This choice: Use the scandal to topple Chelsea's gang • Go Back...Chapter #21School for Scandal by: Seuzz   Chelsea turns green, but you grin. "Viva la Revolucion!"
Caleb starts to pace. "We'll need a really spectacular setting," he mutters. "Some place where Chelsea won't be able to hide or contain the damage."
"I'm standing right here, you know," Chelsea fumes.
"You'll have to keep an eye on her, work with her, make sure she plays the part," you point out. "You can't do that as Jessica. You'll need a new identity."
"Who do you hang out with most?" Caleb asks Chelsea. "You know, girlfriends you plot with, share secrets with?"
Chelsea licks her lips. "Kendra and Gloria, mostly," she reluctantly accedes.
"What about Maria?"
Chelsea rubs her arm. "We're just, you know, friends."
Your eyes narrow. "What kind of 'friends'?"
She turns red. "Not like that," she spits.
"I like the idea of being Kendra," Caleb says. "Get her over to your house today. Just her, no one else. I'll be there, waiting with you." Chelsea nods unhappily, and he turns to you. "Maybe we can get Gordon for you later tonight, too."
"Is he still worth taking?" You nod your chin at the sullen Chelsea. "I don't think she's going to be very affectionate if I'm running him."
"Stop thinking with your cock. He'll have to be one of the linchpins of the plan."
"I might be more useful someplace else."
"True." He frowns, then turns at a sound. "Well, we don't have to settle things right away. Kendra might have better ideas. We should wrap this up before it starts to look weird. Weirder."
He gives some last-minute instructions to Chelsea on how to play the next scene, and then sends her out to the gym. A few minutes later Coach Tesla comes in, looking very grave. "I wish you could have gotten it worked out," she says grimly.
Almost too late you remember to look upset. Fortunately, Caleb has fallen quickly back into character. "It's alright, Ms. Tesla," she says, and sniffs back hard. "Eva didn't do anything wrong, but it's pretty clear we can't work with Chelsea any more."
The coach nods, and gives each of you a hug--a little too lingeringly for your taste--and sends you on your way. No one on the gym floor so much as waves at you at you depart.
* * * * *
After first period, Jeremy catches you at the locker you share with Jessica. "The fuck is going on," he mutters. "Black and Patterson cornered me at practice, told me I had to break up with you. And they weren't nice about it."
You and Jessica haul him outside to a side corner. "Okay, we're broken up now," you tell him. "I'm not sure we were ever together, but we're through."
"So it's true, you're going with Chelsea now," he says satirically.
"Never mind all that," Jessica tells him, taking charge. "It's all part of the plan. You just keep sucking up to Black and his crew. Do whatever they ask. Brag about how you dumped Eva's ass."
"Jesus," you murmur.
"Keep your phone on and wait for orders from me," she continues to Jeremy. "Now get back to them like a good little bitch."
He clucks his tongue. "Too bad. Woulda been nice having a three-way with you and Chels," he leers. "Or just watchin' you." He lopes off.
You roll your eyes in exasperation, and catch Jessica giving you a funny look. "You don't look very broken up for a girl who's just been dumped over a bit of shitty gossip," she says.
It's true. Your playacting leaves a lot to be desired. "I don't really feel broken up about it," you confess.
"Then maybe you better get off school property," she says. "I'll tell everyone you broke down and ran away. Go do something productive for us, like making up some new masks. And for God's sake, try to get in character."
* * * * *
And yet you find it very hard to. Knowing that it's all a lie makes it hard to care; and since Eva's consciousness is so intertwined with your own you can't even let her out to play the part. You wonder if that's going to make it hard for the fake Eva to pull off the charade when you're outside of her and inside another mask.
You drive the girls' car home--which is empty, what with everyone working or at school--and golemize Eva's mask with your own hair, and then drive around town picking up supplies for some new masks. But you don't feel like making any, so you take all the supplies, including the two blank masks, and wind up at the mall at the food court. You're sitting there, eyes and mind all unfocussed, when you feel someone lightly tugging your hair. You look around, and suppress a shudder. It's Jason Lynch.
The captain of the baseball team is one of the school's true psychos, a bully that even the other bullies steer clear of, though his all-American, sandy-haired and blue-eyed look do a good job of hiding his sick character. He is Gordon Black's chief toady, and unofficially number 3 in the alpha-jock hierarchy. Jokes about his being "lower than number 2" circulate slyly behind his back.
"What are you doing here," you snap at him, and look away.
"Looking for you," he sniggers. "I heard you ran out on classes. I asked myself, 'Where would a girl like Eva go when she's feeling miserable.' The answer was 'Shopping'!"
"Go fuck yourself."
He laughs again, but drops into the chair across from you and leans forward. His grin would be friendly and reassuring if his eyes didn't glint with ill-suppressed malice. "Don't be such a bitch. I came out here to be your friend."
"I don't need any friends."
"I think you need all the friends you can get, girlie. Chelsea's doing a real number on you."
"I said to go fuck yourself."
"'Course, I don't believe a word of it. No way you made a pass at her."
"I'm glad you believe me," you sneer.
"It's true. Chelsea ain't even that good looking, if you ask me. I made me a spreadsheet ranking all the top girls at Westside, once, and even on the cheerleader squad she comes in only two spots from the bottom."
"Who's under her?" you ask, despite yourself.
"Gordon, usually," he giggles. "Oh, you mean on the squad?" He makes a light shrug. "Mongoloids don't appeal to me."
"Fuck you."
"Sure thing, little darlin'," he says. "I'd love to get it on with you."
You stare. "Did you just--" And then you feel his hand on your calf, lightly stroking it. His grin is manic, his eyes intense. Does he actually think--?!
"So Chelsea forced Richards to dump you," he says softly. "Best thing she coulda done for you. Gordon knew it was a bullshit thing to do. He only did it because Chelsea forced him, and besides, Richards is a nobody. Me, I'm a player. How'd you like to get back at Chelsea by trading up."
"She'd just force Gordon to make you dump me. Anyway, you just wanna get in my panties."
"Of course I do," he retorts. "Wanted to for a long time. But Chelsea shot her wad with Richards. She couldn't do anything about us, at least not right away. Gordon's a pussy, but he's not going to bust up another romance on her orders.
"Besides," he adds, leaning closer. "We got a lot in common. Both of us hate Chelsea Cooper. Fucking you would be like fucking her, and that would be hot."
As disgusting as his approach is, you reflect, you were looking for an acquisition in the neighborhood of Gordon Black, and Jason is trying to make it very easy for you to pull off a switch.  | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
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