"Tangled Up In a Mystery"

Doris Schwartz is in the administration office standing over the filing cabinet. She scans the pages of her student record to see if there are any clues to explain why she was expelled from her beloved School of the Arts but to her dismay there is no other information. She closes the file and returns it to the cabinet. She takes a moment to try to digest what she has discovered. Every time she feels that she should escape from the school, something happens that keeps her there. This is certainly one mystery she wants to find out more about so she can put things right. Hopefully that will also repair her relationship with Bruno too.

She walks to the office door and suddenly there is a sound of heavy rain. She turns to look at the windows and the room has now become a hive of activity with teachers and students answering the busy phone lines. Doris sees her younger self, Sherwood and Mrs Berg and quickly leaves the room.

Mrs Berg feels a cold sensation and looks around the room but all she notices is the office door closing. Young Doris notices the older woman:

Doris: “Are you okay Mrs Berg? You seem distracted."

Mrs Berg: “Oh yes dear, I’m fine. Nothing to worry your sweet little head about.”

She gives the teenager a weak smile which quickly fades from her face when she feels the cold sensation even more.

To Doris' relief the lobby is empty and she hurries off down the empty corridor. She comes to a sudden stop when she hears the same strange voice she’d heard previously in the auditorium:

“Doris! Doris, can you hear me?”

She looks around her but just like before there is no one around. Doris wonders who or what it could be and where it could be coming from. Each time she hears the voice it gives her the creeps and sends chills all over her body.

Dwight turns into the top of the corridor and calls out:

Dwight: “Hi Mrs Morloch, are you here for the show?”

At first Doris doesn’t realise that he’s talking to her, forgetting that she’d used that name when they had met previously.

Dwight: “Mrs Morloch?”

Doris turns to him: “Oh hello, sorry I guess I was in a World of my own. Yes I’m here for the show”.

Dwight smiles and seems excited: “I’m going to be conducting the orchestra, it’s my first time, so I better go and rehearse.”

Doris: “Dwight, before you go can I ask you something?"

Dwight nods "Yes."

Doris: "Did you hear anyone calling out after someone a few moments ago?"

Dwight shakes his head: “Sorry, No, I didn’t hear anything.”

Doris smiles at him as he hurries off towards the auditorium but her mind soon turns back to her own problems. At least the voice has now stopped.

Doris starts to feel a little faint and goes into the girls locker room, where she splashes some cold water on her face. She is startled by a voice calling from behind her:

“Hi Mrs Rhythm”

Doris turns to see Holly changing her clothes.

Doris: “Oh, Hi Holly”

Holly: “I haven’t seen you around since the school year started. I wanted to thank you for making me feel better on the day of my audition and to say, you were right I got into the school.”

Doris smiles and thinking fast says: “I’ve been away on a teaching course.”

Holly hesitates for a moment:

Holly: “I was wondering if I could ask you for some advice?”

Doris thinks that maybe she shouldn't get involved buy nods her head and says: “Sure, what is it?”

Holly: It’s just that you told me before that Doris Schwartz and I would become good friends but no matter how I try she just seems to hate me. I know she’s been having a hard time as a couple of her old friends have left the school suddenly and one of them, Bruno, she had a really big fight with and they don’t seem to be friends anymore. I just get the impression that she blames me for everything and for some reason she seems threatened by me. I don’t understand it, as all I’ve done is try to be nice to her but I can’t get through to her. It’s like this show, she was really putting me down and criticising my voice and stuff and then Mr Shorofsky took her out of the show as a punishment and so that has made things worse. I really don’t know what to do.”

Doris contemplates what Holly has said for a moment and remembers how down she had been feeling at the start of this school year, with Julie Leaving and Bruno’s Dad dying causing him to leave school and lots of new people changing her school. She also remembers how it was Bruno who had helped her out of her depression and without his help, maybe she’s finding things even harder. She also remembers what Chris recently told her and how Holly had literally taken over Doris’ role at the school and she felt frustrated by that as an adult so could imagine how she would have felt as a teenager.

Doris: “You know Holly, what you’ve told me really doesn’t sound like Doris Schwartz, so I guess there must be something she is trying to deal with at the moment. Maybe I was wrong to try and push you two together so quickly. Maybe it would be better if you tried to keep out of her way and let her resolve her problems then maybe she’ll come to you.”

Holly smiles: “Thanks Mrs Rhythm that helps a lot. Anyway I better go or Coco will be mad if I’m late for rehearsal again.”

