The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)

The Girl Who Could Be More

Previously: "The Master Planner" 

(by rugal)

"I'm sorry Mrs. Garner! I wasn't watching where I was going and--"

"Oh, Chelsea, don't worry about it," Mrs. Garner interrupts you with a warm smile. "I was in a bit of a rush myself so I'm sure I could've been paying better attention to my own surroundings. How are you enjoying the evening, by the way?"

"I'm really enjoying myself, thanks!" you chirp.

"Well, it's nice to see. I don't think you've been around since the beginning of the school year."

"You know how it is," you say with a bit of a forlorn edge to your voice. "Our schedules rarely line up. I didn't really expect that we'd be so busy as seniors."

Mrs. Garner offers you a sympathetic look. "It can be tough but I do hope we're able to see you a little more," she states before laughing. "Oh look at me, getting wistful and holding you up. You should be downstairs with the other girls."

"It's fine, I definitely hope to try and find some time to come around in the future," you reply sweetly. "Thanks for hosting us."

You turn as you hear the bathroom door opening and closing behind you. You have the blank mask in your purse and you consider using it on the Garners' mother but you quickly dismiss that thought. From Chelsea's few interactions with her, Mrs. Garner is a pleasant woman who's very charming and easy to like. For the first time in a few days you're able to separate your personality from Chelsea's just enough to be shocked: would she actually feel bad about victimizing Mrs. Garner like this?

Well maybe a bit but really it's more logistical. You'd have to wait for her come back out and then wait for the mask to copy her. It'd take too long and leave everyone wondering where you went or what youre doing so it'd just be way too much of a hassle.

So you head back down to the where everyone is gathered to rejoin the group. There is a bit of tepid sympathy directed your way and you give weak smiles and responses that eventually become livelier as the evening wears on. Talk eventually shifts from you and Gordon however to Hannah.

Very quickly you learn that Anita and Stephanie do not like Hannah. You'd known Anita had been having issues with her but knew nothing about Stephanie's. She doesn't go into the reasoning and while Chelsea is pretty observant Stephanie is guarded enough that you have trouble picking up just what her issue is. Anita, by contrast, is much easier to read: it's Hannah's attitude she doesn't like, specifically the way she's come in like a bulldozer.

Though you don't care too much the petty dramas of the soccer team it is a small fire that has the potential to spread so you'll need to address it down the road, probably once all of this business with "Gordon" and the marijuana is dealt with. It's that bit of future planning, in addition to them being tough athletes, that plays a part in your narrowing it down to the two of them. Both are also close to the Garners and so their identities might be useful down the road in winning them over to your side.

From there you quickly zero in on your target.

* * * * *

"Stephanie!" you call out as you exit the Garners' house.

Stephanie stops and turns to you. "Yeah?" she says and even with Chelsea's confidence you pause.

But this is why Stephanie Wyatt is who you've decided to target. She is powerful, no nonsense and intense. She's as intimidating as you remember from when you knew her back in elementary school... which is another reason you've chosen her. You've always born a bit of a grudge against her for it so if she gets in trouble for your actions, well, what do you care?

But you throw those feelings aside as you flash her a smile. "You know, I think this is the first time we've been around each other, isn't it?" you ask.

"I guess," she answers with disinterest.

"Well I was wondering if we could go somewhere and talk a little more," you tell her which causes her to look at you skeptically.

"What would the two of us even have to talk about?" she asks dismissively.

"About the basketball team for one, seeing what the squad might be able to do to support you guys." When that doesn't entice her you decide to sweeten the pot. "Maybe to see if I can help you out with Hannah."

She holds your eye for a moment contemplating it until Anita comes over and taps her on the shoulder.

"We heading out?" she asks.

Stephanie, however, waves her off. "I'll get a ride back with Chelsea," Stephanie tells her. "We've got some things we need to talk about."

Anita makes a face but seems to accept that while you pile into your car with Stephanie. You decide to head over to Starbucks where you offer to buy pay for her coffee while she finds a seat. Once you've gotten your drinks you hand hers to her while sliding in across from her.

