The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)

Party Tardy

Previously: "Closer and Clover" 

It's Friday night, which means it's a party night for you and your friends. Because you were going to meet with Clover, though, and then because you did meet up with Jack, you've had to dodge all the girls (and guys) trying to pull you into their plans.

Far and away the most popular party will be the big one being thrown by Maggie Crenshaw, the captain of the girls' softball team. That's the one that Leah and Brianna and Genesis and their friends have been pulling for, and it's the one you bet most of the school—or those who go out for such parties—is going to attend. The other big party is being thrown by Meghan Farris, a girl who has been trying hard since she was a sophomore to make herself popular, but who always just manages to miss a step. For tonight's party, for instance, she's engaged a local band; unfortunately, it's Tiger Driver, which is a band of juniors and sophomores and so not very popular with the senior class. Speculation is, in fact, that she engaged the band because it's fronted by Jody Lepley, who is the sophomore sister of Noah Lepley, a popular guy on the lacrosse team, as a way of blackmailing her brother and his friends into attending her party. The fact that there is such gossip says a lot about how little respect people have for Meghan. But maybe it's because Meghan is the underdog that Parker and Wendy and Kristina want to put in an appearance there.

You ask Steve what he's doing. "Going to Maggie's," he says. "Gordon and Chelsea—well, the fake ones—are going out there, and he told me that's where they were going even before we had our talk. So I'm going out there with them, so him and me can keep an eye on Chelsea. If it is her."

You can't help smiling. "I wonder what Crispin's going to do if Chelsea tries getting affectionate with him."

But Steve doesn't smile. "I dunno what he'll do," he says, and squints off toward the city. "Try asking me what I'm going to do tonight."

"What are you going to do?"

He doesn't answer for a very long moment. Then, with his gaze still locked into a thousand-yard stare, he says, "I don't know."

* * * * *

Because he's going to Maggie's, you decide to go to Meghan's. It also seems more in character for Jack, who has always felt a little sorry for Meghan even if he's never paid much attention to her otherwise. You text a wide circle of friends to see if anyone else is going to Maggie's and needs a ride. Laura's the only who takes you up on your offer, but she asks you to swing by Elle's to pick her up as well.

"You know," Laura says as she buckles herself in, "I'm only going out there because you are."

"How come is that?"

"Because no one's going to be there and I'll have you all to myself. I'm joking," she adds when you give her a steady look. "But I wanna go where you're going."

"I'm flattered."

"I was joking about no one being out at Meghan's party," she insists.

"I didn't say anything."

"But are you really going out there just because you're trying to be nice?"

"I'm going out there because Parker and Kristina are going out there. And Wendy."

"I thought they were going out to Maggie's!"

This startles you, and you tell Laura to check your texts as you navigate the streets. "Oops, I was wrong," she says after scrolling through. "Parker does say they're going to Meghan's. Guess I got mixed up 'cos everyone else is going to Maggie's. Wow, you get texts from so many people." Out of the corner of your eye you see her scrolling through your messages. Before you can stop her—not that it would have occurred to you to stop her—she settles on one thread and asks, "Who's 'Clover Mystery'?"

"Huh? Oh, it's no one."

"No one?" Laura asks. Then she gasps. "Jack! Have you got a secret boyfriend?"

"No!" You reach for your phone. "Give it back, Laura," you growl when she holds it out of reach.

"No, I wanna read it! Who is it?"

"It's no one you know."

"Well, what's their name? Maybe I do know them!"

"It's none of your business, Laura," you add in a warning tone.

"Fine." She pouts as she hands the phone back. "Why all the big mystery? About someone named 'Mystery'? Come on, tell me their real name."

"It's none of your business." You slip your phone into your shirt pocket.

She grins. "Oh, you really are making it sound like you've got a secret boo-boo bear!"

"Well, okay, maybe I do."

"You do?" she squeals.

"I said 'maybe'. Because, you know, it could be. Anything's possible."

She's silent for a long time, and you try to ignore the gleaming stare she has turned on you. Then she says, gleefully, "Is it maybe a girl?"

"Maybe," you admit, to keep the bluff going. This provokes gales of laughter from Laura.

