You know all the reasons you should be doing something else on this overcast Friday afternoon.
Comforting Melanie, for one, who just can't seem to get over her never-had-been relationship with Eric. Brianna doesn't know what she sees in him, especially with you having masqueraded as that asshole over the past few days. He's so unsupportive, she deserved someone way better than him anyways. With Eric's personality and memories fading quickly in return for Brianna's, you almost regret having sent her a text message after two weeks. Eric is like that gum on your shoe that won't scrape off easily, until you made him your beta at least.
You could have taken Melanie with you to Maggie's party. Brianna's social circle revolving around the Westside Marching Band, she doesn't know much about Maggie except that she plays on the varsity softball team. But her party was all everyone was talking about earlier today in Dr. Stemple's class. He was absent today, so Brianna's friends had plenty of time to gossip in the back of the old band room while a substitute teacher popped in a videotape to pacify the class all hour.
Susie Lekuawehe and Philippa Hosford were planning to go. In fact, those two girls were blowing up your phone right now with texts inviting you to meet up somewhere to hang out before it starts to rain again.
Sorry cant go tonight You unlock Brianna's phone and type out a text, punctuating each line with an emoji. Hanging out with Philip Fairfax!!~~ Brianna's mind squees gleefully within you as her nails press send.
omg go girl!! see if he wants 2 come with us?? Philippa texted you a moment later.
okok I'll try... You put Brianna's phone away and take a deep breath, refocusing on Beta-Philip as he hunches over in the storage unit, setting to work on polishing a newly created mask. It looks like a dull gray, and you watch his broad shoulders roll and his arms pump as he rubs a cloth over it.
"Hey, Philip, Maggie Crenshaw is holding a party tonight. Do you want to go?" The Brianna part of you wants to add with me? but you cut her off. The last thing you need is to indulge in this girl's desires... but then why are you still here?
Beta-Philip doesn't seem to recognize the name. "Sorry, I don't know who she is. Besides, I am supposed to wait here until I get further instructions from my alpha."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" You ask, desperate for his attention.
Without turning around, he grunts indifferently, repeating, "You can keep me company, Will. My alpha didn't leave us with much more than a few unpolished masks, so we'll need to get these shining a bright blue before applying a seal and getting them ready to make another beta."
"How long is that gonna take?"
He shrugs. "Several hours at least. You don't have to wait around."
"N-no, it's okay really!" You stammer, folding your legs underneath as you sit next to Brianna's crush. You look over him again curiously. He looks and sounds just like the real Fairfax. It's a shame he's not your beta or else you could make him do whatever you want...
"Is something the matter, Will?" Beta-Philip asks you again. You had been playing with Brianna's ponytail, your heart all aflutter with naughty thoughts blooming in your mind about having your own Fairfax to play with. Gosh, it was like Brianna's fantasy coming to life before her eyes. You need to get the hell out of here. But the Brianna part of you simply can't resist. It's like fighting a tug-of-war between respecting your distance with Fairfax and pouncing him, tearing open his shirt and seeing those piercing green eyes afire with...
"No! I'm fine, honest." You break out into a fit of nervous giggles. "Hey, I think my dad -- Will's dad -- has a power washer or something that could speed up this whole process. Work smarter, not harder ya know?"
Beta-Philip rests for a moment and wipes the sweat off his brow, causing your tummy to do somersaults. "That actually sounds like a reasonable idea. Why don't you propose that method with Maria, and we can incorporate that into our future endeavors?"
You make a mental note of that and grab a chamois to begin polishing another mask. It's boring drudgery, but Beta-Philip seems to pass the time with a placid calmness, not bothering to speak much as you try to make small talk. Like the real version, he is just as difficult to read behind those black, plastic framed glasses. Brianna's mind swirls like a low-grade tempest within you: What is he thinking about right now? What does he think of me? I want him to make the first move but is he ignoring me on purpose? Gosh he's a tough nut to crack. But that's why I love him!~
"Hey Philip, what are your plans for after you graduate from Westside?" You ask. Taking this opportunity to learn more about the team leader. Expecting that a smart guy like him already has his whole life planned out. Enrolling in some prestigious college like Harvard or Oxford, probably, then some high-paying career as an engineer or physicist at NASA or something. If there's anyone who could go that route at school it's him.
