The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

The Chessboard

Previously: "Rumors Plus" 

You're giving Marc and Hannah a song and dance about how you're on their side in Hannah's feud against Anita Nuevo, but far from looking grateful, they are looking a little ill. Marc in particular looks trapped.

But they also look too bewildered to argue or even question you, so you tie up the conversation with a bright bow. "How about we get together tonight, get a bite somewhere? You guys and me and—" You roll your eyes. "Tch! I was going to say, you and me and Gordon, but he's doing something stupid with Steve tonight. But that's okay, he's always a grumble-butt when I drag him along with other people. It'll be nice, just the three of us. Are you okay for meeting up to eat?" You turn on your brightest, most eager smile.

Still, they hesitate, and search each other's faces. Marc is the one who finally gasps out something like an acceptance. "Uh, sure," he stammers. "That'd be— I mean, we'd like to get together and ... talk. Right?" he anxiously queries Hannah. She looks between you and him, and nods.

"How about Panera? They've got salads for me and Hannah—" You flash her a quick smile. "A big old slabby sandwiches of meat for you." You touch Marc's flat, iron-hard stomach with a teasing fingertip. "Six o'clock? I'm usually up here until five or so, so that'll give me time to run home to freshen up first. Oh!" You lean in and catch them together in a quick, tight hug. "I keep thinking how much I need to connect up with you guys! Hannah, I hear you are such a breath of fresh air on the soccer team! And Marc." You gurgle. "I wanna see what you and Hannah look like together, 'cos I hear you are both so cute! Six o'clock then! Bye!" You hop back into the rapidly emptying hallway and turn on your heel toward the cafeteria. Tempted though you are to glance back over your shoulder at them, you resist. It would look weak or needy if you did.

* * * * *

Relations between you and Gordon are Arctic at lunch. He brings you a tray of food, as he always does, but drops it with a bang in front of you before falling onto the bench at your side. He doesn't speak to you or to anybody, and you ignore him to talk to the rest of the girls and guys at the alpha table. Besides your friends Kendra, Gloria, and Maria Vasquez, that would be Cindy Vredenburg and Eva Garner, who hate Chelsea but feel like they have to protect themselves by keeping a seat at the most elevated table in the cafeteria; and Gordon and Steve and some of the guys from the basketball squad and other teams. When Cindy coolly asks if it's true that Michelle is leaving the squad, and that Jack Li will be joining it, you gleefully give her the story you told Kendra and Gloria to spread around—how Michelle nobly volunteered to step aside for Jack—and pretend not to notice the sly, smug smile that slowly creeps onto her face. But mostly you use lunch to viciously denounce Anita Nuevo, Kelly Rinaldi, Dominique Hughes, and all the other bitches and cunts that swirl around them on the girls' varsity soccer squad, and making great play of the fact that Hannah Westrick was a star player out at Eastman, and that they tried to keep her off the Westside squad when she moved to WHS, and have been doing everything they can to hurt and humiliate her. "Someone needs to explain to Anita," you grandly declare, "that she needs to think about the good of the team, and not just what she thinks would be good for her!" No one says much in reply, but they do listen alertly.

After lunch, you and Kendra and Gloria take over the D-wing girls' restroom to freshen up your makeup and air out your clothes. Gloria asks if Anita is the next "project" that you all will be working on. "One of them," you confirm while concentrating on the lip gloss you're applying. "But it's only half about pushing Anita back down where she belongs. We're gonna be talking up Hannah."

"Why?" Kendra asks with undisguised loathing. "She was the school slut back at Eastman."

"Kendra," you reply. "Don't call the kettle black." Inwardly, you quail after the words are out, worrying that you have overreached, and press quickly on to cover it. "That was her junior year. Every girl's got a right to test drive anything in the parking lot her junior year. The senior year is when she stops opening her truck for everyone, and picks a regular driver. Like the way you and Steve have?"

"Tell that to Steve," Kendra mutters.

"Well, that's Steve. It doesn't mean you can't be exclusive to him. But I think Marc and Hannah must have settled in together." You fumble through your purse for the eyeliner. "They look really good together, you know. Almost as good as me and Gordon."

