The Book of Masks (Vol. 1)

Cheerleaders and Charity

Previously: "The Leftovers" 

(Text by rugal.}

Despite having a teacher right here in front of you and ready for you to use the mask on you have second thoughts. Just because she's alone now doesn't mean that someone couldn't come walking by once you've got the mask on her. If they did then you'd have to explain why you're in a room alone with her while... well, you don't actually know what would happen if you put the mask on her. You know that per the book it's intended to copy her appearance in some manner but you're not actually sure how it does that.

Would it knock her out? Would she still be conscious? Would it be an instant thing or would it take time? To be frank, you don't really know and the worries about how everything could go wrong now start to ramp up.

So you back off and start to head around the school once again though your wandering now is pretty aimless. You're not really sure what you're looking for and you start to wonder if you'll actually be able to find it at school. Maybe I should've just gone to the changing room of a store or something, is the thought that creeps into your head. It's hard not to see why as the scenes you see are little different than they were a few minutes earlier to the point where you feel yourself beginning to zone out... until you hear someone tell you to watch where you're going.

You're snapped back to reality when you see a boy -- you don't know who he is -- cast you a glance as he walks by, his eyes looking slightly irritated and rolling as he does. Well fuck you too, buddy. Why don't you watch where you're going, you think. You're still coming down from that when you hear a voice call out to you.

"Will?" it asks. You turn to peer inside the classroom to see Yumi Saito, a girl whose friend-of-a-friend nature means you some times have lunch with her. To your surprise she waves you over. "Hey, actually, can you come over here for a minute?"

Given that she's a cheerleader and quite pretty you're more than happy to oblige her summons. It's only when you walk through the door that you realize it's the orchestra room. Seeing as you don't know a bassoon from a recorder you've never actually been in here so you're a bit surprised by how large it is as you make your way over to Yumi. It's only now that you realize that she's standing with Eva Garner, another cheerleader.

"What's up?" you ask as you approach but Yumi doesn't answer you immediately. Instead she's still turned to Eva.

"Alright, well, I'll message you later," Yumi says while Eva nods.

"Sure. I'll talk to you later. Seeya Yumi," replies Eva before giving you a small smile and wave as she walks by. "Bye Will."

Your hear flutters for a moment at that and you're glad you ran into Eva, who's generally fairly pleasant, instead of her grumpier sister. But your attention is now turned back to Yumi. "So you're here kind of late" you say nervously trying to make small talk.

"Mrs. Heinz wanted to go over some stuff with us and get in a little extra practice," she says. "But what are you doing here so late?"

All you can do is shrug. "Nothing better to do so I'm just taking it slow I guess," you state.

"Well I'm glad I caught you then because that's perfect," she says. She then turns her attention away from you again. "Naomi! Kennedy! Can you guys come here?" she calls out.

"Uh, so what's--"

But Yumi ignores you as two girls walk over. One is a girl with long, straight hair that's some kind of light brown or strawberry blonde but who radiates a rather self-assured, almost smug, aura. Her friend, you assume, has shorter, curlier and sandy hair and her expression, glasses and darker colored clothing give a more serious vibe.

"Did you need something, Yumi?" asks the straight-haired girl and you immediately get strong teacher's pet vibes from her.

"Yeah, this is Will," Yumi answers. "He's going to help me bring by those boxes for you."

"I am?" you ask.

Yumi turns back at you with a bright expression. "Right, we talked about it at lunch, remember? That's why you stopped by here."

You didn't even see her at lunch today but it seems like Yumi's already roped you into helping her. "Yeah, uh, I did," you say unconvincingly.

"Really?" the teacher's pet says as she smiles (smugly) at you. "Yumi's always helping us so thanks for giving her a hand."

"Just tells us when you're back and we'll meet you out in the parking lot so we can take it over to Kian's," the curly-haired girl says.

"Will do," Yumi says as she bids goodbye to them and gives you a small push towards the door.

