The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Feminine Charm

Previously: "Newbie Orientation" 

(Written by rugal b.)

"What if I wanted to be someone else?" you say, interrupting whatever Fairfax was trying to say. Admittedly you were too caught up in your own head to pay much attention to him.

"Someone else?" Phillip blinks. "It doesn't really work that way. You can't be two separate people. It's not as if you're able to perform mitosis after all."

If that's his idea of a joke (does Phillip Fairfax even possess a sense of humor) then it's not a very good one for nobody, including Phillip himself, laughs. "Well, I know that," you reply. "But I mean what if I didn't want to be Seth? You know let, I don't know, someone else have him?"

Phillip can only look at you dumbfounded. "But the rest of us already have betas, Will," he states, "so the only one available for him is you."

The explanation is said in such a way that you can't help but feel as if he's being a bit condescending. It's setting you on edge and making you a little testy. A little more willing to push back. "Am I the only one you?" you say in a bit of a challenging manner. "Why couldn't someone else have him?"

"Because the book--"

The book? It must be that one you you had purchased and the one that had been stolen. But Mendoza and his buddies stole it so how did it wind up with these guys? That's a problem for another time however as you don't give Phillip the chance to continue. "Does it say that you can only have one of these... these betas?" you ask.

"Well, no--"

"So why not let someone else have him then like," you look around until you spot Cindy, "like Keith."

"Oh hell yeah," Cindy says with an absolutely wicked grin. "It's been fun dicking him around already but it'll be even more fun ordering him to, I dunno, kiss my feet."

"We've already settled this," Phillip uncharacteristically (you'd assume anyway) snaps. "Will, everyone here has their own beta. Carlos has Jessica, Mike has Eva, Josiah has Chelsea, I have Maria and you've obviously seen Keith's."

"Wait, so if Cindy's a beta then does mean Keith--"

"No, it's definitely me under here," Cindy replies, "as you already know."

"I don't know anything!" you exclaim in frustrated confusion. "All I know is that this is totally insane and that I want in. That I want," you look around at all of the assembled people, "that I want a... a beta. A girl, like you all have."

You don't know what kind of response admitting that will bring. You can only take note at the way the rest of them look at one another.

* * * * *

It takes a little more pushing but you think you've finally cracked Fairfax's defenses and if you didn't the threat of Javits coming to and busting out certainly has. He says that they'll need someone to volunteer and Keith, naturally, is only too eager to volunteer. When the mask of Cindy is removed you're given hard, and eye bleach worthy, confirmation that yes it is in fact your friend who's been parading around inside of her mask; inside of her.

It's while all of this is going on that Carlos places a hand on your shoulder and insists that the two of you go for a walk. Without really thinking you follow him and the fake Eva (or is that the real Eva and she's actually in on all of this) out of the studio and out of the climate controlled building entirely until you're outside in the parking lot with all of the outside storage units.

"So what's up?" Carlos finally asks. "I'd have figured Seth would've been a great choice. You know, handsome, athletic, popular..."

"And also sticking his dick inside Cindy which would be great if it was Cindy but knowing," you pause and shudder, "well, I just don't want to think about it."

"They're broken up, at least I think they are now," Carlos replies. "Besides, as someone like him you wouldn't be hard pressed for a girl."

"I'm not hard pressed for girls now thanks to you guys," you state.

"Go us," Eva chimes in with mock enthusiasm.

"There were just... so many," you say. "Girls I didn't even know but who knew me. Girls who I wanted to know but who didn't get back to me. Girls I couldn't even fit into my schedule. I even had a few who were wanting to meet with me!"

"It sounds like a good problem to have," Mike says with a chuckle.

"Yeah, sounds like! But I'm not used to this, man! I want a girl, one! Not one hundred!" You sigh in exhaustion, "I mean the playboy life... I kind of dreamed of it but maybe it's not for me."

"And so you can't be Seth because of that?" asks Carlos. "Or another guy?"

"Well first, being a girl is awesome!" Eva exclaims with uncharacteristic excitement. "Second, maybe he just thinks it'll be easier as a girl? Or wants to see how the other half lives?"

"Something like that," you admit. "Because if I'm going to have a beta I'm not going to want someone worse off than me which means I'm getting into the territory of guys who pull in girls a lot easier which is just overwhelming."

"So you're looking to give up on the whole Prescott Pygmalion thing?" asks Carlos.

You shake your head however. "I'm not giving up really. I'm just... taking a break," you answer him. "But I'd want a girl who could still help me out. Make me look, you know, popular. I just want a break from my role as the guinea pig."

"Fair enough," Carlos replies, "so who'd you have in mind?"

But all you can do is shrug. "I kind of just decided. I haven't had the time to really think," you state.

"I'd say a cheerleader would be good then but we kind of have that group covered," Eva states. "Phillip would probably like information from other groups though."

"Like who?" you ask.

"Anyone and everyone," Eva states plainly. "Maybe you should think about where you'd want to go, who you'd want to be that's not a cheerleader."

* * * * *

It's not too long afterwards that Cindy, Seth in tow, comes walking out. She's completely ecstatic and more than proud to show off her "new pet", even giddily adding that he "does tricks" as she orders him around, quite literally, like a dog. While you can understand Keith's relishing in having his tormentor at his mercy like this (and you'd probably do the same if it was someone like Kirkham) you can't help but find it a bit unsettling and creepy all the same.

Phillip, flabbergasted that Keith having another beta seems to have gone off without a hitch, asks if you've decided on who you want but you can only give a negative response with much the same reason you gave to Carlos and the maybe-fake-maybe-real Eva. That this is all a massive shock and you've only just come to the decision to even join or even that you wanted a girl as a beta. He seems to understand and his mood, though still cautious and reserves, is much improved from earlier.

Still he'd like a switch made as soon as possible and says that he'd like a name before the end of the school day tomorrow so that the group, whoever would be able to get her, could work on bringing her out to the studio so the procedure can be performed. In fact he says to everyone that getting in a group text would likely make coordinating anything in the future much easier and it'll mean everyone can stay abreast of what everyone else is doing.

At home you endure the chiding you receive from your parents (and the taunting of your brother) for missing dinner, offering apologies and promising to get started right away on your homework. Which you do... for approximately ten minutes. But the lure of having a girl for a beta, of the girls in general, is too strong. Stronger still is your need to now check social media to scour for potential identities.

Often, then, are you pulled away from your homework to check Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, x2z and anything else you can think of to get an idea on the girls in your school... and even a few from outside of it. That proves unwieldy and much as you might like seeing the various pictures of, say, Kristy Suffolk that pop up (including a few of her in a swimsuit at what looks to be a friend's pool) you realize that to get any work down, homework or otherwise, you'll have to organize it a little better.

So you think more in terms of the various cliques and groups that populate the schools. It all becomes more than a bit overwhelming and you start to think maybe you should get some advice from the others. By the time you've finally finished your homework you think you've gotten your options narrowed down to a reasonable level and that you'll make the final decision some time tomorrow.

The girls from the marching band and orchestra and choir, the bohemian girls that haunt the Warehouse and hip underground parties. The smart and elitist AP girls and they're more jockish counterparts. The girls you remember from the Warehouse and those you didn't that Stephanie urged you to talk to anyway. And the thought of taking some suggestions and advice from your new co-conspirators in this little masked cabal.

It's all so dizzying but you've made at least a broad choice and you use that newly established group text to make the others aware of where you're aiming going into tomorrow.

Next: "A Consultation with Cindy Vredenburg" 

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"Table of Contents (Vol. 3)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)"