Episode Eighty-five:
Jack Shows Jennifer "Pushy."

 

SCENE ONE: JACK GOES TO VISIT KAYLA.

 

JACK: Kayla.

KAYLA: I have nothing to say to you Jack.

JACK: Before you slam the door in my face, I have something for you.

KAYLA: I don't want to hear anything you have to say Jack.

JACK: I know where Steve is. You want to find out or don't you? This is going to tell you exactly where Steve is.

KAYLA: I don't want to know.

JACK: Come on. Of course you do. Kayla, you've got to go to Italy and you've got to see Steve.

KAYLA: I can't do that.

JACK: Of course you can.

KAYLA: If I could, I would have before. But I have to think of my baby and I just can't be under any more stress right now.

JACK: You're not under stress now? You don't know where Steve is. You don't know what's going on between Steve and Marina.

KAYLA: Nothing is going on. I trust Steve and I don't need this. I don't need to know where he is so I can go checking up on him.

 

KAYLA RIPS UP THE ADDRESS.

 

KAYLA: Now you're wasting your time Jack.

JACK: I'm just trying to help.

KAYLA: All you're trying to do is make me think that something is going on between Steve and Marina.

JACK: No I'm not.

KAYLA: Then why did you make that phone call?

JACK: I don't know about any phone call.

KAYLA: You don't do a very good job of trying to being innocent Jack.

JACK: I'm telling you. I don't know about any phone call.

KAYLA: You'll never change will you?

JACK: Well if I change, nobody's going to notice.

KAYLA: Just forget it alright. You have tried to hurt me enough. I'm not going to play your games anymore.

JACK: Kayla, at this point, the only one you're hurting is yourself.

 

JACK WALKS AWAY.

SCENE TWO: MEANWHILE JENNIFER GOES TO SEE EMILIO AND HE QUESTIONS HER ABOUT "HER BOYFRIEND." SHE SAYS THAT IF HE MEANS JACK, THEN HE IS WRONG, JACK IS NOT HER BOYFRIEND. EMILIO SAYS THAT SHE HANGS OUT WITH HIM SO MUCH THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK SO. EMILIO SAYS HE WANTS JACK TO PUBLISH AN ARTICLE ON ALL THE GOOD STUFF THAT HAPPENS ON THE RIVERFRONT. JENNIFER IS CONVINCED AND SAYS SHE WOULD LIKE TO WRITE A SERIES AND THAT SHE WILL TALK TO JACK ABOUT IT.

SCENE THREE: JO COMES IN TO HELP. EMILIO TAKES SOME THINGS OUT TO THE CAR, LEAVING JO AND JENNIFER ALONE. JENNIFER TELLS HER THAT SHE HOPES TO WRITE A SERIES OF ARTICLES ABOUT THE BARRIO, *IF* JACK WOULD LET HER. JO DOES NOT SEE WHY HE WOULD REFUSE. SHE KNOWS JACK IS IMPRESSED WITH HER WRITING. JENNIFER TELLS JO THAT JACK IS TRYING TO HELP STEVE AND KAYLA. JO IS GLAD, BUT IS NOT SURPRISED. JUST THEN, UNBEKNOWNST TO THEM, EMILIO WALKS IN. JO SAYS THAT THEY KNOW THAT JACK IS TRYING TO HELP, TO CHANGE. JENNIFER TURNS HER BACK AND HAS A KNOWING SMILE. THEY BOTH HOPE THAT OTHER FOLKS CAN SEE WHAT THEY SEE IN JACK. EMILIO LOOKS HURT THAT JENNIFER SEEMS TO CARE FOR JACK.

SCENE FOUR: AFTER JACK LEAVES KAYLA GOES INSIDE AND TRIES TO PUT BACK TOGETHER THE NOTE SHE RIPPED UP.

 

SCENE ONE: THE NEXT DAY AT THE SPECTATOR.

 

JENNIFER: Oh Jack, hi. How did it go with Kayla?

JACK: Don't you have better things to do than worry about what's going on in other people's lives?

JENNIFER: I was just wondering.

JACK: Well wonder somewhere else. You wouldn't understand it anyway.

JENNIFER: What do you mean?

JACK: I mean, forget it!

JENNIFER: Well obviously it didn't go very well then.

 

JACK LOOKS ANGRY AT HER.

 

JENNIFER: Sorry.

JACK: Don't be sorry, we've got nothing to be sorry about. If Steve and Kayla want to be miserable that's there own problem.

