The Book of Masks (Vol. 5)

Another Encounter with Emily

Previously: "Carson Serves a Swerve" 

You are all abuzz when you part with Carson, and a couple of times during the afternoon and evening you catch yourself almost in the act of lunging for your phone to text Caleb. But you are not so lacking in self-discipline that you do. And though it is a terrible temptation to tell him what you've learned—you suspect that there's lots of stuff like that that he knows about, and has kept back from you, and it would be great to dish something to him—you do manage to keep yourself on a leash.

* * * * *

The next morning at school, though, you can't stop yourself from asking Caleb, as you're waiting for first period to begin, if he knows Emily Sparks.

"No," he says.

"Short girl, wears thick black glasses?"

"There's a lot of girls like that in this school, Will."

"Not that many! Kind of a nerd girl. I think she's hung out with Carson and James some. And Christian Knouse."

"I wouldn't notice girls who hang out with the likes of them," he sniffs.

"Oh. Well, I'm not saying she's hot"—Caleb shoots you a withering glance, as though begging you to get to the point—"I was just asking if you know her."

"No. And why do you want to know?"

"Oh, no reason I guess. Only I was talking about her with Carson on Sunday—we played tennis, then got some sodas—and I was wondering if you knew her. 'Cos he does, and I didn't."

"This has all been very trivial, Will," he says. "Now will you let me get back to mentally undressing some of the girls in here?"

You perk up and look around. There are some very sexy girls in here. Too bad the sexiest of the bunch—that would probably be Kelsey Blankenship and Amanda Ferguson—are some of the worst human beings you've ever met. And the one who best combines beauty of body and personality—that would be Lisa Yarborough—is also the one who crushed your heart like an empty walnut shell at the start of school by breaking up with you.

Still, there's enough distraction in here that it's a blow in all kinds of ways when Mr. Walberg issues his "last call" for submissions to the time capsule: an assignment you have clean forgotten about.

* * * * *

Caleb has no sympathy for you when you catch up to him again at lunch, behind the school.

"I don't know what you're fucking moaning about," he snarls after you bitch to him about having to "go crisis shopping" after school for an item. "Walberg should'a flunked hard, right there in front of the class. Set an example instead of giving you an extension."

It's not much of an extension, you remind him—only until five o'clock—and you're getting one full letter grade knocked off.

"Doesn't fucking matter," he retorts. "You're still gonna get a B—no, I correct myself, you're going to get a D because you're only going to turn in C-level work—and you will have waited until past the last possible minute. We had a whole freaking week, man, to do it in!"

"Yeah, a whole fucking week, man," chimes in Keith Tilley, who is eating with you.

"Shut up! And it's a fucking dumb assignment," you snarl back at Caleb, for you are offended by his lack of sympathy, "so it wasn't worth the time!"

"At least now you're in a panic about it," he fumes. "And you're only gonna get a D. And didn't you go out last week to find something? I distinctly remember last Wednesday or Thursday, when I asked if you wanted to—"

You're glad he mentioned that, as it reminds you that you did go shopping for an item for the capsule, and you did find one. That book at Arnholm's. You can just take that in to Walberg. In fact—!

You leap to your feet.

"Where you goin'?" Keith mumbles, his mouth full of banana.

"Running a quick errand," you tell him, "while I still got time. I think." You glance at the time on your phone: lunch is about one-third over, but if you run and you don't hit any long red lights, you figure you can get home and back before the bell for sixth period. "Throw my shit away for me, will you?" You sprint off before Caleb can yell anything else at you.

* * * * *

Your mom isn't home when you get there, which is good, because it means you won't get any sharp questions about what you're doing away from school. Upstairs, you shove all the shit off your desk and onto the floor, and rudely sort through it until you find that book. Then you hustle on back to school.

You're about five minutes away from the bell ringing as you hop out of your truck, and are loping across the student parking lot when you hear someone shouting. "Hey cowboy! Cowboy!" You ignore it until it's followed by a shrill whistle, and then another "Cowboy!" Then you glance around.

