Episode 9: Jennifer Hudstone and the Fourth Act

Episode 9

Jennifer Hudstone and the Fourth Act

"And that's when my brother wished the moon blue and the stars fell from the sky, only to stop a meter off the ground and shoot back," Enoch says and Jennifer nods, not listening at all. Enoch's been talking nonsense and walking around in circles ever since he noticed that Jennifer wasn't listening.

Jennifer suddenly stops, "Haven't we walked past here already?"

"Nope," Enoch replies, despite the fact that they've passed there three times before. "But, I do think I'm lost."

Jennifer shrugs and points him in the right direction.

"What did you do all day?" Enoch asks, trying to engage her in the conversation once again.

"I slept," is all she says.

"How could you sleep when there are so many wonderful books?" Enoch gushes. "I've never seen such a large collection of antique books before. They're all typed or written by hand, I know a few people who would kill to..." Enoch notices that Jennifer has retreated back into her head again.

"I've never liked Tessa," Enoch suddenly says and Jennifer's attention is drawn back to him. "There's always been something off about her."

"Don't talk about her like that," is all he receives in response. "I don't want to talk about any of this. Tell me something about yourself."

"In my former life I was a participation trophy," Enoch says seriously and Jennifer laughs. "Just checking that you're listening. There isn't much to tell really..."

"Tell me about your father," Jennifer says. "I haven't met him yet."

"He's away for work a lot, he works with genetics or something. Mostly he does research, but the company he works for sends him all around the world – that's how he'd met my mum. She was married before she'd met my father, which would technically make my brothers half-brothers, but that classification is simply wrong. Anyway, my mum's previous husband was an abusive cheater and my dad helped her get out of that marriage. They fell in love and married as soon as they could. And, ta-da, now I'm here, well, Theresa too."

"Theresa," Jennifer repeats. "I wondered what her name was. Do you look much like your father?"

"I don't look much like either of my parents, for a while I believed that I was switched at birth," he answers and suddenly stops, before announcing their arrival at Jennifer's home.

"Madam," He says and gestures to her house.

Jennifer doesn't even let him finish before giving him a hug. Her eyes grow wide the second she realizes what she'd done. Jennifer quickly let’s go, shyly says goodbye and bolts toward the door – not looking back.

Before Jennifer gives much attention to her pulsing heart, she walks into the kitchen and finds her mother behind the counter cooking dinner.

"Where's dad?" Jennifer asks, he usually keeps her mother company as she kooks.

"He's seeing the principle again, Shawn..." Her mother sighs. "Well you know what happened at band practice. This time someone bumped into him on the soccer field." She rinses off her hands and dries them before setting the table where Jennifer had taken a seat.

"Tessa and I had a fall out today," Jennifer says and her mother stops for a second and I'm sorry, Dear, before continuing on with dinner.

Time slows.

"I'm sure you two will work it out somehow, you always do," she says next.

"This isn't like the other times, mum," Jennifer says exasperated with disbelief, but her mother only gives her a pitying look before her father and Shawn arrive home, gluing her attention to the boys.

Next both parents join in, to lecture Shawn about how he can't just start fights with everyone he feels like. Dinner was rather boring and soon enough Jennifer was alone in her room. She'd closed the door and dove straight onto her bed.

Her mother didn't even ask what had happened. She didn't even bother asking a single question at all. Jennifer's father shrugged it off too, she'd told him later, but all she got was a quick hug, a kiss on the forehead and a I'll never understand you girls.

Jennifer turns on her side, suddenly haunted by Angus' words – his actions. He knew she had a crush on him, they both knew, but their words show that they had no true love for her. She's glad she'd stopped his kiss – that could have been the one thing worse than Tessa revealing her true colours, the stripping of Jennifer's innocence. The making of an accomplice – an unknowing cheater.

Jennifer turns on her back and, within seconds, sits up – coming face to face with her suspect diagram. It lacks Tessa as a suspect, Jennifer had even listed Enoch – but Tessa's name is absent entirely. The whole Author's Advocate ploy makes sense now, it was a threat from Tessa, a threat to take everything Jennifer had and held dear. And, she succeeded almost entirely.

Jennifer felt the urge to tare the suspect list apart, but she couldn't. Something felt off, something felt wrong, but Jennifer dismissed the feeling and decided to tare the thing to shreds in the morning – when she was bound to feel better.

***

Needless to say, Jennifer didn't feel better, not even in the slightest. In fact, Jennifer overslept entirely, rushed to get ready, scoffed down breakfast as she ran out to catch the bus to school. Only to realize, as she stepped into the vehicle, that Angus always took the bus. But, by then it was too late – the door had already closed.

Jennifer walked to the only open seat, the row to the left and two seats in front of where Angus sat with his eyes closed, listening to music. He didn't look at all like himself. Jennifer did everything to avoid drawing attention to herself and sunk down low in her seat. She managed to avoid getting spotted all the way to school, but, as she got off the bus, Angus saw her.

As Jennifer makes her way through the gate, she ignores Angus' calls, but when Angus put a hand on her shoulder she stopped. Jennifer didn't turn around, but soon enough Angus had walked around and is standing in front of her.

