The Book of Masks (Vol. 1)

Tortures Planned, Torments Suffered

Previously: "Two More Rides" 

Break up Cindy and Seth? Was that the plan? Keith seems to think it was, but you're not so sure.

"Well, I'm not gonna break up with him right away," you temporize. "I wanna have some fun jerking him around first. You know. The kind of fights that him and Cindy are always having." You glance over at Yumi. "You know what I'm talking about, right? You did get her memories last night, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah." She's come to a stop at a light, but as it turns green she jack-rabbits into the intersection. "You don't gotta worry about me, man. Oh, fuck!" She laughs. "When I saw Mokichi this morning, I—" She snickers all through the story she tells of the way she went off on Yumi's big brother about hogging the bathroom. "And speaking of things that piss Yumi off," she adds in a darker growl, "I wanna be there when the guys take down Chelsea and put Josiah in for her!"

So that gets her off the topic of Seth, and she spends the rest of the drive speculating about how raunchy Josiah's going to get with his new body, and whether you and her want to get in on some of it. She's so worked up, in fact, that after you are parked at the school, you reach over to give her a calming pat on the thigh.

"That all sounds great, man," you say. "But we're here, and we need to remember who we're supposed to be now."

She blinks at you, then grins wickedly.

* * * * *

The cool, wet air feels good on your bare legs as you stride off toward the gym; Yumi hustles alongside you. You're aware, of course, of the looks, both veiled and open, that you get from the guys, and it gives you a prickling feeling of pride. Which is not what Cindy is used to feeling, you reflect in some surprise when you compare your emotions this morning with the ones you remember from other mornings. Though Cindy finds the attention gratifying to an extent, she also gets tired of it. This morning, though, you can't help preening as you glide along the breezeway toward the gym, noting the way guys who are standing in knots on the quad will turn at a word from their friends to look back over their shoulders at you. No one ever fucking paid any attention to me before, you gloat to yourself. But look at me now. Yeah, you sad, needy cocksuckers. Just look at me now! You tuck back a stray lock of shimmering hair behind an ear, and pull open the door to the gym.

Basketball practice is still going on, with a scrimmage in progress. Out of habit (Cindy's habit) rather than real curiosity, you glance over in search of Seth. He's down at the other end of the court, tense and hunched and watching for a chance to intercept the ball if it comes his way, and he doesn't seem to see you. But a hard thrill runs through you, even as you wrench your eyes off him.

Jesus, you think in some alarm as you feel a flush ripple through your genitals. It's almost physical, isn't it? It's like Cindy's body is addicted to him! You hope it's her body, and not you who felt the touch of hot, burning lust when you looked at him.

But it's not a surprise. You couldn't help thinking of Seth this morning as you got ready for school. You knew, you felt what he does to Cindy. But that was a memory, recollection at a distance. To be in the same room as Seth, to lay your eyes on his skin ... Well, that is more like being jabbed with a hot needle.

You feel yourself turning a little pink as you accompany Yumi into the girls' changing room. But if Keith noticed you ogling Cindy's boyfriend, he doesn't say anything.

Eva and Jessica Garner are already in the locker room, and are already changed out into short-shorts and t-shirts, and are just tying their shoes. You and they have the place to yourselves. "Well, aren't we all here early," you say, and they look up at your voice. "Almost as if we all of us just couldn't wait to get started with the first day of the rest of our lives." The sisters exchange a glance, then grin at you.

You wheel open the combination lock of Cindy's locker, and swap out her workout clothes for your backpack. You drop onto a low bench to untie your shoes, then ask, "Has anyone got an extra pair of socks I can borrow? I wasn't thinking this morning when I—" You waggle the toes of your slim, bare feet.

"I got a pair you can borrow," Yumi says. She digs into her workout bag, and tosses you a fresh pair of ankle socks.

"I bet they were trying on more than each other's clothes last night," Eva gurgles, but her jape is followed by a quick "Hsh!" from Jessica. You look up to see Michelle Estrich—a quiet girl, and the only "unpopular" member of the squad—enter. You turn away, and resume dressing out.

