The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)

The Wilderness

Previously: "El Midnight" 

You take the long way home after leaving Eastman, not out of choice but because you are in such a daze.

It's simply unbelievable. Maria Vasquez? Who is one of the cheerleaders? Who is one of the cheerleaders who orbits Chelsea Cooper, the head cheerleader herself? That Maria Vasquez?

Who she danced with you, flirted with you, called you a gentleman, and wants to hang out with you after school on Monday? That Maria Vasquez?

The one who, if she ever existed, never existed outside of a wet dream?

It so dizzies you that you almost fall over on your face when you finally topple out of your truck and into your driveway.

"How was your game?" your mother asks as you drift through the living room. She's sitting on the sofa, knitting while your dad watches TV.

"Huh?"

"Your board game night with Caleb and Keith?"

"Oh." Your mom continues to knit but your dad turns to look at you, causing your hair to stand on end. "It was fun. Why?"

"Just asking."

Goosebumps creep all over you as you tread upstairs. Confirmation of the worst kind comes when you find a text message on your phone, one that you somehow missed while at the Warehouse. It's a couple of hours old, informing you that Caleb and and Keith will be by in a fifteen minutes because they're bored and are looking for something to do.

* * * * *

Nothing gets said about your little deception, either that night or the next day. Certainly you don't mention it, and neither do your parents. But your dad rouses you early and puts you to work cleaning the yard and the outside of the house, so maybe that's his idea of a punishment for lying to him. It's not until late afternoon that you're able to call Caleb and yell at him.

"Well, how was I supposed to know you were using me as an excuse?" he demands. "Since when do you have a life that doesn't come with me stapled to your ass? In fact, now that I think about it, I'm sorry I did swing by looking for you, because fuck! it was nice doing something without you dangling off my shirt tail for once!"

"Yeah?" you shout back. "Well, what did you do, motherfucker?"

"Meh. Wound up at Tilley's, watching a movie. I'll give you this much, Prescott, at least you're not getting pretentious about that film class."

"What film class?"

There's a pause. "The fucking film class you and Tilley are taking with Mr. Hawks. Did you go out and do some drugs last night or something?"

"No!" You pause. "But I did go to the Warehouse." You get a smug thrill from being able to finally drop that little factoid on him.

Now there's a pause on his end. "I'll ask you again, Prescott, did you do some drugs last night? Because it sounds like you hallucinated—"

"I did! Seriously! Ask Maria Vasquez if I didn't."

"Who?"

"Now who's talking like he fried his brain and doesn't know who or where—?"

The rest of the conversation is just as tedious as the start. In a piecemeal fashion, interrupted by lots of jealous heckling, you tell Caleb about your night at the Warehouse with Maria. When he asks for proof, though, you are only able to give him the names of "Brianna Somebody" and "Genesis Somebody Else."

"You mean you didn't take a selfie with her? Convenient," he jeers.

"Look, I don't believe it any more than you do, cocksucker. But it's the truth. We're supposed to hang out after school Monday."

"Uh huh. Okay. Tell me how it goes." He hangs up with a suddenness that startles you.

* * * * *

You go onto x2z to see if you can find any threads or posts containing documentary proof that you and Maria were at the Warehouse. (At least you've got the sense to not text Keith about your evening. He'd be even worse about it than Caleb was.) It's while you're on that site that you realize that today was supposed include a group trip out to Russian Lake with Jack and his friends, and that you never heard from them. It vexes you more when you find some x2z threads (just posted) showing him and his gang already out there. And then you remember what Maria said just before you parted last night: I don't think they're too happy with you.

After last night's clusterfuck with your parents, you know better than to ask them if you can go spend the night at Russian Lake with friends, so you content yourself with liking some of those x2z posts and photos. Looks like fun wish I wasnt grounded and could be there, you add as a note of your own to one.

There, you think with some little spite. That'll show them I noticed they went off without me.

With nothing else to do, you volunteer to run down to Ben's BBQ to pick up some dinner—the day's work seems to have both exhausted and mellowed your dad's temper—and it's while you're on that errand that you get an x2z alert: a DM from "El_Midnight." You don't have to check (but you do) to confirm that the screen name belongs to Maria Vasquez. Why are you grounded? she wants to know.