"Yumi, what's--"

"My family packed too many boxes and I don't want to shove them all into my car," Yumi says once you're out the door. "I think you've said something about having a truck right? I figure using that would be easier."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Great, thanks! You're a lifesaver!" she exclaims.

* * * * *

What you're helping with, Yumi tells you, is picking up a few boxes of old clothes for a charity drive that some of the juniors are putting together. Naomi Batson and Kennedy Palmer -- that'd be the two girls you saw earlier and Yumi's helpful enough to tell you which was which -- asked some of the other members of the orchestra on Friday if they'd be willing to contribute.

Figuring it'd be easier to just tell you where to go she decides to ride with you to her house and invites you in. She leads you to the garage where three boxes filled with clothes sit by the door. She goes to grab one and tells you to pick up another. You go to do it and as you pass by you curse that the mask is in your backpack which is still in your truck, otherwise you would've had the perfect chance to use it on her.

Instead, however, you place the box in the bed of your truck and then, maybe in a lame attempt to try and give her a good impression, tell Yumi that you'll grab the last box. She gives thanks as she hops back into your truck but doesn't seem as impressed as you'd hoped. Once you've got the last box in the bed you get in the driver's seat and begin the drive back to Westside.

"That's a lot of stuff," you tell her trying to make conversation.

"Well once I'd told my parents about it my mom decided everyone needed to chip in; it added up."

She looks down at her phone and again you feel like you'd have the perfect opportunity to use the mask on her... but now you're so busy with driving and the road that you can't be fiddling around trying to get it out of your backpack; you don't want her to think that you're some kind of shitty driver.

"I'm giving you a heads up Will," she suddenly chimes in, "but I told Jenny I was with you and why and she said she'd probably contact your mom about the drive too."

"Oh, uh, sure. I'll tell her about it and get some stuff I don't need anymore packed away, thanks."

"No, thank you," she replies. "Seriously I didn't feel like lugging those things around by myself so you're really helping me out. You want to grab some Starbucks or something after this?"

Your eyes nearly bulge out of your head. Is Yumi asking you to get coffee with her? Well, how can you refuse?

"Sure," you reply a bit nervously, "but why?"

"You helped me so," she trails off for moment. "I guess consider it payment for labor costs."

* * * * *

"Thanks for helping us out, uh--"

"Will," you say when Naomi's seemingly already forgotten your name.

"Right! Anyway, just help us get this stuff in my car and I'll take it over to Kian's." She then turns to the other girl, Kennedy, and can't help but smirk. "He'll be pretty surprised when I show up with a bunch of stuff won't he? Maybe then he'll stop acting like he's the only one who--"

"That's nice and all but I need to get these boxes," you say.

"I'll help you out," Yumi says as she pulls down the bed. "It's the least I can do."

However you wave her off and tell her you'll be fine. You're able to get them into Naomi's car and are getting ready to get into your truck when Kennedy's voice cuts in.

"Hey wait," she says but then turns to Naomi and whispers something.

Naomi's face is thoughtful as she listens and then lights up. "So actually Kennedy just had a great idea, Will," she beams at you. "You've got a truck and we need to get some more of this stuff collected so would you be willing to help us?"

"What?" you sputter. They're actually going to try and foist more work on you?

"It's just a little bit extra," Naomi adds.

"I don't even know where I'd be going," you say with barely disguised annoyance.

"You have a map app right," Kennedy says with barely disguised condescension. "It won't take long."

"If you're going to help them we can do that some other time," Yumi tells you.

That just about tears it for you. You're barely even concerned with the mask right now when you'd have the chance to spend some personal time with Yumi freakin' Saito and now these prissy junior girls are going to ruin that? You're about ready to just tell them that your deal is with Yumi, not them, when it's Naomi's turn to jump in.

"We're willing to pay you if you want," she says.

That does definitely give you pause because you know you'll need money to do things with this book and helping these girls out might save you from having to get that job your dad's been trying to push you towards.

* To go with Yumi: "Assertiveness" 
* To continue helping these girls: "A Charity Drive to Drive You Mad" 

*
"Table of Contents (Vol. 1)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 1)"