The Book of Masks (Vol. 3)

Who's the Mansfield?

Previously: "The Special Mask" 

Geoff's mask won't tell you anything about what has happened since their "date," but it will give you some insight into how Geoff thinks, so that's what you choose.

As it happens, on Monday you get indirect confirmation that things are bad between Geoff and Lisa. Before Hawks's Film as Literature class begins, Anthony Kirk comes in and drops into the desk in front of you. "So what's going on between you and Lisa Yarborough?" he asks.

You feel your face tighten. "Nothing, apparently," you snap.

"You didn't see her at the mall last Wednesday?"

Oh, so that's what he's fishing for. Kirk is one of the AP assholes, always hanging around with Mansfield. He must be trying to get confirmation on Geoff's story about rescuing Lisa from the mall. "No," you say, trying to keep your expression neutral. You're going to be on Lisa's side in any developing fight. He looks at you closely, and you return his stare evenly. "What's this about?" you ask.

"Nothing, I guess." He looks over your shoulder, then gets out of the chair and shambles out of the room. Keith slides into the just-vacated seat.

You tap him on the shoulder. "If anyone asks, I was with you all afternoon and evening last Wednesday."

"You were hanging out with me at work?" he asks dryly.

"I was stuffing my face with donuts," you retort. "Come on, help me out."

"Fine. I'll bitch about you to anyone who asks."

* * * * *

You, Caleb, and Keith arrive at the gym early after classes let out, and find that the basketball team is still practicing. You keep to the side, but Patterson catches sight of you, and nods curtly but meaningfully in your direction. When Seth Javits misses a layup, Patterson tears into him. "The fuck was that supposed to be, Javits?" Seth freezes but says nothing, and winds up glaring at the floor with his hands on his hips. "Gordon?" Patterson says, turning to his friend.

Black's eyes flick in your direction. "Ten laps, Javits, and I wanna talk to you after practice." Seth launches into a circuit; Keith ducks behind you and Caleb as his nemesis swings past.

Once the floor is clear, the three of you edge over to the stairs leading up to the loft, but you have to loiter near the bottom because there are still spectators on the bleachers opposite you, including Gordon's girlfriend, Chelsea Cooper. One by one, as heads turn toward distractions, each of you ducks around the corner and dashes up to the fuck room. Caleb and Keith precede you, and they're already at the cabinet when you arrive. Keith has a mask and some clothes under his arm. Caleb is frowning. "I guess I'll have to take the clothes that come with Kendra. I wonder where Patterson got them."

"Off the girls he gets up here, probably," Keith mutters.

"Only if he sends them home naked," Caleb retorts. "Which I wouldn't put past him." He looks over at you. "I guess Geoff is the smart play for you," he says. "We don't have any more chick clothes."

"So what am I supposed to wear?"

"Your own stuff, I guess," he shrugs. "Oh, right, you don't have nice clothes."

"I just don't like them," you retort. "I guess mine'll work. But Mansfield's a little bigger than me."

"Mansfield's size is not something I want to think about," Keith chortles. "I don't want to think about yours either."

Caleb is looking back in the cabinet. "Hey Keith, where's the mask you snagged for your initiation?"

He jerks a little. "Uh, it's not in there?"

"No. Just the people we're taking. And Kendra."

"Maybe it's in the other cabinet."

"Well, who is it?"

"Is Lisa's mask in there?" you interrupt.

Caleb glances back. "Nope." You frown, but Caleb turns back to Keith. "So who was it?"

"Uh ... Well, if Patterson's got it locked up, maybe it's a secret thing. Maybe I shouldn't tell you. He told me not to tell you guys about it before." He's standing too far away for you to be sure, but it wouldn't surprise you if he was sweating.

You all jump at the sound of the door opening, but it's only Patterson. "You got the stuff?"

"Yeah," Caleb says. He seems much more at ease with Patterson than either you or Keith. "'Cept the blanks."

"Inside the second cabinet," Patterson says, indicating the door with the padlock. "You guys going for Cindy first?" Caleb grunts an affirmative. "Smart play. Gordon and me'll keep Javits away from her this evening." His smile is sharp. "Oh yeah, we'll keep him busy."

