This choice: Just stick with James, Carson, and Jenny • Go Back...Chapter #26James Lamont's Request by: rugal b.   "Congratulations!" Jenny says as she gives you a sisterly hug at lunch the next day.
You give her a hug back and take a seat next to her. "You're like the fiftieth person to say that today but it's appreciated all the same."
"Yumi Saito, co-captain of the Westside High School cheerleading squad. Who woulda thunk it?" Carson adds in.
"Definitely not me." you answer as you poke at the sloppy so-called salisbury steak that the school is serving today; in your excitement you'd forgotten to pack something healthy. "But I talked to Chelsea yesterday and she just said that she wanted to do it. That she really couldn't fight my popularity anymore."
"I think she's trying to use that to protect herself." Jenny says after taking a sip of her soda.
Carson nods, "Yeah, like I'm not all up on the social hierarchy jazz but I know enough to know that you're too popular. She kicks you off and half the cheerleaders revolt. Half the student body revolts. She becomes an even bigger tin-pot dictator than she already is."
"Maybe that's why she made you co-captain though." says James, "It's kind of ingenious if you really think about it. If you're co-captain that comes with increased responsibilities. So maybe she wants to have your life more absorbed in the squad either until you're so overwhelmed that you just quit. You're gone and her hands are clean."
You give a small laugh and the three look at you. "And what's so funny about that?" asks Carson.
"No, it's just... those are great guesses. Really great guesses. But that's all they are." you reply with a small smile. "I actually do know why she promoted me: because I told her to make me co-captain."
They continue giving you funny looks. "Are you sure you're alright, Yumi?" asks Jenny, "I didn't think power would go to your head so quickly that you'd become all delusional and stuff."
"No it's not delusions." you say with a shake of your head, "Trust me, I didn't believe it at first either but afterwards,,, well..."
James raises an eyebrow, "You're really not making any sense, Yumi, you know that right?" he asks.
"Look, it's hard to explain, especially here. But Jenny, you're dad's still out of town right?" you ask referring to the fact that Jenny is often left home by herself for days at a time due to living with a father who often has to go out of town on business trips. She gives you an affirmative reply. "Alright so then we'll meet up after school at your place and I can show you exactly what it is that changed Chelsea's mind."
* * * * *
"Jesus fuck!" Jenny exclaims as she paws at her chest.
"Get your, my, your... whoever's hands off of there!" exclaims James defensively as he smacks Jenny's hands.
"Sorry but, like, tits!" she continues, "Even if it's your tits, tits are tits and I've got them right here on my chest what the fuck did you expect me to do?"
"Not to grab at my chest like an animal!" James shoots back, "I swear to god Carson, I don't know why I let you do this."
"Because James didn't want to be you." replies Jenny, "Probably thought we'd think he was weird after that incident with the clothes and shit."
"Fuck off, Ioeger." Carson replies while flipping Jenny the bird, "Maybe I didn't want Jenny to be stuck inside your body. You think about that?"
"Guys, please!" you raise your hands in a 'stop' motion, "I know it's weird as hell but I need you all to calm down. Everyone settled? Good. So yeah as you can see I've got this book that lets you make masks of other people. You put the mask on and presto change-o you're them."
"Where'd you even get it?" James asks.
You shrug, "Arnholm's. I went in there to browse a little bit a while back and came across it. I was..." you're trying to think of a plausible excuse, "I was too freaked out by it at first to use it but I kind of... I got over it. There's a spell in there, it's like these masks but you put your hair and a little bit of goop in it and if you stick it on that person they become whoever the mask's copied but under your control."
"So Chelsea is... not Chelsea? Just someone under a Chelsea mask under your control?" asks Jenny.
"Mmm, sort of. She's Chelsea under a Chelsea mask under my control." you reply. "But that's what I want to talk to you guys about. I did that to Chelsea and... well she's going to be a lot nicer. Not just to me, I'm going to tell her to be nicer in general."
"So we could take over the school with this." Carson says and there's a bit of awe, and trepidation, in his voice. "We could have the basketball players, the cheerleaders, all the people under our control."
"We could, and we will. I'm glad you're picking up quick." you smile, "But I don't just want to put all the cheerleaders and basketball players under masks of themselves. I want to make things better for you guys too."
