The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Flirt Till You Hurt

Previously: "The Baffled Boyfriend" 

He looks just like Cody Schaeffer—tall, dark-haired, well-groomed, handsome—and he looks down at you with the grave and quiet confidence that you associate with Cody Schaeffer.

So even though he answered to the name "Chelsea," you still have a hard time believing that it isn't Cody.

"What as that all about back at your house?" you ask him.

He shrugs. "Things were just kind of messed up. I didn't actually know who I was when I woke up." He looks away, and squints. "It was, um, weird to wake up with boobs."

Yes, you can see how it could be, for you remember what it was like to wake up and find yourself transformed into Yumi Saito.

"But I got it all sorted out," he says, and turns back to you. "So it's Friday night," he continues, "and I figure that if you and me are supposed to, you know." He points between your chest and his. "We meet up somewhere, pretend to run into each other. Hit it off." He shrugs. "And then we go from there."

Cody Schaeffer is going to be my boyfriend, you think. And it must be with Yumi's portion of your shared brain that you think it, for it gives you a thrill.

You grin. "So where do you want to, um, 'accidentally' meet up?" you ask.

* * * * *

It's nearly seven o'clock when you pull up in front of Catherine Muskov's house. There's a dozen or more cars parked along the street, and one of them is Cody's. Chelsea went on ahead to scout the scene, and you had to wait for a good quarter hour before you got a text from Cody's phone: People still here u shld come on out. And then you waited another ten minutes or so, continuing your search of Cody's social media postings, before following.

People still here, Chelsea said. People are always at Catherine's, because people are always hanging out at her place after school, every weekday. They're not parties per se, and there's rarely more than fifteen kids around at any one time. People just drift in and drift out, bringing their own snacks and drinks, their own friends, their own make-work, whether it's cell phones or school assignments. Wanna go hang out at Catherine's awhile? is a common suggestion, and "hang out" never means "party." You might as well hang out at your own house as at hers, because it would be just about as exciting. But somehow it still feels like you're "doing something" when you go to Catherine's.

But "hanging out" at Catherine's on a Friday or a Saturday never turns into a party either, because Catherine always goes out to someone else's party, or to a club, or to the Warehouse. Maybe it's the understanding she has with her parents, that the house can be a hangout but only if it's never a party spot. Maybe it's just Catherine. But when Chelsea texts you, Catherine hasn't begun to shoo her guests out yet.

There's some band kids—Aaron Flood and Daniel Lujan—perched on the porch railing out front, and they call out to you as you approach. The two guys they are with turn to watch you. They are in Eastman varsity jackets, and Aaron and Daniel introduce them as Cooper and Joel. Catherine attended Eastman through her junior year, and her house has always attracted a mix of Eastman and Westside kids, though the proportion of the latter seems to have increased since she switched schools.

There's more kids inside, sprawling over the sofas in the living room, and they look up and greet you. One of them could be Cody's cousin or even his brother—same coloring, same build, same well-groomed appearance, and he catches you staring at him. You shake your head to clear away the confusion, and ask where Catherine is. "Around," says a blonde girl who is sitting in the lap of a dorky-looking kid with long hair and glasses. You roll your eyes, and plunge deeper into the house in search of—

You find him in the kitchen, leaning against the cooking island, in earnest conversation with a Korean-American guy. (Yumi's ability to tell the Chinese from the Japanese from the Koreans, and from the Vietnamese and the Mongolians is one of her "superpowers", though it's not one she brags openly about.) They're talking about an upcoming tennis meet, and you loiter just inside of Cody's eyeline until he breaks off to greet you. "Hey, Yumi," he says.

"Hey." You feign nonchalance even though your heart is hammering. "You seen Catherine around?"

"I think she's upstairs," says the Korean kid. His voice is hoarse and a little throaty. He checks his watch. "This is about the time she starts getting ready."

"Okay. Whatever." You linger, and glance around.

"This is Jacob," Cody tells you. "He's on the Eastman tennis team. Jacob, this is Yumi."

"Yeah, hey," Jacob says. He jerks his chin at you. "You're a cheerleader, right?"

"For the time being." You lean against the island and drum your fingernails on the countertop. "Where are you guys heading out after this?"

