The Book of Masks (Vol. 2)

Noses Out of Joint

Previously: "A Stationary Stone Gathers Some Gossip" 

You hustle out of Mr. Walberg's classroom just as Justin and Mindy come into the building. "Hey!" you pant as you fall in beside them.

"Jesus, man," Justin rumbles. "Where'd you come from?" Mindy hesitates, but he pulls her along without stopping.

"I had detention, I'm just getting out. Um— Mindy, you got a minute?"

She darts you a quick, frightened look, then edges closer to Justin. He says, "We're on our way out, man."

"This is real quick. I just wanted to ask you about Kelsey."

"Kelsey?" Mindy squeaks. Justin slips his arm into hers, and quickens his pace.

"Yeah. It's— Well— It's, uh, just a piece of news I heard, and I was— Someone told me you'd be the one to ask."

"We're kind of busy," Justin says. Without breaking pace, he shoots you a quick, malevolent look.

Justin isn't a big guy, but he has a powerful physical presence. He wears a thin, ratty t-shirt that clings close enough to his torso to give it shape—the shape of someone with hard muscles—and in his jeans cut-offs he shows off strong, summer-dark thighs and calves. He has a heavy-set face, with a hard jaw, bold nose, lowering brow, and deep-set eyes that easily fall into a don't-fuck-with-me stare, like the one he's giving you now. His brown hair is flat and straight, but twists into little spit curls over his eyebrows and ears.

But you don't see any reason to let him frighten you off. You're all going the same way, so why shouldn't you talk?

"I just wanna know, is Kelsey really going out with Karl Hennepin?"

Justin answers. "That's what I hear."

"Well, why does she want it to be a secret?"

"Why do you wanna know?" Justin asks. "You wanna try stealing him away from her?"

"I only wanna—!"

"Just hold on to your shit a minute, alright?"

You've come to an exit, and Justin stops to pull Mindy close to him. She visibly trembles as he murmurs softly in her ear, and digs into his' pockets to pull out some keys, which he presses onto her. Then he pushes the door open for her and, after a fractional hesitation, she leaves, her head down. She's just out the door when she breaks into a half-run and hurries off toward the student parking lot.

"Okay now, motherfucker," Justin growls as he turns on you. "You're being a real nuisance and I should kick your fucking ass from here to the river. I got a piece of tail out there just dying for me, but I'll give you one fucking minute of my time. Now what the motherfucking fuck do you wanna know about Kelsey Blankenship?"

You quail. "Jesus! I—!"

"Hey Roth!" a voice calls. Spencer Osbourne comes sauntering out of the G wing boys' restroom. "I thought I heard your manly voice. What are you still doing here? Where's your girlfriend?"

"Can you talk to this fucker for me?" Justin snarls at him. "He's full of questions about Kelsey."

"Oh really?" Spencer glints maliciously at you. "Yeah, Prescott can be a real nosey-parker."

Justin starts to turn away, then catches himself. "Where's Steven?"

"Bathroom. Splashing some cold water on his face." Spencer eyes you speculatively.

"Well, for Chrissakes, don't leave him in there alone, he's having a bad trip. I can tell."

"You could," Spencer retorts.

Justin snorts, then turns and savagely kicks the door open, stalking out the way Mindy went, and leaving you alone under Spencer's glittering eye. "So what do you want to know about Kelsey?" Osbourne asks.

"Nothing, I guess. I just heard a rumor about her and Karl Hennepin."

He sniggers. "Oh yeah. Her and him are wrestling naked every weekend down at the Donna."

"How long's this been going on?"

"Since the end of summer, at least. She doesn't know that everyone knows, though. She thinks it's a secret."

"So how does she not know that—?"

"You're asking about last year's news, man. Leave it alone, you sound lame even just asking." He glances behind at the restroom door. "I gotta go, I got a friend back there, he got into some bad shit or other. Fucking Roth." His eyes and grin gleam with mischief. "He shouldn't leave that shit laying around were people can accidentally get into it. It's the kind of stuff that can really tear a guy's face off."

He holds your eye a moment. Then— "I'll see you around, Prescott." He disappears back into the restroom.