JENNIFER: Jack, wait a minute. I have to talk to you about something before you go anywhere.

JACK: Oh good.

JENNIFER: Emilio has this great idea....

JACK: Oh no, don't tell me, don't tell me. He wants Funnies on every page.

JENNIFER: No. He thinks we should do a feature on all the good things being done in the Barrio. You know like people helping other people. What do you think?

JACK: I think I'll have to give it some more thought.

JENNIFER: What thought is there? It's positive, it's upbeat. It's the kind of thing people want to read about Jack.

JACK: Well we'll check our budget. We'll talk to the story fairy and we'll see what we get, huh?

 

JENNIFER FOLLOWS JACK INTO HIS OFFICE.

 

JENNIFER: Jack, how much could it cost? I'll be writing it and you don't pay me hardly anything so it can't cost anything.

JACK: OH! It sounds like we've got a little insult in the air. Are we asking for a raise?

JENNIFER: No.

JACK: Good.

JENNIFER: I would write this for free.

JACK: Better.

JENNIFER: Because it's what the community needs.

JACK: No, it sounds to me what Emilio needs.

JENNIFER: Emilio doesn't want this for himself. He doesn't want anymore publicity.

JACK: Oh everybody wants more publicity. Jennifer, Emilio's the only reason that you even know about the Barrio. You wouldn't even what it is.

JENNIFER: That's not true. I would know a lot about the Barrio because I would have read about it in The Spectator.

JACK: That's right.

JENNIFER: I would know about the gangs, the crimes, the drugs. What I wouldn't know about is the community spirit. People getting together to make it a better place and nice place to live.

JACK: That's true, you wouldn't.

JENNIFER: It can be done. Look at Emilio, how he changed.

JACK: You still buying into that stuff?

JENNIFER: Yes. And if there's some positive press on the neighborhood, it can change too.

JACK: Okay. Lois Lane let me give you a little scoop. When people have an impression, especially a bad impression, it doesn't go away, no matter how hard you try.

JENNIFER: I don't believe that.

JACK: Oh, look who's wearing little rose colored lenses now.

JENNIFER: I'm going to prove you're wrong. Come down to Mercado Street with me right now. Help me with my story. I will show you how wrong you are.

JACK: Forget it!

JENNIFER: Why not?

JACK: Cause I don't want to. You can write this story to your heart's content. I've got better things to do.

JENNIFER: Why won't you come with me?

JACK: Look. I'll fund this story for you but I've got better things to do. You just do it on your own. It's your baby.

JENNIFER: I need your help, Jack.

JACK: Look, you've already got the inside scoop. You know what to do.

JENNIFER: What if I screw it up?

JACK: I have every confidence in you, right?

JENNIFER: But there's a lot of material to cover.

 

JENNIFER WANTS JACK TO HELP HER, ANY EXCUSE TO BE NEAR HIM. HE IS UNCOMFORTABLE, AND IT APPEARS THAT HE SENSES HER TRUE REASONS, AS WELL AS BEING A LITTLE JEALOUS OF HER AND EMILIO. JENNIFER IS DETERMINED, BUT JACK STAYS FIRM.

 

JACK: I'll send Vern with you.

JENNIFER: Why won't you come with me?

JACK: Because I'm busy.

JENNIFER: With what?

JACK: With a sh....with a meeting.

JENNIFER: A meeting? Who are you meeting Jack?

JACK: A meeting with the advertisers who are going to give me the money so that you can write this story.

JENNIFER: It's because of me, isn't it?

JACK: What?

JENNIFER: You won't go because of me.

JACK: No, no. I told you why I wouldn't go.

 

JENNIFER REALIZES THAT JACK IS ACTING THE WAY HE IS BECAUSE HE SENSES THEIR GROWING CLOSENESS. SHE CALLS HIM ON IT. HE IS EMBARRASSED BY HOW ACCURATE SHE REALLY IS. AND HE PROTESTS EVEN STRONGER.

 

JENNIFER: I know what you told me but I don't believe that. I think this is a good thing for us to do together. You know....because....because we're getting closer.

JACK: Oh what gave you that idea?

JENNIFER: You keep pushing me away.

JACK: Well now that really doesn't make any sense Jennifer.

JENNIFER: Jack if you didn't think we were getting closer too, you wouldn't be pushing me away.

JACK: I'm not doing....I'm not pushing anybody.

JENNIFER: Yes you are pushing me away or you'd go with me.

