The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

A Night of No Passion

Previously: "A Date with Destiny" 

After Patterson goes, you explore the loft more thoroughly. Most of the crates and boxes you can open just hold athletic equipment of various kinds. There is some gymnastic equipment as well. The main discoveries include a dorm-sized refrigerator stocked with cheap beers and some snacks; a cabinet that has a few bottles of harder liquor and some porn magazines; and a large, locked cabinet. You study the latter carefully and glance back at the mask of Tilley. Chances are the cabinet contains the magic book and the other makings for masks, and maybe some additional items, like Patterson's own mask. But even if Keith really has those burglary skills, you'd probably need tools.

And so you return to the masks that Patterson laid out. None of them would make good company: not fake-Lisa, after what you did this afternoon. Certainly not fake-Geoff. You've no stomach for fake-Keith. And you've nothing to say to fake-Kendra. But the latter draws your attention for another reason: If you put her on, you might figure out how Patterson got a copy of her, which might be useful information.

* * * * *

You draw a deep breath after opening your eyes, relaxing and resisting the urge to explore your naked body. What's the last thing you remember?

Ooof. Tilley. You clench your eyes and try to get away from the memory. Before that ... Jason Lynch? You were in your car, and he was leaning in the driver's side window, saying he had some gossip about Gordon that Chelsea would want to hear. And then something dark went over your face. After that, you were up in the fuck room, getting dressed. Down to the orchestra room, where-- No, you're not going there again.

You get up carefully, feeling small and delicate. It's warm in the loft, but not so warm that you don't want some clothes. You saw some gym clothes in your earlier search ... Ah, here they are, stinking like boys, but-- They feel good as you draw them on, though they are too big, and you actually feel a little excitement as you pull on the t-shirt; the stench of sweat so close is actually appealing.

You wander around a bit, feeling bored, until you return to the other three masks. Maybe some company wouldn't be too bad. Not Mansfield or Tilley--ugh. On impulse, though, snatch up Lisa's mask and put it on the golem, swallowing hard as the naked Lisa appears.

She looks at you, then glances around the room. "Where--? How did I get up here?"

"We're over the gym," you say. "Don't scream or anything, but we're trapped up here."

"What?" She crosses to the window, but you restrain her. "It'll be okay, Lisa," you tell her. "It's just for a little while."

"But what's going on?"

You regard her gravely. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well ... Being up here, actually. Steve Patterson was here. We were talking about--" She frowns. "It doesn't make sense."

"And before that? What were you doing?"

Her gaze turns shifty. "I was with Geoff Mansfield." She rubs her arm. "We were hanging out."

"Look, I know what you were doing with him, so don't feel embarrassed." She peers narrowly at you. "Just tell me, what was it like when you were with him? I mean, did you feel like you were in control of yourself?"

Her expression turns puzzled, and she starts to answer, then stops. Her gaze goes distant. "No," she finally says, softly. "I didn't. I mean, I knew what I was doing, but ... It was like someone else was doing it." Fear washes over her face, and she recoils from you. "What's going on, Kendra?"

"It's complicated," you sigh. "Come on, let's get you dressed, since we'll be up here all night, and then we'll talk. We never talk."

You lead her to her dress--which she clucks distastefully over--and after she's covered the two of you sit on the mat. She's reluctant to speak at first, but Kendra is skilled at getting others to talk, and soon you're softly telling each other about yourselves. In doing so, of course, you learn quite a lot about Kendra and her vexed relationship with Chelsea and her coterie; Lisa tells you more about herself than she ever told Will Prescott. Eventually you put out the light, and confidences become easier to impart. You learn nothing shocking about Lisa--except perhaps for her regretful experience with a boy at a church summer camp between her sophomore and junior years.

Time passes. Sleep eventually encroaches.

* * * * *

You sit bolt upright, blinking. Stupidly, your first thought is to wonder where you are.

It all comes back when you see Will Prescott standing in the door, grinning. "Kendra and Lisa? Nice." He jerks his chin. "Which one are you? Or did you take turns?"

