The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Three Can Be Company Too

Previously: "Flirtation Walk" 

The day has brought a lot to think about. To keep from being distracted, you spend the rest of the school day attending classes.

By the time the final bell rings, you think you've got a plan.

* * * * *

"Yo, Maize."

Shep "Maize" Tsosie was watching the whole time as you sauntered toward him at the portables. But only after you call to him does he acknowledge you with a slight tilt of his chin.

Crouching beside him is Perry Small. These two guys—one a Cherokee baseball player who lives by himself in a small house down by the river; the other a tousle-headed blonde rebelling against his upper-class parents and his AP classes—are probably Justin's two best friends.

Perry squints as he knocks some ash off his cigarette. "Fuck, man, where were you seventh period when I needed you?"

"I was in class, okay? Dumbass. Hey." You nod at Maize. "You need your house this afternoon?"

Shep stares back with mica-colored eyes. Perry's jaw sags, but the cigarette remains stuck to his lower lip. "Oh, fuck!" he snarls.

Maize stirs . "Nah, you can have it."

"Fuck! Don't let him fucking push you out of your place, man! If he's gonna—"

"Shut up."

"Pssh! When you gonna let me fuck a girl in your bed?" Perry grumbles

"Show me the girl who'd fuck you, then ask me."

You listen to all this with silent patience. Now you ask Maize, "You gonna leave the place unlocked for me?"

"How long you gonna need it?"

"Just till like six, maybe seven."

Maize mulls this, then shrugs. "Nah, I'll just leave it unlocked."

"I'll be done by seven," you promise.

"Fuck," Perry grumbles. By the expression on Maize's face, he's probably speaking for both of them.

* * * * *

Having secured a private space for the meeting, you intercept your beta and give him directions to Shep's house. Then you head out there yourself.

Justin has been friends with Shep Tsosie for years. It's mostly a relationship built on negatives: Not talking too much, not making trouble, not getting in the way. Mostly they hang out—sometimes just the two of them; usually with Perry as a third; occasionally with others—smoking and drinking. Justin consumes harder substances than that, and Maize helps him through it. For most of high school they hung out in Justin's car at the river or in the Wilderness. Since Maize got a place of his own, though, they spend their time there.

And when Justin makes plans with a girl too shy to do it by the river, he works it with Maize to borrow his place.

So it's with wry humor that you let Will Prescott into the house. You hope that Perry isn't lurking nearby, spying to see who you're supposed to be doing it with. But even if he is, you don't care.

"Is someone finally gonna explain what's going on?" he whines as he surveys Maize's place with a critical eye. It's basically a shoebox—tiny living room with an attached kitchenette on one side and the door to the bedroom on the other. It sits on an open patch of land close to the river.

You answer by giving him a beer and telling him to make himself comfortable on the saggy, smelly sofa that takes up most of the room. Then you retire to Shep's bedroom where you sprawl on the unmade bed and remove Justin's face.

* * * * *

"You clear on everything?" you ask Will later as he flaps his hat out and resets it on his head.

"Yeah!" He rolls his eyes.

"What are you gonna do now?"

"I 'unno. Go home?"

Christ. "Do you think you could be a little less ...?" A little less you, you don't say aloud.

Your beta makes a face. "Why don't you gimme some of this guy's personality," he says, pointing at you. "Like Fairfax was suggesting."

Yes, he's definitely up to speed. He should be, he's now a copy of you as you were just ten minutes ago. After taking off Justin's mask, you pulled the beta's mask off the original Roth long enough to copy yourself into it like you were supposed to do last night.

"I don't know if it works like that," you admit.

"So what do you want from me?" he demands.

What you want is for him to be "cooler." More popular. More the kind of guy who can talk to a girl and who will pick up on the cues when she's flirting with you.

More the kind of guy who can get laid without help and who a guy like Justin Roth wouldn't be embarrassed to hang out with.

And when you put it that way, you realize exactly how your beta needs to spend the rest of his afternoon.

* * * * *

You were going to call Brianna anyway. That was the second part of your afternoon plans, after you'd updated your beta and sent off. So it's only a tiny change in your plans when you tell him to sit tight while you text a girl.

But it's also the biggest fucking change to your plans you could make.

"Here," you tell him as you come back out of Tsosie's bedroom with a condom. Shep doesn't get laid much, but Justin keeps a pack there. (While telling Maize they're there for his own use, nudge nudge.) "Put that in your hip pocket."

"Oh, Jesus," he says. His eyes widen as he fingers the packet. "Whaddaya got planned for us?"

"A three-way. And keep your fucking dick out of my face. I'll do the same."

"Jesus, man!" His eyes bulge. "I don't—! Uh ... You know."

"Yeah, I know what you don't, man. And that blow job you got at church camp doesn't count. But leave it to Brianna. She'll take you as far as you need to go."

He swallows, hard. "You gonna leave me alone with her?"

"No, I told you, it's gonna be a three-way. I'll be behind her all the way. Now listen."

He does, with chalky cheeks and saucer-like eyes as you explain the way it's likely to go down. The way Brianna is likely to go down on him while you entertain yourself on her other side. "Is she really gonna— Um?" Will whispers.

"She's cool. She likes you. She's relaxed with me, and I'll relax her with you. And she's not gonna treat you like a charity case, so don't fucking go and act like one."

"Um, sure," he says, and rubs the back of his head. "And how do I do that?"

It occurs to you that you might have confused the thing. It's supposed to obey you, and by telling it how to act in a way that it doesn't know how, you might be in danger of burning out some of its bulbs and relays.

"Okay, it's like this." You put your arm around the beta's shoulders.

"I'm not gonna tell her this is your first time," you say aloud, while internally you marvel at how easily, how naturally, how confidently you're able to lay out the scheme. This is, like, so simple for Roth. "I'm gonna tell her this is your first three-way, that you've been looking for a chance to have one, and that you set one up through me. She'll believe it. The new hat and wardrobe and stuff? She'll totally accept that you're out now looking for new experiences."

"But I don't know what to do," he objects.

"You don't do nothing. That's for her and for me. You're just gonna lay back and enjoy it, it'll be like jerking off only you keep your hands to yourself. I'll be the one doing the work. Well, me and her."

Will nods, but he still looks frightened.

"Now," you continue, "that's what I'm telling you, for your own self-confidence. See, that way she'll think you're more experienced that you actually are, but will put you in a spot where you don't have to do anything except have fun. And, you know, pick up some fucking experience."

"Experience fucking," he chirps.

You fight back a wince. "But I'm gonna give her a slightly different story, okay? Just to make sure that she doesn't put any real demands on you, or says or does anything that'll freak you out."

"What are you gonna tell her?"

You hesitate, then shake your head. "Never mind. It'll make it too complicated if you know everything, and this is a thing where you really don't wanna have too much on your mind."

"It's not too complicated for you?"

"I know what I'm doing. Now, when she gets here, just play along. Play it cool. And remember—" You punch him in the shoulder with a strong forefinger. "You are into her. You really want to do it with her. You are horny for her, and you like her. But wait for her."

* * * * *

And you do wind up waiting for her. It's well after five—and you've had to text Maize to tell him you'll definitely need the place until seven—before Brianna texts to say she's on her way.

In the meantime you get a text from Jessica: Got new mask here for ur scnd beta want it now or wait to tmrw?

The evening might go smoother, you reflect, if Brianna was a beta too. And didn't Fairfax recommend her?

Next: "A Triangular Seduction" 

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