The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

The Corkscrew Confession

Previously: "As the Gossip Swirls" 

"I'm flattered that you keep trying to buy things for me," you tell Chen as the Morrow sisters get into a car. "But maybe we should wait until this plot is finished. I mean," you add as his brow furrows, "maybe you think they'll be useful for this plan you've got. But afterward—"

You gasp as Chen darts into give you a nip and kiss at the neck. Several of your organs liquefy with surprise—and more than a little delight. You swallow hard.

"Sure, if that's the way you wanna do it," he says with casual insolence when he's withdrawn. "Makes sense. I'm still taking you shopping tomorrow."

"That's great," you gasp, and wait for an embrace or a touch or another kiss.

It doesn't come, though. Instead, Chen says, "So meet me at my Jeep after school. Go talk to your girls about Kendra. Sell her and them on that JV idea. Sell it," he repeats. "Then text me, write, 'Talked to Lin and others about you,' then I'll know you did it." He grins, and edges closer to you. His hands are in his pockets, but he touches you with the cock that's swelling inside his pants. "Do it tonight, and by Wednesday you'll be shopping for that new face you keep putting off. Can't wait to see who you finally pick."

You're quite flushed as you get in your car.

* * * * *

You pitch the idea first to Lin and Cindy in a series of texts, but since none of you three are particularly friendly with Kendra, you then pitch it to Eva and Jessica and let them arrange for another "Panera Plotting" session with Chelsea's lieutenant. The Garner girls join you, since Jessica is the most knowledgeable about that "JV cheerleader squad" idea that Kelsey had.

Kendra is wary but open-minded as you all sit down at a big table. She is also very stylishly done up, in carefully applied makeup and nails, her auburn ringlets arranged just so, and in understated but expensive designer clothes. She explains that she's having dinner out with her parents at seven, so she will only have a coffee.

Eva gets things off to a bad start by reminding Kendra that she was going to work with Kelsey at the start of the year if Kelsey got elected squad captain. Kendra gets a pinched expression and asks if there's a point in dredging up old history.

"Well, remember what Kelsey suggested?" Jessica says. "She'd be squad captain, and she'd get the school to set up a JV squad that you could run?"

"Yeah, that didn't work out."

"It could. Kelsey's coming back onto the squad, you know."

Kendra's eyes dart about the table. "But Chelsea's already squad captain. She'd need to sign off on it."

"But maybe Chelsea won't be squad captain after Kelsey joins," you say. "It takes a two-thirds vote of the team to force a captain to resign. After Kelsey joins, there will be nine people on the squad." You tick off your fingers. "Me, Cindy, Lin, Kelsey, you—" You tap your thumb meaningfully with a forefinger. "Only one more vote, and that's six people to knock Chelsea off."

Kendra's nostrils flare.

"I bet someone," Lin says, "could talk Michelle into being that sixth vote."

Kendra's dark fingers whiten at the knuckles as she grips her coffee mug. "And who becomes the new captain? Kelsey? You?" she asks Cindy.

"Why not you?"

All heads swivel at Cindy's reply.

"You can be squad captain," Cindy continues, "and I'll run the new JV squad that you set up."

"But—" Lin starts to say, then she jumps. Someone must have jabbed her under the table.

"You want to be squad captain," Kendra says. "You've always—"

"Yes, but I'm not going to get it. I'll just be happy if Chelsea gets kicked to the curb. And I don't think any of us want Kelsey running it."

None of us want Kendra running it either, you want to shout.

"You're the obvious compromise candidate," Cindy continues. "But I get the JV squad. That's my price."

Kendra nods slowly, and sips her coffee. "I'll have to think about it," she says. She stares at the table for a minute, then gets up. "Tonight," she says, and gets a to-go cup for her beverage.

"Are you crazy?" you hiss at Cindy after Kendra has gone. "Why are you giving up everything—?"

"I haven't given anything up, Yumi," Cindy retorts. "Right now the most important thing is to get Chelsea out." Her expression hardens. "We've got the votes to do that now, practically, and we won't get them after Chelsea has filled that open slot. Now we just have to get Kelsey and Michelle to come along with us, so that next Monday we can dump Chelsea's ass in the garbage."

She smiles mirthlessly. "And after that, we'll see if anybody except Kendra votes to make Kendra captain."

