Embedded Files
Jesse Stands facing Doris waiting for her to give him the message she says comes from Nicole. Doris cautiously looks around the auditorium to see if anyone can over hear them. At that moment Danny and Chris enter the doors at the other end of the auditorium. Nervously Doris takes Jesse’s hand and leads him from the stage, down the steps to the backstage area.
Doris: “We need to find somewhere private!”
She leads Jesse into the empty make up room where they sit down facing each other. Again Doris takes a deep breath.
Doris eventually speaks: “Jesse, Nicole wanted me to give you a message”.
Jesse interrupts: “You do know that Nicole was killed in a car accident, don’t you?”
Doris nods: “Yes, I heard about it.”
Jesse: “Oh, I wasn’t sure if you know because you weren’t at the funeral!”
Doris shakes her head: “No, I was in hospital. I gave birth to my daughter Jenny on the night Nicole died. Actually we were in the same hospital, although I didn’t know that at the time. It had been a difficult birth and so that’s why I didn’t make the funeral.”
Jesse is satisfied with the response: “So what is the message.”
Doris hesitates: “Nicole....well... She wanted you to know that she was still very much in love with you and wishes you’d never broken up.”
Jesse is puzzled: “When did Nicole tell you this? After you left school we saw you a couple of times but pretty much nothing in the last 18 months. So the last time we saw you Nicole and I were still together!”
Doris goes to answer but pauses as she’s not sure what to say. She doesn’t feel able to tell Jesse that she’s seen Nicole since she’s died but she needs to tell him something as she can see he is sceptical about what she’s saying.
Doris: “Erm, I bumped into Nicole a few days before she died. She was talking about a party everyone was going to. Eventually the conversation got around to you and she told me the two of you had split up but she’d realised that was a mistake and wanted to get back together.”
Jesse listens intently but something about what Doris is saying doesn’t ring true to him. He shakes his head.
Jesse: “Why did you hesitate when I asked you when Nicole spoke to you? It felt like you were going to say one thing then stopped and changed it.”
Doris blushes a little with embarrassment: “It’s not that I changed what I was going to say but just how I said it. This isn’t very easy for me coming in and telling you something like this. It’s just Nicole was so upset when she told me I promised to let you know the truth about how she felt and tell you how much she loved you.”
Jesse is puzzled again: “You promised her? Why would you do that? Why wouldn’t she just tell me herself?”
Doris sighs: “I don’t mean I promised Nicole I mean, that when I found out she’d died I promised myself that I needed to tell you what she’d said. I thought I owed it to her.”
For a moment there is silence as Jesse tries to process what he’s been told.
Jesse: “I don’t know Doris, this is all a little too much to take in. When someone dies suddenly like this you have to try and hold on to the positives, cherish the good memories, you know?”
Doris nods, knowing full well what Jesse is talking about from her own experience after her mother died.
Jesse continues: “But now, it’s like re-opening the wound. I’m thinking what a waste those last months were and if only we’d been honest with each other and told each other how we felt then instead of being alone and miserable those last few months they could be part of the good memories too.”
Jesse swallows hard holding back his emotions. Doris reaches for his hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. For a moment Jesse is on the verge of giving in to his emotions but instead he pulls his hand away from Doris and stands up.
Jesse: “I, I need some time. This is all just a little too much for me to take in. I, I need to be alone to think.”
With that Jesse rushes out of the room.
Doris calls after him: “I’m here if you need to talk.”
She has no idea if she will be there or if she’ll move in time again but it felt the right thing to say. Doris rubs her eyes and then covers her mouth as she yawns. She feels tired and strangely warm. She wishes she could just go to sleep and get away from everything. Being in the past seemed like an emotional rollercoaster and she was finding it very draining.
At that moment the lights in the mirror start to change.
Doris signs: “Oh no, what now?”
The figure of Nicole appears in the mirror smiling back at Doris.
Nicole: “Thank you Doris. Thank you for keeping your promise and telling Jesse the truth. It means a lot to me. I feel strangely at peace and am ready to pass over now.”
A chill passes down Doris’ spine and a tear wells up in her eye: “So this is goodbye?”
Nicole smiles: “I think so but there’s one final thing.”
Doris looks at Nicole feeling a little anxious about what she may have to do now.
Nicole notices the concern: “Don’t worry it’s nothing bad. If you could just get Jesse to come back into the room I think I’m strong enough now to be able to channel myself through you so I can say goodbye to him myself.”
Doris still feels concerned: “I’m not sure Nicole. Mrs Berg tells me not to interfere and I’ve already done so much”
Nicole nods: “I understand Doris, but Jesse already knows the truth what will saying goodbye hurt?”
