Cooties

Cooties




Standing in front of a curtain or some form of backdrop, are three students. A boy to the

left and right, and a girl in between. All three’s hands are in curled under their chins

similar to someone pretending to be a begging puppy. The hope is to make it appear that

the three preschoolers are lying on the ground in sleeping bags, in position for naptime.



“Okay children, blow out the light on three,” a voice from off stage calls with enthusiasm.



“One, two, THREE!” the teacher and the two boys exclaim eagerly. The girl in the center

does not. Instead, she eyes both boys next to hear and whimpers the numbers. She lifts

her hands a little higher in order to bury herself a little further into her sleeping bag.



The two boys smile and close their eyes, maybe wiggling slightly to get comfortable. The

little girl does not. She becomes stiff and eyes widen.



“Cccooties…” she wimpers.



“What was that Charlotte?” The boy to the left opens his eye closest to her while the other

remains closed.



“Nothing!” Charlotte quickly replies and turns towards the right so that her back is

facing the kid that just spoke. She bends her legs a little to make it appear that she is

curling herself up into the fetal position.



The boy to the left shrugs his shoulders after closing his eyes again. He innocently smiles

and snuggles back into his sleeping bag.



In the center, Charlotte flares her nostrils as she watches the boy to the right snore

loudly and snottily sniff.



“Boys are so gross!” she disgustedly whispers.



The boy jolts awake, making a snorting noise as he wags his head to open his eyes.

“What was that Charlotte?” He turns towards her.



“Nothing!” Charlotte again turns away from the boy to the right and faces forward. She

pulls her hands even closer, now being held above her nose.

She looks left and then looks right. Left again and lets out a shaky sigh.



“Are you okay Charlotte?” Asks the boy to the left as he turns towards her.



Charlotte opens her mouth to respond, still looking forward, but before she can let out

a single syllable, the boy to the right turns towards her too. “Yeah, are you all right?

TEACHER! I think Charlotte needs to visit the nurse!”



“No, no I’m fine.” She says in a scared, small voice. She tucks her elbows in a little

closer so as not to touch the students beside her.



“Don’t worry Charlotte, I used to be scared of the dark too” consoles the boy to the left.



“I’m not scared of th- DON’T TOUCH ME!” she jumps to the right because the

boy to the left reaches out his hand in an attempt to pat Charlotte’s shoulder for

encouragement. Unfortunately for the little girl she bumps the boy to the right.



“Hey!” He pulls his covers in close and wears an expression of confusion and

annoyance.



“AH! Cooties!” Charlotte screams and squirms. She attempts to brush the boy germs

from her shoulder but she still remains disgusted and horrified.



“What did she say?” asks boy to the left to the boy on the right.



“I think she said cooties.” The boy nods in Charlotte’s direction with covers still pulled

tight under his chin.



Charlotte is breathing in heavy, rhythmical breaths, trying to calm herself. Her hands fan

her face.



All of a sudden both boys look forward because they both came up with the same

idea. They slowly turn their heads towards Charlotte and stick out their fingers in her

direction.



“Circle, circle, dot, dot, now you got your cootie shot!” They both poke her arms at the

same time.



“AH!” the little girl opens her eyes and screams.



“Okay children, time to get up!” the teacher from off stage gently calls out.



At this, the three kids quiet and look forward. They all roll to the right, like rolling down

a hill but standing up, until they are all off stage.



“Wee!” say the boys with big smiles. Charlotte unsteadily squeals along with them, but

without a smile.