The Book of Masks (Vol. 1)

Too Many Girls

Previously: "The Search for Something Instead of Nothing" 

Eva doesn't look like she wants your company, and it might be awkward if you followed her out to see Mike and Carlos after the way you bailed on them yesterday, so you tell her you'll see her around. She strides off in a kind of power walk without wishing you a farewell, which seems to confirm your reading of the situation.

But having thrown away one opportunity for social engagement, you shrink from others, and wind up at home, where you get an early start to your homework and goof the evening away. You do a little cursory research, though, on coffee shops and bakeries and other places where girls might linger in an available kind of way.

* * * * *

Wednesday morning. You're at your locker between second and third periods when you're startled by a cheerful "Hi!" at your shoulder. You look over and do a double take. It's Eva, and she's grinning broadly and brightly at you as she clutches her books to her bosom.

"So we missed you yesterday," she chirps. "Out at Mike and Carlos's," she explains when you just gape at her. "Remember, we met up after school and I told you I was going out to see them?"

That's right, you had forgotten about that. And why is she reminding you of it now? "So how'd it go?" you ask.

"Great! Perfect! Life changing, practically!" She giggles and gasps. "We're helping them out with a video. Jessica and Cindy and me."

"Yeah?" Three cheerleaders helping Mike and Carlos for a YouTube movie review video? And one of them is the snooty Cindy Vredenburg? That seems both remarkable and remarkably unlikely.

"You know, they originally just wanted us for a bit," she continues in a prattling way, "but we had so much fun we're going to make it a regular thing."

"That's great," you cautiously reply. Then you ask, "Did they mention me to you?" for you remember how yesterday you thought of using Mike and Carlos to establish a connection to Eva. "'Cos I was going to do something with them— I've been thinking about— Did you watch a movie? 'Cos I did, with them" —you feel yourself turning red as Eva's grin widens— "and I'm supposed to come up with something to say about it. I guess I should go talk to them," you lamely conclude.

"I guess," Eva says, and her grin widens. "But I just wanted to pop by and say 'hi' and tell you that you missed out on some real fun yesterday!" She dimples at you, then launches herself back into the crowd.

And your face falls. The hell is going on with her? Yesterday, when she had a chance to hang out with you, she was cold and wouldn't talk. Now, when it's too late, she decides it's 'too bad you missed out'!

You do make a point of going over to speak to Mike and Carlos in fourth period, though. They eye you warily as you approach, and when you mention talking to Eva, and relate what she said, Carlos just nods.

"Yeah, it sounds like they're gonna become a regular feature on our videos," he says with an odd lack of enthusiasm. And when you mention that you'd like to try out for that "extra credit" appearance to talk about that long-ass desert movie, he just shrugs. "We'll think about it," he says.

As you turn to go, you notice Josiah Shank, who's sitting behind them, watching you with an almost bug-eyed intensity. But Shank has always been a weirdo, so you turn your back on him and shuffle to your seat.

* * * * *

Caleb and Keith are both in a bad mood when you meet up for lunch—Keith in particular is being a morose pill—so you announce you're going to eat with Carson, James and Jenny. They trail along anyway, and day worsens still when you ask Jenny where a guy can casually meet girls.

"You're in the middle of a fucking high school, Prescott," Carson honks. "There's eight hundred girls trapped here with us, and you wanna know where—"

"Socially!" you retort. "Not in a 'learning' environment!"

Carson hoots. "Like this place is a 'learning' environment!"

"Does this have anything to do with that shit you were bugging me about the other night?" asks Keith. He ignores your hot stare to address the group as a whole. "Will wants to meet a girl who won't be embarrassed to be seen with him."

"Don't we all," Lamont drawls.

"I know a couple of girls," Jenny starts to say, but she's interrupted as Keith leaps to his feet with a harsh obscenity. He grabs his stuff and hightails it away.

There can be only one reason for him to scamper off like that, but when you look around you don't spot Seth Javits anywhere. Instead, you do a double-take at the sight of Jessica Garner approaching your group. With her is Cindy Vredenburg.

Now, it's not a rare thing for Jessica to come out to sit with Jenny and Carson and them. She's friends with Jenny, the same as she's friends with Lisa, and she actually treats Carson and James with respect—or at least with more respect than she treats you. But Cindy is an oddity. You've only seen her with Jenny once or twice.

