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"The Mulberry Bush"

Hello! Ah... Another exciting JABB issue.... :-) Actually, this issue is somewhat exciting. For the first time in its history, JABB has decided to take part in Sweeps (albeit belatedly). For those of you who don't know, Sweeps is a period in which ratings are really important for shows. Therefore, they have all sorts of "very special episodes," big name guest stars, and who knows what else. The first Sweeps of the season is November. So this issue will feature JABB's first ever "Triple S." ** (Also known as a Stupid Sweeps Stunt). We thought about getting some big name stars but then we thought 1. We don't know any. and 2. Even if we did, no one would actually believe they helped create this issue. So we decided to start this new tradition with a very special, stupid story. We hope you enjoy!


"JenniAnn, are you ill? You really need to be leaving for class." Vincent spoke to JenniAnn's bedroom door.

"I'm not going! I don't feel like it!" JenniAnn yelled back out at him.

"JenniAnn, I know it's difficult but you have less than two weeks of class before Christmas. If you'd like I can even go with you to Omega Ocean." (One of two places through which people enter the In Between World which takes them back to Earth.)

"But... We aren't doing much today! And you can teach me Phonics and Spelling and Reading better than my teacher!"

"And your professor would accept a note written by your guardian in another dimension as substitute for class participation?" Vincent answered while wondering why college students would be taking Phonics and Spelling.

"Ugh!!!"

Vincent waited for an answer beyond the mumbles JenniAnn was supplying, when Andrew walked down the hall and towards him.

"Problem?" he asked.

"I'm worried. JenniAnn refuses to go to class and will not give any reason beyond 'I don't want to.' "

"Hmm... Let me try. JenniAnn, now come on. I'm sure you'll have a great day. How bad would you feel if you didn't go and missed something really interesting?" Andrew asked.

There was some commotion and finally JenniAnn opened the door.

"I'M NOT GOING AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!!!!!"

Andrew stared at her, stunned, and Vincent was blinking his eyes so fast he started to feel dizzy. The girl in the doorway was not the 5'3," 19-year old they were accustomed to seeing. In her place stood a three-footer with pigtails and minus the usual glasses.

Vincent, after regaining his senses, stepped past the girl and walked into JenniAnn's room calling her name. In the meantime, Andrew spoke to the girl.

"Hi there. My name's Andrew. What's yours?"

The girl began to giggle. "Sheesh, I knew you were old but now you're forgetting things! My name's JenniAnn, Angel Boy."

Vincent overheard the last sentence and spun around to face the girl again. He suddenly remembered an old photo he'd seen in JenniAnn's album once. This girl was a clone of JenniAnn at age five! And apparently more than a clone!

Andrew spoke again to JenniAnn, "Sweetheart, Vincent and I have to have a talk. Why don't you... draw us a nice picture to put on the refrigerator!"
 
"Yea!! I'm gonna draw a pony with purple hair and a pink tail and..." JenniAnn toddled back into her room and dug out some crayons.

"Wow, this is amazing... How in the world... Should we get ahold of her parents?"

"No, at least it's not possible now. They're both away from the house. And I have commitments back in New York. Do you want me to take her with me?" Vincent offered.

Before Andrew could answer he was interrupted by the sound of tiny feet pattering down the hallway.

"Andrew!! Look at what I did! I made my own breakfast!" A miniature Audrey appeared carrying a bowl of what was apparently an oatmeal, pancake hybrid and sloshing milk all over.

"Hmm, do you want me to take both of them with me? I could drop them off with the other children."

"Andrew!! Look!" Audrey pleaded.

"Yes, Audrey. Mmm. It looks very good!" Andrew answered with a more than slightly disturbed tone. He turned back to Vincent, "No, I think they should stay here. Whatever did this to them did it in this world and we can hope it will be undone here, too. Luckily, JenniAnn saw fit to childproof the castle last year. I don't think she ever intended to need it herself." Both of the men laughed uneasily.

"I'm going to leave then. If there's an emergency I can be here in seconds. When I return all will be well. I hope." Vincent shook Andrew's hand and then walked over to JenniAnn, who was still drawing intently, and knelt down so he could see her face.

"JenniAnn, I have to go to the Tunnels now. I'll be back to check on you later this evening. Now, be good to Andrew, for your parents and me, please."

"Sure thing, dude." JenniAnn answered as she hugged Vincent good bye and returned to her drawing.

Vincent walked away, shaking his head, and praying for Andrew's sanity.

:-) :-) :-) :-)

"HOLD STILL!!! We're almost done!" Audrey cried from the stool on which she was standing.

JenniAnn stepped away from Audrey and toward the front of the chair where the poor angel of death was seated. "Okay, here's the mirror! Don't ya think it's pretty?"

Andrew raised the mirror to his face and bravely opened his eyes. His hair had been pulled into dozens of tiny bunches and pinned up with barrettes ranging in colors from green to magenta to periwinkle.

"It's uhh... Colorful." Andrew answered.

"OK! Next game! Hide and Go Seek! Close your eyes and we hide!" JenniAnn declared as she and Audrey ran before Andrew had any time to object.

:-) :-) :-) :-)

Andrew had been searching the castle for what seemed to be several minutes. He remembered John complaining about the enchantment in the forest a couple Springs ago but Andrew was inclined to think this latest trick was much worse. Suddenly some laughter from the library caused Andrew to spin around to that direction.

"Ah ha! I found you!" he cried as he entered the room. When he took a look at the girls he could only stare dumbfounded. The wallpaper JenniAnn had taken so much time to pick out was now covered in Crayola flowers and houses and stick people and stars.

"Girls!! What are you doing? You draw on paper when you use crayons, not walls." Andrew walked over and took the crayons and placed them on a high shelf.

"Aww... We used paper at first but figured this would be loads more fun." Audrey answered.

"Oh no... What paper did you use girls?"

JenniAnn quickly produced a now-colorful edition of "Oliver Twist" and an equally bedazzled "Letters of Pliny."

"Those are umm ... beautiful." Andrew began to pick up the crayons and books and then took both of the girls by the hands and declared nap time (because he realized this story was dragging on far too long!) After much protest, he succeeded in getting the mini-presidents into their own rooms.

:-) :-) :-) :-)

Later that evening, Vincent returned to check on the "situation" with the formerly teen-aged co-presidents. He no more than walked in the front door when a scream filled the air. He raced towards the sound and nearly ran into Andrew as both approached the door of the library. They were met with the sight of the restored princesses. Audrey was laughing to herself as JenniAnn looked at the library wall and the books, horrified.

"Who in the world did this??"

"We could tell you but you would not believe." Vincent replied, laughing.

"Unless..." Andrew left the room and returned with a photo in his hands. He had secretly snapped a photo of the girls as they had played with some dolls. Both of the girls stared at it dumbfounded and quickly agreed that this was the stupidest, "sweepiest" thing that had ever happened to them.

:-) :-) :-) :-)

And that is our first Triple S. We hope you enjoyed its stupidity and that you will join us for the next Triple S (is that in February?) Maybe JenniAnn's evil twin will come back from the dead, marry Vincent, and wreak havoc on Adam! Or maybe we'll just settle for a good, old-fashioned "how they met," hilarious flashback story.

**Okay, this is truly stupid but I've (this is Jenni) had papers galore and I'm about this close (my thumb and index finger are nearly touching right now) to joining a convent. Okay, okay so that's not true. (Well, the paper part is, just not the convent part.) I just needed some sort of excuse for this issue but my mind is blank...

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