oldEpisode One-hundred-forty-five:
In Danger Because of the Diary
Pages, Jack and Jennifer Are Forced
to Live Together in Jack's Bedroom.

 

SCENE ONE: IT IS THE NEXT DAY AND JENNIFER IS SNEAKING INTO ISABELLA'S BEDROOM AT THE LOFT. SHE SEARCHES THROUGH HER DRAWERS LOOKING FOR THE DIARY. SHE FINDS IT AND IS ABOUT TO START READING WHEN A HAND COVERS HER MOUTH.

SCENE TWO: IT IS JACK OF COURSE, BUT SHE KICKS HIM BEFORE SHE REALIZES THIS, AND HE DOUBLES UP IN PAIN. JACK'S FACE IS STILL BRUISED FROM THE OTHER DAY.

 

JENNIFER: Jack!

JACK: (In great pain, holding his crotch.) Good morning!

JENNIFER: Jack are you okay?

JACK: Gooooood morning!

JENNIFER: Jack what are you doing here?

JACK: (In Agony) What do you think I'm doing here? I'm trying to stop you doing something stupid which is obviously an exercise in utter futility.

JENNIFER: Well Jack, I'm going to help you okay, whether you like it or not.

JACK: Well you think that rummaging through Isabella's things, reading the diary and kicking me in the....is going to....help?

JENNIFER: Look somebody wants these pages right. Somebody wants them bad enough that they were going to kill you for them, okay. Now I want to find out who that someone is and I think the only way to do that is to read the rest of this diary. There's got to be a clue in here and I'm going to find it Jack, okay.

JACK: Wroooooong!

 

HE GRABS FOR THE DIARY AND SHE STRUGGLES AGAINST HIM BUT HE GETS IT.

 

JENNIFER: What do you mean wrong Jack?

JACK: I said wrong, I said wrong! No way, out of bounds, you're not going to do anything. Butt out!

JENNIFER: Jack, why do you have to be so darn bull-headed?

 

SHE TRIES TO GET THE DIARY BACK FROM HIM.

 

JACK: Because I know what's best for you....

JENNIFER: Give me the diary Jack!

JACK: ....and it's too dangerous!

JENNIFER: Give me the diary Jack.

JACK: If I give you the diary you're going to get in too much danger.

JENNIFER: Give me....give me....

 

THEY STRUGGLE WITH EACH OTHER UNTIL JACK FALLS BACKWARDS ON THE BED WITH JENNIFER ON TOP OF HIM.

NEITHER OF THEM SEEMS TO MIND THIS TOO MUCH. AT THAT MOMENT ISABELLA COMES IN THE DOOR.

 

ISABELLA: (Chuckling) Is this a private party or can anybody join?

 

SHE LOOKS ACROSS AT THE BED AND JENNIFER HAS HER LEG WRAPPED AROUND ONE OF JACK'S. THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER AS SHE SPEAKS THEN STRUGGLE A LITTLE MORE OVER THE DIARY. JENNIFER ENDS UP HOLDING IT AND THEY SIT UP BESIDE EACH OTHER ON THE BED.

 

JACK: Isabella!

ISABELLA: Jack! Oh my god, what happened to you?

 

HE GLANCES AT JENNIFER HOPING SHE WILL COME UP WITH A GOOD EXPLANATION BUT SHE JUST STARES BACK.

 

JACK: Ah....um....good question. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time which brings up another question. Wha....what are we doing in your bedroom?

ISABELLA: That question crossed my mind!

JACK: And a very good question it is and for that reason I'm going to ask my colleague to answer it. Jennifer, please, go ahead.

JENNIFER: Yeah....ah.....well, um, the diary, that's why we're here.....

JACK: Jennifer!

JENNIFER: I found it and I remember Jack telling me how important it was to you so I thought I'd bring it back to your room so it wouldn't be misplaced or something.

 

THEY BOTH LOOK AT ISABELLA HOPING SHE WILL BELIEVE THEM.

 

ISABELLA: I always remember to put it away. I'll have to be more careful. Thank you.

 

SHE DOES *NOT* BELIEVE THEM.

 

JENNIFER: There you are. I guess it means a lot to you, huh?

ISABELLA: It's my only connection to my mother.

JENNIFER: Your mother, what was she like?

ISABELLA: Oh, she was beautiful and she was very sensitive and everybody who knew her, loved her.

JENNIFER: Did she ever write about anyone in particular in her diary?

 

JACK'S MOUTH FALLS OPEN AS HE HEARS JENNIFER ASK THAT.

 

ISABELLA: Yes she did as a matter of fact. She....

JACK: Aaaah, you know Jennifer, we really have to be going.

