The Book of Masks (Vol. 4)

Naturally Natalie

Previously: "To Know the Mind of Natalie" 

[Text by rugal]

You debate for a second if you should go with the idea anyway but you quickly realize that it's completely unfeasible. Given Kelly's new ETA, even if you and Natalie switched out inside your truck in the Eastman parking lot instead of taking Natalie someplace more private, then taking her back to Eastman, you would miss Mr. Walberg's first-period class. The old grump would have your ass if he finds out you skipped. He'd probably write you up or even give you detention which then likely means a grounding from your dad.

So you send a text to Natalie. kelly guna be late getting me. prolly no time to switch. can u cover for me today?

She's quick in responding. u want me to cover for u? srsly??? u have to cover for me 2 then.

You realize that doing this is a gamble, especially betting on Natalie not to get into trouble, but you hope that a day isn't enough time for her to potentially do any damage.

i can do it np. i can think liek u. u good 2 cover for me?

i think so. shouldnt be an issue, she replies.

You send back a confirmation saying that's what you'll do, then, and tell her to pick you up at Eastman after school, so you can head over to the community center.

With that done, it's time to get ready. Natalie's instincts are fairly basic: just brush and comb your hair, throw on a t-shirt and jeans and you're good to go. But you chuck those instincts and dig around until you find some items that catch your eye.

A denim jacket to go with a pair of (fashionably) distressed jeans, a dark button-up crop top and a choker to complete the ensemble. Inside you actually take the time to apply makeup which is something that Natalie typically abstains from beyond some light application. You're almost stunned by the girl who looks back at you. In this outfit, with this makeup, there's an almost pretty maturity that's far different from the chaotic cuteness you've been seeing the last week.

It's different enough that when Kelly does arrive, there's some chattering when you hop into the backseat.

"You're lookin' nice today, Nat," says Liam Mahon from the passenger's seat in that delicious brogue.

That earns a grunt from Kelly though it's directed at him, not you. Liam is an Irish exchange student whose boyishly handsome looks, especially his deep set but soft green eyes, make him very popular among the girls. He's staying with Kelly's family and while they insist that they're simply friends and housemates, it's well known that they are one hundred percent an item and their denials are done mostly to try and shake off the jealousies of other girls.

"Well with the extra time I just thought... what the hey, right?" you state. "I don't really get the chance to dress up."

"So it's not because of that boy?" Kelly asks.

You laugh it off but a thought does occur to you: I am so gonna strangle Genny.

* * * * *

The first half of the day at school passes without any real incident. You share first period with Mandy Simpson, one of the other girls from Alyssa's group. She's blonde with pretty looks and a bubbly, airheaded personality. But of anyone in the group, she's the most fashionable and the one who's quickest to get attention from boys. In fact, she's the one who picked out the ensemble you're wearing today (as well as really taught Natalie the finer points of makeup) and she brightens when she sees you walk into the classroom wearing it.

Of Alyssa's group, Mandy is probably the one that Natalie gets along with best.

The only other notable thing about the class is that Natalie shares it with Eastman's resident himbo who draws laughs when he questions, with all seriousness, why "X" is even part of an equation because it's a letter, not a number, and this is a math class, not an English class.

Intro to Korean (a class not offered at Westside, you note) is next. You take notice of the fact that your teacher is an Asian woman named Mrs. Saito and you wonder what, if any, relation she might have to Yumi. An aunt, perhaps? Or maybe her mother? Natalie will undoubtedly meet Yumi while at school so maybe you can ask her. After second, it's a creative writing class and then it's lunch which you share with the rest of the high school NSA.

The first thing you note as you begin to eat and talk is just how different Alyssa Randall is from Chelsea Cooper. Really, it's like night and day, but reversed because Chelsea is blonde and very white while Alyssa is African-American. Oh, they're both head cheerleaders and they're both gorgeous but the similarities end there. For a start, Alyssa is much nicer. She dominates to be sure, but it's in a soft and persuasive way, not the aggressively domineering way that Yumi and the others complain about. She also comes across as patient and, frankly, much smarter. You know that she takes a few AP classes and is also on the debate team. Could you imagine Chelsea on a debate team?

