The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Dinner and a Side Plot

Previously: "The Chessboard" 

You and Gloria exchange looks of surprise and amazement. You try to grab Kendra's phone. "Lemme see!"

But she pulls it out of reach. "It's from Mindy, if that's what you want to know."

"What's she say?"

Kendra reads: "Oh-em-gee, Kelsey's set up a three-way this weekend with Karl and Justin. She must mean Justin Roth," Kendra adds. "I'll ask her." She continues reading. "Probably at the Donna, she says, but I try find out."

"Is Mindy usually on the level?" you ask.

"Usually. Almost always." Kendra concentrates on tapping in a reply. "She's who I got that news last week, about Eric Harlen and that sophomore girl."

"No one cared," Gloria sniffs. Kendra shoots her a quick, spiteful look.

"Whoa." You tap a front tooth with your fingernail. "The Donna, you think? We're gonna need someone to stake that out, try to get some pictures."

"You could ask Kim," Kendra suggests with a smirk.

"You could ask Steve to take you there," you reply, ignoring her gibe. "Get him to spend some money on you, instead of doing it all the time up in the loft." Now Kendra shoots you a dirty look.

"That'd be expensive," Gloria says. "Paying for all day and a couple of nights."

"How do you know how much it is?" you retort. "But we need to know where. It's got to be someplace like the Donna. They can't do it at one of their houses, can they? Unless— Oh, crap!" You feel yourself pale. "What if Kelsey's parents are going out of town or something, and that's how come—?"

"I told Mindy to try to find out where. Maybe she could stake out the motel."

"Is she going with anyone?"

"She's been rubbing herself all over David Kirkham lately."

"Oh, ick! But do you think she'd do it? Why is she telling you this?"

"We trade stuff. Also, Mindy thinks it makes us, like, gal pals. Tch!"

"Well, I want to hear all about it, the minute you—"

Gloria interrupts. "Where did Mindy hear this?"

Kendra makes a face. "Don't worry, Gloria, I'll find that out too."

"Because if she doesn't know what she's talking about—"

"I said I'd find out!"

"Calm down, both of you," you order. "Kendra, you find out everything from Mindy. Gloria—" You ponder. "Do you know anyone who hangs out with ... Justin Roth?" you query Kendra. She and Gloria both nod. "See if they know anything. But, you know, indirect. Like—"

"I know how to handle it, Chelsea," Gloria says.

"I know you do. It's just— Wow. This is big."

"What do we do with it?" Kendra asks. "If it happens."

"You mean if we get pictures?" You giggle. "I'll have to think about it. You girls should too."

You sink down in your chair, in a reverie of possibilities.

* * * * *

Of course, there's no reason to send Kendra and Gloria out snooping when you can just ask Number Four directly. Which you do after school, while sitting high up in the gym bleachers to watch basketball practice. The reply, when it comes, mystifies you: Number Four says she hasn't heard anything from Karl, even after he finally said he'd talk to Justin about it. But you get some possible light on what's going on when Kendra reports that Mindy told her that she heard from Michael Hurst that when he was out at the portables with some of the guys at lunch that Spencer Osbourne was telling them all that he heard from a couple of guys that Justin was talking to some of his friends about being set up for some three-way action with Karl and Kelsey. So maybe Four just doesn't know yet. Afterwards, when you're at home changing clothes, you text her again, ordering her to poke Karl to find out if anything is actually set up.

Then you push it all from your mind as you drive out to Panera to meet Marc Garner and Hannah Westrick.

They're staring at the menu board when you arrive; you squeal and give each of them a quick hug and grin. "This going to be so nice!" you exclaim. "I hardly ever get to see you, it seems like! There was the party out at my place at the start of school, but—" You do a double-take at Hannah. "You were out there, right? God, I sound awful, don't I? Not remembering? But that's where we met. I remember now!" You poke Hannah with a friendly finger. "You and Marc were out there, and someone told me you were going together, and I thought that was scrumptious when I saw you two together! And you moved over to Westside so you could be with him, did I hear something like that? Ooooh!" You bounce on your toes. "If there was a guy I liked so much I changed schools just to be with him, I think I'd die every time we got together!"