* * * * *

Six o'clock: Talked to lin and others abut u, you text Gary Chen. got more gossip too.

talk dirty to me, he texts back much later. at work but i luf cheerfleadr gossip n shit

So you relate the gist of the talk with Kendra, including Cindy's surprise offer and the implied double-cross. He doesn't reply until after ten: thx chelsea syas she luvs u. You interpret that to mean that you were texting with the golem, and that he somehow got the news to Chelsea.

Which makes sense. You can't imagine Chelsea wasting her Monday evenings playing a Chinese-American busboy at the country club.

* * * * *

The news about Kelsey rejoining the cheerleader squad knocked your blooming romance with Gary Chen off the front pages (so to speak) but the subject returns on Tuesday with a vengeance. You get a hint of it during second period, when Kelsey Blankenship gives you a coldly murderous glare when you walk into Mrs. Goretsky's classroom, and in third, when Cindy keeps shooting you "significant" glances. But it's not until fourth period—AP German IV—that you get some glimmer of what's going on.

Jessica is in that class with you, and she shoots you the same kind of look that Cindy gave you. You just return her a puzzled look of your own, then do a double-take when the AP crew shuffle in.

Anthony Kirk and Geoff Mansfield just look grim. Ricky Golia dodges your eye. Amanda Ferguson stares down coldly at you.

Martin Gardinhire is the last to arrive, and he's ten minutes tardy. A low murmur runs through the class as, with lowered head, he shuffles into the room.

His face is like one giant bruise. Both his eyes are blackened, and there are purple blooms all down one side of his face. He winces and looks away from you. When you turn wide eyes on Jessica, she mouths Your fucking boyfriend at you.

Gary? Chelsea? One or the other, or one disguised as the other?

Jessica grabs you by the hand and hauls you out of class when the bell rings. "Are you happy that you're dating that fucking psycho?" she yells when you're outside. "Did you ask him to do that?"

"No! What makes you think—?" You gulp. The suspicion is all too easy to credit. "I haven't heard anything about this. What happened to Martin?"

"Your boyfriend happened to him," Jessica spits. "On account of that picture that got posted on x2z!"

You can't help but feel impressed at the gesture, and Jessica must have read your thought, for her eyes blaze. "You like that he almost put Martin in the hospital?"

"No! But— What did Martin say happened?"

"What did your boyfriend say?"

"He's not my—!" You take a deep breath. "I haven't talked to him since yesterday afternoon. Barely. What did Martin say?"

"He said Gary cornered him after work last night. They both work up at the country club, you know. And Gary slammed him into a couple of walls and a couple of cars and told him that if he ever takes any more cell phone pictures of him or you he'll—" Jessica shudders. "Well, it was some kind of threat, apparently!"

Another voice interrupts. "That's not all he and Martin talked about."

You and Jessica whip around. Her brother is walking up.

Marc usually has a bright smile on his face, but his mouth is a grim line and his eyes are clouded as he approaches. "I talked to Martin last hour, before class. He told me that he's the one who put the marijuana in my gym locker. He said he did it as a prank."

Jessica grabs your forearm, but she's staring at her brother with an open mouth. "Martin?" she gasps.

"Uh huh. He said he didn't put any in your or Eva's locker, though," Marc continues, "so I don't know what's going on there." His frown deepens. "It doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but that's what he said."

You and Jessica exchange a numb glance. Then Jessica says, "Does this have anything to do with Gary?"

"Something." Marc shades his eyes and squints into the difference. "He told me at soccer practice to talk to Martin, and Martin told me it was, uh, after he talked to Gary at work that he decided to confess. So it was Gary who, uh, talked Martin into confessing." He pauses. "He's going to talk to Sagansky and Coach Gellman about it. Tell them it wasn't my stuff." He grimaces. "Try to get them to reinstate me as captain of the squad."

"They took that away from you?" you gasp.

Marc rolls his eyes. "Sure. Guess Gary didn't tell you, did he? He was super-pissed about it, too, which is weird." He chews his lip. "He told me at practice to talk to Martin, said if I did I'd be captain again by the end of the day." He kicks the ground. "Not sure I like the way it worked out, though."

You're not sure either. Maybe you should talk Chelsea into turning management of Chen over to you.

* To continue: "The Shopping Trip" 

*
"Table of Contents (Vol. 3)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)"