At Bandile’s house party. Ethan and some other boys are there. They’re sitting around the fire, playing music and chatting.
ETHAN: Hey Chris, put on that rap song you played at break today. It was sick!
Chris turns up the music. The boys are joking and dancing.
ETHAN: Ahh, Jay-Z! Old school!
BANDILE: Yo, what did Jay-Z call Beyonce’ before they got married?
ETHAN: Tell us man.
BANDILE: Feyonce’!!
ETHAN: (Laughing) where do you come up with this junk, Bandile? You really are a smartass.
Ethan and the other boys laugh at his joke.
BANDILE: Haha, what can I say, Ethan? Not everyone’s this talented.
ETHAN: Okay Mr Comedian! Zuri doesn’t find you so funny, now does she?
BANDILE: (impersonating Zuri in a high-pitched voice) Yes, Mrs van Zyl, it’s important we all take protection from HIV. Look at me, I’m so smart.
Ethan is laughing and slapping his thigh.
ETHAN: Aaah, stop it dude, you’re on a roll tonight. You’re just bummed she turned you down.
BANDILE: (pretending to disagree) Yea right!
ETHAN: The truth will come out.
BANDILE: These girls are all so boring, I don’t know why Zuri is so serious. Maybe she does just want to suck up to the teacher.
ETHAN: I don’t have time for the boring PrEP talk. That was the longest lesson ever!
BANDILE: I know man, it’s not like any of us need to worry about HIV anyway.
ETHAN: Yeah, she needs to let it go, I bet she’s a virgin. She wouldn’t need to take PrEP anyway. She’s just trying to sound like she isn’t.
BANDILE: She doesn’t know what’s good for her, she turned down this!
He motions at himself from head to toe.
ETHAN: You made that easy! Anyway, I told you to go for someone else in the grade.
BANDILE: Yea, well she’s just being stuck up and acting like a know-it-all.
ETHAN: She goes off about this PrEP stuff and aids prevention all the time. It’s getting old. Do you know anyone who’s used PrEP before?
BANDILE: Of course not! Why would I? I don’t even know anyone who is HIV positive.
ETHAN: Same, not my problem.
BANDILE: We’re here to have a jol, let’s get some snacks from inside.
Mrs Dlamini has been accidentally listening to the two boys through the bathroom window. Her heart sinks, and she’s disappointed in her son. She has a secret she’s been hiding from him. Is it time she finally tells him the truth?
In the kitchen, Bandile is looking for snacks.
BANDILE: Mama! Where did you put those chips I saw earlier?
MRS DLAMINI: They’re on the table by the window, my boy.
BANDILE: Thank you, Ma, let me know if our music is too loud.
MRS DLAMINI: It’s okay, don’t worry about the music.
BANDILE: Okay, Ma.
MRS DLAMINI: I’m going to visit Auntie next door for an hour, your friends must leave when I come home. I must speak to you, Bandile, my son.
BANDILE: Is everything okay? What’s the matter?
MRS DLAMINI: There’s something I should have told you a long time ago, I haven’t been completely honest with you, my boy. We’ll speak later.
She disappears through the back door.