Doris thinks for a minute and then eventually agrees. As Doris leaves the room in the hope of finding Jesse Nicole says she’ll wait for them in the mirror. Jesse sits alone at the piano on the stage in the auditorium. Occasionally he gently presses one of the keys which makes a mournful sound echoing around the room. Slowly he presses more keys until an actual tune starts to flow from him and he begins to sing:
“I know I can be a little stubborn sometimes (you might say)
A little righteous and too proud
I just wanna find a way to compromise
Cause I believe that we can work things out
I thought that I had all the answers
Never givin' in
But baby since you've gone
I admit that I was wrong
All I know is I'm lost without you
I'm not gonna lie
How am I gonna be strong without you
I need you by my side
If we ever said we'd never be together
And we ended it with goodbye
Dunno what I'd do
I'm lost without you
I keep trying to find my way
And all I know is I'm lost without you
I keep trying to face the day
I'm lost without you
How am I ever gonna get rid of these blues
Baby I'm so lonely all the time
Everywhere I go I get so confused
Your the only thing that's on my mind
Oh my bed so cold at night
And I miss you more each day
Only you can make it right
No I'm not too proud to say
All I know is I'm lost without you
I'm not gonna lie
How am I gonna be strong without you
I need you by my side
If we ever said we'd never be together
And we ended it with goodbye
Dunno what I'd do
I'm lost without you
I keep trying to find my way
And all I know is I'm lost without you
I keep trying to face the day
I'm lost without you
If I could only hold you now
Make the pain just go away
Can't stop the tears from running down my face (oh)
All I know is I'm lost without you
I'm not gonna lie
How am I gonna be strong without you
I need you by my side
If we ever said we'd never be together
And we ended it with goodbye
Dunno what I'd do
I'm lost without you
I keep trying to find my way
But all I know is I'm lost without you
I keep trying to face the day
And all I find is
I'm lost without your love
I keep trying to find my way
And all I know is
I'm lost without you (oh)
I'm lost without you”
Jesse’s song is heartfelt and as the emotions flow out of him both Doris who is standing in the wings and Dusty who is sat at the back of the auditorium waiting for Jesse, wipe tears from their eyes.
As the song ends Dusty is about to speak to Jesse until she she’s someone dressed as a cheerleader walk on to the stage. Dusty isn’t sure who it is. She knew the new girl from the movie Maxie had been flirting with Jesse but can’t tell if this was her or not.
Dusty watches intently as the person reaches out and takes Jesse’s hand and leads him off the stage. Dusty is puzzled as to what is going on. For a few long moments she sits alone in the darkness wondering what to do. She knows she should trust Jesse but she didn’t like what she saw. She was already feeling vulnerable because she knew that the emotion Jesse was singing his song with wasn’t directed at her. Eventually she stands up and makes her was through the auditorium towards the stage.
In the makeup room Jesse is feeling uncertain he should be there.
Jesse: “Look Doris I know you’re trying to help but I can’t deal with this right now.”
Doris looks at the mirror where Nicole is standing. Doris is surprised that Jesse can’t see her.
Doris calls out: “What do you want me to do now?”
Jesse looks around the room puzzled: “Who are you talking to?”
Nicole: “Just take his hand.”
Doris slowly reaches for Jesse’s hand. He is confused and hesitant but as a strange light glows around Doris. Jesse reaches out to touch her and gently removes the mask from her face. Doris removes her wig leaving Jesse even more confused. Looking at Doris in this new light without the wig and mask Jesse can tell she is much older than she should be.
Jesse: “Doris, what is happening?”
Doris can’t speak and before Jesse can say any more he notices Doris’ face start to change. He has no idea what is happening. He is scared and intrigued all at the same time. Slowly he can make out the familiar features of Nicole replacing Doris.
Jesse’s eyes widen: “Nicole...Is that you?”
Nicole smiles through the tears in her eyes: “Yes Jesse”
Jesse starts to cry and laugh at the same time unable to believe what he is seeing.
Jesse: “What, erm, how, erm I don’t understand...”
Nicole tries to calm him: “Shhh, it’s okay, I’m here but there’s no time to explain. I don’t have long.”
Nicole manoeuvres Doris’ body closer to Jesse and holds him close.
For Doris it is a weird sensation she can feel Jesse’s body next to hers but it’s like her consciousness has left her body and she’s actually watching Jesse and Nicole embrace.
Nicole: “I love you Jesse, I always have. We should never have broken up and I’m so sorry.”
Jesse is sobbing almost uncontrollably: “I miss you Nicole. I’ve never felt so lonely. I wish we could go back and change things. I love you with all of my heart.”
The two pull closer together and kiss passionately. Doris can sense the kiss and the passion behind it. It’s been a long time since she felt such passion herself and the feeling gives her a wonderful warm glow. At the same time she feels like an intruder in such a personal moment. In her head she starts to hear music play and slowly Jesse and Nicole dance around the makeup room staring intently into each other’s eyes, tears running down their faces.
As the music ends Jesse sees Nicole’s face change back to that of the older Doris. He is still holding her close but looks around the room for Nicole. His heart begins to sink as he knows she’s gone. More tears fall from his eyes and Doris is crying too.
In the mirror Doris can see Nicole and the lights around her change to a beautiful golden colour. Nicole’s face seems more angelic than ever. Nicole smiles at a tearful Doris.
Nicole mouths the words “Thank You” and then “Goodbye”.
Doris mouths “Goodbye” back as she watches the mirror turn back to normal.
Jesse and Doris cling to each other overwhelmed by the emotions. Jesse kisses Doris. It’s not the same passionate kiss that he shared with Nicole but more like a thank you kiss.
In the doorway, unseen by Jesse or Doris, stands Dusty. Her hand slowly moves up to her mouth as she watches, in shock, Jesse kissing another woman.
As Jesse and Doris start to separate Dusty finally gets to see who he’s kissing and can’t believe it when she sees the woman she knows as the substitute teacher. Upset by what she’s seeing, Dusty turns and runs from the room.
To be Continued....
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