The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)

Girls and Other Complicated Things

Previously: "Pain Management" 

You don't make any decisions about your detention plans, and just let the subject drift. Jason does most of the talking, about this and that and filling the silences with his chortles. You don't want him to think you're uncomfortable hanging out with him and Gordon, so you ask him about the school baseball team, which he's the pitcher for. He likes that, and so talks a lot about the team and their chances in the city and state leagues. Baseball was one sport in elementary and middle school that you were okay at—okay enough that you knew the rules and were never picked last—so you're able to hold your own in an intelligent conversation.

And when the period is over and you're all getting up to go, Lynch actually gives you a cheerful smile when Gordon reminds him that he's going to skip seventh period next Monday to show you how the weight machines work.

* * * * *

It's the middle of English class when the intercom barks your name and orders you to the office. You flinch as all eyes turn toward you.

Mr. Sagansky isn't waiting for you, but Mr. Staufford, one of the assistant principals, is. "William Prescott?" he asks in a sharp tone when you enter. "You weren't in third period today."

"Yeah, I had some homework I forgot to finish for fourth." You return his stare with an even one of your own.

He glares. "Well, the absence has been noted on your record. You also owe us two days detention. When do you want to take them?" You can tell he does not like the idea of students getting to pick which days they take detention on.

"I wanna get it over with," you tell him. "Today and Monday."

"Alright." He scribbles on a sheet of paper. "You may return to class now." On your way back, you text your dad to tell him you'll have to miss work. He texts back an acknowledgement.

At lunch, of course, Cassie wants to know all about why you got called into the office and are you in any more trouble. You explain it was just to schedule your detentions. "I can stick around with you," she asks after class is over. "Even if they won't let me in there with you, I can wait for you in the library and then—"

You try to make eye contact with Caleb, but he is absorbed in looking any place other than at you.

But you know what you ought to do, and you do it. You take Cassie by the hand and tell her that you'd love it if she waited for you after school, so that you could then go off and do something together. "And bring some of your friends along," you urge her. "Like Lotte and them." That will give you some protection, you figure.

* * * * *

"The trouble," Caleb tells you after last period, as you're talking at your lockers, "is that Cassie's always had a crush on you."

The roar and mutter of the surging crowd is louder than usual, for it is Friday and everyone's excited for the weekend. But you know you didn't mishear him. "Oh, man, don't say that!"

"I would'a told you before, but you were still with Lisa." He glances around before leaning in to impart the confidences. "And besides, no one was really keen on telling you in case you decided to get excited about it and maybe try something with her."

You pale at this staggering news. "Who's 'we'?"

"Oh, everyone. Me, Tilley, Ioeger, Lamont."

"How did you guys know this?"

"You mean, how did we know it and you didn't? Because, Will, you're about as blind as a cave fish when it comes to these things. Tilley's the one who noticed. Fucker's a dumbass, but he's got whatever the equivalent of 'gaydar' is for picking up on when a girl is into a guy and when she's not. He picked it up about Ioeger and her, too."

A chirpy voice behind you interrupts. "Carson Ioeger? Carson and who?"

You lurch and spin. It's Cassie, standing right beside you and looking at you and Caleb with an eager expression.

"Oh hey, Cassie," Caleb says in a strangled voice. "I didn't see you standing there. Uh, Carson and this girl in one of his classes. I'll see you kids around." He slams his locker shut, shoves himself into the crowd, and lets it carry him away.

"Someone's got a crush on Carson?" Cassie exclaims. "That's so cute! Who is it?"

"I don't know. Caleb didn't— Uh—"

"We have to find out and tell Carson! He deserves a girlfriend, don't you think? He's so smart. Hey, I know! I talked to Lotte and Abby and Sophia, and we're all up for Mexican food tonight if you're interested, and you could maybe ask Carson along or someone else. I mean, in case this girl that Caleb was talking about—"

"I'll text him," you assure her, even though you know you won't.

* * * * *

After that, you drag yourself to the office for your detention. "I'm Will Prescott," you tell the receptionist, who with her chubby cheeks, button eyes, and fluffy hairdo looks like a fat, cheerful and slightly demented bunny rabbit. "I've got detention?"