"And you think having the school under our thumb wouldn't make it better?" Jenny asks crossing her arms. You briefly wonder if she's doing it as a quick way to feel her chest.
"Well it would but I want you guys to have a little fun with this too." you state, "Think about it, you can be anyone right? So why not do that?" You turn to Jenny, "Say you want to be a guy who can get any girl you want? Or maybe you just want to be a girl and play with your chest? You can do that." You then turn to James, "Or you could be someone with..."
Your voice trails off but he completes your thought for you. "With a real family, yeah I know you don't have to sugarcoat it." he says. "What about you?"
"Me?" you ask with a smile. "I'm happy where I am. The only really niggling thing was getting Chelsea out of my hair and I've done that. This is for the benefit of you three, not me. Mostly not me."
You had only copied their faces into the mask for your little demonstration so you have them remove the masks. You then take the mindbands and place them on each of their heads before combining the masks and bands. After they've agreed to go along with your idea you then give each one another blank mask and a mind band before golemizing their masks. You then tell them that you want them to show up back here tomorrow after school in a new guise, whoever they want, with the golems of themselves in tow.
You then part but James, the real James, looks at you a little uncertainly before asking if the two of you can drive out to the parking lot of the abandoned elementary school to talk privately.
* * * * *
"So what'd you want to talk about?" you ask after the two of you have parked your cars. You're now both sitting on the hood of is looking at the buildings and lights.
He shifts a bit, "It's... it's about these masks." he says.
You cock an eyebrow, "I thought I was pretty clear on what they do and all that."
"No, you were." he nods, "It's just... who are you?"
You're taken aback a bit by that. "I... don't know what you're talking about." you say, "I'm Yumi. Who else would I be?"
"Someone underneath a Yumi mask, playing her role." he replies, "You had them fooled but when you gave that excuse about not using the masks yourself? For someone like me that was a bit of a tip off." He then looks at you, more sternly and seriously. "So who are you? Who are you really? Who's hiding under that mask?"
You laugh a bit, a friendly laugh. "Alright, yeah you got me. I wasn't sure if I should tell you guys anyway but... I'm Prescott under here. I needed a way to show you the book, to get you guys on board, and I doubt you would've listened to me. But you guys would listen to Yumi."
"Where's the real Yumi?" asks James.
"Under a golemized mask of Chelsea." you answer, "Don't ask. It's a big complicated chain of events I don't feel like explaining. You're not mad are you?"
"Mad? Nah." he says with a dismissive motion, "But Jenny would be if she found out. And she won't. Not if you do something for me."
You eye him. What is he getting at? "I think I'm helping you a lot already." you state.
"Not the way I want to be helped though." he says, "All of us, we've got our own little secrets. Let me take you back, the incident with the clothes? Where I proposed it'd be cool if we could become other people by wearing their clothes? You remember?" You nod at that, "Let me go on a little side road here then. Like I said we've all got our own little secrets. Take Carson: I know that, deep down, he's in love with Jenny only he does nothing because I'm his best friend and he doesn't want to dick me over."
"That's interesting and all but where is it going? You like Jenny?" you ask. "Yeah, well, no. Well I do but it's... it's complicated. Let me put it to you like this. Carson and I would both want in Jenny's pants. Only we'd want into them in completely different ways, if you get my drift."
You eye him for a moment before realization sets in. "Wait a minute, you don't mean..."
He nods. "Yeah, I do. Prescott, I want to be a girl. I want to use this mask to make that happen. And I have a very specific person in mind."
"Who's that?" you ask.
"This'll probably piss you off but... Lisa Yarborough." he says and you are surprised by that.
"Why should I help you get my ex-girlfriend? I want you guys to do this on your own."
James shifts, "Because if you get me Lisa I'll get masks of the entire AP group. That's what you really want, right? Masks of different people?" His expression then becomes more serious, "And if you don't help me, I'll tell Jenny you're parading around as her best friend."
You don't know if it's a bluff or not. Jenny would flip if she found out you were Yumi. You wanted them to do it on their own but... well, what's the harm in helping James? You're not comfortable with it being Lisa though... so maybe you should try calling his bluff.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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