The Book of Masks (Vol. 4)

An Outing of Fakes

Previously: "A Farce with Two Faces" 

[Text by rugal]

You're not really keen on the idea of using the mask on your brother. Not that you think the twerp doesn't deserve it but you're not really sure what you'd do with it. Maybe you could convince Natalie to use it to get him in trouble because she seems like she'd be down for something like that, but then what? No, you'd rather not waste the mask but... you pause. Natalie looks at you expectantly. There's a hungry look in her hazel eyes and an impatient smile on her lips.

"What about you?" you blurt out.

"Huh? What about me?" she asks.

Well crap. You didn't really mean to say that but you went ahead and did anyway. Oh sure, you can probably brush it off and claim it's nothing but now that you think of it... why? While you've been enjoying hanging out with her, between everything with Gillian and the scares and close calls here at the basement she's put you through quite a bit over the last few days. So why not her?

"I was just thinking what if, uh, we used that second mask on you?" you say with noticeable nervousness.

Natalie blinks. "You mean you copy me in the mask and then..."

"Then, well, I guess I'd use it to turn into you. Right?"

She's quiet for a moment and you're beginning to feel very embarrassed, which is made worse when she suddenly starts to laugh. "Oh my god, you'd want to turn into me!?" she exclaims in between one such fit of laughter. "You really are a weirdo!"

You're definitely uncomfortable and you even begin to feel yourself breaking into a sweat. "I wasn't trying to be weird but it's just..." You want to argue but you're not really sure what to say and quickly feel your will melting away. "No, you're right, it's definitely weird. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," she replies with surprising firmness once she's stopped laughing. "You suggested it so now... I want you to do it."

"You what?" you ask.

"What's the matter, Will?" she responds in a teasing sing-song. "Are you afraid of not having a dick? Because I had one and, frankly, I don't see what the big deal is."

"It's not--"

"It's the boobs, isn't it? These things drive guys wild."

"Not like you have any so what'd be the difference!?" you exclaim in frustration.

Natalie seems taken aback for a second but her face contorts and she laughs again. "Oh my fucking god, you big dork baby!" she exclaims. She grabs the bag, reaches in and pulls out the blank mask, bringing it close to her face. "I'm going to do it, Will. Are you gonna wuss out on me?"

You hold her eye for a moment but you finally wilt. "No, I'll do it, seeing as you want me to be you so badly," you respond, trying to reclaim whatever dignity you can salvage out of this. "You should probably go sit down or lay down or something. You saw what happened with me."

"Oh Prince William, I am ever so sure you would catch this fair maiden were she to suddenly faint!" she replies in an exaggerated accent.

She playfully pokes you in the chest as she walks past you to take a seat on the ground against a stack of boxes. Then, with little hesitation, she places the mask against her face. Like she'd said, the mask actually sinks into her face. Her head lolls back against the box behind her and you rush over to her. She said it knocked you out so you're more prepared for this than she was but it's still disconcerting to see her eyes wide open and mouth slightly agape as she stares up at nothing. She doesn't respond to her name or to you waving your hands in front of her face and the only indicator she's even alive is that you can see her... chest... rise and fall with each breath.

So you can do nothing but wait until, at some point, the mask reemerges from her face and falls right into her lap. Carefully you retrieve it but it's another ten minutes or so before she begins to stir, during which time you seal the mask. After getting another assurance from her that it's alright, you sit where she had been and place the mask to your own face.

* * * * *

You're groggy as you come to and are immediately surprised by how drafty it feels... which is what quickly brings you to consciousness because it makes you aware of something shocking: you're naked. With a yelp—in a particularly girlish voice—pale, freckle-covered arms cover pale breasts. You soon realize, too, that your dick is gone and in its place is a nothingness hidden by a dull strawberry blonde bush. Gingerly, you reach down through the hairs when a loud cough startles you.

You do a double take when you see yourself dressed in the clothes you had been wearing all day, not the stuff you'd purchased.

"Much as it'd give me a boner to watch me play with myself, this really isn't the time or place for that," your doppelganger says as he reaches out a hand. You take it and he pulls you up.

