The Book of Masks (Vol. 4)

Laurent Drops the Bomb

Previously: "Ambushes and Ambushed" 

You've spotted Laurent gesturing to you, and he's seen that you've spotted him, so it's not like you can duck him. You grit your teeth and prepare for the worst as he saunters over.

"Hey Jess," he says, and you feel your nerves tighten: "Jess" is a nickname that only your family gets to use. "I was wondering if we could go someplace, hang out for a little while. Talk," he adds in a meaningful tone.

There's a friendly smile on his face, but also an undercurrent of gravity. Okay, this is serious, you think. "What about?" you ask.

"Some stuff going on with you."

Hmm.

Your fear is that he will want to talk to you about masks and shit, but this makes it sound like it's something else. Maybe he's also heard about your upcoming date with Luke, and has something to say about it?

"Okay," you tell him. "Me and Eva and Marc aren't talking to each other anyway these days."

"Really?" His brow furrows with concern. "What's going on?"

"Never mind. Where's your truck?"

* * * * *

He doesn't talk about what's on his mind, though, on the drive out. Instead, he presses you to explain your troubles. You dwell on your problems with Eva, explaining that she's having "boyfriend trouble" or something, and is taking it out on anyone who tries to help her. Laurent grunts in sympathy. As for Marc and his issues, you dismiss them with a quick, "He thinks someone's been going through his room, and he accused me."

That elicits another grunt from Laurent, but one with a more thoughtful sound.

Laurent drives you out to Starbucks, where he orders the cheapest thing on the menu while still paying for your more expensive espresso. He then pulls you over to the most distant corner of the mostly empty shop. There, he hunches up defensively on his side of the table.

"Okay, cards on the table," he says. "Marcos says he ran into you on Friday, and you guys ... talked ... about some stuff." He visibly cringes even as he looks up at you from under his eyebrows.

And that's all he says, and you realize that's he's waiting for you to lob that conversational grenade back into his lap.

In particular, it comes to you in a flash, he's waiting to see if you believed that wild story that Marcos told Jessica.

That's all for now.

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