The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)

Improperly Paranoid

Previously: "The Aristocrats" 

(by rugal)

"How would switching you and Patterson help me?" you ask as you cross your arms under your ample bosom.

"Gee, I don't know, probably by getting him off your back?" asks Caleb with the usual sarcasm that you've come to expect but has been lacking for the last day. You almost want to smack him upside the head for that and you're unsure if it's because of Chelsea's own distaste at the idea of being condescended to, especially by some bird-beaked dweeb, or your own.

"Think, Caleb," you say forcefully, "Patterson got on my case because of Gordon acting weird. He thinks it's because someone's been supplying him with weed and he thinks that because of a stupid story that I told yesterday to try and head things off. But somehow that story got back to him and now he thinks that I'm responsible."

"That's because you are responsible," he points out rather pedantically. "You said yourself that you're the one who made up and spread that story. You're also the one who put Dane in Gordon's mask."

"That's not... shut up!" you bark while stomping a foot in a huff. "Patterson suspects that I -- that Chelsea -- did something to Gordon like supplying him with the weed in the first place. If he finds himself waking up as you after having threatened me while already thinking I may have something to do with Gordon acting all stoney baloney then he'll probably have more reason to have me in his crosshairs."

"And if he made a move on either of us I'd pound his face in."

"What if he meets 'Will Prescott' and finds out that he's really Gordon?" you ask. "Then the two of them go to 'Gordon Black' and find out that he's really Dane? They start asking around and realize that Dane tried talking to Chelsea on Monday, then the next day Chelsea's telling people that she was getting high with Gordon while Dane got shipped halfway across the country?"

You pause to see if Caleb is going to jump in but he doesn't seem to and so you continue.

"Well they take all that, then Gordon remembers that Chelsea sent him to deal with Will Prescott. Then Gordon and Patterson realize that they woke up in the bodies of Prescott and his friend. They'd put two and two together eventually, especially that bastard Patterson."

"So what?" asks Caleb. "Again, they wouldn't be able to touch us."

"What if they somehow find out about the masks?"

"How? They wouldn't know about this place."

"I don't--" you stop and try to compose yourself. "I don't know. But if they could piece all of that together then maybe they could stumble on that element of everything too. Then we'd really be fucked."

"You want my honest opinion? I think you're being way too paranoid and you need to calm the fuck down," says Caleb as he moves to leave.

"The hell is that for!?" you demand. "You weren't acting like this ten minutes ago!"

"That's because ten minutes ago you weren't acting like... well, like you," he states all too bluntly. "Chelsea may be an overbearing bitch but she's way easier to deal with. At least she's not all jumpy about everything."

You stare at him as he walks up the stairs of the basement and eventually march up after him. "Wait!" you call out. He stops to look back at you. "Don't just walk out on me!"

"I'm not walking out on you. I'm going out to get some fresh air."

You make a face at his retreating back. He would so make a perfect Gordon, you think. Gordon's also always going out for "fresh air" in the middle of a discussion.

Which reminds you that you've got to do something about Gordon, too.

As much as you hate to admit it, Caleb's right as well. You're too twitchy and solving problems like Patterson and Gordon is going to require a little less Will Prescott and a little more Chelsea Cooper.

* * * * *

"Pookie, is everything alright with you?"

You ask this while curled up in the loft with Gordon, your head resting on his broad chest. Personally you find it more than a little distasteful but at this point you're allowing yourself to sink deeper into Chelsea's personality. Thinking like her, having her likes and dislikes, her way of approaching a complicated situation, these are what will get you through this. Chelsea may be a lot of things and chief among them is confident and cunning and you'll need every ounce of both of those things to come out ahead.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine," he says with a lazy drawl.

"Well Steve doesn't seem to think so," you tell him. "He says that you've been missing practice all week."

"Yeah? Well that's 'cause, like, I just haven't been wanting to go," he replies with a laugh.

At that you sit up sharply. "Gordon!" you gasp in surprise before looking him square in the eyes. "Steve's right, you are being weird. I remember on Thursday too... oh, but I already apologized for that. But, if your dad finds out..."

You let the thought linger for a moment and affect a downcast gaze. "He hasn't found out, has he?" you ask in a quiet voice. "He hasn't, you know..."

"Heh, nah, not that I've seen," he answers. "At least he hasn't said anything about it."

That's a small relief at least; you certainly don't want Dane dealing with Gordon's father when he's in a mood. "Then you need to start showing up to practice again and you have to start taking it seriously again too. Not just for yourself or Steve or the team," you glance back up, your eyes wide and your face steeped in concern, "but for me as well."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, Gordon!" you exclaim desperately. "I really like you but you acting like this is putting me under so much stress and if it keeps up..."

You pause for effect to see if Gordon will react but when he doesn't you decide to take drastic action. Burying yourself even more in Chelsea's persona, you twist around and position yourself on Gordon's lap facing him. You then wrap your arms around his head, pull him in close and kiss him deeply while at the same time grinding on his crotch as his dick springs to life.

God, I kind of just want to take him right here, comes a stray Chelsea thought as you let out some small whimpers, but he hasn't earned it. Maybe if he fixes his shit...

Thankfully you're able to clamp down on that thought and instead end the kiss and pull away from him. He has a stupefied look on his face while you simply give an innocent, doe-eyed and even shy smile in return.

"I don't want to break up with you Pookie," you say softly, "but if you don't get it together then I don't know if I'd have a choice. So please get it together and start going to practice again. For me?"

Not much else is said. Gordon simply grunts and nods and eventually you urge him to get back home before he gets into anymore trouble while you'll lock up here. When he does you stand up and stretch and can't keep the self-satisfied grin off of your face. Sure that meant having to shove your tongue down Gordon's throat but Chelsea will use every weapon in her arsenal to ensure that she always gets her way.

So that's the Gordon problem hopefully dealt with for now but that still leaves Patterson and his wanting to know where he's been getting his weed. Thankfully you thought of that even before calling Gordon out here and all you have to do is grab something from your car to put that plan into motion.

* * * * *

You come into school early while the boys are still practicing and are relieved to see that Gordon showed up today. Sure he still looks like he's never held a basketball in his life but at least he's actually here. Steve catches sight of you and glowers, however from this distance he can't intimidate you and so you simply roll your eyes at him. Still, it does reinforce that what you did last night is only a quick fix and you'll need something a little more permanent.

You should work on that eventually but as you climb the stairs to the loft you know that you have more important business first.

Inside, you pull out the briefcase containing Chen's stash. You'd brought it with you yesterday as you'd left the basement and after your talk with Gordon hid it up here in a back corner behind some junk, relieved that nobody seems to have touched it because you'll need it to get Patterson off of your back.

Your plan is to call him out here at lunch bring him up to the loft where you'll show him the briefcase. You'll feed him a story about finding it when you were here with Gordon last night and theorize that he'd gotten it from under a portable and stashed it up here. You'll tell Patterson that it likely belongs to Gary Chen and give it to him, telling him to do whatever he wants with it. Your real hope is that Patterson, in anger, confronts Chen and that the problem of both works itself out for you.

But second thoughts start to hit you. Why get rid of it right now? Why not hang onto it instead and see if you can find a use for all this weed; maybe see if there's a way to use it against Cindy. Or -- and this is a truly devilish idea that you've just had -- why not skim a little of the content, sell it back to Chen on the cheap and net yourself a little extra income?

* To hold onto the briefcase for now: "The Backpedal" 
* To sell the stuff back to Chen: "Into the Weeds" 

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"Table of Contents (Vol. 2)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)"