Neither Marc nor Hannah have much to say to this avalanche of expression, and only exchange amused glances. But after ordering your food and taking a table, you cut out the gushing to get down to business.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea about I said earlier today," you tell Hannah. "About Anita and them."

"Yeah, what was that all about?" Hannah asks. "What did you hear and where did you get it from?"

Her words seem to chill your blood. Hannah, now that you get a really good look at her—something Chelsea never really did before—you notice what a big girl she is. Not that she's fat, but she is powerfully built behind a large bosom, and she has a bold nose and an unflinching gaze. Between that and the great mane of curly, dirty-blond hair that pours onto her shoulders, she puts you uncomfortably in mind of a lioness resting comfortably while speculatively studying possible prey. This girl, you realize with some slight worry, is not going to be easy to daunt or bulldoze.

"Well, I didn't hear anything directly," you confess. "I mean, it's not like Anita went online and posted, you know, 'Haha, we really did a thing to Hannah with that banner thing, ha ha.' But I know how Westside runs, Hannah, and I can put things together—"

"So what did you 'put together'?"

"Well, only that it was one of Anita's friends in the East-West Club, Kelly Rinaldi, who— You know her, right?" You give Hannah a knowing look, and are gratified to see a faint flush appear at her throat. "Well, it was her that got that Erin girl to did the banner. So put the pieces together. Anita and Kelly. And Kelly and Erin. Who's totally innocent, but whatever."

"That doesn't prove anything, Chelsea," Marc says. He's been listening with a look of open skepticism. "And, I mean, how does that banner, and doing something with the East-West Club, how is that—?" He gives Hannah a pained glance. "What does that have to do with Hannah?"

"Well, I don't know, Marc. But that's how I put things together. I mean, maybe I'm wrong, but ever since I've know Anita, I've felt like I've got good reason to not trust her." You give Hannah a very direct look. "How did your tryout for the girls' soccer squad go?"

The flush on Hannah's face deepens, and Marc shifts in his chair. "When I heard about that," you tell him, "I told Gordon that he should talk to you about telling Anita— Did he talk to you?" Marc shakes his head. "Pssh! Sometimes I think I'm so done with him. All he ever thinks about is his own squad. But even if Anita wasn't behind this whole East-West fiasco, I want you to know, Hannah, that I'm totally on your side. Every time, about every thing."

Your food arrives just then, and when the server is gone you change the subject by asking Marc if he's heard any good gossip from his sisters.

He hasn't (of course) and the conversation has wandered off to the topic of some recent popular TV shows when someone looms up behind your shoulder. You look up, and squeal with pleasure. "Jack!"

"Hey all." His grin is easy and relaxed, and with a loose wave of his hand he summons over a couple of girls—Laura MacGregor, Brianna Kirschke, Leah Simmons—who have followed him in. "What is this, like a team captains' meeting?" he asks.

"No, we just got to talking at school, and the next thing we had plans." You tug at Jack's sleeve. "You wanna sit down?"

"Is there room for all of us?"

"Let's move to a bigger table," you declare, and before anyone can react you've scooped your bowl and silverware up and are eyeballing the room. "Oooh! Over there!"

You and Marc and Hannah get your stuff moved while Jack and the others go to the front to order. The girls quickly join you, but Jack wanders away. A minute later, Marc's phone buzzes. There's a delay of another minute or so after he's checked and frowned at the text, and then he excuses himself to "use the head," which leaves you alone with a tableful of girls. Laura—a girl you yourself hung out a lot with your freshman year—takes advantage to pump you for information on how and why Jack is joining the cheerleading squad. You repeat the story that you've been telling everyone else: that you want to freshen up the old routines with some more dance-like moves, and that Jack would be the one teach you all those moves. "And he looks great in shorts," you add to much laughter.

Your own phone buzzes with a text just as Marc rejoins you, and you check it under the table. It's from Number Seven: Done. He hardly even looks at you when he himself reappears.

So as far as you're concerned, that finishes up dinner, and you're looking for an excuse to duck out early when Number Six comes sauntering over. You give him only the most cursory glance, but do a double-take when Laura MacGregor comes out of her seat with a cry of "Will!" and catches him around the waist in a quick hug.

Next: "The Hunger" 

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