Holly rushes out of the room, leaving Doris to ponder why so many things from her past seem to have changed and how one little thing seems to have sparked all the changes.

She wonders out loud “How do I put things right?”

Doris stares at herself in the locker room mirror wishing she knew what was happening. Some of the things that had happened recently had been fun and made her feel more alive than she’d felt in years but now things were very wrong and she doesn’t like it.

Doris thinks that maybe her initial reaction to get away from the school was the right thing to do. Maybe her very presence in the school is messing up the past. Maybe if she leaves, things will correct themselves. She quickly heads towards the door and back into the corridor but straight away she sees her younger self coming in the opposite direction.

Young Doris mutters to herself: "The President of the United States is coming to our show and I’m not in it! Damn, Mr Shorofsky!”

The older Doris tries to speak to her younger self “Hi Doris.”

However, just like before her words fall on deaf ears as the teenager can neither see or hear her older self.

Feeling disappointed and frustrated Doris turns and continues down the hall way when coming towards her she sees her Mother carrying a big pink dress. Doris can’t believe it that after all these years she and her mother are just a few feet away from each other. Tears well up in Doris’ eyes as she is unable to hold the years of hurt, loss and guilt inside her.

As Angela Schwartz passes by she notices the other woman looking upset:

Angela: “Are you okay dear?”

Doris looks at her Mother, who looks so young and healthy and is unable to speak as tears rolls down her face and she starts to sob out loud. Concerned Angela gives the stranger a hug.

Doris breathes in that familiar smell of her mother’s perfume, a smell she hadn’t smelt in so long and one she thought she'd never smell again. She holds on to her mother while the tears and emotion flow out of her. For the first time in a long time she felt safe and secure in the arms of her dear mother. Doris holds her mother tighter and tighter, never wanting to let go of this moment. Angela starts to feel a little uncomfortable with the way the stranger is holding her and slowly she pulls away.

Angela smiles: “Looks like you needed that hug?, What’ on earth is the matter, what has happened to you?”

Doris is so overwhelmed with emotion that she is still unable to talk. Angela tries to fill the uncomfortable silence;

Angela: “Don’t worry dear, I can see you are too upset to talk. Whatever it is that is upsetting you will work out some how and things will get better for you I'm sure. Maybe you should sit down and have a cup of tea or something. I think they have tea in the teacher’s lounge.”

Not wanting to go into the teacher’s lounge Doris manages to speak a few words:

Doris: “No, no that’s okay I’ll be fine. Thank you for your kindness.”

Angela nods: “Okay then if you’re sure. I’ve got to get this dress to my daughter anyway, she’s going to be meeting the president and she’s so excited. She'd kill me if I didn't get it to her in time.”

The two women exchanges smiles goodbye. Doris watches her mother walk up the corridor. It felt so good not only to see her mother again but also to be able to touch her but at the same time it broke her heart that she couldn’t tell her who she was and how much she loves her.

Doris stood for a moment trying to compose herself, then notices that there are lots of people in the lobby and corridor, including a number of the presidents security agents dressed in suits. Doris thinks now is a good time to make her exit and hopes no one notices her.

Just as she nears the steps to the exit an official voice calls over to her:

“Excuse me Miss I’m agent Crane with the Presidents security force, could I see some Identification please?”

Doris searches through her bag and pulls out her driving licence and hands it over to Agent Crane, who in turn passes it to one of his colleagues to check it over.

Doris stands nervously waiting for them to hand it back to her. The second agent, dressed in grey, whispers something to agent Crane and they both take a long look at the licence. Eventually Agent Crane breaks the silence:

Crane: “Can you tell us how old you are, please?”

Doris is puzzled by the question and answers without a second thought:

Doris: “I’m 46, why is there a problem?”

Crane: “Well you’re not 46 according to this driving licence!”

Doris' heart sinks when she realises that her driving licence will seem incorrect 20 odd years in the past. Doris becomes even more concerned when she notices that the Agent dressed in grey is whispering something else.

Agent Crane turns to Doris: “What is your name?”

Doris: “Doris Schwartz”

Agent Crane: “We have already seen ID for a Doris Schwartz who is a student at this school. It seems too much of a coincidence that there would be two of you, particularly as the date of birth on your licence matches that of a teenager. I’m going to have to ask you to come with me.”

Doris protests as Agent Crane takes her by the arm and starts to lead her towards the teacher’s lounge.

