Episode 10: Jennifer Hudstone and the Consequences
Episode 10
Jennifer Hudstone and the Consequences
"People really don't know what they're talking
about, time doesn't fly. Time doesn't have the decency to speed up, trapping
mortal souls in the turmoil of boredom."
Jennifer stops narrating, entranced by the way Mr
Goodhals' jowls move when he talks. Jennifer takes in a deep breath and
continues; biology is the only class she can do this, it's the only one Enoch
isn't in. Over the past few weeks he's opted for throwing her with eraser
pieces each time she uses her superpower in class. It had stopped being fun
after about the third time he'd done it and since then Jennifer's been trying
her best not to disrupt his focus too much with her lengthy monologues.
"It's been three weeks since the last Author's
Advocate letter. Well, practically three weeks. I've spent many a night
analysing the letters, their codes and their predictions. As of last night,
I've accepted that all of the predictions have come true – something that Enoch
has been insisting for the past two weeks." She lets out a sigh, she
didn't particularly want him to be right, but the proof is in the evidence. "Tessa's
behaviour hasn't changed, Angus is still being a suck-up and Enoch... let's
just say that we've distanced ourselves."
Enoch was no help at all, when it came to solving Jennifer's
problems. When it came to the Author's Advocate, they'd gone over the letters
together a few times, but after they'd learned all they could. Enoch's master
plan was to wait for another letter – when all Jennifer wanted to do was
investigate. And, clearly, Enoch was wrong – three weeks had passed and there
were no new letters.
Jennifer's leading theory about why Enoch wanted to wait
was because of their quarterly exams, which had started right around the time
they looked over the letters and had finished a few days ago. Jennifer can't
wait for the next year, then they will also be able to stay home while writing
exams – with the rest of the school. In that aspect, the ninth grade is not
quite agreeing with Jennifer. She felt rather confident about the tests, she's
always tested well. And, maybe now that they're over, Enoch will come to his
senses.
Then, regarding the problem of boredom, Enoch had made
the absurd suggestion that Jennifer should focus in class. And, in her defense,
she did try, but it didn't even take her a full day to confirm her former
problem – she didn't follow what the teachers were saying, no matter how
interesting it might have sounded out of context. So, she fell back into her
old patterns of daydreaming, most of the time about the upcoming vacation, and
narrating. And, Enoch fell back into his solitary corner at the back of the
class, invisible until Jennifer starts narrating and then he is the equivalent
of a pesky fly zooming around one’s head.
"At least I still have Ronita. We sometimes chat
and eat lunch together, as though we were friends. But, the girl is oddly
detracted and doesn't seem interested in friendship most of the time..."
The bell rings and Jennifer takes off into the hallway,
rushing to class without looking left or right. She wants to be there before
Tessa, Jennifer never knows what to do with herself when she walks in and
Tessa's already there – staring at her or, even worse, completely ignoring her.
While walking to class, Jennifer walks past the stairs that
lead down to the basement. She hasn't been down there in quite some time. Come
to think of it, she hadn't been down there since she and Enoch had worked on the
letters last. The space felt tainted after the second letter was left there and
since then she hasn't spent much time down there – her best kept secret, no
longer a secret.
Jennifer doubted that there would be another letter, the
Author's Advocate doesn't seem to be the type to leave two letters in the same
place, but it is still worth checking out.
Jennifer makes a mental note and continues to class –
English. She's the first one in the class, not even her teacher is there yet.
Jennifer takes her seat and reads the quotes on the walls – quotes written by
obscure authors, people she's never heard of. Jennifer's never quite liked the
quotes, there's always been something unsettling about them, not about the
words, but the names attached to them.
Alistair Niven, Rick Carian, Tabitha Mirgon, and the list
of weird names continue. Even as a semi-book worm, she's never heard about
these names and, for some strange reason, she's frazzled by them.
Before too much thought, Enoch walks in and takes his
seat – two rows from Jennifer and three seats back. She turns in her chair to
face him.
"I won't bite, you know," she says.
He shrugs, "Sometimes your words are a little to the
point."
She shrugs, she can't argue about that after their last
chat. They had a difference in opinion and, as formerly stated, Enoch decided
to distance himself for a bit.
"I said I was sorry."
"We both know you're not sorry. Remorse comes from
the heart, not saying sorry out of habit," Enoch says. "Actions have
consequences, Jenny..."
"I know," Jennifer says under her breath as
more people start to walk in. She grabs her bag and takes in the seat next to
Enoch.
"Do you, though?" Enoch asks.
"I've been dealing with Consequences for a while
now," Jennifer says as Tessa walks in.
"You weren't too broken up by the loss of her friendship.
You can't just accept responsibility for your actions when the consequences
suit you."
"Excuse me?" Jennifer says, but, before she can
continue, the class starts. After about ten minutes of simmering, Jennifer
decides to finish off their conversation regardless of their surroundings.
"For the record, I was completely shattered when
Tessa... and the consequences were far from convenient. I lost Tessa, my family
shrugged me off and Angus... I have no one left, Enoch." She says
angrily, before huffing out a sigh.
Enoch doesn't even turn his head in her direction.
There's a second's pause before he starts scribbling something on a piece of
paper, Jennifer tries to steal a glance as to what he's writing, but can't see
from where she's sitting.
After too long, he finally hands her the note. It reads: It's
been three weeks, Jennifer. You're still just as self-centred as before. I
can't be friends with someone who won't even listen to my opinion, after they'd
asked for it.
Paralysis sets in, Jennifer can't seem to breathe and the
next thing she knows the bell rings. She manages to catch Enoch before he takes
off.
"I'm... really sorry," She says, her voice
quaking, but halfway through her sentence Enoch breaks eye contact.
"I know," He says. "But, you were sorry before
too." And he walks away, out the door, off to class.
Jennifer chews on her lip as she one-straps her backpack
and starts walking to class herself, but, as she nears the classroom, she
realizes that Enoch will be there too and hesitates before walking in. She
leans against the wall outside the door, for a second.
How did everything fall apart so quickly? Was it really
all Jennifer's fault?
Not all of it, her conscience tells her in Enoch's voice.
Tessa made her choice, but Jennifer did too and, for that reason alone, she
knew she wasn't innocent. She breaths in deeply, she wants to skip class, but
doing that would be running away – doing that would be giving up.
Jennifer takes in the seat next to Enoch once again, he
smiles at her sadly, but before she can say anything Ms Knight walks up to her
table. She hands Jennifer a note, "I'm sorry, Dear." she says and
walks back to the front of the class.
Jennifer opens the folded paper – it's a note saying that
Jennifer's presence is requested in the principal’s office. Jennifer's airway
closes up once again.
What's did she do now?
END OF
SEASON 1
