The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Lifting Lisa

Previously: "Catching Keith" 

"Alright, fine, give it here," you grumble. Caleb hands the mask to you, and you're about to put it on when-- "Can't do it," you say with a smile. "It has to be sealed first."

Caleb blinks. "Oh, shit. And we haven't got the sealant here, do we?" Your smug grin widens until he punches you on the chest. "Then we'll just have to go find Patterson." Your face falls, but he's already got his phone out. Luckily, Patterson says he's busy, and tells you to pass it on to him on Monday.

* * * * *

The weekend bring some relief, and you spend it at home, avoiding all your friends. But you're a bundle of nerves Monday, so that you leap like a startled faun after first period when you feel a tap at your shoulder between classes and turn to find Lisa herself regarding you gravely. "Are you feeling alright?" she asks.

"Yeah," you stammer. "I mean I've got that Calculus test coming up--"

"I mean, is everything else alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" you ask, your eyes widening slightly. It's not much fun having Lisa taking such a solicitous interest in you just as you're planning to-- "Why, is everything okay with you?"

"You've just been looking ... well ..." She frowns. "Like you've got problems worriying you."

"I'm okay. I mean, it's nice of you to notice." You swallow. "You think maybe we could--?" No, you don't want to get together with her, that was the whole point of getting a copy of Keith first. "I've been talking to Caleb about things," you say, turning back to your locker.

"Caleb's a good friend," she says. "I like him. I like you too, as a friend." You twinge hard at the addendum. "I just don't want you thinking less of me as a friend, because ..."

"Yeah, how are things with you and Geoff?" you coolly ask without turning around. Your query is met by silence, so you look back to find her frown has darkened.

"He's just a friend," she says. "If you gave him a chance--"

"Not the kind of chance you're giving him, if you don't mind," you say. Her eyes chill even further. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It's just hard to talk about things like this with ... you." A sudden idea occurs to you. "I've been talking to Caleb, though," you say, "and that's enough. Probably it's too much for him." You close your locker door. "Thanks for caring, though, Lisa. It's really sweet of you." You brush past her.

* * * * *

At lunch you grab Caleb and head off to a secluded spot. "You get the thing back from Patterson?" He peers at you until you remember the pass word. "Yankee."

"Boston," he returns. "Not yet."

"Well, tell him we need it fast. You're going on a date with Lisa this afternoon."

"The fuck?"

"I had a short talk with her after second period." You recount the substance of your conversation. "Go find her, tell her you want to get together with her after school to talk about, uh, things. She'll know what you mean."

"I don't want to talk about your shit with her," he objects.

"For just a little while. Or do you want to get the mask of her and have that date with Mansfield? This is a lot less painful," you remind him.

"I dunno," he muses satirically. "Mansfield is awfully sexy."

"Dude!" With a shrug he acquiesces. "So, I'll join you, by accident on purpose, you know, and as Keith. It's the perfect set up."

"You're just determined to make this as painful for me as possible, aren't you?" he says, but agrees.

It's all set up by fourth period, when Caleb collapses into the chair behind you in English. "Fucking happy?" he says, and rubs his hair, which is glistening.

"What happened? Oh, wait." You shake a finger at him. "You're supposed to say ..."

He sighs. "Jack and Jill."

"Went for the kill. Okay, what happened?"

"Our passwords are getting stupider and stupider. Patterson dragged me into the bathroom to give me that thing. He decided to make it look good by trying to flush my head down the toilet."

"What about Lisa?"

"Yeah, rub in the lemon juice while you're at it. That's set up too. I'm picking her up at four and taking her to The Flying Saucer."

"Awesome, because I've been thinking some more, and here's what you do." You lean in close. "I'll show up, as you know who, you'll get pissed and decide to break things off. But you'll have car trouble, and I'll give you a ride. We'll do it in the truck."

He blinks at this rush of words. "How will you explain not having Tilley's car?"

"I'll think of something," you say. He rolls his eyes.