But she's coming this way now, and like Jessica she is dressed in a sleeveless blouse and a short skirt, and she shows leg all the way down to her ankles. You feel your eyes bulging.

"Hey everyone," Cindy gushes as she and Jessica settle in with your group. She lays on her side and stretches those long legs out. "Where's Keith going?"

"Anywhere but here," Carson says in a very neutral tone. "Is your boyfriend going to be joining us?"

"Boyfriend!" she exclaims in a throaty gurgle, as though the words had to fight their way past a frothing laugh to reach her larynx. "It'd be funny if Seth did show up!"

"Why's that?"

"Jenny," Jessica says, "will you try talking Cindy here into not breaking up with Seth?"

Jenny sits up very alertly, and Carson and James also perk up. "You're breaking up with Seth?"

"I haven't decided yet," Cindy says, and she looks very puckish. "I mean, he's got his points. He's so sexy," she groans as she rakes the grass with long fingers. "It's just too bad he's such a motherfucking asshole too." But she says it in a dreamy way that is entirely at odds with the actual words.

"Be sure to explain that to him that when you do dump his ass," Carson says. "The messier the break up, the more fun it'll be."

"Don't I know it!" Cindy says, and she giggles. "I think about how I'm going to do it, and I just get goose bumps!"

"Are you drunk or something?" Jenny demands.

"This is what I mean," Jessica says. "Someone needs to talk some sense into this girl. She knew what she was getting into when she, uh, started going out with him."

James sighs heavily and starts putting his stuff away. "This all sounds like a lot a of fun, Cindy," he says, "but it's just going to end in tears and tantrums when you tell us this breakup talk is just a tease."

"Don't you want to see me with a better class of boyfriend?" she asks. Her eye falls on you. "You're cute. What's your name? Hey, where are you going?" she adds as you get up and gather your stuff too.

"With James," you reply. "If I tell you my name, you'll tell your boyfriend, and I've seen what he does to Keith." What he does to me when he can't find Keith, you don't add aloud.

Her retort—"Don't be such a pussy!"—does nothing to change your mind. "The fuck was that about?" you ask James under your breath as you walk along beside him.

"She got laid last night, that's my bet," he replies. "Bed-breaking makeup sex after a humdinger of a fight. She's still pissed at him, but she's walking around with his phantom cock still up her cunny."

You almost stumble and fall at James's words. "Where do you get stuff like that?"

"Jenny. You'd be amazed at some of the things she comes out with."

* * * * *

Lunch was weird enough. But during your seventh period study hall, as you're lounging in the library, you look up from the game you're playing on your iPhone to spot Maria Vasquez coming in. You have the weird impression that she is looking for you, for she stops to give you a very direct—even penetrating—stare. There's nothing for you to do but stare back, as she's a dozen yards away, and anyway, you're not sure you've ever spoken to Maria at all. Then with a furrowed brow she turns and leaves.

Odd behavior, and more than a little worrying. Maria is a cheerleader, like Cindy and the Garners, and it occurs to you that they must have been gossiping about you at lunch. Maybe Cindy was offended by the way you ran off, and she's spreading malicious gossip about you? Maria is friends with Chelsea Cooper, and the thought that you've come to the attention of Chelsea leaves you more than a little unnerved.

And it must be your day to be noticed by girls after a long and—to your resentful mind—undeserved drought, for you have two visitors before the school day is out. Stephanie comes over in Astronomy—she actually comes over to stop at your desk when she comes in the room—to tell you that Anita Nuevo will be hosting a party on Friday. "Not a big thing," she tells you. "You know a lot of people you could invite over?"

"Uh, no. Not a lot."

She nods. "Good. We're trying to keep it small." The comment leaves you feeling very ambivalent. Is she inviting you to something exclusive? Or is she inviting you because you're a social outcast who won't drag a lot of party-crashers along?

Then Eva shows up at your locker. "A bunch of us are going to the Warehouse on Friday," she says. "You should come."

The Warehouse? That merger of a dance club and a war zone? You've never been. Do you dare say yes?

* To go to Meghan's party: "The Wrong Kind of Party Crasher" 
* To go to the Warehouse: "Friendly Warnings" 

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