ISABELLA: Jack it's okay. I don't mind talking about my mother. In fact I'm touched that Jennifer's interested.

JACK: So am I. But we still have to go. We have an appointment.

JENNIFER: What appointment Jack?

JACK: Well....at the tattoo parlor, remember?

 

JENNIFER SHAKES HER HEAD AT HIM.

 

JACK: Come on!

 

HE SIGNALS HER TO LEAVE BUT SHE DOES NOT BUDGE, SO HE OFFERS AN EXPLANATION.

 

JACK: You see we are getting a matching set of Mutant Ninja Turtles. It's going to be beautiful. Come on!

JENNIFER: Jack we are not getting any sort of Ninja Turtles, matching or otherwise. Isabella, I....

JACK: Ah I think I'll have to take matters into my own hands. This is too important to both of us.

JENNIFER: Jack....

 

HE BENDS OVER AND PICKS HER UP OVER HIS RIGHT SHOULDER.

 

JACK: (Hitting her on the butt like a bongo drum.) Kowabunga baby!

JENNIFER: Isabella! Jack put me down right now. Jack! I wouldn't get a tattoo with you if my life depended on it.

 

JACK WALKS OUT THE DOOR WITH HER OVER HIS SHOULDER AND ISABELLA SMILES.

SCENE THREE: A SHORT TIME LATER, JACK ARRIVES AT THE PIER WITH JENNIFER STILL OVER HIS SHOULDER.

 

JENNIFER: Jack put me down, right. You've gone far enough now put me down Jack.

JACK: Aaaaaarrrgggghhhh!

 

HE SITS ON THE BENCH AND SLOWLY PUTS HER DOWN NEXT TO HIM.

 

JENNIFER: Alright, alright, why did you cut me off right when Isabella was about to open up to me Jack?

JACK: Exactly, that's why I did it because I don't want Isabella to open up to you. You already know what the contents of those missing pages from the diary are and that's bad enough!

JENNIFER: Alright Jack, first of all....

JACK: No, no, no, no, no! No, no, no! You're not getting anymore involved in this. If you do, you're going to get yourself killed. So that's it,you're out of it. That's all! Forget it!

JENNIFER: Please Jack, please. I can help you.

JACK: Why would you want to do that? After all my dastardly deeds, why would you want to do that? What was the last thing that you called me? Mr. Worm, right!

JENNIFER: Well it's true. You have single handedly managed to elevate being obnoxious to be an art form Jack.

JACK: (Not too sure about that.)Thank you. Point in case.

JENNIFER: But how I feel about you really doesn't matter because like you said before, I'm a journalist and I'm doing this for a story.

JACK: (Worried for her safety.) Correction! Not this story.

JENNIFER: Correction Jack! You're forgetting one thing. I don't need your permission anymore, okay. If you want to help me out with this, that's fine, but if you don't want to, I'm going to find out what this is all about on my own.

JACK: Jennifer!

 

HE GRABS HER ARM AS SHE TRIES TO RUN AWAY.

 

JENNIFER: Jack!

 

THEY BOTH STOP AND LOOK AT HIS HAND AROUND HER WRIST. THEN THEY LOOK IN EACH OTHER'S EYES AND HE SLOWLY LETS GO OF HER ARM. IT APPEARS THAT JACK'S PAST RAPE OF KAYLA AND HIS FEARS OF HURTING JENNIFER RESURFACE, WHEN HE NOTICES HOW HARD HE IS GRIPPING HER BY THE WRIST.

JACK: (With a worried and pleading expressions) Please, drop it. I don't want to see you get hurt.

 

HE WALKS SLOWLY AWAY AND SHE REALIZES HOW MUCH HE CARES FOR HER.

SCENE FOUR: JENNIFER IS ALONE ON THE PIER THINKING ABOUT JACK WHEN ISABELLA COMES UP BEHIND HER.

 

ISABELLA: Jennifer, hi.

 

SHE IS LOST IN THOUGHT THINKING ABOUT JACK, AND IT TAKES HER A FEW SECONDS TO REACT.

 

JENNIFER: Oh Isabella hi. What are you doing here?

ISABELLA: Oh I'm just walking and thinking.

JENNIFER: Oh this is a great place to come and do that. I was just doing a little thinking myself.

ISABELLA: Oh yeah. About Jack

JENNIFER: That obvious, huh!

ISABELLA: I thought the two of you weren't together anymore.

JENNIFER: Well I thought so too but.... ah.... something happened recently that sort of put us back in touch kind of.

ISABELLA: Yeah. What kind of something?

JENNIFER: Ah....

ISABELLA: Oh I'm sorry, it's none of my business.

JENNIFER: No it's okay, it's just something I can't talk about right now.

