The Book of Masks (Abridged)

Caleb vs. Carson

YOU PUT CARSON OFF by repeating that Caleb will be making the final decisions. "Why does he get to run things?" Carson asks.

"He owns the book and he knows how it works. You saw it. It's all pretty hard."

"Can't be too hard if Johansson can figure it out," Carson grumbles, but doesn't issue any further objections.

* * * * *

He leaves early the next morning after turning James' mask back over to you, and you head for classes early as well. You're just rounding the corner of the gym when something hard moving very fast hits you in the back, knocking you to the ground. As you push yourself up, a foot lands on your back and forces you back to the pavement. "You been mouthing off about me again, Lamont," a horribly familiar voice says.

Number 349 on the list of sad but true facts: James Lamont attracts a higher class of bully than Will Prescott does. Jason Lynch is an A-lister, not a B-lister like the Molester. "Did I say anything that wasn't true?" you reply.

"I don't know what you said, but I don't like hearing that you're talking about me. Makes me think maybe you're in love with me."

"We always hurt the ones we love. Ow."

There's a pause, and then he stomps on you. "Did that hurt?"

"Just a love tap."

The foot comes off, and you brace for worse, but then there's a scrambling and scraping sound. You look around, to find Lynch pinned against the gym wall. Cameron Huber draws a fist back and drives it into the surprised ballplayer's solar plexus. He grimaces, and bends ever so slightly.

A hand grasps you by the elbow and helps you up; you look over into Sean Mitchell's smiling face. "Go on, I'll catch up later," he murmurs with a wink. "Someone's got business he wants to settle." He chucks you on the ass. You murmur a quick acknowledgement, and scuttle away, face turned to the ground.

So, it sounds like James got in touch with Caleb; you won't have to worry about telling him about last night's swap. You go off to find Carson.

When you run him to ground, he's at the cluster of lockers shared by their group, along with Paul Davis and Jenny Ashton. Carson does a double-take and looks at you closely as you open your locker. "Something happen?"

"Ran into an asshole is all," you mutter as you start swapping out books. "Damned embarrassing having to be rescued." Now the others look at you. "Cameron Huber is giving Lynch a taste of his own medicine."

"Cameron?" Jenny gasps.

"I heard him and Gordon had a fight the other day," Paul says. He turns wondering eyes from your face to the others'.

"You saw them in the cafeteria," Jenny says. "They almost had it out in there. But Lynch?" Her eyes dart about thoughtfully. "Sounds like it's more than personal."

"Oh, it's personal alright. I'm sure of it," Carson says, catching your eye. "I'm sure Cameron's having a grand time."

"Well, he can take over the business from me," you say as you close the locker. "Him and Mitchell both." Carson's eyes gleam at the latter name.

"Sean Mitchell was there too?" Jenny's eyes now go very wide. "Where's Yumi?" She looks around. "This is something for--"

"Yeah, you should definitely--" you start, but Jenny has already darted off down the hallway. "Yumi will want to know all about this," you say, more for Paul's benefit than for any other reason.

He hops on the balls of his feet, then runs off after Jenny. You smile to yourself: Paul will be much less interested in gossip than in the chance to be close to his crush.

"Well, now that we got rid of them," Carson chuckles.

"Yeah, let's ditch 'em at lunch," you agree. "Go find Caleb. Sean, I mean. And Cameron."

* * * * *

But it's Caleb's face that looms around the corner of the doorway as you and Carson are exiting third period. "Hey James, you busy now," he asks in a voice that signifies that he wants you to say "no."

"Just hanging out with Carson," you reply in a measured tone. "He should come too."

Caleb looks at you, glances at Carson, and looks back at you. "The more the merrier, I always say," he replies, though there's a shadow behind his smile.

He leads the two of you out behind D wing, and off in a corner by one of the portables, he turns. Before he can speak he has to bat Carson's hand away from his face. "Stop that."

