This choice: Ignore Brittany and accept Yumi's help • Go Back...Chapter #15Tales of the Unexpected by: rugal b.   While you see the possible benefits of the plan that Brittany had dropped, you immediately recognize how complicated and frankly nonsensical it is. You can't just do something in the field as a test, you need to know the things work as intended before doing anything else. Then there's the matter of how you'd even switch out with her; you'd need clothes for a start which means you'd probably need to waste time getting some from her place. It'd probably take so long that there wouldn't be a point in then heading back to the school.
Meanwhile, Yumi is offering to help you out and if she can save you from getting your face pounded in then you'll gladly take her up on her offer. You send a text to that number that Brittany gave you telling her that you'll pass for now but if you think of something then you'll get in touch. She sends back a simple "k," in reply.
"Sure," you then tell Yumi, "I'm fine with that. I really appreciate the help."
"And I'm fine with offering it," she replies, "but in return I want to know what's going on."
You look at her with confusion. "Uh, me and Caleb already said we know as much as you do," you tell her.
Her expression, which had been warm and friendly, suddenly cools. "Will, I think you guys know more than you're letting on," she states to your surprise.
"What, uh, makes you think that?" you nervously ask.
"Well the way your whole demeanor just changed for one," she answers. "But there's more. Jenny told me that on Tuesday Keith called out to her and wanted to show her something and when he did, she passed out. Then yesterday, Seth catches him hanging around her and suddenly she's running after him only she couldn't be because she's with me."
"According to James and Carson."
"According to a lot of people," she retorts.
She pulls out her phone and after some tapping, hands it to you. It's open to an x2z thread filled with comments about some girl chasing a guy around the school. Lots of laughing over how comical it is. The most damning thing is a picture that looks like it was taken around the baseball field or agriculture annex. "Jenny" is clearly visible and though her face isn't, there's enough identifying stuff to make someone guess think that it's her. People quickly identify her as Jenny and there's lots of chatter and el oh els about how they're not surprised because she's "a bitch" (if they're not being charitable) or that she "doesn't take shit" (if they are).
Someone says that they think the guy is Keith Tilley since they share a class with him and he looks like him. This draws lots of guffaws from guys and ewwws from girls.
"Well?" she asks as you hand the phone back to her.
"Well what? What would I know about this?"
"Come on, don't treat me like I'm an idiot, okay?" she replies. "I don't know what you would know but that's definitely Jenny, even though she was with me."
"It could be someone who looks similar," you say unconvincingly.
And unconvinced describes Yumi's reaction. "Will, she's my best friend. We've known each other for a long time so I know Jenny when I see her and that," she points at the image for emphasis, "is Jenny."
"Okay, so say it is Jenny. What would I know about that?"
"I don't know!" she answers, her voice filled with desperate frustration. "But you're Keith's friend so maybe you know more than you're letting on so just tell me!"
She sounds like she's at her wit's end and like she could just drop the whole thing if you don't agree to help her. You need her help with Seth, which is why you blew off Brittany, but calming her would probably mean having to tell her everything and you have no idea how she'd react when you do. You feel like you don't have a choice and so with a sigh you speak up.
"Okay," you finally say. "But not here. You know the old elementary school in Acheson?" She nods. "Me and the others use it as, like, a clubhouse. Meet me out there and I'll explain everything, I promise."
* * * * *
"Holy shit," Yumi says as she looks at herself in phone's camera. She touches her hair and her face except it's not her's, it's the face that belongs to Brittany. She raises a finger and places it on the beauty mark on her cheek. She then looks at you in shock. "What the hell is this? Who is this?"
"Do you know a girl named Brittany Fitzsimmons?" you ask. That gets a shake of the head. "No, you wouldn't because she's a freshman."
"A freshman!?" she replies in astonishment. "What?"
For the third time in as many days you begin to tell her about the book you'd found and how you and Caleb had tested it on Keith. Then Keith joined up and tried testing first on Stephanie Wyatt and himself and then... that brings up the topic of Jenny. "I don't think he was looking for anyone specific," you say. "I think he just saw an opportunity and took it. That was on Tuesday."