* * * * *

On Thursday your daily homework is light enough that, during detention, you finish scrawling out the two papers you owe Mr. Walberg, and hand them in to him early. (Part of your punishment is that you have to write one paper on the hair dryer, and a separate one on the doobie.) He only glances at the one on the hair dryer before scribbling a "D" on it. He takes time to read the other, then puts a "D" on it as well. "I'd've added a plus to it," he growls at you, "if you'd put any actual work into it." You don't reply. There was no point in putting work in, because he already said you'd be getting a D for completing the assignments, and no higher.

On Friday you get a little bit of revenge on the asshole by throwing yourself into your schoolwork, to the point that you force him to stay a little after five as you polish off the last few problems. And it's because you stayed late that, as you pack up, you glimpse some excitement outside. The classroom windows look out into the space between the music wing and the portables. There's some kids out there, including Mindy, Justin, and Spencer, and there's some kind of argument, for as you watch Spencer and Justin scramble to their feet just long enough for Justin to put Spencer back down with a hard punch to the jaw. He then pulls Mindy to her feet and roughly hustles her toward the building. You don't intercept them again, though, and take a different route to the parking lot.

The weekend is dreadful. You are grounded, and your dad takes advantage of that to put you to work all day Saturday, and when that evening you complain of being bored, he suggests you read a book. You try to relieve the boredom of Sunday afternoon by playing games on your console, only to discover that you really only enjoy gaming when it's one of a choice of things you could be doing. When it's the only thing available, the fun palls.

But on Sunday night your dad officially lifts your grounding, and you are done with detention, too.

So why does Monday morning feel like a case of the "same old shit"?

* * * * *

"It's simple," Carson explains to you at lunch. "Your life is in a rut. You got out of that rut for a moment, but now you're back in it."

"I didn't 'get out of my rut'!" you yell at him. "I had detention, asshole! And I got grounded!"

"Which was a break from your routine," James says. "Maybe you didn't like it, but it was a change from your usual, boring old shit."

"He's got a point," Caleb says. "You're not really doing anything with your life, Will."

"Oh, fuck you guys." You resettle your cap on your itching scalp. It's been an unseasonably warm couple of days for the last week, and the hot sun is making you prickle. "How about we move into the shade," you suggest.

"There you go," Carson says. "Looking for a break from routine."

"How about you take a different route to your next class," James suggests. "It's pretty clear you hate getting out of your comfort zone—"

"Rut," Carson corrects.

"—so, you know, try taking some baby steps."

"Oh, speaking of baby steps," Carson says, "are you looking for help with your math?"

"No!"

"Just asking, man, don't lose your shit. I just saw you hanging out in Mr. Muniz's room this morning, thought maybe you were getting some side tutoring from him."

"I wasn't in Muniz's classroom!"

"I saw you. Second period. I was on my way to my study hall."

You poke Keith in the shoulder. "Tell this guy, was I or was I not in Film class with you?"

"Film class," James snorts. "Fuck me."

"Yeah, you was there. You was helping me scope out Mia. Oh, man!" Keith's eyes light up. "Guys, I'm tellin' you, she was wearing this tiny little skirt, and—"

"It was hot," you agree.

"Well, whatever," Carson says. "But I saw you, man," he insists. "Wearing your stupid hat and everything."

"Wasn't me."

"Then you have a double here at school." Carson squints at you. "Maybe that's how come I get the impression you're always under foot."

"Bite me. Say, where's Jenny and Paul?" Those two are missing from the group.

Carson and James exchange a quick glance. "A little counseling session," James says. "Davis is feeling a little ... extreme ... about Yumi."

"What do you mean?" Caleb asks.

"Shut up, that's what we mean," Carson says. "Don't say a fucking word. Jenny's trying to talk him off a ledge."

You wince with some sympathy. Paul Davis has the biggest crush you've ever seen, on the cheerleader Yumi Saito.

* * * * *

Carson and James were being pricks, but you have to credit them with a little insight. Maybe last week did give you a break from routine. Certainly, you never realized there could be so much going on after school, even if sometimes it could be a little ... dramatic.

You don't have detention any more, but maybe you could stick around after school, get some homework done if nothing else. But not in the library. Somewhere in the school, where there might be some action.

Next: "An After-School Ambush" 

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