The Book of Masks (Vol. 4)

A Consultation with Eva Garner

Previously: "A Consultation with Jessica Garner" 

(Written by rugal b.)

You can't help but go goggle-eyed at that. First at the thought that Eva Garner (or Mike Hollister playing Eva Garner) is playing wingman for you but also at the thought of you and Mindy. She'd probably make a nice beta for sure but a girlfriend? Not that you'd be opposed to it out of hand but would you be ready? What would you even do? Your partners have helped to give you style and a boost in confidence but it's not like that'll carry you and what happens when the honeymoon period wears off? How do you prevent her from finding you lame?

Well there's maybe a solution to that.

"Not that I don't appreciate you trying to do me a solid, you know? But what if, you know, she realizes that I'm a giant lame nerd?" you ask.

"Will, she's hanging around Rachel Bell and Audrey Briscoe," Eva counters. "It's not like they're unpopular but they're not at the top or even second rung of the social ladder. Mindy's definitely not out of your league. Hell, I don't think anyone is."

"You think you could've gotten with Eva without the masks?" you ask. "Do you think I could've?"

"Well, I mean, probably with all the caveats about personal preference and stuff removed, sure," she answers confidently. "It's all mindset, dude. You just have to be confident and comfortable, know how to make her laugh, not think like it's the most important bullshit in the world. You didn't really seem to have much of a problem talking to her before I came in."

"I guess," you reply, "but what if, I don't know, I got her as both a beta and a girlfriend?"

"I don't see the problem," she says. "It's still her right? Just that she'd have to do what you tell her."

Whether Eva meant it or not, that's enough to deflate the idea a little bit. If she has to do everything you say then is it really the same thing? She wouldn't be your girlfriend because she wanted to be your girlfriend but because you told her to be your girlfriend. She wouldn't really be herself then, right? She'd just be this thing that's forced to obey. A... well, a beta.

But though that deflates the idea of making Mindy a beta that doesn't mean you can't try to make her your girlfriend. You're struck by another idea, then, if you did want to do that.

"Probably not," you respond. "But that doesn't mean I can't give myself the advantage. I could take, I don't know, Rachel or Audrey as a beta and maybe push her in my direction. If I wanted to date Mindy and I'm not saying I do, it's just a hypothetical."

"Uh huh," Eva says and she sounds thoroughly unconvinced but seems to roll with it anyway. "But that's the way to think about. Who's going to help you and-slash-or who you simply would want as a beta or want to be. What'd the others have for you?" She nods as she listens to their suggestions. "There's some good ones in there no doubt but it seems like they're kind of forgetting that they're doing this for you and not themselves."

"And you're telling me you've got my best interests at heart?" you snort.

"More or less," she says while gesturing at herself. "I've got what I want. So what do you want? What are you looking for?"

"Well, I guess someone who can help my popularity like you guys have been doing," you say though you're quick with an addendum. "They have to seem reasonable though. Like Keith's suggestion of Amanda, if she started taking an interest in me that'd be weird right?"

"Probably, although if you played your cards right and take things slow," she says, "but okay, popular but reasonable. That's fine. I, well, Eva, knows plenty of people. She keeps her ear to the ground so she's pretty up to date on a lot of the goings on."

"Like a gossip?"

She shakes her head. "Not like that," she answers, "she's just observant and actually recognizes that things occur outside of her bubble." Quickly though she goes quiet and you can see her sifting through the data as it were. It's a good three minutes, if not more, before she finally talks. "Alright, someone believable," she says as she whips out her phone and swipes and taps a few times before turning it to you to show you someone's social media account, "Emily Sparks would probably be perfect for you then."

You see a girl, and a very cute one at that, with brown hair and large dark-rimmed glasses. But the kind that work with the rest of her look and makes her even cuter. "Who's she?" you ask.

"Hangs out with all the cool artsy kids," she states, "but Eva knows her from the orchestra. Actually, the music area's probably a really good place to look at. A lot of the students are active outside of it too so they'd get you into places. Even being popular in there is no small thing. Like take," she swipes and taps some more, "Genesis Lee."

"I don't see what's so special about her," you say and indeed you don't. She's not ugly but she's a step down from that Emily girl you'd say. Her glasses are also large and dark-framed but her face is a little plain, the dark curly and unstyled hair doesn't help and she's a little bigger overall.

"She's got a lot of friends in the band and orchestra," Eva tells you. "A lot of friends who know a lot of people. I think you were with her on Friday too because she's been talking about you a lot. That's what Eva's heard anyway."

That, of course, changes the entire game for you and she's re-inflated the idea of making a beta of a potential girlfriend.

"Or her," Eva says as she shows you another picture. This time of a girl, who's certainly attractive, but of course you know nothing about and you say as much. "Peyton Morrow, she plays in the orchestra with Eva. Actually in the same section. She'd probably be great for you actually," she says but quickly adds, "if you don't mind having a junior for a beta."

That causes you to flinch. "An underclassmen?" you ask.

"She's only a grade below us, dude," comes the counterpoint. "And from what Eva knows she's one of the most popular girls in that grade. Junior or not that's a leg up don't you think?"

* * * * *

You spend a chunk of the rest of the period looking over at some of the popular junior girls. You're not quite sold on Peyton but one girl does catch your eye with her porcelain skin, hair dyed a deep red and a fashionable coolness. "Sonia Bard," Eva says before making a face, "or Sonia Emilia or Scarlett or... well, she's pretentious. But I guess a lot of underclassmen think she's cool because she's in a band and..."

You stop listening at that point. Having a beta in a popular band is a surefire way to boost your own popularity and coolness so despite what your partner's saying you make it a point to add this Sonia onto your growing list of notable names as well. It's not long after that the bell signaling the end of the period rings so you part from Eva.

"Will!" comes a familiarly excitable voice. You stop and turn back to see Cassie Harper making her way towards you. "I didn't know you had study hall for third," she says with a wide smile.

"Nah, I don't. Just, uh, I had someone who really needed my time so I kind of skipped third," you tell her. Without thinking you've started walking with her towards the English class you both share for fourth.

"Your secret's safe with me," she laughs. "And yeah, you've really been getting popular," she adds with a bit more uncharacteristic nervous trepidation. "Especially with, um, the girls. I've seen, like, all the comments on x2z and stuff and it must be really weird."

"It's overwhelming," you admit, "I'm just not used to any of this."

"Aww, poor Will," she sympathetically coos. "I guess if you want advice about how to deal with girls though you can always come to me. I'm kind of an expert on girls."

It's such a dumb joke, the kind of dumb joke she likes and the kind of dumb joke you can't help but laugh at. You've never had much difficulty talking to Cassie and you've always thought of her as a friend but after all this talk of girlfriends... could you think of her in that way? But you see her talk to a lot of people, even the types of people someone at her level probably shouldn't be able to talk to and you realize that someone like her is bound to have her share of suitors as well.

But she's probably a big point in that whole confidence thing that Eva-slash-Mike was talking about make in the library and you wonder if Cassie might make for a good beta.

As you're walking to class and as she talks you get two texts from Eva. The first is a little frustrating in that Maria's pushed her meeting with you back to the study hall you both share for seventh since it'll be much easier than trying to flip schedules or skip more classes. The second is more intriguing.

that girl u left with? her friend melissa adams would be a great beta

Next: "A Consultation with Maria Vasquez" 

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"Table of Contents (Vol. 4)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 4)"