Episode 7: Jennifer Hudstone and the Offset Whispers

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Episode 7

Jennifer Hudstone and the Offset Whispers




"We both know who starts rumours."

Jennifer can't even bring herself to think, let alone engage in this absurd conversation with Ronita.

"There has to be more to this," Jennifer blurts out, fumbling over her words as she does so. "There are two sides to every story..." She continues, only to be interrupted.

"...and this paints both sides pretty nicely," Ronita says, shaking her head. "But, I get it, she's... just think it over. My lips are sealed."

And, after another ten minutes Ronita has made her promise several times over and ushered Jennifer out into the hallway with a sympathetic smile.

Jennifer slowly starts walking home, only to realize that she doesn't want to go home.

She spends the rest of the afternoon wondering around town aimlessly. A zombie, brainless to her surroundings and heartless and numb toward Tessa and everything at hand.

The sunset. She went home. Ate dinner. And, tried once again to get some sleep, only to toss and turn and wake up looking like a true corpse.

Walking to school, hope started reviving some feeling within her. "It must have been Angus spreading the rumours," She says, ignoring the evidence that would contradict. "Maybe it was me? I have been a bad friend lately, too distant, too..." Jennifer continued on all the way down the road, all the way through the gate, all the way to her locker and, before she knew it, Tessa was standing before her.

As usual, Tessa started talking, started gossiping. One story after the next.

We both know who starts rumours.

Another emotion slowly flickers alive within Jennifer, as the harsh reality falls into place before her eyes.

"I know about you and Angus," Jennifer suddenly says and Tessa freezes mid-speech. "If you liked him that much, you could have told me instead of spreading stories."

"And, so the main character finally catches up," Tessa says with a bitter smile, her entire stance changes. "Your plot line has surpassed you."

Gravity shifts underneath Jennifer's feet, time and everything around her and Tessa falls away. Nothing outside exists anymore.

"What?"

"Jennifer, Jennifer. The main protagonist, so smart and, yet, so dumb – so delusional," Tessa continues. "Say something, yell, make it about you again – you are the main character after all."

"You've never believed me..."

"I don't believe you now," Tessa sharply says and continues. "You're selfish and now that I have what you want, you're jealous too."

"I didn't mean to..." Jennifer says more to herself than Tessa.

"There you go again! I, I, I. What if I want to be the main character for a bit?" Tessa hisses. "What if I don't want to be another sub-character in Jennifer Hudstone's boring little life?" She laughs, breaking the spell and Jennifer realizes that there are people gathering. An angry scowl replaces Tessa's laughter.

"Your audience has gathered," Tessa says. "Time for your scene. Show them, main character, show them."

"I'm sorry, Tessa..." But before Jennifer can finish, Tessa shoves her.

"Yell at me! Do something! I took everything from you," Tessa shouts, becoming more hysterical by the moment, but all Jennifer feels is empathy toward the broken character in front of her. Jennifer wants to hug her, take her pain away, make her believe in something other than her reality. She wants to apologize and turn back Tessa's heart and mend time, but that is not our protagonist's superpower.

"You took nothing from me," Jennifer says and walks away. Tessa yells after her, shouting continually, as Jennifer shoulders through the crowd, down the hallway and into the basement. Through the first door on the left, then the second on the right and into her sanctuary before she completely bursts into tears.

A true character knows when not to make a scene.

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