Episode 6: Jennifer Hudstone and the Spider's Web

Episode 6

Jennifer Hudstone and the Spider's Web

Jennifer grabs her desk chair and places it in front of the wall opposite her bed. She takes a seat and admires her work: a Sherlock Holmes-style mind map of events and suspects.

After she'd tidied the nursery, she couldn't sleep. Jennifer kept tossing and turning, decided to give up on sleep at about eleven o'clock and started with her mind map instead. Jennifer needs to make sense of her life; nothing makes sense anymore. If her story isn't a love story, which she's not sure that it isn't, then what is it?

There used to hang a picture of Tessa and Jennifer on the wall, but Jennifer removed it, placing it on her bed, to make space and used the screw as the centre of her mind map.

Jennifer bites on a pen and reads through the sticky note titles – AA (Author's Advocate) Suspects being the centre one.

Jennifer had decided that she needed to solve the single mystery that she could solve, without breaking the law, first, and forget about hacking Angus' phone... it's not worth going to jail over. Jennifer taps her foot and looks at each suspect individually – first one is her father. She follows the red line from the screw all the way to where the other end is taped to a picture of her father. She's only shared her truth with the people she loves and he's one of the first people she told. Other than that, she doesn't believe that he would play such a cruel prank on his own daughter. There's a second thread taped to her father's picture, it leads to a photo of Shawn – he wouldn't be able to dream up a prank like this all by himself, but Jennifer doesn't know if her father would help him.

Her eyes hop back to the screw and follows another thread all the way to a picture of her and Angus. He does know about everything and has mocked it all in the past, that doesn't mean he's the prankster though. But, for some reason Jennifer still has her doubts about him and felt the need to add him to the list. Angus has been acting strange lately.

Enoch is a suspect too, but Jennifer doesn't have a picture of him, so she just scribbled his name on a sticky note. She highly doubts that he is responsible, Jennifer even put a question mark under his name. And, lastly, Jennifer tore off the inside cover-page of the drama they're analysing in class and stuck it to the wall too – the page has the name of the author and publishing company on it. The Author's Advocate note could be a direct note from her author, like the one at the start of their play.

After staring at the wall until her vision blurs, Jennifer decides to give sleep another go. She stands up and stretches her back as she walks over to her bed. As she nears, she spots the photograph of her and Tessa on her bed. She'd forgotten about it for a moment, she removes it lovingly while looking at the two smiling faces. She wishes that she could go back in time to that day and relive it over and over again. Her fifth birthday, she remembers. Despite everything that had gone wrong that day, Jennifer's sure that she'd never get tired of it.

She places the photo on her bedside table and climbs into bed, her mind still not completely at ease.

***

"As you can see our main character has the tendency to fourth wall break. She usually does this through her soliloquies, but some critics say that she even does this through her monologues and speaks more to her audience than to the other characters present," Ms Knight says and points at her summary of the main character on the black board.

Jennifer stares at the board through her swollen and puffy eyelids, not taking in a single word Ms Knight is saying. Jennifer did manage to sleep a few hours Saturday night, but Sunday she couldn't sleep at all. Jennifer's so tired that she's barely in working condition.

She leans against the wall again and, as her eyes slowly start to dip, Ms Knight suddenly hits the board and she's startled awake.

"There are several characters at fault here," Ms Knight says angrily and Jennifer sits completely still for a second. Jennifer focuses her attention back on the black board. There's a diagram resembling the one she'd made on her bedroom wall; chalk lines, where hers were with red string, branching outward to scribbled-chalk names.

"There are a few key role players behind this betrayal," Ms Knight continues and Jennifer realizes that she wasn't talking about the numerous kids dozing off after all. "This is a diagram of all the possible people at fault. I will not tell which, as that is tomorrows topic of discussion, but there are a few things worth noting about the past few chapters." She pauses for effect (she is a drama teacher after all) and then continues. "Take a close look at deviations in character behaviour, over the past two chapters. Then look at sudden changes in character relationships and, lastly, note the change in tone when it comes to dialogue."

The bell rings, but nobody moves.