ISABELLA: I understand. I hope you can work out your differences, you know. Jack has been really good to me and I want him to be happy.

JENNIFER: You and me both Isabella.

 

ISABELLA LEAVES. JENNIFER STAYS TO DO SOME MORE THINKING. SHE BEGINS TO GET AN EERIE FEELING THAT SHE IS BEING WATCHED. SHE LEAVES IN A HURRY. WE SEE THAT IT IS GUISEPPE WHO IS FOLLOWING HER.

SCENE FIVE: SHE RUNS TO JACK'S OFFICE AND GOES INSIDE. THE LIGHT IS OUT SO SHE THINKS JACK IS NOT THERE. SHE LOCKS THE DOOR AND PEEPS THROUGH THE BLINDS OF HIS DOOR TO SEE IF SHE IS STILL BEING FOLLOWED.

SUDDENLY JACK'S EYES APPEAR NEXT TO HERS.

 

JACK: What'ya looking at?

 

JENNIFER JUMPS FROM FRIGHT.

 

JENNIFER: Jack! That's the second time you almost gave me a heart attack today.

JACK: Well you know what they say. Third time's a charm.

JENNIFER: Jack, don't turn on the lights! Somebody's following me, look!

JACK: What?

 

THEY BOTH PEER THROUGH THE BLINDS.

 

JACK: Ooooh! Look, I'm not going to say I told you so....but I told you so. I did. I said that if you got involved in this thing, you'd get in trouble but would you listen to me? No you wouldn't. So now, who is it that has to worry about protecting you? Old Jack the Worm Deveraux, that's who!

JENNIFER: Alright Jack, well don't go out of the way on my account, okay. Because I can get a body guard.

JACK: No you can't.

JENNIFER: Yes I can. I did it before with Emilio.

JACK: Sure, Emilio was protecting you from fellow street punks. These guys are neither street nor punks. You walk around this town with a body guard and it's like a little neon sign saying (Flashes his fingers, imitating a neon sign.) "Look at me, something's up! Look at me!" The point is not to arouse suspicion. We've gone to all this trouble to keep this under wraps, you start doing that sort of thing and it's going to be the next big thing on Donahue.

JENNIFER: Alright Jack, I hate to admit it but you're right.

JACK: I know I'm right. So where are you going to go now?

JENNIFER: To your place!

JACK: You're what?

JENNIFER: I'm going to your place Jack. I'm moving in!

 

THIS IS NOT WHAT JACK EXPECTED OR MEANT — OR IS IT.

 

JACK: Jennif....

 

SHE RUNS OUT THE DOOR AND HE FOLLOWS.

SCENE SIX: LATER JACK IS CREEPING INTO HIS HOUSE, CHECKING ALL THE DOORS AND WINDOWS AS HE GOES. JENNIFER IS FOLLOWING HIM.

 

JACK: Sheldon? (Beat) I can't believe you talked me into this.

JENNIFER: Don't flatter yourself. I don't like it anymore than you do. We don't have any other choice.

 

THEY GO INTO HIS BEDROOM.

 

JACK: You're lucky I brought you because nobody followed us. I made sure of that.

 

SHE TURNS AROUND AND BUMPS INTO HIM IN THE DARK. HE THEN CROSSES THE ROOM AND SHE WALKS CLOSE BEHIND HIM. WHEN HE STOPS SHE WALKS STRAIGHT INTO HIS BACK.

JACK: Jennifer! Are we going to keep playing Me and my Shadow the whole time that you're here?

JENNIFER: Sorry Jack. I wanted to look out the window too.

JACK: Simple ground rules. If you want to look out the window, you lean against the wall and you use the binoculars.

JENNIFER: Alright. I see what you mean.

JACK: One more thing. About the living arrangements. Nobody knows that you're here.

JENNIFER: No problem. I wouldn't want anyone to know that I'm staying here either.

JACK: Good, neither do I.

JENNIFER: Good. Alright, so where do I sleep?

JACK: On the bed, where do you think?

JENNIFER: Your bed?

 

DESPITE WHAT SHE SAYS, THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BOTHER HER AT ALL.

 

JACK: Yes, my bed. (Beat) I'll take the guest room. It's got a better view of the street.

JENNIFER: Oh, right, right.

JACK: If you need any towels, they're under the sink.

JENNIFER: Oh okay, thanks.

JACK: Goodnight.

JENNIFER: Goodnight.

 

JACK GOES OUT THE DOOR AND SHUTS IT THEN CHANGES HIS MIND AND GOES BACK IN. JENNIFER HAS JUST STARTED TO UNBUTTON HER BLOUSE.

 

JACK: Ah....I was just....ah....thinking if you need a blanket there's some in the closet....if you're....cold.