"Sorry, I'll be mindful of--wait, what's going on? Why the hell am I naked and why are you--"

"Because we're gonna have some fun," he says as he points to the pile of clothes at your feet. "What would be the point of turning into each other if all we did was sit around in a basement?"

* * * * *

Natalie helps you get dressed as you haven't even the faintest idea of how to get a bra on and tells you of her plan: spend the afternoon in these masks and go out somewhere, just to see if you can go on an outing as each other. You're not sure how much you like the idea but you agree to it since you're already in the masks and by this point, you're starting to realize that it might be impossible to actually stop Natalie when she's made up her mind on something.

After gathering up everything and locking the door to the basement behind you, you throw the stuff into your truck and are about to step into the driver's seat when Natalie stops you. She—or maybe it'd be easiest to think of it as "he"—places a hand on your shoulder.

"I don't drive," he says plainly.

"Yeah, I know you don't, so I was gonna--"

"Right, I," she points at you and then herself, "don't drive. You do."

That gives you pause. "Natalie, do you even know how to drive?" you ask.

"Yeah? I got my license when I was sixteen, duh. I just don't have a car and my parents get pissy about letting me borrow their's."

Again, realizing he's made up his mind, you relent and scramble around to the passenger side. In spite of what he said, you're still surprised that he's able to get around town with no issue as the two of you then head over to Panera to grab something to eat. Inside, you sit and chat as you wait for your orders and nobody seems to give you a second look. Though of course, that's because they likely have no idea who Will Prescott and Natalie Dawkins are.

That changes when you sit back down after getting your food. Someone calls Natalie's name, and after remembering it's supposed to be your name, you look over to see one of the girls from the soccer fields yesterday—the one with the glasses—making her way to your table. "Hey, Nat, you don't mind if I sit with you guys do you?" she asks.

You look over to your double, but he says nothing so you scoot over for her. But she concentrates on the guy across the table: "You look familiar. You were at the game yesterday, right? I think I interviewed you."

Your double shoots a look your way, then smirks, before turning his attention back to Genevieve. "Yeah, I'm Will, nice to meet you..."

"Genevieve," she says.

"Right, I remember it. It's a nice name," he says with confidence. "And I definitely remember you. Eastman, right? I'm a Westside guy, myself."

"Okay, yeah, I remember too! Oh, but weren't you with someone else yesterday?" Genevieve turns to you. "You were the one point them out and said I should talk to them."

Your twin jumps in when you flounder. "Because she knew you were looking for Westside students and she knew I attended Westside. So when she saw me, she pointed me out. At least, that's what she told me afterward. Right, Natalie?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," you say.

The three of you eat and chat for the next little bit... well, mostly it's Natalie and Genevieve chatting. You don't know her but Natalie does and so she's able to keep conversation flowing and keep Genevieve's attention. So much so that you're in for a surprise when she gets up, claiming that she has to use the bathroom. Genevieve immediately clasps your arm and grins at you expectantly.

"So are the two of you an item?" she asks.

"Uh, no, not really; we only just met. We're just friends."

"He's really charming and funny, you know. You guys kind of remind me a lot of one another, actually." She giggles and you nearly fall over with what she says next. "He's not bad looking either. If you're not interested, then be a friend and set me up."

* * * * *

"Yeah, she doesn't look it but Genny's kind of boy crazy," Natalie says once you're back in the truck and you've told her about what happened. "Sorry I didn't tell you about the fact I actually was at the game, either, by the way. I, uh, had my reasons though."

You shrug it off and tell her that's not a big deal. But you do suggest that since night has fallen, you should probably get back to the basement so you can get out of the masks and go back to being yourselves. You're surprised when you hear Natalie let out a small laugh and ask her what's so funny.

"No, I was just thinking... wouldn't it be funny if we didn't take off the masks? I mean, you wanted to be me so badly and all."

Wait... is she suggesting that you both go home as each other? Or is she just teasing you some more?

* To take her seriously: "A Sketchy, Revealing Proposal" 
* To treat her idea as a joke: "Bands of Silver" 

*
"Table of Contents (Vol. 4)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 4)"