"I dunno." Cody looks at Jacob. "There any parties going on you know of?"

"Oh yeah! Lots. There's, um ... There's Legends, too. I know some guys going out there tonight." His eyes dart, and a dark flush creeps up into his flat, tanned cheeks.

"I feel like going someplace quiet," you say. You don't like Jacob's stare—there's something haggard in it—and glance around everywhere but at his face.

"You need to talk to Catherine about something?" Cody asks.

"Oh, no. It's just polite to say hi to someone when you crash their house."

"I haven't seen Catherine since I got here." Cody looks at Jacob, who says, "I saw her, like, an hour ago, but I didn't talk to her."

"Well ..." You trail off, hating how hard it is to make small talk, and wishing that Chelsea would fucking do something to make it less awkward. "So, did you understand any of that new stuff in Stat today?" you ask Cody.

"Why, you need tutoring?"

"No! I—"

"I'm just teasing." Cody grins. "Jeez, Chelsea's got you all kinds of wound up."

You gasp. "What makes you—? Ohhhh!" You growl with frustration.

"You know who Chelsea Cooper is, don't you?" Cody asks Jacob. "The head cheerleader at Westside?"

"I don't know who she is. I mean, I don't know which one—"

"Blonde. Great bust. Really stacked. Does the best routines on the floor?" Cody's tone cools noticeably when Jacob shrugs. "Blonde hair, kind of curly, tousled—"

"She's the one who's always at the top of the pyramid," you interrupt. "Because of course she has to be."

Cody, sidelong, gives you a look. Jacob says, "Oh, okay, I know which one you're talking about now."

"Chelsea is Yumi's favorite topic of conversation," Cody says. He holds your eye. "She can never stop talking about what's wrong with Chelsea."

"Because there's so much wrong with her!" you blurt out. If Chelsea is going to be this way, you decide, you might as well go all in.

But Cody only laughs. "How about you tell Chelsea that the cheerleaders need to start showing up at the tennis meets. Do some of those gymnastic routines on the sidelines."

"Oh, jeez!"

"That'd be great," Jacob says. His voice burbles with excitement.

"Then one of you pitch it to her."

You're interrupted at that point by one of the guys from the living room—the one who looks kind of like Cody. "What's all the shouting about in here?" he asks.

"We're talking about cheerleaders," says Cody.

"Oh wow. Yeah, I'd shout too."

"Yumi's a cheerleader."

The guy does a double-take at you. "Oh hey," he says. "Yeah."

"Wes is on the track team," says Cody.

"Oh. Lemme guess. Eastman."

"Yeah!" Wes nods.

An awkward silence descends, ending only when Wes asks where everyone is planning to head out to. "Hi-Hats are playing at the Warehouse," he says.

"Yumi wants to hang out someplace quiet," Jacob says.

"Legends?" Wes cocks his head at you. "You like dancing?"

"I like it, but I don't think I'm that good."

"You're a cheerleader," Cody says, "and you're no good at dancing? What about the gymnastic routines you have to learn?"

"That's not the same."

"I bet Chelsea dances good."

"Chelsea can stick her—! Why are you always talking about Chelsea?"

"Because you get so fizzy when we talk about her." Cody grins.

* * * * *

The ultimate plan, which you arrive at after following Cody's lead, is to grab a bite to eat, then head over to the house of an Eastman student named Joshua Cheswick. "It's gonna be chill," Jacob promises you. "Totally chill." Cody knows how to get to Cheswick's but you don't, so he says he'll follow you back to your place so you can drop your car off, then take you out. He practically has to knee Jacob in the groin when the latter volunteers that he could chauffeur you instead.

"Man, Jacob is hot for you," Cody laughs after picking you up. "You need to watch out, or he's gonna be all over you at Cheswick's."

"I could tell," you retort.

"Wes, too. Do you get that kind of attention back at Westside? I mean, does Yumi?"

"No. I guess I'm spoiled fruit over there."

Cody gives you a sly look. "You know, you could stand to play the field a little, Will. Nothing says you have to settle for Cody right away."

"Are you calling me a slut?"

"No, not unless you want to be."

You feel almost spiteful enough to take Chelsea up on the suggestion.

Next: "A Chill in the Air" 

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