"You know, that's a really nice look you've got there, Natalie," points Lisa Rickover as conversation shifts from news to general topics. "Any special reason?"

"No, I just—"

"Ooh! I was totally wondering about that too?" Mandy jumps in. "Like, it looks super good on you but you never dress up! I should've asked you this morning!"

"It wouldn't have anything to do with that boy you were with this weekend, would it?" asks Lisa.

Crow-faced bitch, you think to yourself. Lisa is a snarky, sneaky weasel to her core who's at best tolerated by everyone else. As best as the others can guess, Alyssa keeps her around on the grounds of it being better to "keep your enemies close".

"You were with a boy?" asks Maddy Caron, a serious-minded and naturally skeptical AP girl. Her demeanor is almost always very even in a way that can be both calming and intimidating.

"Well, yeah, but—"

Tina Branson, an extrovert par excellence, giggles. "Can ya believe it? Our li'l girl's finally goin' an' growin' up on us," she muses in her distinctive country twang. "So who's the lucky guy?"

You feel yourself turn hot and in desperation you turn to Summer Nguyen for assistance. But as usual, she looks as lost as you do and keeps mum. You wonder, at times, why Alyssa brought her in and why she's so protective of Summer. Probably because she has a thing going on with punk rock lesbian Chris Yves.

"It's a Westside boy," Mandy chimes in. Because of course Natalie had told her. You know she doesn't mean it in the catty way that Lisa does but you still feel betrayed.

"A Westside boy, huh?" Tina muses. "Wonder if anyone I know from over there knows 'im."

"Probably not, can we just stop?" you pout. You feel like you're being talked down, like you're being treated like the "baby sister" of the group, like they think you're immature. It's the kind of treatment that can rankle Natalie hard it seems."He's not my boyfriend or anything and he's got nothing to do with anything. He's just a friend I met through Gilly, okay?"

"Right," Alyssa says as she steers the conversation away. "So anyway..."

But mentioning Gillian's name turns out to be a bad idea as you find yourself quietly seething even more. Fucking Lisa, you think to yourself. Fucking Braydon.

* * * * *

The rest of the day goes by fairly monotonously except for seventh period, a dance class. Natalie herself is, as you find out, an excellent dancer. In fact, through some mental digging, you learn that she took ballet from the time she was six up through her sophomore year, only stopping due to an ankle injury that, while not bothering her now, was bad enough to make dancing more seriously completely undoable.

She started focusing more seriously on her art after that. As a guy, you're focusing more on the other girls in class as they move, gyrate, twist and wind themselves.

When school lets out—and your threat to wring Genevieve's neck turns out to be empty—you wait around and even turn down ride offers from both Kelly and Mandy saying you've got one. Mandy, in fact, is there as Will's truck comes rumbling up to the front of the school and he opens the door. You have to reiterate to the wide-eyed and hungry looking girl that he is not, not, your boyfriend as you get in.

"Fucking Genny!" you exclaim as you throw your feet up onto the dash. "All day long, I had to deal with people asking me if I really got a boyfriend and just... ugh! It was so freakin' annoying!"

"You settled into being me pretty well," Will says with amusement.

"What about you?" you ask as you glance at him from the corner of your eye.

"Yeah, it wasn't so bad once I got my bearings. Except for the dickheads. They roam free like wild animals at your school," he replies.

"Mhm," you respond in turn. "I have to admit, the vibe at Eastman was a lot less stressful. I guess who you have at the top of the pyramid really affects things."

"So you like being me?" asks Will.

"I don't hate it," you shrug.

"You wanna stick it out as me for another day or two?"

You look at him now, in wide-eyed shock. "Stick it out as... what!?" you ask. "Why!?"

"I know what happened between you and Lisa. The real version," he says with uncharacteristic seriousness. "With some masks and a little time, I could bust up her and that Mansfield guy for you. I figure I owe it to you after all the shit from this weekend."

Your blown away by her offer but you know, too, how bitter she is over this whole Gillian and Braydon thing. Maybe instead, you could offer to help her out with what she wants. Or maybe both ideas are going too far.

Next: "Stuck on Each Other" 

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"Table of Contents (Vol. 4)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 4)"