Ms Knight lifts her eyebrow and glares at her students for a good two seconds before dismissing them. As Jennifer walks out the class, she mauls over everything again.

"Angus' behaviour has deviated quite a bit," Jennifer says.

Sleep deprivation is a funny thing, in her head she's almost making sense, but at the same time not a tall. She's so caught up in her head that she didn't notice Tessa's absence in first period or hear Angus calling her after as she walked out of class just then.

"There haven't been sudden changes in our relationship, but in terms of dialogue... he's never been so... I want to say dismissive, but that's not quite the word..." Angus grabs her arm and diverts her attention to him, he doesn't look too happy.

"Speak of the devil. Good morrow," Jennifer says, her words laced with sarcasm.

"Is it you?" He asks seriously.

"You caught me, I'm Jennifer's clone. If you leave now you might still be able to save her..." Jennifer says, but is cut off halfway.

"Stop messing around," Angus forcefully says. "Have you been spreading rumours about me?"

"I don't spread rumours, you of all people should know that," Jennifer says. Angus shoves a crumbled-up ball of paper into her hand before she can finish.

She unfolds the paper and finds a scribbled picture – a badly drawn heart encasing her name and Enoch's. Jennifer's tired brain starts to short circuit and all her caged emotions burst from their enclosures.

"Someone threw me with it in class," Angus says. "If it wasn't you..."

"‘If’ implies doubt, Angus," Jennifer spits. "‘If’ this were true, I still don't see what this has to do with you."

"Don't play dumb!" Angus says through clenched teeth. "You've been spreading rumours for weeks, telling everyone that you've finally managed to bag me. I'll admit, I was mildly flattered," He shakes his head in exasperation. "And, when I do make a move you..."

"It wasn't me, I would never..." She says softly, Angus has never talked to her like this. Jennifer settles on the half-hearted conclusion that Angus it being played – there has to be another explanation for his behaviour.

"Was it you? Did you send me the letter?" She asks.

"Don't change the subject," Tears sting her eyes as his words reach her ears. "It was you, it was all you. Everything started going wrong when you..." He jabs a finger at her, but then stops at the sight of his shaking hands. He clenches them into fists and crosses his arms over his chest. "Why me, Jennifer? What have I ever done to you?"

After a good few seconds of silence Angus just walks away.

Jennifer just stands there and then pulls out her phone to text Tessa. She types furiously, hits send and goes to her next class – only not to receive a response at all.

Jennifer takes her seat against the far wall and leans with her back against it. Before long she's almost forgotten all about Angus and Enoch as her eyes start to dip, dip once again.

"Lover's quarrel?" Someone asks and Jennifer's eyes shoot open.

"Well, that's what the gossip says, anyway. I've never been a fan of gossip, though," Ronita muses, she's laying on her arms, looking up at Jennifer with her lively eyes. "What's really going on?"

"Who's spreading the gossip?" Jennifer asks before her blood manages to cool down completely. She doesn't want to talk about her problems, let alone with Ronita.

Ronita sits up, a strand of black hair dangles from behind her ear.

"Everyone," She shrugs in response. "You know, someone really doesn't like you. They're making it look like you're the source."

"That's apparent," Jennifer says. "Do I want to know what they're saying?"

"No. All rumours are the same any how; if you've heard one, you've heard them all," Ronita says. "Are you still interested in that hack? It's the only truth you'll find now."

Jennifer thinks it over for a bit, but then squanders all her fears along with her obligation not to invade a friend's privacy. Something good has to come out of this day. She needs to find out who's whispering lies into Angus' ear and maybe there's a clue on his phone.

"It's a deal," Jennifer says.

"Verbal conformation, please." Ronita says with a cat like smile.

"Hack Angus Keller's phone," Jennifer says. Every word tastes like power as it rolls off her tongue. She never thought that taking control would feel this good.

***

Later that afternoon, Jennifer walks from the library to Ronita's place. She'd usually go to the Grind, but seeing as there are rumours flying around, she rather chose the library.

She walks past the natural disaster billboard, is reads: 256 days since the last natural disaster. Mecha Falls does flood or catch fire more than other places, there are even sirens set up all around town to warn people. The woop-woop-sounding siren is the flood siren, the beep-bo-beep-sounding one is for a fire and then there's one for wild animals too, but Jennifer hasn't heard it in so long that she's forgotten what it sounds like.

