School Love Stories

AUDITION PACKET

Project Overview
The SLS Anthology Shorts is a four-part collection of intimate, character-driven Nigerian teen
love stories. Each short captures a different shade of young romance — from fiery
confrontations to whispered late-night truths.

●​ The Trouble with Us — Best friends wrestle with hidden feelings.​

●​ Love Notes — A shy girl’s private letters are exposed.​

●​ Five More Minutes — A first date that both teens want to last forever.​

●​ Night Call — A midnight phone call where secrets are whispered.​

Casting (Roles):
●​ Leads: 8 teens (ages 16–18)​

●​ Supporting teens: 4 roles​

●​ Adults: 3 (teachers/parents, some voice-only)​

Performances should be naturalistic and grounded, never melodramatic. Think honesty,

Roles + Audition Sides

1.​ The Trouble with Us

Funmi (16) — Sharp, witty, but masking vulnerability.

Side:​
Funmi confronts her best friend after he brushes off something important.

FUNMI:​
You know what annoys me about you? You act like everything is a joke until it’s not funny
anymore. You make people laugh, you distract, you glide through like nothing touches you —
and meanwhile, I’m the one holding everything together. I’m tired of being the serious one. I’m
tired of you deciding when it’s time to laugh and when it’s time to finally pay attention.
(beat, softer)​
I need to know you can be real with me. Just once. No jokes. No easy smile. Just… real.

Tayo (16) — Popular, warm, hiding feelings under charm.

Side:​
Tayo tries to explain why he avoids being serious.

TAYO:​
Do you think I don’t see things? Because I do. I see everything. I see when you roll your eyes in
class even though you’re secretly excited about the lesson. I see when you get quiet because
something hurt you, but you’d rather swallow it than explain. I notice all of it — but if I call it out,
if I say it out loud, then it’s heavy. And I don’t want you to carry heavy all the time.
(beat, letting guard down)​
So yeah, I make jokes. Not because I don’t care. Because I care too much.

Zainab (16) — Funmi’s friend, sharp tongue, observational.

Side:​
Zainab teases Funmi, but with affection.

ZAINAB:​
You’re impossible, you know that? You roll your eyes at every boy who looks your way, but the
second one of them doesn’t notice you, you sulk like it’s a national tragedy. You pretend you
don’t care about any of it, but I see you. I see the way you get louder when he’s around, like
you’re daring him to ignore you. You can keep pretending if you want. Just don’t expect me to
buy it.

Farouk (16) — Mischievous, always playing, but capable of truth.

Side:​
Farouk covers his nerves with jokes when accused of going too far with a prank.

FAROUK:​
Look, I admit — maybe the lizard-in-the-locker thing was… intense. But you have to admit it was
original. Nobody’s going to forget that anytime soon. And that’s the point, right? You remember
the people who made you laugh, not the ones who just blended in. I don’t like blending in. I’d
rather you be annoyed with me than not notice me at all.

Amarachi (16) — The cautious one, voice of reason.

Side:​
Amarachi tries to mediate between Funmi and Tayo after a tense moment.
AMARACHI:​
Both of you need to stop pretending you don’t care. You care. Way too much. That’s why you
keep circling each other like this. Funmi, you don’t let anyone get away with half the things you
let him get away with. And Tayo, you joke with everyone, but it’s different with her and you know
it. You can keep hiding behind sarcasm and comedy, but you’re only fooling yourselves. The
rest of us — we’ve been onto you for years.

2.​ Five More Minutes

Ella (17) — Witty, teasing, afraid to show real feelings too easily.

Side:​
Ella admits she uses jokes to keep people at a distance.

ELLA:​
You ever notice how I always have the perfect comeback? That’s not an accident. It’s armour. If
I keep you laughing, you won’t notice when I’m scared. If I keep things light, you won’t push for
what’s heavy. But sometimes — like right now — I get tired of being funny. I want to say what I
feel without cushioning it. But then the voice in my head screams: “Don’t do it, he’ll run.” So I
smile instead. You think I’m brave? I’m not. I’m just good at cover fire.