JENNIFER: Okay, blankets in the closet, okay.

JACK: Well, goodnight.

JENNIFER: Goodnight Jack.

 

HE GOES OUT AND THEN CHANGES HIS MIND AGAIN AND COMES BACK IN.

 

JACK: Ah....did I say anything about those towels?

JENNIFER: Yes, you said the towels were in the cabinet and the blankets were in the closet.

JACK: Right.

JENNIFER: Right.

JACK: Well, goodnight.

JENNIFER: Goodnight Jack.

 

HE GOES OUT AGAIN AND CHANGES HIS MIND FOR THE THIRD TIME. HE GOES BACK IN THE BEDROOM AND SHUTS THE DOOR.

 

JACK: I made a decision. (Beat) I think we better sleep together.

 

JENNIFER'S EYES OPEN UP WIDE!

SCENE SEVEN: JENNIFER IS STILL IN SHOCK. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BOTHER HER AT ALL, IN FACT SHE SEEMS TO REALLY ENJOY THE IDEA.

 

JENNIFER: Jack, what did you just say?

JACK: I just said, I think we should sleep together.

JENNIFER: That's what I thought you just said. Oh!

JACK: (Jack realizes how it sounds, and is embarrassed.) Well that's what I said....but....that's not what I meant. I meant we should sleep together....but apart. Far apart but in the same room.

JENNIFER: Oh! Okay.

JACK: You see it's safer that way.

JENNIFER: For whom?

JACK: For youm! If people come busting in here I'll be here.

JENNIFER: Okay, if that will make you feel better.

JACK: Oh yes, it would certainly make me....

 

SHE THROWS HIM A BLANKET.

 

JACK: It would make me feel a....

 

SHE THROWS HIM A PILLOW.

 

JACK: ....feel a....

 

SHE THROWS HIM A SECOND PILLOW.

 

JACK: Yes, well. I'll just get my little....little bed here and you get yourself comfortable over there.

JENNIFER: Okay.

JACK: And I'll lie down here and everything will be just fine. Hunky dory. Hunky dory.

 

JACK SETTLES HIMSELF DOWN ON AN ARMCHAIR WITH HIS FEET ON A PILLOW ON A SMALL TABLE. HE PULLS THE BLANKET OVER HIMSELF. JENNIFER TAKES OFF HER BLOUSE AND CLIMBS INTO JACK'S BED STILL WEARING THE REST OF HER CLOTHES. SHE PULLS THE BLANKET UP AROUND HER CHIN AND LOOKS ACROSS AT JACK WHO IS FACING HER IN HIS CHAIR. THEY BOTH SEEM SLIGHTLY UNCOMFORTABLE, YET ALSO SEEM TO BE ENJOYING THE SITUATION, AND MAYBE EVEN HOPING FOR *SOMETHING* TO HAPPEN.

 

JENNIFER: Are you comfortable?

JACK: Oh, me? Well it's not as good as a Posturepedic but I'll be fine. Sleep like a baby.

JENNIFER: Good. Goodnight Jack.

JACK: Goodnight.

 

SHE TURNS OFF THE LAMP AND JACK STARTS TO SLIP OFF THE CHAIR UNTIL HIS BACKSIDE HITS THE FLOOR.

 

JACK: OH!

JENNIFER: Jack? Is that you?

JACK: I think....yeah....I think I just bottomed out.

JENNIFER: Oh.

 

SHE CRAWLS DOWN NEAR THE END OF THE BED TO TALK TO HIM.

 

JENNIFER: Are you going to stay on the floor like that for the rest of the night?

JACK: Oh well, of course. It's....it's nice and hard. I....ah....it's good for the back. At least 98.6....eerrr....a lot of chiropractors think so.

JENNIFER: Jack?

JACK: Huh?

JENNIFER: I'm glad we finally know where we stand with one another. I mean because here we are sleeping together in the same room and I mean since we really don't have any feelings for each other, neither one of us should feel uncomfortable. Don't you agree?

JACK: Well of course. I....I feel the same way. Snug as a bug in a rug. Goodnight Jennifer.

JENNIFER: Goodnight Jack.

 

SHE CLIMBS BACK UNDER THE BLANKET AND SIGHS. JACK LIES ON THE FLOOR AND SIGHS AS WELL. SUDDENLY HE SITS UP AND LEANS ON THE END OF THE BED AND LOOKS AT HER. SHE LEANS FORWARD TOO. JACK IS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING. JENNIFER LOOKS HOPEFUL. HOWEVER JACK CHICKENS OUT, *YET AGAIN*.

 

JACK: (Beat) Goodnight!

 

HE LIES BACK DOWN; FRUSTRATED, SHE DOES TOO.