"Awesome," Caleb says. "What about Tilley's mask? I mean, the one he scored for his initiation. Can we use it?"

Patterson's eyes go very cold, and they flick briefly over to Keith. "Why do you think it would be useful?"

Caleb shrugs. "I don't even know which one it is. I thought I'd ask in case we could use it on these jobs."

"It wouldn't help you," Patterson says. "It's for tricky jobs. I'll pull it out for you guys if I think it'll help you."

"What about Lisa's mask?" you blurt out.

"Lynch has it."

"What?!"

"Don't shit yourself, Prescott. He needs it for a job, same as you guys. Anything else?" You and your friends look at each other and shake your heads. "Alright then. I can keep Seth busy tonight, so don't fuck around with getting to Cindy."

* * * * *

The three of you meet over at the elementary school around five. (You tell your mom you have a study session and will be missing supper.) Even though you live closest to the school, you're the last to arrive, and can hear raised voices from inside. As you enter, you find Caleb glaring at a discomfited Keith. The former looks over at you. "Will you tell Tilley here it's a bad idea keeping secrets from his friends?"

"It's not my secret," Keith protests.

"What are you talking about?" you ask.

"It's the mask he got for Patterson for his initiation," Caleb replies. "He won't say who it is."

"You heard Patterson," Keith says, turning red. "I don't want him pissed at me and turning me into a-- One of those statue things."

"We're friends," Caleb says. "Patterson's the guy who--" He makes a disgusted face.

"I thought you were one who said we could trust Patterson," you say to Caleb. "Remember last week, when he called up pretending to be me and tried to get you to--"

"That was us vs. Patterson," he says. "I'm talking about us not keeping secrets from each other."

"I still don't know why you're talking about Patterson as the enemy," you say. Truth to tell, you think Caleb has a point, but you're not inclined to let him off the hook. "It seems to me you're being awfully chummy with him."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, like up in the fuck room this afternoon. All talking to him like you're totally on board with this bullshit 'team' he's got and these jobs he's having us pull."

"I don't want him thinking we're afraid of him," Caleb says. His eyes narrow. "You think the team is 'bullshit'?"

"Well, let's just say that, ethically, it's a little sketchy."

"Huh," Caleb grunts. "Like you and me weren't going to-- Then why are you going along with it?"

"Because I want to get up to this senior level he promised me. Or us. It sounds like the only safe place to be. So come on, let's get this show started."

The other two start disrobing, but you're already changed into the clothes you'll be wearing, so you lay back on one of the work tables and put Mansfield's mask to your face.

His mind, when it comes, slithers in like a snake. It wraps itself around yours, squeezing and suffocating, then turns about and swallows yours whole.

And then you are the snake--a fat, smug serpent.

You stretch and stand and look around. Caleb and Keith--Jessica and Eva now--are still passed out, and naked, and your cock stirs appreciatively at their rosy blooms. Maybe you could finger a pussy while they're still out-- You catch yourself and turn away.

But not before you mind goes back to the last memories in the mask: Wednesday night, with Lisa.

Your nostrils flare despite your reluctance to soak in it. She seemed desperate, needy, as though trying to prove something. That she really would do anything to be with and keep you. You catch sight of your reflection in the dim, floor-length mirror set up in the corner, and brush your dark hair into place. Yeah, you're definitely worth having.

You vomit a little bit into your mouth at Mansfield's self-regard.

And she wasn't even all that good. Well, okay, partly it was the way she threw herself on top of you. You're better when you're on top and have a chance to really "stroke and stoke" a girl. It was thoughtless of her, but you were afraid that if you tried leading her elsewhere, for a really decent time, she'd back out. Either she's really sloppy--and inside Mansfield you recoil on Lisa's behalf from the insult--or she really was desperate.

You frown to yourself. Was Kelsey getting to her? Something catches in your throat as the contours of the situation suddenly clarify. Mansfield has been privately bitching to Kelsey Blankenship about Lisa and her unwillingness to put out, with the intention of getting the bitchy Kelsey to put the screws on Lisa. No one can do the passive-aggressive thing like Kelsey.

Next: "The Lying Game" 

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