It was being directed at you, by Emily Sparks. She comes running up with a grin. "You don't hear so good," she says.

"I didn't know you were shouting at me."

"What, no one calls you 'Cowboy'?"

"No." You shake your ball cap off your head and resettle it. "I only wear that other h at when I go out clubbing." (Which is true enough, as last night was your first real attempt at clubbing in a long time.)

"Well, I recognized you anyway. How'd it go Saturday night with those kids?"

"About as well as you'd fucking expect."

"I'm sorry. Say, do you take your lunches off campus too?"

"What?"

"Lunch. Off campus. You just got back."

"Huh? No, I was just running an errand. I had to go home."

"Oh, that's too bad. Me, I got fourth and fifth period off, so I sometimes go off campus to eat. Like, when I'm mad at people and got no one to eat with."

You look at her, but don't ask the obvious follow-up question. She doesn't seem to mind, and only asks, "So what did you have to go home for?"

"Dumb-ass assignment. I forgot something at home, had to go home and get it so I could turn it in."

"Homework?"

"Basically. My class is putting together a time capsule, and I forgot to bring in the thing I was gonna give my teacher."

"Time capsule! Whoa!" Her eyes light up. "What did you bring in for it?"

You've got it in your hand, and you show it to her. "Just a book. It isn't even a good submission."

"Is it your math book?" She laughs. "Why did you pick it?"

"Because I have to submit something, I'm late turning it in as it is. I got an extension until five o'clock, it was due this morning."

"Because you forgot to bring it?"

"Because I forgot about the assignment! Yeah, I bought this thing at the used bookstore, but then I thought it was a dumb submission and was gonna get something else, but then I forgot!" You shake your head. "I'm such a dumbass!"

"Sounds like it," she agrees, but she doesn't sound mean or resentful, as Caleb does. "But you said you got until five o'clock? Why don't you go pick up something else after school and bring it in? Something better than this other thing you got?" She glances down at the book.

"I don't know what I'd get."

You've been walking all this time, and are about to go into the school. Emily stops you.

"So how about we go pick something up together? I'll help you out. I got nothing to do after school anyway, this'll be fun for me."

"Are you serious?" you ask. "I gotta get it back up here by five o'clock."

"Oh sure, I'll think about it, you think about it to. Maybe we could just stop by the craft store or something."

You've already got that book with you, you were just going to give it to Mr. Walberg now. But the very direct smile she's giving you intrigues you.

And you also can't help feeling interested in her on account of what Carson told you about her and James.

"Yeah, okay," you tell her. "That'd be fun, I guess."

"Great! I'll just hang onto this for you," she adds, and tugs the book from your hand, "so you don't change your mind. Meet me out in front of the breezeway!" she says as she goes inside, leaving to stare with a slack jaw after her.

* * * * *

Of course, once all that is over, you are left with some pretty obvious questions for yourself, such as Why does she want to hang out with me? and Seriously, dude, why does she want to hang out with you after school? You hate the obvious answer, which is She knows you're friends with James and is using you to keep close to him.

You also can't help feeling nervous over what Carson might have to say if he sees you anywhere close to her. Not my fault, you'll have to tell him. She's the one sticking close to me!

But there is also the practical matter of how you're going to pay for something, as you didn't bring any money to school with you, and you don't have much left at home. As it happens, Emily has a solution to that when you mention it to her.

"That's alright, I'll cover for you," she says as you're walking out to your truck. "In fact, I'll just buy it for you, whatever it is, as long as it's less than forty dollars."

"How come?" you ask. It's a startling offer.

"Because I've only got two twenties on me. But trade me that book for whatever I buy for you, and we'll call it even."

"You want that book? The one I— Where is it, by the way?"

"In my backpack. I was looking at it between classes. It looks interesting, I can't believe you didn't want to keep it. But like I say, trade it to me for what I buy you, and we'll call it even."

That's all for now.

*
"Table of Contents (Vol. 5)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 5)"