Danny (17) — Sweet, nerdy, awkward but earnest.

Side:​
Danny struggles to articulate why he feels safe with her.

DANNY:
I don’t even know how to explain this. Being around you doesn’t feel like fireworks. It’s not that
dramatic. It feels like… sitting in a chair that finally fits. Like exhaling after holding my breath too
long. And yeah, that sounds lame — I can hear it. But I swear, I’ve never felt it before. People
make me nervous. With you, I’m still nervous, but it’s the good kind. The kind that makes me
want to stay instead of run. That has to mean something, right?

3.​ Love Notes

Ada (16) — Shy, thoughtful, guards her heart in writing.

Side:​
Ada explains why she writes instead of speaking.
ADA:​
When I write, the words come out straight. They don’t get tangled in my throat or trip over
themselves. I can be brave on paper in ways I’ll never be out loud. You think it’s silly — like I’m
hiding — but the truth is, I’m more myself in ink than I am in person. Because if I say it out loud
and someone laughs, it dies right there. But if I write it, it stays. Even if no one ever reads it, at
least it’s real.

Idris (16) — Kind, admired, but wants to be seen past the “nice guy” mask.

Side:​
Idris vents about being pigeonholed.

IDRIS:​
Everybody thinks they know me. The guy who helps with homework, carries the extra chair,
smiles at teachers. And yeah, I do those things, but it’s not the whole picture. Nobody ever asks
if I’m tired of it. Nobody ever asks if I’m angry, or selfish, or just human. I want someone to see
me when I’m not smiling. To still choose me when I’m not perfect. That’s the difference between
admiration and love. And honestly, I’m tired of being admired.

Kemi (16) — Ada’s bold best friend; charming, attention-seeking, with a jealous streak.

Side:​
Kemi masks hurt with bravado.

KEMI:​
You think it’s easy being the loud one? Everyone laughs, everyone claps, everyone says, “Kemi,
you’re so confident.” But they don’t know that when the lights go off, it’s quiet. And in that quiet, I
wonder why no one ever sees past the noise. People love me when I’m on stage, but when I’m
just… me, it’s like I disappear. That’s why I poke at you, Ada. Because you get to hide and still
be seen. And I — I feel like I have to perform every second just to matter.

Mr. Femi (40s) — Warm, thoughtful literature teacher; believes in truth through words.

Side:​
Mr. Femi encourages a nervous student.

MR. FEMI:​
The trick isn’t to write like someone else. The trick is to write like only you can. Stop worrying
about what they’ll think. Stop polishing every sentence until it’s lifeless. A rough truth is better
than a perfect lie. Do you know why I love literature? Because it keeps people honest. You can
hide from yourself in conversation, but on the page — eventually, your heart shows through.
And that’s what matters. Not neatness. Not grammar. Just honesty.
 4.​ Night Call

Tare (16) — Appears shy but really isn’t, uses rambling humour to cover nerves.

Side:​
Tare admits why she’s more comfortable talking in the dark.

TARE:
I like the night because no one can stare at me. In the dark, it’s just voices. No eyebrows raised,
no smirks, no teachers peeking over their glasses. Just words floating. Daylight is loud —
everyone watching, everyone judging. But at night? I can say things I’d never survive saying at
noon. And maybe tomorrow I’ll regret it. But for now, at least I get to be the version of me I

Gozie (17) — Popular, confident by day, unexpectedly vulnerable when honest.

Side:​
Gozie reveals his fear of being misunderstood.

GOZIE:​
People think I’m easy to figure out. Cool, confident, the guy who always knows what to say. But
the truth is, half the time I’m guessing. And the other half, I’m terrified I’ll say the one wrong
thing that makes everyone realise I’m just a mess. It’s funny — they say popularity is power, but
it feels more like a spotlight. And spotlights don’t care if you’re sweating, or scared, or wishing
you could just be invisible for once.