You watch Kendra's and Gloria's reflections out of the corner of your eye. They both try to remain impassive. This puzzles you a little. Kendra's reticence you can get. But Gloria's? You have to wonder. If Christian has heard about Kendra's plans against you, then Gloria certainly has. And Gloria and Kendra hate each other—it's the reason Chelsea has always kept them close to her, so they will compete for her favor. So why hasn't Gloria warned you about Kendra's plot?

"Oof," you groan after the silence has lengthened. "I shouldn't have had that soda at lunch. I need to use the toilet." You gather up your stuff. "You don't have to wait for me or anything." The last thing you see before you close the door on them is Kendra giving you a hooded look.

* * * * *

They're both gone when you emerge, but as you're washing your hands, Kim Walsh steps into the restroom. That's not a coincidence, of course. You texted her while you were pretending to pee.

You don't have the place to yourselves, but there's no one you know around, and if you keep your voice low while working again on your makeup, it's only so Number Two will lean in close so she can hear you over the rattling chatter of sophomore girls.

"Call or text or talk to Number Seven," you tell her. "I'd do it myself, but I don't want it to look like I'm setting something up with him, if someone sees us. Tell him to come out to Panera tonight, between six-fifteen and six-thirty. I'll be there with Marc Garner and Hannah Westrick. Number Seven can bring friends if he wants, but he's to join us at our table when we invite him." Number Two nods. "Then, after about ten minutes or so, he's to—"

It's a rather detailed plan you give to Number Two—one you worked out in third period—but she gets it instantly. She also gets it when you tell her to find Number Six and tell him to be out at Panera between six-thirty and six-forty, and to stop by that same table. "Tell Seven to include Six in whatever plans he's got for tonight, and tell Six to go along with him."

"Is there anything special they need to do?"

"No. I'm just moving pieces on the chessboard."

But is that all you're doing by bringing Number Six along? Or is it because you've been playing Number One all day, and minute by minute and hour by hour you find yourself thinking more besottedly of your scruffmonster, and are desperate to lock eyes onto him again?

* * * * *

There's only one more bit of business before eighth period study hall, when you'll have your usual end-of-the-day conference with Kendra and Gloria, and that comes between fifth and sixth period. During fifth, a Marriage and Family Life class, a message comes from the office that you're to go talk to Coach Tesla when class is out, so you make a quick trip to the gym during the break. You can guess what it's about, and sure enough it's about Michelle. The coach, whose face is flushed and baggier than usual, tells you that Michelle has quit the squad. "Are we going to have another series of tryouts?" she asks in a voice haggard with fear. You assure her that won't be necessary, that you've already spoken to Jack Li about stepping in to replace Michelle. The coach looks surprised and vexed, but she doesn't argue, and only mumbles that she'll trust you to take care of it.

And there isn't much to talk about eighth period. You have already given Kendra and Gloria two big sets of marching orders—to spread a story about Michelle's quitting the cheerleading squad, and to start tearing down Anita Nuevo while building up Hannah Westrick—and they confirm they've gotten to work on both stories. As for any stray bits of tittle and tattle they have picked up, Gloria has only one that is at all intriguing: Victoria Rodriguez got in a hair-pulling fight in the E-wing girls' restroom with Trina Murillo.

"Trina Murillo," you muse. "Isn't she—?"

"With Marcos Rivera," Gloria primly confirms.

"Marcos?" Kendra sniggers. "Which of his girlfriends is she?"

"The one who lets him take her up the ass."

"What's Victoria got against Trina?" you ask. "Or is it the other way around?"

Kendra fills you in with a tedious story about how Victoria has lately cut out all her old friends—some nobodies whose names you recognize but whose faces you can't quite place—to try getting herself some new and more socially attractive ones. "My guess is Victoria is auditioning for Trina's place as Marcos's Number Two Girlfriend."

"That's up to Cristina to decide, isn't it?" Gloria asks.

Before Kendra can answer, her phone buzzes with a text. While she studies it, Gloria starts filling you in on the complicated dance that allows Marcos Rivera to balance three girlfriends simultaneously.

But before she can finish, Kendra drops a bombshell. "Oh my God," she says. "Kelsey's set up to get some action this weekend." She gives you and Gloria a knowing look. "From two guys at the same time."

Next: "Dinner and a Side Plot" 

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