Chapter #46As the Carousel Spins by: Seuzz   You let out a little grunt. This version of Carrie is being affectionate in a way that is a little too clumsy to be completely arousing, but much too ardent to be completely ineffective. You wrap your arms around her, but clasp her shoulders and gently pry her off you.
"Don't think I want you to stop," you tell her. "But if Carrie goes back to being herself, she's going to need to remember everything you did while you were her. Including this. Do you want that?"
Her face falls a little. "Is Carrie going to go back to being herself? Like, ever?"
"I don't know." You rub her back. "But if she says she wants to, it's going to be hard to tell her no."
She wilts. "So what's the point of being her?"
"Well, the point is to be her. Do what she would do, act the way she would act."
Her eyes narrow with mischief. "I think this is what she'd do." She grinds against your lap as she shifts her weight.
"Yeah," you have to admit. "She's not subtle with the signals." You put your hands on her hips. "But you don't want to make her jealous, do you?"
She pouts. "Maybe I do," she says in a small voice. Her expression darkens. "But you just don't--"
You pull her close. "Carrie," you say in a light, teasing tone. "We were talking about turning you girls into seniors, so that it would be easier to do things like this."
She buries her face in your neck and mutters something. "Shawn and Jonathan have girlfriends in our class," she says when you ask her to repeat what she said.
"Joe's not going to get himself a girlfriend," you tell her gently. "Not when he can have lots of girlfriends. And I'm a little more interested in being with girls my own age. Also, Sarah and Monique are pretty mature for their ages."
"So you're saying I should switch from Carrie to a senior?"
"If you want." This seems like a good thing to encourage. At the same time you need to be careful. "But what do you want, Joanna?" She tenses at the use of her real name. "Do you want to be a senior girl? Do you want me for a boyfriend? Or do you want to be Carrie Carmichael?"
She pulls back and looks at you with a hooded expression. She cocks her head.
"You, for a boyfriend?" She sniffs. "No. Not even Carrie wants you for a boyfriend. She just wants people to think you're her boyfriend. Or that Joe is. Or some big senior guy."
Interesting, you think. Either she is getting the memories fast, or she really knows Carrie. Or she's just putting the worst spin on her friend's intentions.
But you only say, "And me? Do you want me for a boyfriend?"
She rolls off you and huddles in the corner of the sofa.
"I don't think so," she says. "I mean, you're good-looking and all, and you're kind of hot when you're dressed right. But you're too old for me. And you're kind of scary." Her eyes travel up and down your frame. "Even if you made a mask of a guy in my class, I think I wouldn't want you for a boyfriend, because I'd know who you were."
"So you want to be Carrie," you conclude. "You know, she would really like to hang out with Alyssa and them." The girl giggles. "She'd really like it if 'Carrie Carmichael' was part of that group, and as Maddy Caron she could arrange it."
"Oo, she would, wouldn't she? Yeah!" She laughs again. "I should be Carrie. She can be kind of a bad girl."
She smiles in kind of an evil way. "Be my boyfriend, Frank?" she asks. She pops the top button of her jeans. "I'll let you, so I can tell people I did it with you."
"No," you say. "That's not consistent with my reputation."
"I think I'll tell them anyway," she grins.
"You do, and I'll put you in a different mask."
The threat doesn't stop her from pouting and flirting until Joe gets back. You direct him to take her home, and pointedly warn him to keep things "Platonic" with her, no matter how flirty she gets.
* * * * *
"Joe!" Ian calls, and his hand shoots out past Dutoit. Joe looks in his direction, but doesn't seem to see him. Instead, he tries to swing around past Gregory, who is blocking him, and then tries to dart back the other way when Shawn moves to intercept. Ian calls again, but while Joe is hesitating Shawn's hand darts in and he slaps the ball out of Joe's distracted grasp. There's a scramble, and Straussler swoops in to retrieve it. The players break for the other side of the court, and your side gives up a basket.
You trot up to Joe and give him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Looks like Tigger has lost some of his bounce," you tease.
"And we know why that is, don't we?" He glares at you. "You're doing fine."
"Yeah, I'm giving about seventy percent today instead of sixty, so I'm lookin' good."
Ian trots up with a concerned look on his face as Joe. "You doin' okay, Joe?" he asks. "You seem off your usual game."
"I think Joe needs a private, motivational speech, cap," you tell him. "Me too."
Ian nods. "You have a special request for me?" he asks in a low voice.
"Straussler. We need the money. We've only got three masks left, and that's only 'cos you and Lynch brought spares. I'll pass one along to you later today." Ian nods again, and trots away, calling to the other players.
"I wanna ski trip out of Straussler," Joe mutters.
"What happens if I break one of your legs, to cover your suddenly awful performance?"
"You wouldn't!"
"Sometimes we gotta take one for the team."
* * * * *
After practice you duck into the freshman wing to find your girls at their lockers: Sarah (a golem), Joanna (secretly Lynch) , and Carrie (really Joanna). "Frank!" the latter squeals when you appear, and grabs at you. You deflect her by grabbing her hands; she entwines her fingers with yours and lunges in, playfully trying to bite you. You hold her off with a smile while talking over her head. "Hey Joanna, how about you come over after school, around five? Get your brother to drop you off."
Her eyebrows go up fractionally. "Do I have to do what you say, Frank?" she asks.
Asshole. "Carrie, tell Joanna she has to come out to the house at around five."
"Do what Frank says, Joanna," Carrie imperiously commands over her shoulder. Joanna rolls her eyes as Carrie returns to wrestling with you. "Do I get to come out too?" she asks.
"That's not necessary," you say. "And I'm afraid I'd lose a wrestling contest with you." She giggles and growls at you.
"What're you hanging out here for, Frank?" a voice says from behind you. It's Straussler, and you turn to find him with his arm around his own freshman girlfriend. "Got your eye on anyone?"
"I got my eye on lots of people," you tell him, and let a gleam come into your eye as you stare back at him. You twist Carrie's arms down to her sides and lightly pinch her ass. She yelps. You release her and jump back into the crowd before she can pursue you.
* * * * *
The rest of the day passes with a mix of anticipation and aggravation: So many pieces have to come together. Joanna has to arrive with David, so that you can put Lynch inside the latter; the golem-Lynch has to show up, as does Maddy, so you can finally put Carrie inside the girl she has chosen. You've left Joe in charge of getting Maddy to come out: he's more charming, and you're tired of dealing with silly girls.
But it all comes off. You're a little staggered when you drive up to the house to find golem-Lynch already waiting. He had been surly and uncooperative when you'd called, even though his master had told it to obey you. You quickly move to get rid of it, forcing it back into the bedroom, where you pull the mask off of Carrie. You shake her awake, and when she's got her eyes focused again you give her a robe and tell her to change. You also order her to stay in the bedroom. You don't want to deal with the real girl after fighting off her replacement yesterday.
Then Joanna and David arrive. You're waiting out front with masks and clothes, and quickly move on the driver's side window to press your second blank mask onto David's face before he can even react. You order Joanna into the house while dealing with David. After the mask has come off him you put Lynch's mask to his face and give him clothes to change into. He's happy to follow your directive to take Lynch's car back home when he's done.
From the garage you fetch the sealant you'd made last night from Joanna's hair, then charge into the bathroom with only a pro forma knock. Lynch is laying naked and unconscious in the bathtub, and you wake him with a spray of cold water from the shower head. He curses you hard. "Keep your voice down," you tell him. "There's a girl next door."
"Lemme guess, she's for me," he grouses.
"You already know your new bolt hole. David Johnson."
Again he curses. "What good can I do by pretending to be that cocksucker?"
None. And that's the point.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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