"When she said she passed out."
You nod. "That was because the mask knocks you out," you explain. "But the way it works is that when you do one spell it unlocks the next one and you don't really know what it does until you use it and then the book explains it. So after that it was a seal, then these metal strips that are supposed to copy someone's mind. That's as far as we got."
"So then what does this girl," she gestures to herself, "have to do with anything?"
"Me and Caleb figured we'd try it out on different people. Like see how different bodies were or try and mix someone else's faces with ours." It's a lie but you're not going to tell Yumi that you were intentionally targeting girls. Besides, it's not too far from the truth since you had considered mixing one of your faces with Jenny's. "I just ran into her in the theater and it was all kind of an accident."
"Really."
"I swear it was!" you say. "But she and her friend realized what had happened and now she's all excited about trying it out. She wanted to meet up after school but, uh, I realized that was dumb and really irresponsible so I turned her down. But I think she's going to keep trying because I don't think she's used to people telling her no."
"Then you keep telling her no anyway," Yumi responds. "But that doesn't explain why you made me wear this... this mask."
"Because," you sigh, "I think the only way you'd believe it is if I made you believe it. If I told you first then you would have dismissed it. But I made you experience it first, instead, so you really can't."
"Right," she says quietly. Then realization hits her. "Wait, so then all that stuff from yesterday..."
"Keith wanted to use the band on Jenny which is why Seth caught him."
"Then that was Seth!?" she asks in amazement. She looks through her phone and at the x2z thread. "Oh my god, it is! That's... how the hell did I not notice that was a basketball uniform?" Then she does something unexpected: she starts laughing. Full on tears in her eyes and wheezing laughing. "Seth... as... oh my god...!"
"You're... not mad?" you ask once she finally stops.
"No I am. Kind of. I think. I don't know, maybe I'm too confused to know how to feel," she says. "But I know that you guys are really stupid for trying to use this and not knowing what you were doing."
"Look, I'm sorry and if you, you know, want to just leave us to Seth then, uh, I'd get it."
But she shakes her head. "No, I said I'd help you out in exchange for telling me what was going on and I'm not a bitch so I'm going to keep my word." But she does give you a mischievous smirk. "Whether or not my word's good or anything with him, though... well, we'll see."
* * * * *
But it turns out that, now back to herself and out of the mask, Yumi's word is enough to prevent Seth from turning you and Caleb into paste. When he asks where Keith is you say you don't know, just that he got pissed off and hasn't talked to you all day since delivering Seth's message.
"Hngh, guess it's good that he's not here because I don't think Yumi's word would've been good enough for him," he says. "It's his fault all this shit's happening."
"You mean the stuff from yesterday?" Yumi asks.
"Look, we said we're sorry. That wasn't our fault," Caleb protests.
"But it kinda was, wasn't it?" Yumi retorts. "If you hadn't used a mask on Keith in the first place then he never would have joined up with you."
"It ain't just the thing from yesterday," Seth states. "But it kinda is. Cindy was giving me the cold shoulder too 'cept to say that I need to watch how I behave. It's pissing me off."
"She's worried about what she thinks you did to Keith," says Yumi, but Seth responds negatively.
"Nah, it's something else, she ain't ever given a shit about that rat-faced fucker," he says with a sneer. "But I know she ain't gonna tell me what it is, either. That's why I wanted to talk to you geeks."
"What do we have to do with anything?" you ask.
"Everything, 'cause you got that mask, right? That one that turned me into Ashton?" You answer affirmatively. "Well I wanna use it or, I guess, I want one of you dipshits to use it."
You and Caleb look at one another and even Yumi looks confused. "What do you mean you want them to use it?" she asks.
"Exactly what I said. She ain't gonna talk to me but she'll probably talk to Ashton." He then looks directly at you. "So I want one of you fucks to pretend to be Ashton and get the truth."
"And what if we don't?" you ask. "I don't know if Yumi would want—"
"If you don't," he says with dreadful menace, "then you'll be drinking your meals through a straw for the rest of the year."  You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
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