: (gasps) Not cool, Lara!
Lara: (giggling) Easy there, girl! Just kidding! Or was I?
Hana: Just shut up!
Lara: Anyways, moving on, we’ve got… (takes a deep breath then quickly) Alya, Hawa, Nora, Fatima, some sides characters not even worth a mention, and… where’s Azziza?
Sarah: Oh, you noticed just now? She’s absent.
Lara: … (breaking into laughter) Azziza’s absent?! Come on! The girl’s never absent! She’ll be here any minute now.
(The first session has already begun, and Azziza didn’t show up. Lara keeps waiting, and after a while, she finally gives in.)
Lara: Screw it! She’s absent, alright. But what type of apocalyptic, nightmarish catastrophe would make this girl miss school?! She’d never do that for the world!
(Quick flashback shows Azziza attending school even though she’s literally got a cast everywhere.)
Azziza: (weakly) Hey there.
All: …
Azziza: (weakly) Don’t ask me what happened.
(Back to present time…)
Lara: (mumbling) Yeah, that actually happened.
Nancy: Stop thinking too much about it! She’s absent today! End. Of. Story.
Lara: (sighs deeply) Guess so.
(Fast forward: the school day has ended, and as Lara and Sarah head for the gate, they see Walid, Azziza’s 18-year old brother, walking out of the school with a sorrowful expression.)
Lara: Walid? Why’s he looking like that?
Sarah: We don’t have time for this, Lara.
Lara: This could be related to Azziza.
(She hurries to check out on him, but he enters his car and leaves.)
Lara: Something’s off.
Sarah: Can we go home already?!
Lara: Alright alright. Whatever.
(Lara and Sarah walk their way home, but the former still has a bad feeling about this. Fast forward to next day: Azziza is still absent, which raises Lara’s concerns. She tries to discuss that with the class.)
Lara: I’m telling you, something’s wrong here.
Baderia: (sighs) Here we go again.
Hana: Come on, Lara! It’s not like Azziza’s the only one who gets absent for two days!
Lara: Well, why didn’t she flood our WhatsApp group with apologies like she always does?
(Quick flashback shows Lara listening to a lengthy voice message in which Azziza keeps apologizing for being absent.)
Azziza: (voice message) I’m so so so sorry! My dad was ill, and I had to walk on foot for three hours on my way to school, but then a crocodile came out of nowhere and chased me down, and I fell down into a ditch and…!
Lara: (mumbling) Come on, Az! No one’s gonna hate you for missing school!
(Back to present time…)
Lara: Again, that actually happened.
Sarah: You’d make a great conspiracy theorist, you know that?
Lara: And you’d make a terrible comedian.
Sarah: You’re the terrible comedian!
Lara: I thought I was the great conspiracy theorist.
Nancy: (sighs) You’re killing me, Lara.
Lara: (grumbles) Fine! Want some solid evidence?! I’ll give you solid evidence!
(Lara frustratedly leaves the class to “get some solid evidence”. A few moments later, she returns.)
Nancy: (mockingly) So… where’s the solid evidence?
Lara: (chuckling nervously) Um… the thing is….
(Quick flashback shows Lara visiting the school principal in her office.)
Lara: Hey, Ms. Farida! A classmate of mine was absent for two days now; I’m sure you know that.
Ms. Farida: (while skimming some papers) Who….
Lara: Azi…!
Ms. Farida: …asked?
Lara: … Oh. Well… uh… did any of her parents file an excuse? A reason as to why she’s absent?
Ms. Farida: Well, I certainly hope your parents can file an excuse as to why you’ve left your sessions. GET OUTTA HERE AND RETURN TO YOUR CLASS!!!
(Back to present time…)
Lara: Yeah, she was a jerk.
(The entire class breaks out of laughter upon hearing this, to Lara’s annoyance.)
Lara: (annoyed) Something funny?
Nancy: (between laughs) You were so hellbent on validating your crazy theory, and look where that brought you! You made yourself look like an idiot! I mean… you already are!
Lara: (sighs) I should’ve known better than to tell you that.
???: Ahem ahem.
(The Math teacher, Ms. Abeer, enters, and the girls immediately take their seats.)
Lara: (chuckling nervously) Hi, Ms. Abeer! You heard nothing, right?
Ms. Abeer: I heard… nothing.
Nancy: Not even Lara calling the principal a …?
Lara: No no no no!
(Ms. Abeer glares menacingly at Lara, who makes a gulping sound.)
Ms. Abeer: What did you say about the principal?
Lara: (chuckling nervously) I… called her a jerk.
(Ms. Abeer approaches Lara, who’s obviously scared to death.)
Ms. Abeer: I know, right?
Lara: Huh? Weren’t you supposed to… you know…?
Ms. Abeer: Punish you for stating the facts? I don’t think so. Although I must say, I’m a little disappointed. A certain 5-lettered word that starts with a B would’ve been a better option. Make a guess.
Sarah: Bigot!
Nancy: Basic!
Baderia: Bossy!
Hana: Amazing!
(Everyone stares at Hana with baffled eyes.)
Hana: What?
Ms. Abeer: (sighs deeply) You girls are too stupidly innocent for this world. Oh well.
Lara: (mumbling) And since I know you guys don’t have the patience for a boring math session… time skip!
(Fast forward: school ended, and Lara and Sarah approach the exit. They see Walid walking out of the door with the same somber expression of yesterday. Lara quickly approaches him.)
Lara: Uh… hey. What’s wrong?
Walid: (surprised) Lara. It’s… nothing.
Lara: I just came here to ask you something: what’s with Azziza? She was absent for two days now, and she isn’t picking up my calls. Something’s up; I know it. Tell me what it is.
Walid: Trust me, it’s nothing.
Lara: You don’t think I’ll believe that, do you?
Walid: (sighs deeply) Azziza… she… she’s disappeared.
(Shock is evident in Lara’s eyes as she hears that. How did Azziza disappear? What happened? What’s happening? What will happen? Find out next episode.)
