A Neat Mess

2.Who Hurt Jenna

Sam carefully took a quick peek from behind the two curtains. She already knew Jenna must have heard she was there and would be sitting in statue mode, ready for her entry. But to her surprise, Jenna was sitting on the edge of the bed, dangling her legs with boredom. Sam reached out to the curtain very carefully to catch Jenna off guard, but Pavlov's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Doctor is here waiting for you. ER doctors are not easy to catch," Pavlov said, pointing to a young man in his mid-twenties. Sam nodded and walked down the hall, following the doctor to a small room.

"I examined Jenna from head to toe, and there is no sign of scratches or harm that would have caused her bleeding. She has a couple of bruises and plenty of scars, but they are old," the doctor explained. Sam listened to him and took a frustrated deep breath.

"I can see fear and worry on your face. To allay any concerns you might have, I can assure you that her body shows no signs of sexual assault, and we had a chat with her about it. She says nothing of that sort happened. Still, based on the school nurse's report, she was covered in blood, which in my opinion is not Jenna's. However, we had to draw some blood to run some tests."

Sam nodded. "That is not what I am worried about. It is possible she has done it to herself... you know... masturbation? She used to do it obsessively, and once she injured herself so badly that we had to take her to the hospital, but she got over it. I haven't seen anything unusual for a while."

"I don't think it was that. Her underwear was clean, and as we heard, the amount of blood on her was worse than a wound or period. I honestly have no doubt that it wasn't hers. She says she had fallen in a puddle."

"In a puddle of blood?!" Sam quipped.

"That is all she is saying, and she's sticking to her story. Please talk to her. There must be an explanation."

Sam nodded and called on Jenna to go with Parker. Sam enjoyed walking next to a woman her own height; for once, she didn't feel like a giant. She could keep herself as thin as possible, but with nearly six feet in height, it felt like she was still taking up too much space. Pavlov, however, was comfortable enough to wear heels with a couple of extra inches and indulge in any type of food she enjoyed. They decided to have a chat in a café.

"I don't want to take up too much of your time today. Regarding what we do and the legality of our presence at the school, we can talk later when you have time. If I am not mistaken, your husband is a lawyer?" Sam nodded. She was aware of her daughter's brilliance and how she would be an interesting specimen for various studies. Sam could also see how so-called professionals were trying to lure her into signing a consent form. Sam's answer was a firm 'No.'

Pavlov continued, "Jenna is an extraordinary student. A normal school curriculum is so effortless for her. Her social behavior is also very remarkable. She can have all students follow her around like a cult leader and at the same time function so well by herself. That is a sign of high intelligence."

"Here we go," Sam thought.

"You're aware of Jenna's capabilities to some extent, but I think she can do much more," Pavlov said.

Sam was getting bored, so she decided to save some time for both of them. "I think Jenna is doing enough at this stage, and I prefer her to enjoy her youth. She will discover her talents when she wants to. On top of that, trust me, between myself and my husband, I am the easy-going one. He will be furious if he hears that you want to study Jenna, no matter what that study is or why."

Sam's blunt response wiped the smile off Pavlov's face. "Let me explain myself better. When I talked about Jenna's potential, I wasn't referring to academic levels and had no intention of studying her. I am here to express the concerns I have. Jenna is smart, charismatic, and popular."

Pavlov continued, "These are great characteristics, but in Jenna's case, they are paired with egotism, recklessness, and habitual lying."

Sam knew her daughter well enough to see that Pavlov was right, but as any parent would, she felt compelled to defend herself or strike back. "We've had conversations about stopping the lying; it's a work in progress, but some kids lie, and you know it. You are a psychologist, right?"

"Correct. The reasons for kids lying vary from imaginative play to avoiding trouble, protecting feelings, and coping mechanisms. Jenna's lies, however, involve manipulation, scare tactics, and controlling others. She lies like a politician."

Pavlov pulled out her phone and found the file she was looking for. "An average kid might say, 'My mum knows how to fly.' Jenna says she has a camera and can hear and see what people say even when they are away or at home, and if anyone tells on her, she will know."

"Another example: a normal kid might say they know a pirate. Jenna says she is best friends with a witch who can put a curse on people if they don't do what she says. Believe me, many adults wouldn't dare to risk that."

"Oh, and my all-time favourite is that Jenna is a sentient artificial intelligence overlord, and other students have to follow her orders. Although most of the kids have no idea what the meaning of any of those words is, they have a feeling they are better off listening to a person their age who knows all these big words."

Sam tried to stifle laughter. Pavlov continued, "... and that is the potential I am talking about. She can do acts via other kids without getting her hands dirty. This takes us to today's events. I don't know where that blood came from, but Jenna voluntarily going to the nurse's office, knowing she was unharmed? I am guessing she has done something.  I think this incident was a diversion of some kind."

"Don't you think you are overreacting in this matter a little?" Sam said, becoming flustered. "If anything, Jenna is the victim here." But no matter how hard Sam pushed back, doubt was creeping in. 

"Yes, right there, even you are falling into her trap," Pavlov said with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "I have a simple answer for you: how did Jenna know what it was, blood in that 'pothole'? Why didn't she go to the bathroom and wash up? How did she fall that hard without getting so much as a scratch?" Pavlov leaned towards Sam with her hands clasped under her chin and elbows on the table.

Sam did not know how Jenna could recognise blood from muddy water so easily, but her thoughts got interrupted by the sound of Pavlov's phone buzzing. "It's Ms. Parker. Let me see what she's got," Pavlov said.

Sam watched Pavlov as she spoke to Principal Parker. "Yup, she's still here... Ah ha,... Oh wow! And did he actually do it?... Oh wow.... She's there, I'm guessing... of course, okay, we'll head your way."

Pavlov stood up from her chair, but Sam remained seated, waiting for an explanation. The psychologist didn't wait. "We got our diversion. Let's go – Parker will fill us in with more details."