"Hey, Jenny," He says running a hand nervously through his hair. “I just wanted to say sorry, for the other day. I didn't mean it," But, to Jennifer and Angus' surprise, she lets out a little laugh in response.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Jennifer says softly, with down cast eyes. Angus lifts her gaze to meet his and nods, without saying a word.

"I know you better than anyone," Jennifer continues calmly. "And, that's how I know you meant every word. I'm not mad, Angus, I'm hurt. Next time, just think before you..." She shakes her head. "Just think next time. And, it's not Jenny – it's Jennifer, it's about time you learned that."

The last thing she sees before walking away is Angus nodding, breaking eye contact and biting his lip, the way he always did when he would get into trouble.

After heading to her locker, Jennifer heads to home room, only to find that Tessa has taken Jennifer's seat at the front of the class. The two fleetingly make eye contact, before Jennifer takes in the seat nearest to the door instead.

"So, apparently that's how it's going to be," Jennifer narrates as the announcements are being read. "It's clear that Tessa is trying to get a reaction out of me..." But, before Jennifer can finish her sentence, she's thrown with a paper ball. She turns around in her chair, looking for the source, and finds Enoch. He mimes to Jennifer to unfold the paper and she does.

Stop it – the note says, Jennifer frowns and looks back at Enoch in confusion. Enoch puts a finger to his lips and points at the teacher. Jennifer rolls her eyes, she's forgotten that Enoch can hear her.

"But, the question is why? Why does she want me to react so desperately?" Jennifer's thrown with another paper ball. She spins around furiously, coming face to face with an angry Enoch.

She unfolds the paper again.

Because she needs the attention, keep quiet. - The note says and a small smile tweaks the corners of her mouth, it's weirdly nice to know that someone's listening.

As Jennifer walks out of home room she tries to catch Enoch, but before she can manage it he's gone. Slightly deflated, she slowly starts walking to her next class – biology. As she walks down the hallway, she walks past a whistling Mr Nibbs, she smiles and he smiles back, continuing on with his window washing. She thinks the tune is from Singing in The Rain, it sounds familiar. She ponders the play all the way to biology and, by the time the class has finished, she'd settled on it being You Were Meant for Me.

All the way to Drama Jennifer hums the tune, mauling over her memories of having watched the film with her mother one rainy Saturday – they had popcorn and everything.

Jennifer takes her usual seat and looks longingly out of the window, over the grass and the woodlands on the other side of the school's fenced off boundary.

"You've got to stop talking in class." Jennifer hadn't even seen Enoch walk in, let alone noticed that he'd taken the seat behind her. "It's distracting."

"Do you really think she's seeking attention?" Jennifer asks as she turns around in her seat, feeling sorry for her former friend. But, before Enoch can answer Ms Knight walks in, places a cup of coffee on her desk, walks over the black board and starts scribbling their Drama's plot line once again.

Five chalk sections with an up and a down – a linear plot.

"But, why?" Jennifer says and can hear Enoch sigh. "Why would she want attention? I don't get it."

Enoch moves in his chair and starts writing, probably taking notes.

"If she wanted to talk to me, she could just do that..." Jennifer says, but before she can finish Enoch hands her a piece of paper. She unfolds it. It says:

If you don't want to listen to Ms Knight, do something else. Solve this: 1891251435161251195

"What is this?" Jennifer asks and she's handed another note. Enoch says: A new code I came across, an alphabet code. Number the alphabet from 1 to 26. Each number is a letter.

"Okay," She says, writes the entire alphabet out and starts working on the code.

"But, how am I supposed to know if the first two numbers represent a 1 or 18? This..." Enoch flicks her on the ear. "Fine. I'll figure it out."

About five minutes before the period ends, Jennifer thinks she's solved it. She smiles happily and reads the message: silence please. She's not even in the slightest annoyed, she'd enjoyed the challenge.

Jennifer hands Enoch the decoded answer back over her shoulder, feeling rather proud of herself, only to receive no response in return.

"Did I get it?" She asks happily and the bell rings, Jennifer leaps up, but before she can exit Ms Knight announces that the class may take a few minutes break between their double period and Jennifer's heart plummets. She'd forgotten about the double.

Jennifer falls back into her chair.

"You know, you'd benefit from this class if you listened," Enoch says.

"Where did happen upon with that code?" Jennifer asks. Enoch blinks a few times and swallows hard, but does nothing to answer her question. Enoch is so strange.

"What if I told you that there was a book that contained your story?" Enoch suddenly becomes completely serious.

"Obviously there's a book about me somewhere..."

"One within your reach. What then, Jenny? Would you read it? Would burn it? Would you want to know how it ends?" Enoch asks, but Jennifer doesn't know how to answer. Enoch's inclination to asking questions that could drive sane people mad, is frightening.

"What if, someone else had read it? Studied it, even. Knowing exactly what was going to happen before you even conceived an action as a thought. Would you heed their warnings?"

"Where is this coming from?" Jennifer asks, growing anxious.

"This play," Enoch holds up his copy of the book. "It reminds me of..." But, before he can finish, Ms Knight claps her hands and starts with the second period.