Doris: "Please, this is all a big misunderstanding...."

Dwight notices the agents leading Doris away and calls over to Mr Morloch:

Dwight: “Mr Morloch the agents have your wife!”

Lydia who is nearby is intrigued:

Lydia: “Mr Morloch I didn’t know that you are married!”

A puzzled looking Morloch aproaches:

Morloch: “I’m not married. What are you talking about Dwight!

Dwight is now confused: “Well she told me she’s your wife.”

Agent Crane hears and turns to Morloch: “Mr Morloch is this your wife?”

Morloch shakes his head: “I’ve never seen this woman before in my life!”

Lots of the other students and teachers are beginning to fill up the lobby. Holly notices what is happening.

Holly: “That’s Mrs Rhythm the vocal teacher!”

Doris sighs and can’t believe what is happening and just wants the floor to swallow her up. Everything she has done since finding herself back in her past seems to be coming back to haunt her. Then she hears Bruno’s voice:

Bruno: “Holly, that’s not a teacher its Doris dressed up in character.”

At that moment teenage Doris calls out: “Bruno what are you talking about? Come to think of it what are all of you talking about, there's no one there!”

Bruno looks at the teenager who is now dressed in the pink dress that her Mother was carrying earlier. Then he looks back at the older woman being held by the arm by Agent Crane. He can’t believe what he is seeing as he keeps looking from one woman to the other. Bruno starts to realise that it wasn’t his friend Doris who lied to him after all but someone else who tricked him into thinking she was Doris. He walks over to his dear friend:

Bruno: “Doris... I’m sorry... this was the person that warned me about my pop and she told me she was you. She sounded and acted just like you... which is why I was so angry with you... I'm really sorry for doubting you."

The two friends hug and teenage Doris is happy that Bruno has finally come round and isn’t angry at her anymore but at the same time she is puzzled:

Teenage Doris: “I’m glad you finally believe me but I can’t see who you are looking at!”

Agent Crane turns to the older Doris: “It looks like you’ve been weaving a tangled web of lies and playing these people off against each other. Is this even your own hair?”

He tugs at the blond wig that Doris is wearing which comes off in his hand. A gasp of surprise sounds out from the crowd of confused on lookers.

Chris recognises the woman in front of him and calls out: “She told me she was a dance teacher here.”

Lydia is surprised: “Child, what did you say?”

Miss Sherwood now vaguely recognises the woman but can’t quite place from where. She moves nearer for a closer look.

Sherwood: “I’ve seen her before too. I think she introduced herself as a parent of one of my students but that was a couple of years ago."

Doris sighs as she looks from one puzzled face in the crowd to another. Things are getting more and more confusing and she's not sure how she's going to get out of this mess. The only plus point seems to be that Bruno and her teenage self are friends again.

Doris: “This really is all just a one big misunderstanding and I can explain it all, I hope!”

Morloch looks at the woman as though he does recognise her and quickly covers it by shouting angrily: “I want to know who this is and why she’s been parading around my School impersonating pupils, parents and teachers!”

Teenage Doris is still confused: “What is going on here? Who is everyone looking at?”

At that moment Mrs Berg comes out of the office and sees all the commotion in the lobby and then sees Doris:

Mrs Berg: “Oh My, Doris!”

Angela Schwartz looks at the woman she had comforted just minutes earlier and over hears the comment made by Mrs Berg and and becomes concerned:

Angela: “Mrs Berg, you looked at that woman and said Doris. I don’t understand are you saying that is my daughter? But my daughter is over there, how could this be?”

Mrs Berg doesn’t know what to say and so just bites her lip, feeling concerned. Angela Schwartz looks from Mrs Berg to her teenage daughter and then to the older stranger.

Angela: "Mrs Berg do you know something you're not telling us?"

Everyone turns to look at a worried Mrs Berg.

Agent Crane breaks the silence and calls out to the secretary

Crane: "Mrs Berg if you could join us please I'd appreciate any help you could give."

Mrs Berg nods and reluctantly walks over to Doris and Agent Crane. She and Doris make eye contact both feeling very scared. Agent Crane then turns to Doris and he leads both women into the teachers lounge.

Crane “Well It looks like you’ve got some serious explaining to do Miss.”

As Doris moves to the teachers lounge she looks back at each of the confused faces of the people from her past. She feels sick to her stomach as she takes a deep breath and walks into the room. The door slams loudly behind her...

To Be Continued....