The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Puppet Appeal

Previously: "Plots Have I Laid, Inductions Dangerous" 

Gary Chen has his hands on your ass. His fingers grip your butt cheeks.

And the really bizarre thing is that you don't mind.

You actually kind of like it.

Chen is someone you have never wanted to be alone with, let alone close to, and that goes for both you and Yumi Saito. Your own opinion: Chen is a vicious, drug-dealing thug with a hair-trigger temper. Yumi: All of the above, plus worries about sexual assault.

But this isn't Chen, not the real guy. This is someone disguised as Chen. It's Chelsea Cooper, to be specific, though that's not what makes the difference. The difference is that everything that makes Chen into Chen is still there, but it's under someone else's control. He's still a cocked and loaded pistol, but it's someone else's finger on the trigger.

Someone who's on your side.

And that's exciting. Your fear drops away, and in his mica-like eyes and taut, biting smile you see the charisma that lets Gary Chen dominate his clique.

You don't have to say any of this, for Chelsea must have seen it in your eyes. "Yeah, you like it like this," Chen murmurs, and his fingers dig deeper into your ass.

But you gently push him back. "Yeah, we'll do it like this," you gasp, for your breath has grown very short. "But how are we going to, um, set it up so we're, uh—?"

Chen gently propels you toward his Jeep. You clamber into the driver's side, then over the gearshift to plop into the passenger seat as Chen follows you in. He pulls open his book bag and digs inside it.

"We can figure out that part later," he says. "First I need you to do something for me. You know Eva and Jessica's gym lockers? Their locker numbers?"

"Not their numbers. Just the general spot in the locker room."

He jots on a scrap of paper and hands it to you. "Okay, these are their locker numbers and combinations. Some time today, after cheerleader practice—"

"How'd you get their combinations?"

"From Coach Tesla. She has all the combinations in her office." Chen grins. "And she never locks her door." He rummages deeper in his bag and pulls out two baggies. "Sometime after first period, I want you to put one of these in each of their lockers."

The baggies are sealed so there's no odor, but the buds and leaves are self-identifying.

You swallow. "This is a little hardcore, isn't it?"

"There's not enough there to get them in legal trouble," he says. He taps his forehead. "Gary Chen knows all about the law on these things. The police won't even want to know about this, and the school won't care much either." His tone has been softening and softening, and now he sounds like a baritone version of Chelsea. "I don't want them expelled, Will. I don't even want them suspended." He sniffs. "I just want a scandal, something that will let me kick them off the squad." He rolls his eyes. "Finally!"

"They're going to know it was you."

"It doesn't matter. Except they won't. So if you can get that stuff into their lockers before lunch, I can get Mr. Sagansky in to find it before school's out, and then—"

Suddenly he gasps and claps his hands, which puts him on the far side of Charles Hartlein again when it comes to being effeminate. "I know how we'll do it!" he squeals. "Listen! Get that stuff in their lockers before lunch. Then, when you hear about it all, make sure you get over to Eva and Jessica's, you know, so you can tell them how awful it is, and ask what you can do to help, and all that garbage. Be sure to hang out there until I show up."

"You show up?" you echo.

"Yeah! Make sure you see me, you know, so we can make eye contact. That'll be the start of us—" He titters and grins.

"How is that going to be the start of us, uh—?"

"You'll see. I'd tell you, but I might have to improvise, and I won't be able to tell you if I do. I mean, we can't talk, you know, or send texts, not until we're, uh—" He giggles nervously. "So, just keep in character today. Everything'll be fine, don't worry!"

"Sure." You hesitate, for you don't much like being in the dark this way. But that seems to be all, so you turn to fumble at the door latch.

You can't find it right away, though, and Chen shoots an arm across your chest to grasp it. "Here, let me—"

He breaks off. Your skin prickles as his forearm rubs your breasts. You freeze, then look over at him.

He's sweating, and the hair sticking out from under his ski cap looks lank and shiny. He swallows, and you can hear his breathing.

"It's, uh, it's going to be nice, isn't it, Will?" he says softly. "When it's, uh—?" He swallows again. "You're okay with it being this way? With Yumi and ... Gary?"

