The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Finding Mr. Right

Text by rugal

Previously: "Yumi Saito, Agent of Janus" 

Your mind goes back and forth over the events of the day and truthfully, you're not all that enthused about what Chelsea proposed. The idea of Yumi hooking up with Gary Chen would seem bizarre and unnatural if you were just looking at it from the perspective of an outside observer. As an active participant, however, the thought of it is even worse. You imagine Gary Chen -- one of the worst bullies and most vile pieces of scum probably in the entire county -- sidling up next to you every day. He crudely tries to sweet talk you, puts an arm around you and drags you close, jamming his mouth against yours and his tongue down your throat.

Oh lord, does it make you want to puke. Even if you weren't Yumi, if you saw her hanging around and getting cozy with Chen then you'd think she'd have gone insane. Jenny and Cindy and all of her friends would probably tear their hair out. You know that to go back on using Chen would mean going back on the rules you'd laid out earlier... but if you have to be a hypocrite, then so be it. Because no way in hell are you going to "date" Gary Chen.

You're not keen on dating a guy in general, despite Yumi's own inclinations, but Chelsea is right in that a boyfriend is probably the easiest way for the two of you to get together. So the question, then, is what kind of a boy does Yumi like? And who would you be most willing to swallow your pride, bury yourself in Yumi's persona, and get with?

* * * * *

It's early the next morning -- at least a good hour before you'd need to be at school for practice -- and you're at a Starbucks. You're meeting Chelsea here but you're also sitting at a table in the far back corner. Neither you nor her want anyone you know (that would mean the other cheerleaders) to see the two of you together and if you do, you want to at least claim that you only ran into each other by complete coincidence. The story you'd give anyone, you'd said, is that Chelsea had insisted herself upon you for a little squad-related chat.

Chelsea had scoffed a bit at that but ultimately agreed to go along with it but only if she told people that "you were being completely unreasonable and were totally not listening". You can really only agree to it and hope that nobody from the squad does catch the two of you together.

"I was thinking about what we'd talked about yesterday," you tell her as your hand loosely grips the top of your iced coffee. "You know, about making Chen into Yumi's boyfriend."

"What about it?" Chelsea replies. Her tone is neutral but it's the kind of neutral where she's gauging what her reaction should be. Which means you need to be careful with your words.

"I agreed to it because as long as you stopped making masks, right?"

"Oh, right. You were all concerned about... I don't even know what," she says, seemingly confirming that either purposely or not, she totally didn't get what you were trying to tell her.

You simply nod your head and continue. "Yeah, well, I thought about it and I'm going to be Yumi then I definitely do not want to be dating Gary Chen," you declare.

Chelsea's eyes widen. "You don't want... but we..." She sputters the words and you can tell that irritation, and probably anger, is soon to overcome her so you're quick to try and mollify her.

"I don't want to date Gary Chen but..." You pause for a second because you can see it start to build up on Chelsea's face. "But your reasoning for why makes sense. I mean, we're sitting in this corner in the hopes that nobody finds us, right? So if I'm Yumi, then you definitely need a second identity that's 'acceptable' for me to be see with, right? And a boyfriend is a smart idea."

Her face remains hard but you don't see the pressure building up anymore. "But you don't want it to be Gary? How come--"

"Because he's a low life!" you exclaim. "Everyone knows he's a bully! Everyone knows he's a dealer! If anyone saw me and him together, they'd think I'd gone completely bonkers!"

"You?" Chelsea asks and there's an amused tone in her voice. "I guess that means Yumi doesn't really like Gary all that much, then, huh?"

"No way!" you declare emphatically as you shake your head. "He's completely unacceptable!"

Chelsea leans forward, resting her elbow on the table and propping her head up. "Well then, Yumi," she says, "what kind of guy is acceptable to you?"

You don't give a firm answer but you tell Chelsea that you'll let her make another mask and that this one can be your boyfriend. She seems thoroughly contented with that and whatever irritation you were sensing from her is long gone. "You know, though, that would mean I'd still have three masks and you'd just have the one," she points out. "Are you fine with that? Maybe I should let you have two more masks if we want to stay even."

"It's fine," you it off. "Let's just find a spot for you first and then we'll worry about me."