"My plans?" He echoes plainly, then nods. "Right, you mean my alpha. He applied for several different schools back in August and is waiting for a response. While his grades and SAT scores are optimal, he is concerned that he lacks strengths in other areas universities consider when selecting applicants."
"Such as?"
"Extracurriculars, for example." Beta-Philip answers. "He joined the Brainwave Club in sophomore year but that's it." Brainwave being a nationally recognized trivia game for high schoolers, kind of like Jeopardy! but in a team setting. You imagine him huddled next to a hand buzzer with other super nerds like Hugh Flake and Randy Hodges.
"I see." You reply. "Well, the Concert Choir is looking for another baritone, you could talk to Becky Hayes about joining if you want."
"I'm sure my alpha will give your suggestion some consideration." He replies noncommittally.
"I think I know why Philip wanted to start this whole sociological experiment thing," You pipe up.
"Why do you think that is?" He asks.
"Because it's about seeing what it's like to be someone else, right?" You speculate. "I mean, most of us involved are gonna graduate this year and won't see each other again. But wouldn't this magic book thingy make the most interesting story to tell a college recruiter? How many engineering students at Caltech get to say they were on the cheer squad?"
"What makes you think he applied there?" Beta-Philip asks you obliquely. "Anyway, most people would find that a rather dubious claim, wouldn't they? Impersonating someone else using a magic book does not exactly make for a credible personal statement."
"Then why is he so interested?"
Beta-Philip pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiles faintly. "Why don't you ask him instead of me?"
"Because you're him!" You retort. "You know what he thinks. Come on, please?"
"Why do you want to know so badly? It should be sufficient that they let you participate in their investigation."
You fold your arms under your bust and grumble. "I know, but it was my book to begin with..."
It's raining again and the sky is dark and cloudy. You've spent an hour alone with Beta-Philip and still you hardly know a thing about this tall, smart, (handsome! Brianna's brain reminds you) guy. He outsmarts every attempt you make to try to crack him, to know more about his mysterious inner life. And it just seems to make the Brianna part more infatuated with him.
You get a text message from Maria Vasquez, whose contact was already in Brianna's phone. Where are you, Will? Let me know when you have settled in to Brianna's persona. We should meet to impart her knowledge for our investigation.
You tap a quick reply, yup!! im getting her memories and stuff. where should we meet?
At Maria's house, I trust you know where she lives? The real Philip texts back. Of course Brianna knows where Maria lives. Their parents are both hotshot business people in Saratoga Falls. The Kirschke's own La Patisserie, an upscale bakery and pastry shop that was Lisa Yarborough's favorite place to listen to music and read books in her free time. It seemed too pretentious for you, though. Brianna works there after school a few days a week and on the weekends too.
And the Kirschke's also own Cherry Brook Bread and Cakes. But their wealth is tied up in their businesses, and they're actually kind of cash poor. Alvaro Vasquez, Maria's father, is a real estate investor who owns the buildings housing the Kirschke's businesses, and he's also on the school board.
Jingling Brianna's car keys, you stand up and tell Beta-Philip that you're leaving. He pauses from his work to say goodbye. Then, realizing Brianna left her hat in the car, he fetches an umbrella from the storage and walks you out to her car. He really is a gentleman, Brianna's voice gushes in your head. For a moment, you want to press up against him under the umbrella, wishing he had the nerve to slide his hand across your back and hug you tight. But you shake it off, climbing into Brianna's beat-up car and turning on the radio. Listening to Brianna's favorite pop music station to distract yourself from the two Fairfaxes swirling about like a Scylla and Charybdis ready to sink Brianna's love boat to the depths of her own heart.
Woah... you need to get a handle over her crush. She seems to have it pretty bad for him!
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