You're combing out your hair, preparing to tie into a ponytail, when Chelsea and Maria enter. Chelsea comes chugging in like a miniature blonde diesel locomotive, and you feel an upwelling of hate, as visceral as the lust you felt for Seth. Scheming little cunt. Stole the squad from me when I should have been squad captain. Like Lucy was before me. Maria follows at her shoulder. They sweep past, and you and Maria catch each other's eyes for the briefest of moments. Her expression is vague and empty, as usual, but for half a second there's a glint of recognition and conspiracy in it as you hold each other's eyes. Then she's gone, on her way to her own locker.

Yumi comes up as you tie your hair back. She stares past you, at Chelsea and Maria, then looks you in the face. There's the trace of a smirk there. You feel the trace of a smirk appear on your own lips. Then you shut your locker, spin the wheel, and lead her out onto the gym floor.

* * * * *

"Yumi," Chelsea snarls, "my grandmother can get her feet up higher than you, and she's in a nursing home!"

Yumi turns to you as Chelsea wheels to bark at another unfortunate. "I'm gonna kill her," she growls. "I'm gonna kill her and hang her upside down from the—"

"Is that someone grumbling?" Chelsea yells. "That better not be grumbling! You know what we say about team spirit, if you don't got team spirit you got no business on the team!"

"I'll give you team spirit," Yumi mutters, but in a lower voice.

It's been quite a morning, even by Chelsea standards. So far only Maria has escaped the sting of Chelsea's tongue, and that probably because Chelsea's been getting the rest of your lot sorted out before putting Maria through her paces.

She came up with some new routine over the weekend, involving some pretty intricate, choreographed gymnastics routines. Everyone is supposed to do the same thing, but with staggered entrances, so that while girls A and B are coming in with steps 1 and 2, girls C and D are moving on to steps 3 and 4, and girls E and F are onto steps 5 and 6. This wouldn't itself be a challenge, but the line and direction of tumbles bends back on itself, and you all are going to have to show better timing and coordination if you're going to avoid cartwheeling into each other. As it is, Lin Pol has a very red nose from colliding face-first with Kendra Saunders's left sneaker.

Lin, as it happens, is the odd girl out in your quintet of impersonations: It's Cindy and her four friends against Chelsea and her three (and Michelle off all by herself), and Lin is the only one of Cindy's group that you and Fairfax's gang haven't replaced with a fake. So you've been on your toes with her, keeping yourself as firmly in character as you can.

So when she drifts over to your side after getting a broadside from Chelsea, you slip an arm through hers and pull her close. "You're doing fine," you whisper. "It was Chelsea whose timing was off."

"No, I was off too," she sighs. "You got time to talk today? Fourth period?" That's lunch, which she and Cindy usually share in the cafeteria.

"Sure, what's up?"

"Lin!" Chelsea shrieks. "I shouldn't have to call you over, you should know you need to be over here!"

"Meet you out front of the cafeteria," Lin mutters, and slinks away.

"Wha' wuzzat about?" asks Jessica, who has slid over on your other side. "Wha'd she want?"

"I dunno. Girl talk."

"Hot!" She turns around, putting her back to Chelsea and all the other girls. "You check your x2z DMs yet?"

"No."

"Well, check 'em. We set something up last night, for private chat. We got something in there we want you to do."

"What?"

"That's what the private chat's for, to tell you." She turns back around. In a louder voice, one that will carry, she says, "This routine's stupid. Even if we get it right, it'll look dumb."

Kendra Saunders—one of Chelsea's toadies—flicks her eyes over at the sound of Jessica's voice. Jessica ignores her, but you make a face at her.

* * * * *

There's a lot more little conferences like that, some with confederates and some not, but that one with Jessica is the only one that alludes to the changed composition of the squad.

Until Yumi shoves herself between you and your locker after practice and thrusts her cell phone in your face.

You blink at the screen, and it takes you awhile to recognize x2z's version of a Discord chat. There's only a few posts, but one from Philip Fairfax directly addresses you. It's long but when it gets to the point, you gasp.

Would you go along with it if we spread a rumor that Cindy and Seth are engaged and going to get married right after graduation?

Yumi's face, when you glance into it, is very hard and unhappy.

Next: "Two Faces and More" 

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