Right now? Is in right now? As in right this very instant now? You text back as much and the response is both expected and disconcerting.
yes. work to do. need time to do it.
It's incredibly brusque though that's unsurprising. Given how much you were needling her you wonder if you've pissed Maria off. However you avoid actually asking her about it and think that it's better to give her time to cool off.
They need an answer now? Well you'd narrowed it down to four and hadn't really had the chance to really weigh the pros and cons of each one. But there was one person that had taken a lead, even if it was a small one, as you were in the final stages of whittling down that list and now being put on the spot with no real time to think... well, there's nothing wrong with them you suppose. So you type in the girl's name and send it to Maria.
you sure? she asks and your response is confirming that yes, this is who you want. ok we'll get to work, she says before following it up with another text. meet us at top shelf around 10.
That certainly confuses you. Ten o'clock on a school night? y so late? you ask.
have to set things up + other reasons, comes the terse response. is that too late?
Ten will really be pushing it and though your curfew's at eleven you know that your dad will grumble and give you guff if you come strolling in after ten. But still, you think you can manage it so you text back an affirmative. it'll be fine, you send and that nets a confirmation from Maria.
So ten o'clock out at a studio in a storage facility on the edge of town. Oh your parents would definitely have fits if they knew where you were going. But they won't, or they shouldn't. So the important question becomes less about how you're going to play off where you'd been and more about what you're going to do in the intervening time?
* * * * *
"What do you know about Genesis Lee?" you ask as you walk into Caleb's room. You weren't really sure how to kill time so getting in touch with your friend and spending some time with him was the only thing you could think to do.
"Who names their kid Genesis?"
That answers your question but you press on anyway. "I don't know," you respond, "but I've got a class with her and she was talking about me a lot over the weekend because I guess we danced together at the Warehouse or something. I don't even remember her though."
"Uh huh," Caleb says dismissively. "So is that why you came over?"
"What do you mean?" you ask.
"To brag about how cool and popular you are and how many girls totally want you and blah blah fucking blah."
You reel back in astonishment from that. "Is that what you think's going on?" you ask as you suddenly feel a little hot. "Wait, are you jealous or something?"
"Why the fuck would I be jealous?" he growls. "This whole thing is just ridiculous! Eva and Jessica and all of this overnight. It's like I've been transported to Bizarro World."
"You think you find this weird? How the hell do you think I feel?" you fire back. "I had Mindy McAdams seeking me out in the library earlier after that thing I mentioned with Dorothy."
"Oh no, good looking girls are interested in. How terrible."
"It's not terrible, it's just really fucking weird!" you exclaim. "It's overwhelming! I don't know how someone like Chelsea Cooper or Marc Garner handles this shit!"
"Chelsea and Garner huh?" Caleb snorts.
"Look jackass, I'm just saying I don't know what to think about any of this okay?" you declare. "Like I was talking with Mindy and it went really well right? And I'm kind of interested in her and I think she might be interested in me for real. So, uh, Eva was saying I should talk to Rachel, uh Rachel Bell, because they're friends right? Try and, um, get her on my side because that could help?"
"Poor you," he says while rolling his eyes. "What's your point?"
"My point is that I feel out of my depth! Like I just got thrown into the deep end of the pool!" you exclaim. "What the hell do I know about having to try and navigate or set up a relationship like this? Or any of this other stuff? All that crap with Lisa just... just sort of happened. I didn't have to worry about it or even think about it but all of this..."
"If you're interested in Mindy just ask her out," he says.
"Because I don't know if she actually is and I don't want to be, you know, rejected," you reply and you want to cringe a little because you know you probably sound whiny. "Eva's idea was... good I guess. But I don't know this Rachel girl. I wouldn't know how to talk to her."
"We've got her in fourth," Caleb states. "Actually I've got her in eighth too. I've had to work on some in-class labs with her." He sighs and then grunts as he sits down on his bed. "This is dumb but I could talk to her for you if you're sooo worried. At least tell her that you're looking to talk to her."
"Oh god, that would be lame as fuck," you whine.
"So it's perfect for you then," Caleb retorts.
All you can do is shake your head. "I'm not looking for your help, okay?" you say but you quickly walk it back a little. "Well, maybe a little but not this okay? Don't talk to her."
"I wasn't going to."
You spend most of the rest of the afternoon hanging out with Caleb and though you're glad he was, seemingly, busting your chops about actually talking to Rachel you would still like his help. But certainly not in any way he could help you right now. Rather it's an idea that's been floating in your head: tell him about this stuff with the masks and betas and see if he'd be willing to join your group. But that of course leads to the problem of the rest of the group and you have the feeling they'd be more than a little irritated if you just started bringing in random people of your own accord.
That's if they actually knew about it. But that's ridiculous of course because even if you were going to bring in Caleb and even if you were going to do it right under their noses without telling them... well, you'd need access to all of their stuff and you'd have no real way of getting it. Or would you...? But no, that's dumb so you dismiss the entire thing out of hand. Not just going off on your own but of bringing in Caleb.
Or so you'd like to think. But as afternoon turns to evening and you realize you need to get home for dinner, in the back of your mind the idea of getting Caleb into all of this still lingers. After all having your friend, and a guy as smart as Caleb, around to help would certainly be useful.
* * * * *
You're nearly shaking with excitement as you head out to Top S(h)elf a little after nine-thirty... though maybe it's the caffeine because you've killed the last little bit of time sipping a coffee at Starbucks after leaving your house around an hour earlier. But you can't deny that this is a pretty exciting thing either; magic and betas and all of this. And that beta...
You'd wanted someone who you felt was useful. Someone who could really be a boon in helping you navigate waters that you're unfamiliar with. Not that having someone like Eva Garner there to help you isn't useful but you'd wanted someone a little more specialized. Someone who, as a beta, would be well placed in getting you acquainted with whatever little thing it is you felt was important to focus on. Someone well-placed, or who might know this clique, that social scene, someone who might help you date.
There had been a lot to consider no doubt and you want to curse Maria and the others; you wish you'd had more time to think a little harder about the choice. But for being put on the spot you're feeling pretty good about the name you'd sent them because she'll almost certainly fill that "useful" niche you're looking for. She's also not bad looking either in case you wanted to...
You shiver at that, both in anticipation and in nervousness. Having a beta is one thing but putting on her mask, wearing her face, her body and her very life the way the others are? It's nuts... if you wanted to do it. Because as exciting as it sounds you wonder if you could really pull off an impersonation of her. Even with their body and their mind, could you actually pull off being...  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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