Chapter #21The Queen Is Dead! Long Live the Queen! by: Seuzz   "The sooner we get Chelsea the sooner we can plan out the rest of our moves," you reflect. "Can you get her over here tonight?"
"I dunno." He nods at Richards. "I'll relay a message through this fucker telling you when and where."
* * * * *
The ride back is quiet. Jeremy drives while you huddle in the back with Jessica's replacement. "You have any special requests for after I move into Chelsea?" you ask her.
She turns an inscrutable face toward you. Then she looks away. She shifts in her seat. "You know, I don't totally understand what's going on," she blurts out. "I mean, I can kind-of follow based on ... on what's been said. But a lot of it doesn't make sense."
"What do you mean?" you ask in some alarm.
"Well, I know you and ... Caleb ... are going around, like, replacing people with duplicates. I know I'm one of them. But don't ask me what your friend has planned." She shrugs.
"But you were there," you frown. "All the time we prepared. Don't you remember?"
"Oh, I remember talking and what I said. But don't ask me what I was thinking. Someone else was doing that, and he didn't leave anything behind."
You stare at her, and you stare at the back of Jeremy's head. "You guys know you're not supposed to tell anyone about what's going on, right?" you tell them emphatically.
"We're not stupid," Jeremy rumbles. "Anything happens and our originals get out, it's the end of us. We're not stupid," he adds, redundantly.
"Okay. Just try to have fun," you insist. "You guys have great lives--" You give Jessica's arm a tight, sisterly squeeze. "And they're yours now."
"Whatever," Jeremy sighs.
"You said you're taking over Chelsea?" Jessica asks in a guarded tone. She squeezes your arm in a way that seems affectionate.
* * * * *
Jessica is still rather moody that night and the next morning, but comes to life as soon as you hit school. It's almost as if a switch gets flipped, and she is chatty and giggly and full of secret confidences for you and everyone else. At practice she even stands up to Chelsea, arguing and yelling and not backing down even when the captain gets purple in face. In fact, her impudence leaves Chelsea speechless, which is almost a one-of-its-kind occurrence. She gets surreptitious congratulations from Lin Pol and Yumi Saito; and cold, dark stares from Gloria Rea and Kendra Saunders.
Ripples from that argument spread, apparently, for at lunch Jeremy intercepts you outside the cafeteria. "Let's just go off by ourselves," he says. "You don't want to be next to Chelsea, and besides, I've got a message for you."
"From Gordon?"
"Directly, yes," he says. "Indirectly, from Chelsea. We've been invited over to her place after school. Gordon'll be there too."
"Perfect place for a switch," you murmur, "though it is probably Chelsea's idea. You heard about what happened at practice this morning?"
He nods. "Gordon did too."
"How's he treating you?"
"Gordon? The same. Rode me hard at practice, but he wasn't nasty about it."
Lunch together is pleasant, and even a little affectionate.
* * * * *
You squeeze Jeremy's hand as the door to Casa Chelsea opens, but it's Gordon who answers it. "You got the stuff?" he asks quietly as he ushers you in.
You pat your over-size purse. "I also rigged up Eva's face, so we can put it directly on her when we have a chance."
"Gonna be a little tricky," he says. "Her mom and brother are here. We'll have to use a bathroom, probably."
"We won't be in her bedroom?"
He smiles grimly. "Oh, she's got it arranged."
It's arranged on the back patio, by the pool. It is now too cool to swim, but the early October sun is still warm, and Chelsea is relaxing on a chair under an umbrella. It's the only shade, and the other chairs are arranged in front of her, in such a way that you and Jeremy have to squint into the lowering sun to even look at her. She, on the other hand, has on shades. Gordon stands behind her, arms folded.
"Hey," she says with fake sincerity, "so great to see you here. You look really good, Eva. I don't know why you don't wear that outfit to school."
You bite your tongue and refrain from mentioning that it's one of your more usual sartorial choices.
"You were really good at practice this morning," she says, and starts buffing her nails. "You're really level-headed and you give 100%. Well, 95%, but I ask too much. Don't I, honey?" She reaches up to take Gordon's hand.