You nod slowly. Your own breathing is turning labored. "Are you okay with it?"

His nostrils flare. "Yeah, I'm fine with it. I just wanted to make sure that you're ... Because ..."

He closes his eyes and leans in on you. You close your eyes and prepare to receive the kiss.

It doesn't come. Instead, there's a choking noise, and when you open your eyes again Chen, his face deeply flushed, is tucking his bangs back up under his ski cap. "We should hold off," he says. "You know, for when it's official. Or close to official. We can't let anyone see us, even accidentally."

It bothers you that you're disappointed he didn't follow through on the obvious move. But there's nothing else to do but mutter, "Sure, that makes sense. I'll, uh, get this stuff into their lockers." You open the door, but Chen doesn't move. You get out.

Before closing the door, though, you lean in. "Make sure you get back in character before you get to school, okay? And stay in character?"

Chen sucks in a sharp breath, and nods. As you shut the door, he has closed his eyes and covered his nose and mouth with his hands.

* * * * *

The morning with Chelsea has left you dizzy and confused, and meeting "her" again during first period cheerleader practice almost capsizes you. You're pretty sure it is a fake Chelsea—something under a mask—for you can't imagine that she would have switched places right after mastering Chen's personality. But the standoffish way she treats you leaves you feeling fumblefooted all morning. She is waspish enough with you, though, that no one seems to think there's anything funny between you.

You're distracted all during second period English by your feelings for ... Well, is it Chelsea or is it Chen? God! you hope it's Chelsea. But of course it wasn't the luscious "Chelsea Cooper" you were this close to making out with in front of Starbucks. You sure as hell don't think you're gay—you've never had any thoughts or feelings at all in that direction—so why did it feel so exciting to have his hands and arms touching you? That would have to be Yumi's feelings, right? But she's always been repulsed by Chen.

And yet, while you try to convince yourself that it's all a puzzle, you also know what you felt around him. The excitement of being close to a dangerous animal while knowing that there's no danger to you, only others. You don't really want to acknowledge that this has got you—or is it Yumi?—aroused, so you probe deeper at your feelings, trying to find some other reason.

You do come up with one alternative while you're paying no attention in Mrs. Goretsky's English class. It makes you flinch, though. Gary Chen is an odious creep—and there's something exciting about having an odious creep who frightens and horrifies you as a puppet, even if it is a puppet under someone else's control. It leaves you a little sick—the idea of secretly dominating someone who could so easily dominate you—but you have to admit it also stimulates you. Breaking, and saddling, and riding someone like that, even indirectly ...

* * * * *

You have Chemistry third period, but you promised Chelsea you'd get the stuff planted in the Garners' lockers early, so you skip it and head to the gym instead. You loiter in the vestibule until the bell rings, then loiter some more until you're sure that the PE classes are well under way. Then you slip into the girls' locker room.

It's empty, as you'd hoped, and with the numbers Chelsea provided you quickly get into Eva's and Jessica's lockers. They don't keep much inside them—just some spare, clean workout clothes—and you shove the baggies into some pockets. You have one bad moment when you think you hear someone coming, but it's just voices passing close by the entrance. It gives you the idea of getting into your own locker, though, and fussing with the change of clothes in there, so if someone does come in it will just look like you were minding your own business.

On your way out you catch a glimpse of a figure turning onto the stairway that leads up into the loft. Chelsea, maybe? You scamper across the gym to the foot of the stairs and look up them.

It's Steve Patterson, and you've just time to see him enter the loft.

You're glad he didn't spot you. He's another creep, and one who likes to eye fuck the girls on the squad, and Yumi has been a victim. With a shudder, you turn and jog back over to the gym doors, and as you go out you have a brief, horrible fantasy of Patterson catching you from behind and wheeling you around. One of these days, unless "Gary Chen" has another hideout you can use, you and Chelsea are going to go up there and accidentally interrupt Patterson.

Not until you're passing the cafeteria does the obvious idea occurs to you. Chelsea has offered you another mask. Why not make it Patterson? That would solve certain problems while giving you a badass puppet of your own to manage.

* To continue: "The Breaking Crisis" 

*
"Table of Contents (Vol. 3)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)"