* * * * *

What kind of a guy is acceptable to you?

The question lingers in your head long after you leave Starbucks, with Chelsea saying that hopefully (hint hint) you find someone good by the end of the day. Of course, you don't have time to think about it after getting to school because you have cheerleading practice first thing in the morning and, true to her word, Chelsea really lets you have it. You wonder if she might be shooting some of that ammunition she'd stored because of your initial refusal earlier, for she unloads both barrels on you.

Every little move is criticized and any mistake, no matter how minor, is pointed out and lambasted. In fact, it's bad enough that you actually feel tears start to come and all you can think is "stupid cunt" over and over as Cindy and Eva and the other members of Team Anti-Chelsea console you after practice.

In fact, though the question lingers, you can't even really pay it any attention until you hit fourth period. You're still feeling the effects as you take your seat and Jessica -- as well as Kristin Yetter and Abigail Kane who are part of the orchestra with Yumi -- comforts you before class starts. "The hell's got you so down?" cuts in a voice.

It's Cody Schaefer, a member of the tennis team. He is dark eyes look at you with slight concern but you say nothing. Instead, Kristin decides to jump in for you.

"Well, at practice this morn--"

"Kristin!" Jessica cuts her off.

Cody's expression gets more serious and he nods his head. "Chelsea, huh? I gotcha. Cunts like that get theirs sooner rather than later," he says soberly before he continues on to take his seat. It's a brief exchange but it's enough to get your mind back on track.

* * * * *

You give Cody a simple thanks for earlier as he walks by you on his way out of the classroom. He simply shrugs it off and repeats his assertion of Chelsea's cunthood. But with your focus restored, you can now think of what kind of guy is acceptable to Yumi Saito and Cody Schaefer is definitely high on that list. He's not just one of the tennis team's stars, he's a smart guy taking a lot of AP classes. But he doesn't seem to possess the same snobbish ego that most of those types have and keeps himself out of the big AP cliques. He hangs around with his teammates, and with guys from the orchestra.

It doesn't hurt that, in Yumi's eyes, he's not bad to look at either. He has dark eyes and dark hair, handsome features and a toned, athletic body with the slightest hint of a tan. But more than his looks, it's his unpretentious and strongwilled attitude that makes him attractive. That, you realize, is what Yumi likes in a guy. Someone who can be forceful-yet-gentle. The kind of guy who'd probably protect her but not shy away from a romantic gesture.

Throughout the day you try to keep this in mind as you scope out possible partners, and time and again you keep going back to Cody. It seems like Yumi herself is definitely attracted to him but would he go off with her if she approached him and asked him to? A much more likely possibility is found in eight period in Patrick Currier. He's an orchestra member and something of an associate to Kelsey's group. But they're cool to him and Patrick is also a nice enough guy.

He projects a bit of rich boy swagger yet, Yumi's noticed, with a sensitive air behind it. She likes strongwilled types to be sure but the thought has crossed her mind more than once of taking the cute sensitive preppy boy and helping him to find the real confidence she sees bubbling below the affected one; to turn him into the kind of guy she'd like.

But even as you think that you still feel odd and in fact a little disappointed. Guys like Cody or Patrick are probably popular picks for any girl... expected picks. It makes you feel self-conscious about yourself and this whole plan. Why does it have to be a romantic partner? If Chelsea wanted to hang out with "Yumi", then wouldn't it be just as easy to get a mask onto Jenny instead? Hell, she's friends with a lot of the anti-Chelsea cheerleaders so she'd even be a useful identity for Chelsea.

But that small resentment you're feeling turns into another thought: why does it have to be a boyfriend? Yumi might like the idea of being the girl of a guy like Cody but you're still a bit ambivalent. And while Yumi Saito might be straight as an arrow, you yourself are still plenty attracted to girls. Why have a boyfriend when you could aim for someone like, say, Andrea Varnsworth as a girlfriend instead?

Maybe it's just jealousy at the thought of Yumi hooking up with anyone in general though. You look at the likes of George Basham and Abigail, or David Scofeld and Kristin. Chelsea just wants Yumi as a fly in the ointment so why not put her under your control while you and Chelsea take over an established couple instead?

Next: "Betrayals, Backstabs, and Possible Boyfriends" 

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