Ronita lives on the far side of town, in an apartment complex, her building is built against a cliff. The entire area looks claustrophobic with all the buildings and trees so close to each other, pressing Ronita's apartment complex up against the rock. She admires the cramped little building before walking in.

Since that morning, Jennifer hasn't wavered in her decision. It's time Jennifer had gotten some answers.

After ten-billion steps, four flights of stairs and all of Jennifer's mental capacity, which she used to search for the ever-elusive apartment, Jennifer finally finds in one of the hidden corners of the six-story building. She knocks on the door and receives a "It's open!" in response.

As Jennifer walks in she's welcomed by the smell of popcorn. "Nita?" She asks as she closes the door and receives another yell-answer calling her deeper into the dark apartment.

"Come in! Follow my voice!" Ronita says and Jennifer starts questioning all her life choices as she reluctantly does so.

She finds Ronita behind a desk, sitting in a lounge chair, in what appears to be their living room. The room is completely dark, only the glow from the computer screens provide a source of light. There are three computer screens on the table, a bowl of popcorn, a large two litre bottle of something, the wrapper is torn off so Jennifer's not sure what, but it's filled with a transparent liquid, and several hundred wires coming from the entire set up.

"Hey!" Ronita says, from her curled-up position on the chair, with her dainty fingers on the keyboard. "Pull over the other chair, I'll be with you in a sec."

Jennifer moves into the room slowly, observing everything around her. The room is mostly empty, except for the few family photographs on the one wall, there are cardboard boxes to the one corner of the room.

Jennifer pulls over the other lounge chair from next to the desk and puts it right next to Ronita's. As Jennifer takes a seat she looks at the computer screens. She's not sure what Ronita's playing, but it sure is violent. Her character is a guy wearing a knight helmet and a leather jacket, one of his sleeves are rolled up revealing his bionic arm underneath. There are people approaching, shooting at her, but Jennifer watches as Ronita's nimble little fingers move across the keys. Her character pulls out a shovel, there's a yellow smiley face on it, and slaughters everyone in sight.

Ronita pauses the game and exits with a smile.

"Welcome to my dungeon," Ronita says and leans back in her chair. "Do you have the money?"

Jennifer nods and gives Ronita what was promised.

"Okidokes!" Ronita says and cracks her neck from side to side. “What’s his number?"

Jennifer reads it to her, with each number she reads her heart rate increases. "Please don't get caught," Jennifer says after the entire number's read, but Ronita just shrugs it off without response. Jennifer looks away the entire time, she can't dare bear witness to her complete breach in friendship.

"Angus has never been one for texting or calls, so I'm sure there won't be anything of interest..." Jennifer nervously rambles, but receives no reply. Despite what Jennifer tells herself or Ronita, she knows that she'll find at least a clue as to who's messing with her and Angus. A sudden thought hits her: Could she even call Angus a friend anymore? It is rather clear that the ship is sunk, but maybe there's still something to salvage.

"Okay," Ronita says. "Our boy's been busy... there are a lot of calls and texts from one number, but the contact isn't saved as a name... rather as an old-school heart. See..." Ronita points, but Jennifer still isn't looking.

"Jennifer," Ronita snaps her fingers in front of Jennifer's face a couple of times and before she can help it, she's looking at the computer.

<3 is the contact name.

Gravity shifts and Jennifer's eyes blur, but after a blink of two she's back in reality. There's someone else. How didn't she know about this? How isn't this the talk of the town?

Ronita clicks on the contact for more information and a number pops up on screen.

"I don't recognize the number, but I mean we could give it a call..." Ronita says while typing it into her phone. But, Jennifer already knows who's going to be on the other end. Ronita puts it on speaker and leaves it on the table top, while she browses through Angus' text conversations. They've been texting daily. They've been texting a lot.

Jennifer can feel the blood drain from her body with every ring, but her heart stops as it goes to voice mail and Tessa's friendly voice sings a silly little message about how she's sorry that she couldn't answer.