While the girls talk Bible and the guys show off their skills, Duplica chills with her girls. Now is the time for Cat to bring up a very delicate subject to fellow officer and friend, Ally J.
“So, you let her lie about her middle name. Why?” Cat looks over at the one being asked.
With a sigh, Ally contemplates her defense. “I’m not the noble, flawless System Guard you make me out to be. As a mother, I got overprotective of my daughter when she’d come home from her old school, crying every day. We lost her dad, were about to switch schools, I was literally going to join the military. I saw my precious bookworm blossom into the most beautiful, delicate flower. I saw her come out of her beaten shell and learn how to flirt and be a cutey pie goofball. I suppose I was too focused on making sure she was happy after everything she had been through as a kid. ‘It’s just a silly initial, so I don’t see a problem with it.’ ‘So, what if she has a boyfriend? She needs more friends anyway.’ I know I was wrong. I let my child’s happiness cloud my judgment in properly nurturing her character. If I didn’t have friends like you, who knows how my selfish failure would affect her?”
“I see,” Cat contemplates this. “Ally, this is why you annoy me, you know.”
“Yeah? I’m so sorry, Lady Duplica.” Lady J. feigns being offended as she waits for the punchline.
“How am I supposed to be jealous of you, Allison Worley, if you go and do irresponsible things like this?” Cat crosses her arms and plays with her necklace as she gives her pal a supposedly disappointed look. “I have anger issues. You’re a lying con. We might as well put Jocelyn in charge, unless she’s really a male polar bear from Earth, or something.”
“I’m not a lying con,” scoffs Ally.
“And I’m a pretty face, not a male, I’ll have you know,” huffs Jo.
“So, you ARE a polar bear from Earth!” Pointing at the suspect, Cat further accuses her. “I’ve been on to your cold case for some time now, you hibernating hibernater!”
Both girls repeat this last part, very concerned for Cat’s mental health. “Hibernating hibernater.”
“Well, considering I have Jo Bear’s blood flowing through my veins, I guess you’re technically right,” says Jo Meyers. Cat wants to be technical and point out everyone has this heritage, but she’s not falling for this trap.
“Hahaha!” Mercy is finally awake. “You three sound as ridiculous as the girls. It’s like I’m literally hearing Grace, Kamron and Faye jabbering. Keep going. I’m thoroughly entertained.”
All at once, the others say, “Yes, Paul.”
“Touché,” admits little Mercy to being out-punned.
Jo brings things back to Duplica’s absurd observation about the faculty present. Tilting her head in the direction of Kammy, Jo says, “I have my own struggles, teaching my granddaughter alongside my son. It’s hard at times to not encroach upon her parents’ instructions and such. They have, obviously, raised her very well. You know what I’m saying. Sometimes, I feel like I neglect my own son to make sure Kammy feels included. Other times, I feel like my natural bias for my son makes Kammy feel like second place. I know neither is actually true, or at least I hope not, but my frustrations seem to trickle down to their way of thinking.”
Mercy disagrees. “Jocelyn, the only character flaw that trickles down from you to Kammy is your constant second-guessing everything. You’re tediously analytical, and as your granddaughter’s hero, she wants to be just like you. She’ll be teaching her own class before she even graduates. Owan’s a boy, so his stickler side doesn’t show as much, but I think it’ll make itself more obvious as he gets older.”
Inner Man Theatre 