The Book of Masks (Vol. 4)

A Consultation with Maria Vasquez

Previously: "A Consultation with Eva Garner" 

(Written by rugal b.)

You text back that you'll keep the name in mind but in reality you don't actually know who she is. Well you do in the loosest sense: she's a nice-looking brunette who sits with Cassie and Beth Tanner, another of Cassie's friends, in your eighth period astronomy class. From looks alone you'd probably put her in that class of people that you're surprised Cassie would be able to talk so freely with and since you're here with the girl herself...

"Hey, so that girl you sit by in Cash's, Melissa? What can you tell me about her?"

Cassie looks at you and blinks in surprise. "Um, wow, are you interested in her or something?" she asks in a manner that's both teasing and friendly.

"Me? Oh no. I don't even know her," you say as you scramble to come up with a plausible story. "But, uh, in the library? There was a guy there who was asking me about her because he was interested. That's why I was there in the first place."

"Because you're such a lady killer now, right?"

"Right, yeah," you sputter, "but I don't know her so I wasn't really any help. But I guess he saw us leaving together and knows you're friends with her because he asked me to ask you about her. That, um, was that just now. The texts."

"Oh, sure!" Cassie chirps. "Okay so Melissa is like, she's really pretty but duh you know that much right? Um, she's popular I guess? She goes to a lot of parties and knows a lot of people anyway."

"She doesn't invite you?" you ask.

"She does! I just always feel kind of weird when I go so I don't go all that often," she states, "but yeah, Melissa is super nice. She'd probably at least listen to him if he talked to her. Oh and if he brought her some cookies that'd probably help. She always complains that they're going to make her fat but she totally loves them! They're like her favorite junk food! Um, I guess that's all kind of vague though but hopefully it helps."

"Oh, yeah, every little bit you know?"

It certainly helps you. If she's as plugged in as Cassie seems to believe she is then she's certainly someone you'd have to consider seriously. So you file her away on your list of potential betas as well.

Fourth period is largely uneventful but since her name was brought up you take special note of Andrea, though aside from the fact she's stunningly gorgeous you're not sure what sets her apart from the others and in terms of helping you. She's always had a reputation as being a bit aloof. But you take note of the way that Bethany, her teammate, casually chats with her in a way that suggests close familiarity.

The type of close familiarity you wouldn't mind having with someone like Bethany.

It's amazing watching how she glides from chatting with Andrea to chatting with Jordana Trujillo, a rough girl who looks like she'd beat your ass five ways from Sunday for looking at her wrong. But Jordana doesn't enjoy the awe that someone like Andrea invokes however so though Keith only brought her up because he thought she was hot, you've now given yourself a reason to seriously consider Andrea as another possibility for your beta.

At lunch you make sure to sit with James and his crew so you can observe Jenny a bit more and in sixth you take notice of the fact you share it with Genesis, especially when she notices you noticing her and turns away bashfully. You note that she's not so bad when you see her in person. You also share sixth with Cindy who asks if you've decided yet but you tell her that you're still thinking about it as you've still got one more meeting.

* * * * *

At least you don't have to skip any more classes in order to take that meeting: Maria Vasquez is waiting for you in the library when you go in for your regular study hall. She's staring, unblinking, into a corner of the room, as though fascinated by the infinity that stretches out behind the blank wall behind the librarian's desk. Even when she turns at your approach, her gaze goes through you.

Then, with a deep breath, she recalls her attention and focuses on you with a small smile.

God, she's gorgeous, you think as you drop into the chair next to her. She has a great bosom and toned arms, and a great pile of coffee-colored hair that tumbles in loose curls around her face and shoulders. An angular face with a tight jawline and big, dark eyes. Pouting lips and a pert nose. You've seen her in a short skirt, too, so you know that her legs (though hidden) are strong and smooth.

Too bad she's such a space cadet. That pose you caught her in—staring into nothingness—is her usual look. It doesn't help that she's been known to spurt out nonsense from nowhere.

So it's funny to think that that ultra-brainiac, Philip Fairfax, is operating her machinery now. Given what an airhead Maria is, there must be acres and acres of empty room inside her skull for him to spread out. There isn't even much of a personality to get in the way. The sly thought comes to you now: Chelsea Cooper and Cindy Vredenburg have a lot of social wattage at the school, and Eva and Jessica Garner have a lot of friends and interests. What attracted Philip to Maria? It could only have been her body!