"Just checking," Carson grins.

"Well it's my face," Caleb retorts. "And you need to be careful who you grab that way. You might not like who you find underneath."

"What do you mean?" Carson frowns.

"I told you where the originals all go," you say. "So, you know, don't go around pulling on faces."

"Oh, gotcha," Carson says. He turns back to Caleb. "But if this is you--" He points. "I thought you were being Sean."

"Usually I am," Caleb says. "But I wanted to talk to you guys, and this is a little more natural way to do it."

"So where's Sean?"

"He's under a mask," Caleb says through gritted teeth. "That's all you need to know."

"How are we going to keep straight where people are? Lotta switching going on."

James' personality is telling you that Carson is pushing Caleb to see how far he can go in taking over some of the management rights; your own personality is telling you that Caleb is pushing back hard. Both personalities watch the two rivals carefully.

"There's not gonna be a lot of switching once we get everything taken care of," Caleb is saying. "Until then, keep in touch with me. I'll act as coordinator." Carson snorts.

"I tried calling you last night--" you start.

"I know all about that," Caleb says dismissively. "I was out with-- Sean's business. We'll do better from now on." He speaks into his fist. "Memo to self: if anyone calls with an update, tell them who to call." He gives you an exasperated look. "There, happy?"

Not really. He's being very brusque and impatient. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"An update on where you are. Is Ioeger the only new recruit?" You nod. "Good. James wants to talk to Jenny himself, and I want you to talk to Keith, okay?"

"Sure. But you don't want to be the one to--"

"Just keep me informed," Caleb says. "So you and ... Cameron ... switch back sometime today. Go off somewhere--"

"When do I get to be someone?" Carson interrupts.

"Shut up." Carson blinks at Caleb's words, and even you suck in a sharp breath. There's a note of command in Caleb's voice that you don't think you've ever heard. "We need to get masks made up before--"

"I want to be Chelsea Cooper," Carson says.

Caleb stares at him evenly in a way that suggests he's counting to ten ... and beyond. "That could work," he finally says in a carefully neutral tone. "But we need to get our membership lined up. What if James wants to be Gordon and Jenny wants to be Chelsea?"

"Dude, I told you last night--" Carson starts, turning to you, then he shakes his head. "Oh, right. Who am I talking to?"

"Why don't you let Carson take over for Huber," you suggest diplomatically. "I'll go back to being myself. It'd be the best way to approach Keith anyway."

"And who would step in for Ioeger?" Caleb objects.

"Pfft. I can disappear for another night," Carson says. "I 'spent the night' at James' house last night."

"Yeah, okay," Caleb says with a grimace. "So, we'll all get together at the elementary school by Prescott's house this afternoon and shift things around. Seven o'clock?" You nod.

* * * * *

There are no more adventures at school, though you do find yourself eyeing Jenny appreciatively--a byproduct of wearing James' psyche. She's a cute thing, a tomboyish thing, a wild thing, and you bet it will be fun to have her in the club. And you wonder if the real James and the real Jenny would object if you struck up a closer friendship with the golem-Jenny after the switches start. But maybe you'll be less interested in her after moving out of James.

You put it out of your mind, though, after meeting Caleb, Carson, and Cameron at the school. Caleb got there early, and tells you that he already got the real Cameron switched out and hidden under Sean's mask. You almost ask him where he put the real Sean, but you're already so confused that you just let it slide. Cameron's face comes off of James and goes onto Carson; as the latter dresses Caleb hands your masks to you and James. "Put these on," he says. "You won't be able to wear them--you can't disguise yourself as yourself--but they'll give you the memories that are in the masks. That way you'll be able to step back into your old lives without fucking things up."

The result is an odd double-vision: two sets of memories of the past few days. Your memories as Cameron and as James, and your memories of being "Will Prescott" during the same time. You give a little start: Lisa came by to see you.

A thought: How come Jenny can join, but Lisa can't?