The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

The Sapper

Previously: "Putting on the War Paint" 

Things on the squad are about to get really ugly, and you need to be ready for them.

That's the warning you've just delivered to Cindy Vredenburg's boyfriend, and he blinks at your words. That blink makes him look even dopier than usual.

Seth Javits is not, in fact, a dummy. He's taking at least one AP class, which is more than you yourself can boast, and that makes it all the more unfair that he's also one of the stars on the basketball team and is also a first-class a-hole and bully. But though he can brag about a flat, muscled stomach and a strong chest and arms, he has a pop eyes set in a horsey face with a long nose and beaky lips.

Also, he's clueless in the way swaggering jocks typically are. Like a minute ago, when he fell right into the trap you set for him in the kitchen, when you got him to accidentally imply that the cheerleading squad is all messed up because "not everyone" on it (like his girlfriend, for instance) respects the squad captain. At least he was smart enough to understand he'd said something wrong from the way Cindy instantly dropped his hand and went off to find Jessica.

So you pretty confident that you can spin him around more or less the way Chelsea wants you to.

"Listen," you continue, and step up very close to him so that Cindy, if she's watching from an upstairs back window will see you sharing confidences with her boyfriend. "There's gonna be some tryouts, and two new girls are gonna get added to the squad."

"Yeah, I know," Seth croaks. You're standing under the biggest tree in Catherine Muskov's back yard, and he puts out a hand to grab the tire swing that dangles from a fat branch. "'Cos you and Jessica— Um—"

"Yeah. Because me and Jessica got kicked off."

The healthy pink glow under Seth's fading summertime tan deepens to a crimson.

"Do you know who is going to try out, and get picked?"

Seth shakes his head.

"Well, the news I've heard is that one of them is going to be Sydney McGlynn."

"Um—"

"You know who she is, right?"

Seth's eyes crinkle up. It's obvious he's trying to decide whether he'll get in more trouble by admitting or denying it. "Yeah, I think so," he hedges.

"You have any classes with her?"

"Um— I don't—"

"You know if you do, Seth."

"Yeah, okay, she's in my English class."

"The one that Cindy's in, too?"

He sighs, and nods.

You give him a steady look. "How many times have you gotten in trouble with Cindy because of her?"

"What? None! I—!"

"Seth." You put your hand on your hip. "Are you telling me you've never scoped out Sydney McGlynn?"

His blush deepens, and his lips turn very white.

"Well, I'm not here to bust your balls," you tell him. "Though I don't know how come I want to help you save them. You and Cindy ... Well ..."

"What about me and Cindy?"

You give him a long, tired look, "I never knew two people who were so good at pushing each other's buttons."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, every other day me or Jessica or Yumi have to talk Cindy down off the roof because of something you said. And don't tell me you're not always pissing on about Cindy with your friends."

"I'm not—!"

"You are, Seth. Constantly. You just don't realize you are, but it gets out and it gets back to Cindy. Jeez! I never talk to your friends, and even I get to hear about it when she's got you in a mood."

Seth looks completely bewildered, as he should be, because most of what you've just said is exaggerated bullshit built around a pinhead of truth.

"But it's going to get worse," you continue, "if Sydney winds up on the squad. Which she is going to."

"How come?"

"Because she's practically a professional. The squad at her old school in Kansas or Utah or wherever went to nationals, so if she can't get onto the Westside squad—"

"I mean, how come I'm going to be in trouble if she does?"

"That's what I'm explaining to you, Seth! She's practically a professional, so she's going to get onto the squad, and she's going to be the one to want to run it."

"So? What does that have to do with me?"

"Doesn't Cindy want to be squad captain? You do know that, don't you, Seth?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, good freaking luck pulling that off with Sydney McGlynn getting in her way!"

Seth's expression creases up with bewilderment. "But Chelsea's squad captain, and she's not going anywhere."

"Seth, I sincerely hope that's not an opinion that you're sharing with Cindy of all people."

Now Seth looks like he wants to pull out his hair.

"Sydney is going to make all kinds of trouble on the squad," you go on, "and she just might make enough trouble to push Chelsea off her perch. And if she does that, it won't be because she wants to put Cindy on top. You want to know how bad things are going to get? Do you get an earful now from her about Chelsea?"

"Yeah," Seth mutters.

"Well, imagine how much worse it's going to be when Cindy has to decide whether to support Chelsea Cooper or Sydney McGlynn."

Seth stares at you. Very slowly, an expression of horror erodes and ages his face with worry lines. His gaze goes distant as he imagines the shrieks and groans and storms of fury and frustration that Cindy will pitch at him, and the gingerly way he'll have to pick his way through them.

You let the vision get good and dark, then reach out to squeeze his forearm. It is smooth and hairless, but ropey with muscle. He starts a little.

"So listen," you tell him in a gentler tone. "I'm not trying to give you nightmares. Well, I'm not trying, though you definitely should have them. If you think Cindy's been— Well." You catch yourself. "It's really hard for her, right, living in Lucy's shadow?" Lucy Vredenburg is Cindy's older, and much more perfect sister, who actually did get to be squad captain two years ago when she was a senior. "It's going to be tougher for her, and you— Well, don't take this the wrong way, Seth. But if Cindy was a field of landmines, it's like you're always trying to clear those landmines with your face."

He turns very red, but he doesn't argue.

"The thing is, I'm telling you all this so you know what you're going to be in for. Me and Jessica, we see it coming from a mile off and we've been talking about it. We don't want to see things blow up between you and Cindy. So listen, just between us—"

You hesitate, and glance around. It's just the two of you, in Catherine's back yard, and the handful of kids up on the back patio aren't paying any attention to you. But Seth, perhaps unconsciously, also glances about.

"Just between us, Seth, between you and me and Jessica, don't tell Cindy what I warned you. But if things really heat up, which they're going to after Sydney's on the squad, you can totally come and talk to us."

"Why?"

"So we can tell you how to handle Cindy."

Seth turns a little green, and sways on his feet.

* * * * *

He was probably going to try arguing with you, which was the last thing you wanted. All you really wanted from that talk was to undermine his confidence in his ability to handle Cindy, and to plant the seed of the idea that he could come to you and Jessica for advice and support. Nurturing that seed first into a bloom, then into a blossom, and finally into a poisoned fruit, can come later.

So before he could open his mouth, you squeezed his elbow and suggested that you go back inside. You left him in the kitchen, looking aghast, while pretending to go look for Cindy. In fact, you texted Jessica to tell her that you were done. Five minutes later, you were out the front door without so much as having seen your hostess, and without seeing either Cindy or Seth again.

Over a couple of Jamba juices, which you swallowed down in the shopping center parking lot, Chelsea recounted her talk with Cindy—filling her head with horrible anticipations of life on the squad after Sydney joins—and you told her of your talk with Seth. The two of you giggled over it all.

And yet, you are not fully on board with Chelsea's scheme, for there's a worm of jealousy in your heart. Her plan, if all your nurturing brings it to fruition, is to bust up Cindy and Seth's romance, and send him into Jessica's arms as her new boyfriend, leaving her archrival bereft not only of her hopes of captaining the squad, but without the sexy alpha boyfriend that she had hoped to spend her senior year showing off with.

But you've not completely given up on the hope that you might be Chelsea's boyfriend, in some disguise or other. As "Chelsea Cooper" is going with Gordon Black, and "Gary Chen" has a girlfriend, meaning it's only as "Jessica Garner" that she can be won to you.

So when she drains her juice and asks if you want your next (and final) impersonation to be as one of the new girls on the squad, you're tempted to tell her you want to be a boyfriend to her instead.

Next: "Fun and Games" 

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