"Oh yes, I see your name here!" she chirps, and makes a checkmark on a clipboard. "Just go down the hall and hang a left at the first door on that side! You'll be there till five, so I hope you brought some work!" She giggles as though sharing a joke.

Her directions take you to a conference room, where there's already two kids sitting at opposite corners of an immense table. They are dressed down in hoodies, slumping behind the backpacks that they've thrown on the table, and they look up at sullenly at you from their cell phones. You take a seat halfway between them, pull out your homework, and set to work.

Five minutes, ten minutes, thirty minutes pass, and only one other person joins you, another boy in dirty jeans and a hoodie, who throws himself angrily into a chair on the other side of the table. Like the other two, he looks like a sophomore. But David Kirkham never shows.

* * * * *

Five o'clock comes, and Mr. Staufford puts his head in to say you can all go. "'Bout fucking time," one of the other guys mutters as he puts away his phone. But you're not unhappy, for you got all your math done and a little of your English. On the way out, though, you ask Mr. Staufford why Kirkham wasn't there.

"He took one of his detentions yesterday," the assistant principal snaps. "He'll take his other one on Monday." The beady glint in his eye tells you that he's no more happy about Kirkham getting to pick his days than about you getting to pick yours, and that he probably blames you for Kirkham getting to have a pick. You cuss under your breath as you shuffle from the office.

Cassie is waiting for you just outside the office door, and when she runs up you think she's going to hug you, but she catches herself at the last moment, and skips along next to you as you walk to the student parking lot. She asks how it was and if it went okay and what's it like, anyway, getting detention because she never had it and—shudder—she hopes she never does but she's interested in knowing. You tell her it was basically like having a study hall.

You're just about to step into the parking lot when you hear your name shouted. You and Cassie turn. It's Gordon, just coming out of the gym, with his arm around Chelsea. You wait for them to catch up.

"So, you're up here late," Gordon says.

"I had detention. I decided to take it today, get it over with. How was practice?"

"Eh. Who's this?" His gaze goes to Cassie, and you introduce her. "This the girl you been telling me about?"

A little shiver runs through you, and from the corner of your eye you see Cassie's mouth fall open. "Yeah."

"Nice. Well, I'll see you around later, if you're over at Johansson's." Gordon pulls Chelsea close, and the two walk around the corner toward his Bug.

Cassie waits until they're out of immediate earshot to squeal. "You know Gordon Black?"

"Yeah. He rents a room from Caleb's mom. And, uh—" It embarrasses you, but you can't help preening a little. "We hang out sometimes."

But you're more interested—in a dreadful way—in the steely glint in Chelsea's eyes and teeth as she grinned glassily at you from inside Gordon's embrace.

* * * * *

You and Cassie go straight from school to the mall to meet her friends at the Arriba Mexican Cafe. It's a loud place with every surface covered in tile, which makes it hard to hear anything over the music and shouts and laughter of the diners. Cassie spends most of her time talking to Abby MacDonald and Sophia Dewberry, while you mostly talk to Lotte Linde, who is a lot quieter and more sardonic than Cassie, sharing notes about some classes you had together last year, and gossiping about acquaintances. But around about six-thirty you get a text from Caleb, asking you come right over to his place. You make your excuses, tell Cassie that she really should stay with her friends and have fun, and hurry off.

It's something to do with Gordon, Caleb told you in the text, and he looks real worried as he leads you back to Gordon's bedroom. The door is shut. "He won't talk to me," Caleb says.

So you knock, call Gordon's name, and tell him it's you. "Yeah, come in," he calls back.

He's on his bed, staring at the ceiling with puffy eyes, and hugging his pillow to his chest. "Jesus, man, what happened?" you murmur as you shut the door in Caleb's face.

Gordon takes a deep breath, expels a massive sigh, and continues staring at the ceiling.

"It's Chelsea," he says. "I broke up with her." He clenches his jaw. "And this time it's for keeps!"

Next: "Confidence and Confidences" 

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