The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)

The Port in the Storm

Previously: "Looking for a Promotion" 

(by rugal)

It's a thought you can't get out of your mind: that you're being set up by Chelsea. You'll arrive there and instead it'll be some guys like Lynch and God knows who else ready to lay a beating on you. A beating that may be as bad as anything Chen could do, too, because Chelsea doesn't mess around and she'd want a message sent: make sure that someone like Dane Matthias never even considers talking to someone like Chelsea Cooper ever again.

So that's a bust, you think as you manage to successfully talk yourself out of going out to Potsdam Park. But if you wanted to make things difficult for Chelsea you still have another option in Lin. Your dick springs to life at the thought of having her body, especially her glorious breasts, all for yourself. But that turns out to be another false start you realize because Hochstetter Park is a dangerous place once the sun goes down and it'd be foolish to try and make a swap there.

Well okay then, what about Brianna? She's not a bad looking girl (even if she's gaudy with her makeup and clothes), certainly someone you wouldn't mind being. However from Dane's mind you can tell that she has a bit of a reputation and it's certainly not a good one. Currently she's involved in some bit of drama involving a guy named Eric Murphy and a girl named Melanie Saxon, a neighbor of Dane's as it turns out.

Even ignoring that drama and reputation however, you question just how possible it'd be to grab Brianna. A party will likely have a good amount of people and if you're unable to get her alone then you can forget about making any kind of switch which would just make the whole night a wasted one.

So you look at your phone, past Chelsea's text and instead at Julia's.

You busy now?

You yourself don't know Julia Paez. You can't even say that she looks familiar. You might've had some classes with her in the previous years but if you did then she never stood out or interacted with you enough to leave an impression and Dane's weed clouded memories are only slightly less hazy. But if she's asking if you're busy then that means she isn't. That means that she's available and just as importantly that means that she's willing to come over to Dane's. You don't have to worry about anyone spotting you when you can just do it right in the bedroom.

That's enough to make up your mind and so you shoot off a series of texts. The first is to Brianna for who you say that something's come up and you won't be able to make it out to any parties tonight. The next is to Chelsea with much the same message only without being able to make it out to Potsdam instead. That one returns a flurry of angry and expletive-laden messages.

were good u can com over n e time, you send to Julia.

Cool! Right now?

yea, you answer before sending the address.

Sweet! Seeya soon!

You want to wait patiently but after five minutes you can't help but to feel anxious and so decide to instead get some air and wait out front. Even then, though, you can still hardly contain yourself as the seconds pass by.

* * * * *

You're still fidgeting anxiously when you see an older Tahoe come pulling up next to Dane's car. You wonder if Julia could really be driving something like that and get confirmation a moment later when the door opens and a girl with long auburn hair hops out, flashing you a bright but lazy smile as she walks up to you.

"Hey! I got your stuff, free of charge 'n all 'cause I like you."

Julia's expression is at first happy but soon turns expectant. "So, where is it?" she asks trying to disguise any impatience.

"Whoa, right! It's in my room! We can just go back there," you say as you open the door and step inside.

"Hey Mrs. Matthias," Julia says to Dane's mother while she follows you.

Mrs. Matthias looks up at her with a mixture of friendliness and skepticism. "Hey yourself," she says before turning to you. "So my Dane went and got himself a girlfriend, did he?"

Both you and Julia break out into laughs. "It's not like that, ma'am. We just know each other from school, that's all," Julia explains. "We're just friends, right?"

"Yeah, she just, like, came by to grab something from me," you add which only causes another odd look from Dane's mother who gets up from the couch.

"You got your keys?" she asks and you point over to the kitchen counter. "Alright, well I think I'm going to grab us some dinner. Do you want anything, Dane?"

"Uh, anything's fine I guess."

"What about you?" she asks Julia.

Julia, in turn, simply shakes her head. "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

You then lead Julia back into Dane's room, closing and locking the door behind you as she goes to take a seat on your bed. "So, like, I got the stuff but you wanna smoke one before heading out?" you ask.

She simply giggles a bit at that. "That's fine," she says. "But, like, is that all? You wanna go hit up a party or something?"

You're not really sure what she means by that but that does mean you now have an easy opening. "Well, there was something I kinda wanted to show you actually, 'sides the joints I mean" you say as you dig through the stuff you'd gotten from the basement earlier today. Finding the blank mask you make sure to grab it and head over to Julia.

"What's this?" she asks with curiosly.

You don't answer and instead press the mask to her face. She goes limp and, eyes open and expression frozen, falls backwards onto the bed. "It's something really cool," you finally say to yourself.

* * * * *

You're sitting in the community center basement, out of Dane's mask but still in his clothes. In a bag next to you sits Julia's belongings. On the ground in front of you is a mask that contains everything you'll need to perfectly copy her physically. In your left hand is a metal strip, the name JULIA CRISTINA PAEZ emblazoned on it, that will allow you to perfectly copy her mentally.

In your right is a brush that you're using to apply a glue that'll allow you to attach the band to the mask and therefore complete the next spell. When it's successfully attached, you go over to the table where the book is open to the current spell and place the mask and band combo onto the page. It successfully turns and you take a few minutes to look at the next spell. You're not really able -- or willing -- to translate the whole thing right now but one of the bits you do catches your attention and fills you with dread.

Four hundred pounds of dirt. Not just any dirt either; graveyard dirt. You groan. That's going to be a pain in the ass but what's done is done and you head back over to where you were sitting and remove your clothes. Then you take the mask and raise it to your face.

* * * * *

Julia lives north of Acheson in the same neighborhood as your friend Keith. It's not necessarily one of the nice neighborhoods but neither is it one of the bad ones. It's simple and unassuming and you pull her SUV into the driveway of an equally simple and unassuming house alongside a white sedan. As you walk through the front door your nose is greeted by the smell of the meat and vegetables that have been simmering in a slow cooker all day.

"You're back already?" asks Julia's mother -- step-mother actually but she's been married to Julia's dad for so long that she can only think of her as "Mom" -- as she pokes her head out from the kitchen.

"Yeah, just a friend who needed me to run 'em something," you tell her.

"That's good, then, because your dad should be home soon and dinner's just about ready."

"Cool, I'll get ready then," you say as you head off to the bathroom.

Inside you get a good look at the girl whose identity you're now borrowing. She's not a knockout but neither is she unattractive. You like her smile, which you practice in the mirror, as it reflects her own relatively warm and laid back demeanor. You can't help but note that for a girl with the name Paez she's incredibly light with striking auburn hair. Most remarkably though is that Julia's a strong girl; built like someone who's been taught to use hand tools by a blue collar father.

You finish washing up and then head to Julia's room pulling her phone out to check her social media feeds and kill some time before dinner. You immediately hit on a message from Katy Conlee asking you if you're in for a study session with Stephanie and some others. You roll your eyes and don't immediately respond and instead move on to something else.

Julia knows well enough that Stephanie has problems with Hannah Westrick, a new girl on the soccer team who's been gunning to unseat Anita Nuevo as captain. Julia's been to a few of these get togethers and knows that they're really just a thin excuse to bitch about -- and plot against -- Hannah.

But where Julia's unenthused, you're intrigued. You remember Stephanie from when you were younger and you remember the way she used to, in your eyes at least, pick on you. As a kid you'd wanted to get back at her somehow and of course you never could. Now under the guise of a teammate and friend, however, you could easily find some way to attack her.

But then why throw yourself into another potential fire? You became Julia to escape fires after all so why not just hang back, work on the book and enjoy things? After all, you muse as you flex a toned bicep, she seems like the kind of girl who'd be comfortable with a shovel.

That's all for now.

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