Numbers
by Kieron Barry
Numbers opens with Katherine rehearsing her speech to become the “Head Girl” at her boarding school in England. Her friends, Isabel and Jennifer say she is a shoo-in because of her position as the lacrosse captain, her popularity, and her father’s charity to the school. Amidst discussing Katherine’s speech, Jennifer gushes over her crush, Simon, who happens to be their friend Hetty’s brother. She is hoping to spend the summer with Hetty’s family so she can get closer to Simon.
Katherine, Jennifer, and Isabel discuss the matter of who will be named Katherine’s “Deputy Head Girl” and this opens up criticism of each other, as well as scrutiny of their fourth friend, Hetty. It is clear that the girls feel that Hetty is somehow not on the same level as them, due to her scholarship to the school and how she is “moral and righteous”.
Jennifer reveals that she has found the diary belonging to Emily Mitchell, a girl at school who doesn’t seem to fit in with any crowds. From the diary, we learn that Emily feels unpopular, treated poorly, and left out and plans to do something shocking that the girls say will get her expelled.
Hetty enters and it becomes clear that she is invested in her friend’s lives and chooses to do the right thing, even if it is unpopular. She is upset that the girls took Emily’s diary and tries to stick up for her. We find out that Katherine has said rude things about Emily that has turned the school against Emily. Hetty reveals that she has actually been chosen as the Head Girl, which drives Katherine crazy. Hetty reads a list of items she would like to change as the new Head Girl, including a special committee to help with the problem of bullying at the school.
After hearing the list, the girls feel attacked and begin to list off how all of the girls in the school “belong” to Katherine, or would side with her on issues over Hetty. Hetty then reveals that she has chosen Emily Mitchell as her Deputy Head Girl and this only makes the girls angrier. They are so upset that they list off a full alphabet worth of reasons why Hetty is “uncool” and how they have endured all of her uncoolness as a kindness to her.
The girls decide to use Emily’s diary and her expel-worthy act as blackmail and suddenly, Hetty has a change of heart. She agrees to release the role of Head Girl and never talk to the girls again. She then, very cleverly, mentions how her brother will be upset that Jennifer can not spend the summer with them, which causes Jennifer to completely change her tune and hand over the diary to Hetty.
In the end, the “gang” deteriorates and goes their separate ways, leaving Katherine to figure out how to tell her father that she has not been chosen as Head Girl.