Chapter #18Origins of an Operation by: rugal b.   You feel a pit forming in your stomach as you read and re-read the text. You were feeling confident as you talked, drawing on Jenny's personality and convinced that you were going to get out of this with no issue. You'd even just gotten Cindy to reveal what was going on regarding her and Seth, which turned out to not be quite what Yumi assumed. And it's all ruined over a stupid fucking text. Why did Jenny have to send that? How come Yumi wasn't able to make sure that she didn't? Most importantly, how are you going to even get out of this?
"No, for real, what's going on?" Cindy asks as you hand the phone back to her. "Because I don't think—" She pauses and looks around. Then she leans in. "I don't know what I think but I know that something weird is going on and—oh my god, this is related to that thing from Wednesday isn't it?" She asks in astonishment. "That whole thing where everyone insisted... but it couldn't have been you because you were with me! So what's going on? Tell me!"
Unfortunately, the answer which would allow you to weasel out of this eludes you and so for fourth time in as many days you realize that you're going to have to explain everything to yet another person.
"Yeah, okay," you sigh, "I'm not really Jenny. I'm just a fake."
Cindy is taken aback by that. "A fake? What?"
"There was this book I found," you begin to explain, "that made these masks and when you put the mask onto someone it copies them. Then you put the mask on and it changes you into them."
"That's—" she starts but shakes her head. "No way, that's complete bullshit Jenny!"
"I told you, I'm not Jenny," you insist. "That whole thing from Wednesday was, uh, someone saving Keith by putting a mask of Jenny they'd made onto Seth. And then once it had been explained to him he... insisted that the person pretend to be Jenny to talk to you because you'd been giving him the cold shoulder and he wanted to know what was going on."
"But then... wait, where is Jenny then? The, uh, real Jenny?"
"With Yumi," you answer. "That was part of the plan but I guess nobody thought to stop the real girl from texting you."
"Yumi!?" Cindy exclaims in surprise. "She's part of this too!?" She looks like she's about to faint but recovers and instead buries her face in her hands. "Oh my god," comes her muffled voice. "What the hell is going on? None of this makes any sense."
"It's just people messing around with a book."
"A... a magic book!" Cindy cries. "And you and... and my boyfriend and Yumi... you're all trying to mess with me! This is so fucked up!"
"We weren't trying to mess with you like that," you insist. "We were just trying to get Seth some answers. We didn't want to do, like, anything bad."
Cindy's quiet for a good long while before finally she lifts her head and looks at you, her expression and body language guarded. "Who are you?" she finally asks. "Are you Keith?"
"Am I... no way! Hell no I'm not Keith!"
"But you knew about all of this so then maybe you're one of his friends. Caleb or... Will Prescott?" You flinch at that and she seems to pick up on it. "You're Will!? Oh my god, this really is completely fucked up!"
"Like I said, we weren't trying to do anything—"
"Shut up you fucking weirdo!" she loudly exclaims which draws some eyes to your table. "I want... I want to talk to all of you about this. Now." She begins tapping and typing furiously on her phone while you, reluctantly, send a text to Caleb. After a couple of moments finally looks back at you. "There, now we can get this all straightened out," she says bitterly.
* * * * *
The meeting doesn't necessarily amount to much, however. Just Cindy haranguing everyone for a bit before calming down when you finally agree to show her the book and all of the spells. Caleb must have already used his mind band to access the next page and you all look at everything it says. Most of the ingredients are fairly straightforward and Caleb, chemistry whiz that he is, is able to figure out appropriate substitutions for the ones that aren't.
Then Cindy, still irritated at least in part due to disbelief, asks to see a mask being made. Then a mind band although you demure from inscribing the runs since that part takes a while. By this point she's finally accepted that what you'd told her back at the Dairy Queen about the book and the masks is real and when Caleb says that he wants to try out the next spell she doesn't object. But there's just one problem with said spell: the four hundred pounds of graveyard dirt it requires you to dig up. When you see that you're actually ready to just cut your losses and give up but to your surprise it's Cindy who pushes you forward.
"You won't have any problem," she says, "because Seth will help you. Won't you, sweetie?"
She dimples at him but he groans. "C'mon, Cindy, I was supposed to be doing something with the guys tonight. You know, on account of it's Friday and all," he complains.
"But Seth, I'd really appreciate it. You know, given everything that you did to me."
At that he wilts and you almost want to laugh at the idea that a guy as big and strong as Seth can be cowed by someone as petite as Cindy. But you think better of it, in part because you'd probably be no different and in part because you don't want to die. So it's decided that you and Seth will go and dig up the dirt while Caleb gets the ingredients and finishes transcribing the runes onto the band. The girls? Well... they're going to do what they want and you're not really going to argue with them.
But you do ask Yumi before splitting up if the whole deal with Chelsea is why she changed her mind on the masks. She only gives a simple "maybe" before asking for your phone number. Then she's gone and so is Cindy which leaves you and Seth to take your trucks out to the old Masonic Cemetery after stopping by his place to grab some shovels and then a hardware store for bags. You're still in Jenny's mask by the time you arrive, partly because you haven't had a chance to switch and partly because she's in better shape than you are.
"I think I'm out after this," he grunts as the two of you scoop up dirt. "I just wanted to know what was goin' on with Cindy. Should'a known it was that cunt."
"You, uh, don't like her?" you tepidly ask.
He grunts as he shovels another bit of dirt. "Everyone thinks she's a cunt," he says. "Although most everyone wants to stick their dick into that cunt too."
"Including you?"
He's quiet for a moment. "Nah, I got Cindy," he finally answers. "Anyway, me and you? We're even I guess. But I ain't gonna be your friend or anything so don't come walkin' up to me at school like we're pals."
"I, uh, wouldn't think of it," you nervously state.
It takes a while and you're sore as hell by the end but you and Seth finish getting everything and drop it off back at the basement where Caleb has also gathered everything. Seth, true to his word, then takes off leaving the two of you. You both agree to leave everything here and check back tomorrow to do the next spell and then Caleb heads home to finish the band. Finally having a chance you take off Jenny's mask, get dressed and head home.
But you're not at home long when you decide to shower and, giving into temptation once more, Jenny's mask goes back on and you enjoy a nice, sudsy shower in her body.
* * * * *
You wake up the next day in a confused state as you note how weird your body feels. It takes a few minutes to remember that after the shower you'd headed back into your room to get intimate with Jenny's body once more and you realize that, maybe because you were worn out after getting that dirt, you must have fallen asleep while still in the mask. You can only hope that nobody came in while you were sleeping.
You're ready to take off the mask and go back to being yourself when your phone buzzes. You take a look to see that it's a text from Yumi asking if you're willing to hear her out and you reply back that you are.
ok. cindy & talked about everything after you guys left.
we're both pissed @ chelsea & ready to see her go.
You're surprised at that so you send her a text back asking what she means by that.
take her down, comes the reply.
You have no idea how they'd go about taking her down but you assume that if Yumi's broaching the subject with you then it would involve use of the masks. But, and maybe it's your experience over the last few days, you wonder if that's a good idea as it seems like there's a lot that could potentially go wrong. But there's also a part of you that finds the idea exciting, especially the part where you're involved in a conspiracy with two of the prettiest girls in school.
And then there's the mask you're wearing because in the back of your mind you hear a voice. "Yeah," it says, "take the bitch down."   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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