Your heart leaps. She saw your note!

Lol not really but sort of, you text back. Dad put me on chores all day got cautht in lie last nite.

???

Told them I was out w friends but they found out I wasnt.

I thought you were with friends.

"Yeah, I was out with you," you squeak to yourself, but you type in, Out w other frends.

Can we still meet on Monday?

Yes. Just chores I had to do. Gtg, you add as a closing, for your order has been prepared while you were DMing.

* * * * *

You are light-headed all day Sunday, which nevertheless seems to pass at a crawl. Monday comes, and for possibly the first time since you were in second grade (or thereabouts) you look forward to going in to school.

You don't share any classes with Maria, but you keep an eye out for her in the hallways. Only once do you glimpse her, trailing along behind Chelsea, and she's not in the cafeteria at lunch when you look in there. You spend all day wracking your brain for ideas to suggest to her about where to hang out.

She comes up with the idea first, though, and DMs you at the start of seventh period (which is your study hall). Don't have a lot of time to hang out today, she says. Want to meet at Suffolk Wilderness -- 4:00? You agree, for the idea gives you visions of walking hand in hand with her through a field of wildflowers. You ask if she wants to drive out together with you. But she demurs, saying her schedule means she should have her car with her. Your heart swells to fill your chest as you sign off by saying you'll see her out there.

And immediately after that, you send Caleb and Keith a text, inviting them to meet you at the Suffolk Wilderness at 5:00.

You don't say anything about Maria though. Let that be a surprise for them, you figure, and mutter "El-oh-el" to yourself aloud.

* * * * *

The Suffolk Wilderness is on the opposite side of town, so you have to drive straight out there from school in order to be on time. Maria isn't there when you arrive though, so you pace the parking lot in front of the entrance while trying to keep your nerves from vibrating out through your skin.

It's the end of September, but there's been a warm spell, and even under a sky partly veiled by clouds you soon work up a nervous sweat. There's insects, too, for it really is a Wilderness you are standing on the edge of—a spreading patch of fields and forests folded up into a knotted chain of small hills. Tall grasses sway in a light breeze here at the trailhead, and the wildflowers nod. Now that you are here and looking at it, it seems much less romantic. The bugs will bite and the grasses scratch, it occurs to you, and there are probably hidden holes that would twist your ankle when you stepped in one.

And by 4:20, when Maria still hasn't shown up, you are cussing to yourself as you wonder if you should DM her to find out if something happened.

You wait until the half-hour though before sending a discreet inquiry asking if she got hung up someplace. There is no reply.

And you are slumping in your truck bed when Keith's car grinds to a stop on the gravel next to you. "Hey," he calls as he gets out, and chucks his chin at you. Caleb gets out on the passenger side. "So what's the deal you wanted us up here for?"

"Who said there was a deal?"

Keith stops and looks back at Caleb. "I thought you said—"

"You doin' okay there, Will?" Caleb honks.

"Why not?" you retort. But you don't stir out of your slouch.

Caleb heaves himself up into the truck bed with you. "Oh, I dunno," he says. "This just seems like the kind of place to come to when there's something you want to talk about."

"No, it just seemed like a good place to hang out."

Keith and Caleb exchange another glance, and then Caleb settles down with a sigh in the truck bed with you. Keith, less gracefully than Caleb, clambers into the back with you.

"Oh yeah," Caleb says. "Your friend Leah tracked down who it was who made that video of us out at the school. She straightened their shit out."

"It was Jamie Rennerhoff, I told you."

"He was one of 'em. It was Christian Padilla who shot the video. But we don't got anything to worry about. She, uh, couldn't tell me who 'Clover Mystery' was, though."

You shrug.

Caleb draws a deep breath, and lets out a deep sigh. "She also tells me you've got a pretty vivid fantasy life."

"Yeah?" you grunt, and your nerves prickle.

"Yeah." His expression tightens. "She says you're inventing secret girlfriends for yourself, Will."

Next: "A Trap of One's Own Making" 

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"Table of Contents (Vol. 2)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)"