Maria's smile turns fades into a frown, and you realize that you've been staring at her without speaking all this time, as though she were an absence instead of a presence. "Hey," you say. "You wanted to talk?"

She grunts softly. "I guess it's convenient. I actually wrote a list up. I guess I could have slipped it into your locker or texted it to you. She pushes a folded piece of paper at you. "These are the logical choices as I see them."

The paper rattles as you unfold it. In girlish, swooping curls are written four names: Catherine Muskov, Kristy Carlson, Jelena Petrovic, Lynette Kolaya.

Two of them you instantly get, for as Philip says, they're logical: Catherine is a popular girl (though she's new to Westside, having moved over from Eastman just this year) with a giant social circle. Jelena fronts a band. A word from either of these would raise your profile. But who's Lynette Kolaya? "She's on the tennis team," Maria says in answer to your question.

"Why do I want to be popular with the tennis team?"

"Get popular with the tennis team, and they make you popular with lots of other people. Do you know who's on it?" You shake your head, and Maria rattles off a bunch of names you don't know, except for two: Kelsey Blankenship and Brooke Galloway. "Why not go straight for Kelsey?" you ask.

"Is she a fan of yours now?"

You make a face. "So how could Lynette make me popular with Kelsey?"

"Indirectly. With a nudge. Lynette would be a lever moving other levers. She moves Kelsey and Sophie and Rani, and Cody and Terry and Sean, and they move other people."

That's got to be the cleverest kind of stupidity you've ever heard. Philip must be letting Maria's brain get to him. "And Kristy?"

"She goes to Eastman. It occurs to me that you could leave Westside to us, while you use an Eastman student to get yourself some popularity over there."

That sounds better, but you don't know her, and ask to see a picture. Maria takes out her cell phone.

To kill time, you ask, "Who are you picking for your other beta?"

"Haven't decided yet."

"Well, who are you thinking about?"

"There's lots of possibilities."

Indeed there are. But now you're intrigued. Maria's face is a blank, but it seems like Philip is dodging you. "So who are some of those possibilities?"

"I'm waiting to see what you and the other guys decide. I'll pick someone who logically fits in with their choices."

You can't help grinning. "Maybe that Trina girl, or whatever her name is, that Marcos is going out with?"

Maria's lips whiten, and she shoots you a sidelong glare. "If you know about that, I'm guessing Carlos mentioned it?" she asks.

"Yeah," you say, then you snicker. "Well, shit, man. If we're thinking logically, tell me who you're thinking about, so I can maybe pick out someone who can logically go with them."

"There's a lot of variables, Wil. I think you should leave it to me."

Variables? Maria doing a math problem? Hilarious. Her nostrils flare as you snicker again.

"Come on, just give me one name," you goad her. "Don't tell me you picked Maria because she was logical."

"She was the logical choice," she insists as she turns the phone to you. "Someone to link Chelsea with the others.

You ignore the proffered phone. "One name," you repeat. "The most logical name you can think of to link all of us now and all the new betas."

Maria stares at you. Her brow is heavy and her eyes are dark, and her jaw is clenched. There's just the faintest blush under her cocoa-shaded skin.

"Okay," she says after you have grinned into the silence between you for half an eternity. "One name? Coach Tesla."

You almost fall out of your chair.

* * * * *

That was all that Maria had to say, after that she stalked off to the girls' restroom, where you couldn't follow her. That's okay. You're pretty sure that "Coach Tesla" meant "Fuck you", it's probably best that Fairfax left so you couldn't keep teasing him. But you do have to wonder why he was so defensive. Was it because he really is trying to be logical about this project? Or was he just too embarrassed to admit any names?

Eighth period is Astronomy—a bullshit class—and during it you doodle names in your notebook, arranging them in lists and disqualifying them one at a time. By the time the bell rings, you've narrowed it down to four.

Maria is very quick about shooting you a curt, and very blunt text: who have you picked? she asks before following it up with an equally blunt we need a choice now.

* To pick a popular girl: "The Popular" 
* To pick a girl with lots of social connections: "The Connected" 

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