For a while Jennifer replays her conversation with Enoch, but soon enough she starts listening to what Ms Knight says... seeing as it interested Enoch.

"Temptation," Ms Knight says, while pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose. "What is it? Is it always a bad thing? And, where do we see it in this play?" Ms Knight likes to teach with rhetorical questions and soon enough answers them herself.

"Temptation is the action of prompting another into committing an action. That action can be good or bad, but the term is mostly associated with bad," Ms Knight says and takes a seat on the corner of her desk. "In the previous act, two characters had a falling out. Rene and Paige. We bore witness to Rene's dark side, but, the question remains, was our main character completely innocent in this whole affair? No, despite her calmness toward Rene afterwards, she was not innocent. Let's think about what drove Rene's actions." She starts scribbling on the board. "As we've mentioned, Paige has two main fatal flaws. Pride, being the first, which gives birth to a subtle sense of vanity. Vanity being the second. Our main character's self-appointed position above Rene, as well as her self-centred actions, tempted Rene into becoming her own worst self." She pauses for effect. "That doesn't mean that Rene isn't fully responsible for her actions. In this play many people have argued that Rene is the antagonist, however I believe that not to be the case. I believe that Paige is at once the protagonist and antagonist of her own story – the villain that ruins everything, but also the hero that puts everything back together."

Ms Knight pauses again and then continues on with the class, talking about the overall story line, but Jennifer hadn't bothered to read it and was completely lost. Soon enough she'd drifted off, back to the woodlands on the other side of the fence.

***

"What did you think about today's Drama class?" Enoch asks Jennifer as they sit under an old fig tree at break time. They're out of earshot, at the back of the school where not many people go and, luckily, for those who would venture there, they were out of view as well – wouldn't want too many rumours floating around.

"It was definitely food for thought," Jennifer says and crinkles her nose in disgust. "What is it with you and tuna sandwiches?"

"They're good," Is all Enoch says on the topic. "I, um," Enoch moves uncomfortably. "I found something, in the basement. Don't be mad, but... I found another Author's Advocate letter."

Jennifer's entire body goes completely ridged. "Why would Tessa write another one?"

"I don't think it was Tessa. She didn't know about your basement, did she?" Enoch asks.

"No one knows about it, well, I didn't think anyone did.” Jennifer says, pulling her knees up to under her chin. Finding out that someone has such intimate knowledge about Jennifer's life is rather disturbing.

"When I... got to the basement, I found the letter pushed halfway under the door. It was left for you, but I didn't think you were ready to... I don't know." He laughs shyly. "And, it was coded too. It wouldn't have helped to give it to you then." Enoch tries to justify his actions, but Jennifer's been in a numb stupor since Drama and couldn't care less. That silly play is hitting too close for comfort and, although accurate, Ms Knight's analysis of the characters aren't appreciated.

"I decoded it, though." Enoch says next. Putting down his sandwich, he takes out a piece of paper and hands it to her – it's folded in half. "It took me all night. Promise me one thing, that you'll read it when you are alone."

"What was the code?" Jennifer asks.

"The alphabet code. It took me forever to realize that, but once I had it..." He shrugs. “Promise me, Jenny."

"I promise," She says and takes the letter.

***

Dear Ms Hudstone,

In my former letter I tried to be tactful, but now I fear I should rather have been frank. My warnings were not met and, as you well know, your actions had consequences and will continue to have consequences from this point on. But, do not fear, there is hope. Your friendship might be reconciled at a later date.

Your friend was out of line, but the situation was not driven by her actions alone. For too long, Ms Hudstone, you have lived as though you were the centre of the universe. I'd advise that you wipe the spots off the mirror and look at yourself for who you truly are, but, more specifically, for where you fall short. Once you've come to terms with your own flaws, shut the door on them. Learn from your past, for that is what it will be – past – and do everything in your power not to fall back on old habits. Don't leave the keys in the door, lock your selfishness away and throw away the key.

I hope you can forgive my crudeness.

Kind Regards,

The Author's Advocate.

Jennifer stares in disbelief at the letter and, before long, starts to cry. Luckily, she'd kept her promise to Enoch and didn't read the letter until she was shut up in her room.

The Author's Advocate isn't wrong, Ms Knight wasn't wrong, Tessa wasn't...

Jennifer wipes the tears off her face and falls back onto her bed. She'd really wanted to believe that Tessa was responsible for the Author's Advocate letter and, for a little more than a second, she'd wanted Tessa to be the antagonist, she'd wanted the uncertainty to be over with. But, at the same time, she'd wished for a life worth writing about.

Jennifer sits up, her eyes still stinging, and walks over to her desk. She takes a piece of masking tape and puts the letter up as evidence among her suspects. She smiles slightly, this will be her greatest case yet.

After dinner, while in bed, Jennifer ponders the day’s events. Even though she's still sure that the whole Author's Advocate thing is nothing more than a ploy, she's decided to take its advice and work on her selfishness. For Jennifer's worst qualities, although subtle, brought out the worst in Tessa. And, singularly for the love she'd shared with Tessa, Jennifer felt sorry enough to take the accusations rather seriously.