Fiction: Love online in the time of Covid-19

In this fictional audio drama by RadioActive's Jennifer Nguyen, two teens meet and fall for each other online during the pandemic. But connecting in real life is much harder.

This story includes audio of gun shots in the context of a fictional zombie hunter video game.

[RadioActive Youth Media is KUOW's radio journalism and audio storytelling program for young people. This story was entirely youth-produced, from the writing to the audio editing.]

Transcript:

Scene 1

[School bell rings, sounds of high school students settling into class]

Ms. Springfield: Morning, everyone. Today we’re doing a group project about graphing. Check the board for your assigned partners

Mia: Ugh, Becca – we don’t have each other.

Becca: At least you have that quiet kid, Liam, who does all his work. Have fun.

Mia: Gee, thanks.

Trevor: Boo, we’re not partners. You have Ms. Popular, Mia, though. Good luck.

Liam: Thanks, Trevor, I’ll need it.

Mia: Hey, Liam? You got this by yourself, right? I’m pretty busy, so I can’t help. Deal? Great.

Liam: Um... Okay.

Liam (internally): What the hell? How self-centered could a girl be?

[Classroom noise fades out]

[Clock ticking, signaling the passage of time]

Scene 2

[School bell rings, sounds of students in class]

Ms. Springfield: It’s been a week since I assigned the group projects.

[Paper thuds down on desk]

Mia, you’ve failed this assignment because it’s clear that Liam did all the work. Liam, I bumped your grade down to a ‘B’ because you guys were supposed to work together. I hope this doesn’t happen again.

Liam (to Mia, groaning): If you had some plain decency and helped me with the project, none of this would’ve happened.

Mia: It’s just a school project. And I had better things to do than hanging out with... you.

Mia (internally): Thank God it’s the weekend. I’m so over this.

[Classroom noise fades out]

[Clock ticking, signaling the passage of time]

Scene 3

Text message from Becca to Mia: Did you hear the news? Schools are shutting down because of some virus... Covid-19 I think.

Text message from Mia to Becca: We’ll probably be back in like two weeks though. AKA early spring break!

[Clock ticking, signaling the passage of time]

Scene 4

Text message from Mia to Becca: Ugh, Becca! It’s been months with everything being shut down and virtual school. I’m so bored.

Text message from Becca to Mia: You should check out that new zombie killer game. I hear everyone’s playing it right now.

Mia (internally): Hmm, it’s only 9 p.m. and there’s nothing else to do. Might as well kill some time.

[Mia starts playing video game. Sound of gun shots and zombies in the game]

Mia: This game is pretty fun!

Ooh, 1,000 coins if I add a friend? Ok!

There’s a list of random usernames, I need to choose wisely.

@juicyfatchicken? @ilovemilk365?

Well, I like milk, too…

[Friend request sent chime]

Liam: A friend request from @harrystylesismyhusband59? Interesting name...

[Friend request accepted chime]

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Wild guess. You love milk?

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: Not really, I’m kinda lactose intolerant. And I’m guessing you love Harry Styles?

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: What?! How did you know?

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: What can I say? I’m a psychic.

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Can you tell my fortune?

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: Hmmm... I'm getting that you’ll marry Harry Styles in the near future.

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Omg. I knew it! Manifestation is key.

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: Hey, do u have a real name I could call you by?

Mia (internally): Oof, that was quick. Um…

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Yeah, it’s… Sia.

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: Like the singer?

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Yeah. I can’t believe it’s my name either. Ha.

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: My name’s Leo. It’s nice to meet you. So, Sia… wanna play a round?

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Sure, but you better not suck.

[Video game sounds, shooting zombies]

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Ah! Shoot the zombies, not me!

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: Sorry, I can’t tell the difference.

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: You’re about to become my new arch-nemesis.

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: New? You already have an arch-nemesis?

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Yeah, it’s this stuck-up guy from my school who irritates me whenever I see him. He practically yelled at me once

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: What a jerk. I know what you mean though. There’s this girl at my school who thinks she’s better than everyone else, and it’s so annoying .

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: I know we’ve never met before, but you're really easy to talk to. Thanks for listening to me rant.