* * * * *

Four o'clock comes, and a quarter hour later you're parked in front of The Flying Saucer. It was a nice ride over, largely because you were wearing Keith's mask. You always suspected he was jealous of your ride, and you got a gratifying degree of confirmation, and had a lot of fun gunning the engine and leaping into intersections ahead of light changes--fun you've not had in more than a year.

You strut into the small shop, head bobbing around as you try to locate-- Ah, there they are, in the back. You nod at Caleb, whose eyes narrow, and then place your order at the front. After it arrives, you glide back to the booth and slide in next to Lisa. "Caleb," you greet him. "The lovely Lisa." You wink at her. Keith has odd ideas about what kind of behavior looks "sexy." "Does Will know you two are--?" You wink again.

"No, and he'll kill you if you tell him," Caleb retorts.

"Probably," you laugh. "Asshole's in a bad mood. It took all my charm to get him to loan me his truck."

A malicious glint comes into Caleb's eye. "Whaddaya need his truck for?"

"I'm movin' stuff." You shrug. "Pass me the sugar, sugar," you ask Lisa. She visibly stiffens but tosses you a packet. "You guys gettin' a refill?"

"No, I think we're just about done," Caleb says, and gulps down the rest of his cup. "You done, Lisa?"

"I think so," she says, and doesn't even drain her own cup. "It was nice running into you, Keith," she says with ill-disguised distaste.

"My pleasure always," you purr, and stand up to let her out. You give Caleb a two-fingered salute; he rolls his eyes.

A few minutes later, he's back. "Better get out there quick before Lisa starts taking the engine apart herself to get it to work," he tells you.

"I am a charmer, aren't I?" you laugh. "Oh, have that mask ready to go onto her when I punch the AC. I remembered what we did to Keith, and prepped a little surprise." Caleb looks pained--apparently Lisa isn't the only one that the "Keith" act is wearing thin on.

The "jump start," naturally, doesn't take, and Lisa looks none too happy at having to squeeze in between you and Caleb inside the cab of your truck, and she obviously sits closer to him than to you. "And where am I navigating this magic pumpkin to, Cinderella?" you ask her.

"Just take me home."

"And away we go." You pop the clutch, and the truck jackrabbits out of its parking space. She actually grabs your arm, and just as quickly releases it.

"Jesus, you're going to break this thing!" Caleb exclaims.

"Prescott keeps it in shape. Uh, I think. How about a little air? It's stuffy in here, isn't it?" You watch Caleb out of the corner of your eye as you fiddle with knobs, until he gets the top of his backpack open. Then you hit the switch--

"Oh, Christ! What's that stench?" Caleb shouts. Lisa gags and coughs, and your own eyes start to water. Fortunately, Caleb also moves quickly, and the mask is over Lisa's face in only a few seconds. "Turn it off," he shouts after she has slumped against your shoulder.

"You like it?" you grin as you turn it off and roll down the window. "I raided the dumpster behind The Smilin' Marlin, and dropped some fish guts into the duct. I figured it might knock her out for real."

"It nearly knocked me out. Was that your idea, or Tilley's?"

"'Not sure," you grin. "I do know he'd think it was an awesome prank."

* * * * *

Lisa is in a really bad mood after she recovers, and pointedly ignores you when you drop her off at her house, and she's even frosty toward Caleb. "You do know she'll never forgive us for this afternoon, don't you?" he says as you make the short drive over to the elementary school.

"You and Keith, maybe," you retort. "That was the whole reason for using the mask."

Then you laugh. "It was actually kind of fun," you chortle. "She can be such a prissy little bi--" You catch yourself, and look over to see Caleb raising an eyebrow. You make a low whistle. "No wonder Tilley doesn't like it when I start talking about her."

"The guy's gonna be a virgin until he gets out of college, at least," Caleb says.

"At least he has fun. You'll have fun too, when you get into him." You rub your false cheek, and grin.

"Happy as a pig in slop, that's Keith," Caleb says as you pull up in front of the basement. "Come on, let's get you out of that thing, and then we'll call Patterson, see about getting Lisa mask sealed up."

You leap from the cab after him. At that moment the basement door opens, and Keith Tilley himself walks out. He stops cold at the sight of the two of you--and at the second version of himself.

Next: "Playing Dress Up" 

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