"So tell me what's been going on with Hannah," you say as you take a sip of your latte.

"You were there," she says brusquely.

"I know but it's not like I'm privy to everything. All I got is that you guys don't like her all that much."

"Pfft!" she replies. "Yeah, we have our issues. I don't know why I really need to tell you everything though."

"You don't need to tell me everything," you tell her, "but I'd like to know all the same since maybe I could help--"

"What are you going to do?" she asks.

You're taken aback. "I'm not trying to brag or anything but if Hannah is causing problems then I'd like to think that I could do quite a bit," you answer her. "If you need to, I don't know, put her in her place..."

Stephanie grunts but relents a bit and starts to go into an explanation. It's not all that different from anything that you'd heard back at the Garners' though you do take note of the way there's a bit of spiciness from her whenever the subject of Hannah and Marc comes up and you make a curious note of that as it might be useful to have later. As the talk begins to taper off you take the opportunity to excuse yourself to the bathroom.

Inside you pull the mask out of the your purse. You take a look in the mirror above the sink at the face you've been wearing for most of the week. It's a face you've gotten very used to seeing and a face you've grown to like, a face that you're increasingly beginning to think of as yours. You're reluctant to give it up, even temporarily, but if the last week has taught you anything it's that desperate times call for desperate measures.

Readying yourself, you head out of the bathroom. Stephanie is engaged with her phone so from behind, where she can't see you, you reach around and push the mask onto her face. Her phone drops out of her hand and clatters on the table though she herself merely slumps forward without falling. It takes about fifteen minutes but the mask eventually reappears and you quickly scoop it up. Once Stephanie comes to you say that she seems tired and call it a night.

* * * * *

You feel strong and agile, like you could take on anyone. Certainly you have the attitude to not make you scared of anyone. Out of curiosity you prepare yourself and do a perfect front walkover. It's something that Stephanie Wyatt has never in her life done but Chelsea Cooper has done plenty and with her knowledge and Stephanie's athleticism it's easy. Not as easy as if you were still in Chelsea's mask -- Stephanie is bulkier -- but nothing difficult at all.

In amazement you run a hand over strong, smooth thighs barely covered by the short running shorts you'd purchased and run a hand over a smooth stomach covered by a loose fitting t-shirt. Just based on athleticism alone Stephanie would fit wonderfully on the squad but her attitude...

She's as intense in your head as she is in real life. She has little real love for the squad -- especially for stealing the Garners from the soccer team -- or the petty bullshit that seems to perpetuate it. If she thought that dealing with Hannah was bad then she feels like she'd rip her hail out dealing with cheerleader drama. In fact she'd only agreed to go talk with you as a way to humor you, she doesn't think Chelsea can or truly wants to do anything to help her.

Unless she could somehow peel Hannah away from Marc Garner. Oh yes, your instinct back at Starbucks was correct: Stephanie is deeply, maddeningly in love with the third of the Garner siblings and loathes Hannah for landing him before she could.

"It's a shame you're wasting yourself so much," you say in a voice that is her's but a tone that is far more Chelsea's. Even with her memories beginning to fade. mimicking her personality is like second nature. "You could go so much farther as a cheerleader and get nearly any guy you wanted."

A guy like Patterson for instance. If Stephanie approached him and wanted to get a little hot and heavy he'd take her in an instant. Hell any guy would; you would if you were still yourself. But foolishly she's saving herself, pining for a boy that seems increasingly out of her reach leading her to be more irritable than normal.

Thankfully, though, you're only Stephanie Wyatt in appearance and not attitude. Right now you've got three suspects for the person who stole the briefcase and that combination -- sexiness and athleticism in equal measure -- is what will allow you to do what you need to do. The question is, then, who do you target?

* To use the band on Steve Patterson: "A Notch in the Belt" 
* To use the band on Gary Chen: "Hand Off, Face Off" 

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