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: Feel free to rant to me whenever you want.

Mia (internally): Omg, it’s already 2 a.m. But he’s kinda nice to talk to. Maybe I’ll be playing this game a lot more now…

Liam (internally): This girl’s pretty cool…

[Clock ticking, signaling the passage of time]

Scene 5

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: We’ve been playing this game for like three months. Thanks for helping me relieve my boredom. How old are you anyway?

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: 16. You?

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Same. My birthday’s coming up at the end of July.

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: Really? Or are you lying and you’re actually 60?

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Busted. Darn it!

[Clock ticking, signaling the passage of time]

Scene 6

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: School’s going back in person soon, and I’m running out of music to listen to. Any song recs?

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: We’ve been talking for a while now, so I think I know you well enough to know you’ll love this band. They’re super good, and when you get back to school, people will think you’re in the know.

[“Highwave” by Jay Someday plays]

Message from @ilovemilk365 to @harrystylesismyhusband59: They’re not bad, I guess. Thanks! I hope we keep chatting once schools go back in-person.

Message from @harrystylesismyhusband59 to @ilovemilk365: Same. Maybe we can meet in real life.

[Clock ticking, signaling the passage of time]

Scene 7

[School bell rings]

Ms. Springfield: Welcome back, everybody. I know this is a new environment for all of us, but let’s make it work. Check on the board for your assigned seats.

Mia: Great. You’re practically seated five miles away from me, Becca. And that overachiever from sophomore year sits right next to me.

Liam: I can hear you, you know. And I don’t want to sit next to you, either.

Mia: Whatever, just don’t talk to me. Hearing your voice is giving me bad juju.

Liam: [Scoffs]

[Highwave” by Jay Someday starts playing from Liam’s phone]

Mia (internally): Is he listening to what I think he is? At least he has good music taste.

Becca: Just ignore him, Mia. But did you hear Harry Styles announced his world tour? He’s coming to Seattle on your birthday, July 28!

Mia: Are you serious?! Shut up.

Liam (internally): Mia kinda reminds me of someone I know... Nah, it can't be…

Liam (to Mia): You’re a Harry Styles fan? Do you get psychic readings to tell you he’s your future husband, too?

Liam (internally): No way it’s her, right?

Mia (internally): Why is this kid even talking to m— wait, what did he just say? There’s no way…

[Heartbeat pounding]

[Music swells, then fades out]

Scene 6

[School bell rings]

Mia (internally): School’s been so weird these past few days, seeing him. We said we would keep chatting once school started, but we haven't ever since that day.

Mia (internally, positive): Just say ‘hi’ to him first! Who knows, you might get yourself a boyfriend…

Mia (internally, negative): What if it doesn’t work out? That’s going to be so awkward because he sits right next to me…

Liam (internally): I’ve been wanting to talk to her. But I just couldn’t bring myself to…

Liam (internally, negative): What if it doesn’t work out? What’s the point then?

Liam (internally, positive): But we should at least try… you’ll never know what’ll happen…

Okay. Okay. Today’s the day. I’ll do it. After class.

Mia (internally, positive): I’ll say ‘hi’ to him today.

Scene 8

[Solemn music, heartbeat pounding]

[Mia and Liam overlapping]

Mia (internally, negative): It won’t work out.

Liam (internally, negative): There’s no point.

Mia (internally, negative): It won’t work out.

Liam (internally, negative): There’s no point.

Mia (internally, negative): It won’t work out.

Liam (internally, negative): There’s no point.

[Music stops abruptly]

[A beat of silence, then music fades in again]

Mia (internally): Is that it? Is this the end?

Liam (internally): Was it ever real?

[Fade to silence]

This story was produced in a RadioActive Youth Media Advanced Producers creative audio workshop for high school and college-age youth. Production assistance by Esmy Jimenez and Lucas Galarneau. Prepared for the web by Kelsey Kupferer. Edited by Diana Opong.

Special thanks to Diana Opong, Antonio Nevarez, Rodz Marco Hiyas, Kayla Dumlao and Anna Diep for voice acting.

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