"It's what makes a great captain," he says. "I push my guys just as hard."
"And we're a team too, Gordon and me," she says. "We push each other and tell each other when we've been screwing up, even with our teams. It's hard to be tough, you know, with our friends, because we don't want to hurt their feelings. And you guys are our friends, you know."
"Uh huh?" You stifle a smile, for Gordon has started pulling comical faces behind Chelsea's back.
But she doesn't notice. "For instance," she continues with steely sweetness, "I don't think Gordon has told Jeremy, honestly, what a disappointment he's been."
"Oh?" Jeremy says in a guarded tone.
"Oh, he tells me. It's all he talks about, how you've got so much talent, Jeremy, but you just won't work. How you let Seth and Ryan and the others do the work and then try to pick up the rewards."
She glances up at Gordon, but he's uncrossed his eyes and returned his tongue to his mouth. "Ninety-five percent isn't good enough for a Westside cheerleader, Eva," he tells you. "Burn the extra effort or Chelsea's gonna burn you."
You set your purse down next to Gordon's feet. "I understand, Chelsea," you say evenly. "Do you have a message for my sister?"
Chelsea pauses at her nail-buffing. "I haven't got anything to say to Jessica," she says coolly. "She won't listen. She made that totally clear at practice today." She resumes buffing. "You're the one I'm concerned about."
"Can I use your bathroom?" you ask. That catches her off guard, but she nods. You excuse yourself and retreat into the house. The guest bath on the first floor is free. You're inside for only a few moments and are undressed when there's a soft knock. It's Gordon.
"Mask is on her," he says as he peeks inside. "You ready?"
"Half a sec."
You drop to the floor, put your hand to your brow and chant a phrase.
* * * * *
Gordon and the mask are gone when you wake. You lock the bathroom door.
You stare into the mirror while waiting. The unshaven face of Will Prescott is a little green, and your eyes shine brightly. Your gaze drifts down to take in your cavernous chest and stick arms and slight, unmuscled belly. Armpit hair sticks out like straw from a badly stuffed scarecrow. After being inside Eva--and after a day of watching Chelsea--you are thoroughly repulsed by how ugly you look. You rub the small cluster of zits that disfigure your nose.
"Yeah," you call tentatively when there's another knock, and open the door to peep out. It's Eva, albeit an Eva dressed in Chelsea's things. You let her in and she hands you a mask. CHELSEA COURTNEY COOPER it says in blazing letters on its inside. Eva undresses quickly and quietly, then gets into her own clothes. You let her finish and leave before turning to the things she left behind. They make a very inviting pile, and you fight a momentary urge to jack off over them before putting them on.
* * * * *
Oh, that's much better, you smile to yourself as you regard your new form. Great fistfuls of golden hair tumbling down in loose curls around your pert face. Where's that scrunchy? Oh, there it is. You pull your hair back, but not so tight that it loses body. You lightly rub a spot on your nose where that troublesome zit had been. It's a cute button nose, much nicer after that light surgery to get rid of the hint of pug. Though Gordon said he missed it. Boy did he regret saying that.
As you dress your thoughts go back out to the company by the pool. The plan had been to force Eva and Jeremy to break up "for the good of the teams." You're not sure that's a good idea now. There are now other ways of reasserting Chelsea's--your--control over the squad. Besides, Cindy has also been getting uppity. Maybe it would be better to use the "force a boyfriend breakup" on her and Seth.
On the other hand ... The glint in your eye grows sharper as you ponder the possibilities ... Letting it fester could encourage bigger intrigues that would be more satisfying to stamp out ... and there's no danger now that they could grow into serious threats.
Your first decision as Chelsea Cooper ..
You force yourself to relax; worrying will just cause your complexion to splotch. You slip on the flip-flops, give yourself one last shakedown so things hang comfortably, and exit.
Three pairs of eyes turn expectantly toward you as you pad back out to the pool and lean back in the chair. You smile at them.  | Members who added to this interactive
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