JACK: Look, You're going to be in very good company, so don't worry.

JENNIFER: Are you jealous of Emilio?

JACK: Emilio? Why?

JENNIFER: If you weren't jealous, you'd be going with me.

JACK: No, would you just lay off this going with, coming with.

JENNIFER: You're doing it again.

JACK: I'm not doing anything.

JENNIFER: You're pushing me away, Jack.

JACK: I don't push.

JENNIFER: You are. You are pushing me away.

JACK: I'm not a pushy person.

JENNIFER: Yes you are. You're pushing me.

JACK: You want to see push? I'll push you.

 

JACK GRABS JENNIFER AND KISSES HER PASSIONATELY ON THE LIPS.

THEN HE BREAKS AWAY FOR A SECOND AND THEN KISSES HER AGAIN. SHE GOES ALONG WITH IT FOR A SHORT WHILE THEN PUSHES HIM AWAY.

 

JENNIFER: JACK! (Beat) I'm sorry.

JACK: Oh don't be sorry. Don't apologize, please.

JENNIFER: No, it's just that you caught me by surprise.

JACK: No, you don't need to make any excuses.

 

JENNIFER PUTS HER HAND ON HIS SHOULDER.

 

JENNIFER: Jack. I don't want you to get the wrong idea.

JACK: No, no, no, no. No wrong ideas. I was just trying to prove a point.

JENNIFER: You kissed me so you could prove a point?

JACK: About "pushy," right.

JENNIFER: Oh, well you made your point.

JACK: Good. I hope we understand each other.

 

JACK ESCAPES OUT OF HIS OFFICE AND JENNIFER TOUCHES HER LIPS.

 

JENNIFER: (To herself) I don't understand you at all Jack.

 

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE JACK STOPS AND SIGHS IN RELIEF FOR GETTING OUT OF THE REAL REASON HE KISSED HER.

 

JACK: PHEW!

SCENE TWO: THE YOUNG WOMAN WHO SECRETLY VISITED STEVE AND KAYLA'S HOUSE IS SEEN AGAIN, LEAVING A ROOM, IN WHAT LOOKS LIKE A HOSPITAL.

SCENE THREE: A SHORT TIME LATER JACK IS SITTING AT HIS DESK FIDDLING WITH A PENCIL. HE BENDS IT UNTIL IT BREAKS.

JO: Is it as bad as all that?

JACK: Oh, Mrs. Johnson!

JO: Yes, Mrs. Johnson, your mother.

JACK: How are we doing?

JO: Just fine. Actually I'm here to see Jennifer.

JACK: I don't believe she's here.

JO: Well, do you know where she is?

JACK: It's really none of my business.

JO: Oh, I don't know about that. I was talking to her earlier and she spoke pretty highly of you.

JACK: I think maybe she was talking about somebody else.

JO: No she wa....Jack why don't you believe me?

JACK: Ah, I think maybe I know better.

JO: Why do you keep putting yourself down?

 

JACK ROLLS HIS EYES.

 

JACK: Why don't you ask Kayla?

JO: Now listen. That was a long time ago. You're a different person now.

JACK: Nah, I think I'm still the same old Happy Jack.

JO: No, no. You have changed, you have. I've noticed it. Jennifer, Jennifer's noticed it.

JACK: Jennifer doesn't know what the hell's going on. She doesn't know. She's wrong.

JO: Are you going to keep punishing yourself for the rest of your life?

JACK: No, I'm going to change my life. I'm going to wipe it out like it never happened.

JO: Well you can't do that because it did happen and there's nothing you can do to change it. But you can change your future?

JACK: How?

JO: Keep doing good things.

JACK: I tried a lot of good things. Didn't get any takers.

JO: Oh but Jack, keep trying. You will. I don't like to compare my children....

JACK: Then don't.

JO: Look at Steve. He changed and if he can I know you can. Think about it.

 

JO LEAVES AND VERN COMES IN.

 

VERN: Jack how is that budget coming? Is it done yet?

JACK: Forget about the budget Vern. I'm going out of town for a little while.

VERN: Oh not again. What is a little while?

JACK: I'll let you know when I get back.

VERN: Well at least tell me where you're going.

JACK: Italy.

VERN: Italy! What the hell's in Italy? Jack this is not the way to run a newspaper.

 

AS VERN IS YELLING, JACK JUST KEEPS ON WALKING OUT OF THE OFFICE COMPLETELY IGNORING HIM.