* * * * *

Elle is hefting a large, carry-all bag when she climbs into the minivan, which reminds you that Laura was hefting a carry-all of her own, which you forgot to ask about. "We're going in character," Elle says when you ask. "Laura and me. Our parts in the school play."

"Brought our costumes," Laura say.

"What, are you playing a zebra?" you ask. "Is it one of those two-part zebra costumes? Which one of you is the ass end?"

"Oh, you're a scream," Elle says. Then, "Didn't you just turn the wrong way?"

"This is the way to Meghan's."

"Meghan's?" Elle sounds aghast. "I thought we were going to Maggie's!"

"I got confused," Laura confesses. "Is that okay?"

In the rear-view mirror, you can see Elle scrambling for her phone. "I told Christian and Dean we were going to Maggie's!" She thumbs at her phone. "Christian wants to do the sarcophagus scene!"

"Sarcophagus scene?" you echo, but Elle ignores you to put the phone up to her ear. You casually eavesdrop as she argues with one of her co-stars about whether she should meet him at Maggie's, or he should meet her at Meghan's. He gives in, apparently, and so does the other one when she calls him. She sighs when she drops her phone again. "We're probably going to wind up at Maggie's anyway," she says, "but I guess we'll start off at Meghan's."

"It'll be fun," you assure her. "I'll be there." You mean it as a joke, but if the girls take it as one, neither of them laugh.

* * * * *

The first sign that it's not going to be a fun scene at Meghan's comes when you arrive. The Farrises live in a pleasant neighborhood close to the river, with lots of space on the streets for casual parking, but you have no trouble parking close to the house. The music that sounds from the backyard is slow, quiet, melancholy: the soundtrack for the scene in a teen melodrama where the angsty female lead is contemplating cutting her face with a razor blade.

It's not much better inside. The rooms on the ground floor are large and spacious—it looks like lots of furniture got moved out—and there are little side tables set up everywhere with snackage conveniently placed. But the lights are up way too bright; there's no dance music (just the muffled echo of the suicide sonata playing in the back yard); and though there are other kids here, they seem lost and disconnected, like marbles rattling around in an empty box. Elle and Laura excuse themselves to change into their costumes while you go looking for Parker and the girls. You find them in the kitchen.

"Has it started yet?" you ask them.

"Shh," Kristina says. "Don't let Meghan hear you say that. It started an hour ago."

You look at your phone. "It's not even ten. Lotsa time for—"

"She was telling people eight. So they could show up here before going to Maggie's." Kristina's face curls up with pity. "But by now everyone will be on their way to the other party."

"She could still get people who aren't even going to Maggie's." But even you feel no conviction in the hope.

A few more people do show up, including Dean Stratton and Christian Padilla in 1920s vintage clothing, like the costumes Elle and Laura emerge wearing. But whatever the "sarcophagus scene" was supposed to be, they are too cowed by the dreary mood to attempt it.

* * * * *

Your drama friends bail early for Maggie's, and they take Wendy with them, leaving you and Parker and Kristina to represent. At least the two of them have ways of amusing each other, even in a house that seems more haunted than festive. You have moved onto the back porch and are listening vaguely to the sounds of Tiger Driver as they listlessly perform on the stage erected there.

"Hey," a voice sounds behind you, and you turn. It's Leah Simmons, a huge grin on her face.

You smile back. "Hey yourself. You're late. Or, I dunno." You look around. "Maybe things are about to get started."

"Heh. I heard from Elle and them it was a disaster out here, but you were going down with the ship." She nods her chin at Tiger Driver. "Maybe if we got them to play something upbeat, we could dance."

"I don't think they know anything upbeat. I don't think they know anything with a beat."

She touches your shoulder. "We could dance anyway. Something slow and old-fashioned, nothing to do with the music."

That sounds nice, so you pull her close, and clasp one of her hands and put the other on her hip, and sway like it's the 1940s and Benny Goodman is playing. Leah smiles dreamily into your face.

"You know," she says after a few minutes, "you were really spun up earlier. Now that you've calmed down, can I get you to change your mind?"

"About what? And where was I spun up?"

"Out in the wilderness, when we met to talk." She rubs your back, and her smile widens. "Don't think about trying anything cute, Will. There's people here, and I can scream."

That's all for now.

*
"Table of Contents (Vol. 2)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)"