You glance over to find a pale Lisa staring aghast at the new arrival. You raise your hand, and Prescott's grin widens. "Better and better. I'll have to take a dip and sample what you had."

You make a face and don't mention that he'll find it boring. "What time is it?"

"A little after six. Shoulda seen your dad's face when I was I said I was coming up to the school early for a run." He crosses over to those strategically placed crates. "Gonna do it myself, though. You don't have to get outta here till I get back. Or, I dunno, you can join me."

As he changes you lay back and try to blink the sleep away. Lisa mutters something to you, and feeling something like shame you hush her, then reach up to her face and remove the mask, restoring the golem. That done, you do some light stretches, and feel the invigorating blood flow through stiff muscles. Hmm. It's nice having an athletic body.

Before you're done, a restored Patterson appears, dressed out in shorts and t-shirt. "If you leave before I get back," he says as he pulls on some socks and ragged running shoes, "be sure to tell Johansson that we're all gonna meet up here after basketball practice, so don't get lost."

"What's up?"

"Team meeting. Since you're joined up--finally--it's time we all get together. You guys can meet the others. It's Gordon and Jason, if you wanna know." No surprises after last night. "Oh, and bring Tilley along too."

You swallow. "How come?"

"He knows all about us, so he should have a chance to join too." You stare, and he grins. "Also, the new password is 'Happy.' The countersign is 'Fuck you'." He closes the door on you.

* * * * *

"Happy?" you snarl at Caleb at his locker.

"Fuck you," he says, looking over his shoulder.

"Fuck you too. I guess we talked last night?" He frowns. "Because it wasn't me. It was Patterson."

"What?" he gasps.

"Yeah. What's the point of having passwords if you don't use them?"

"We did use them. In fact, I forgot and you-- Hey, wait a minute."

You slap at his hands as they go for your face. "Stop that. You should have tried it last night."

"You think I'm not gonna try it now?" You relax, and he grapples at your face.

"Hey assholes, there's no such thing as a Vulcan Death Grip," someone says behind you, and you flip a bird over your shoulder.

"There," you snarl at Caleb. "Happy?"

"Fuck you. What are you talking about? What are you saying happened last night?"

"I was up in the fuck room all night. My 'reward' for--" You look over your shoulder. "For finishing that job. But also to get me out of the way, I see now. Patterson went home as me."

Caleb's eyes widen. "You-- He called me! And yes, we used the passwords. How did he get them?"

You chew your lip, then groan. "It musta been while I was passed out after--" Again, you look over your shoulder. "After taking one of those goddamn masks off. He must've got mine on me, charged it up with my latest memories." You sigh. "Well, so much for all those precautions. And he also knows all about Tilley. We're supposed to take him to him this afternoon. Now, what did you talk about?"

"Wait, take who to who?" he asks, looking baffled.

"What? Take Keith to Patterson. Duh." He grits his teeth at your impatience. "What did you talk about?"

"We talked about what to do about him."

"Who? Keith?"

"No, Patterson!" Before you can speak, he jabs you in the ribs. "And keep it down. Okay, what happened was that you called-- Well, he called last night, tried to talk me into getting with Keith so we could break into the you-know-where."

"Oh God, another fucking test. Is he never happy? What did you say?"

"I said it was a bad idea. He pushed me but--" His expression combines embarrassment and smugness. "I told him we could trust him. You know, Patterson."

You don't know whether to punch him or kiss him. "Thank God for that. I guess we're in. Until the next test."

"Well, before we start polishing each other's doorknobs, what's this about taking Keith to see him?"

"Apparently it's about getting Tilley to join this 'team'."

"Oh, Jesus." Caleb turns pale. "Can you imagine Tilley on this 'team'?"

"No," you admit. You and Caleb stare thoughtfully at each other. "I suppose," you say slowly, "we could tell Patterson that Keith refused to come along."

"And what'll Patterson do then?"

Now you grimace at each other.

Next: "New Jobs for New Members" 

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