This choice: Transfer to the university • Go Back... "Getting people might be a little hard, don't you think?" you ask. "I mean getting any of the moms at practices or rehearsals or whatever could be a pain, especially since all of those places are going to be very public. We might not have the same opportunities."
"I guess, but still--" Sydney starts.
However, you jump right back in. "Besides, part of this is based around, you know, sex right?" you ask. "Well if we can't really find anyone attractive then it'd be a bust right?"
"Sure," Sydney says. "But if you're worried about everything then what about you're mom?"
"My... what!?" you exclaim, startled.
"Well? Is she attractive enough for you?" she sneers though it's more teasing than malicious or angry. "Anyway, I'm just kidding. If you don't want to use a bunch of moms that's fine. You don't really need to justify it, you know?"
"Uh huh," you say after allowing the shudder at the thought of using a mask on your own mother pass through you.
"I'm guessing you just don't want to be an old lady?" Sydney grins.
"What? No, it's not..." However, you stop yourself and sigh, having to admit that likely is part of it. "Okay, sure, maybe a little bit. But it would be more difficult too. So would any of the other places you brought up. It's not like we know anyone from Xavier's or Agape or the Fort, at any rate."
"There's still Keyserling," Sydney states. "I mean if you know anybody who goes there of course."
"I do, but," you pause and shift uncomfortably. "It's my cousin, so..."
"Ah, yeah. I get you," Sydney deflates. "Using even extended family like that would probably still be uncomfortable but I can't say that I really know anyone who goes there either, especially being the new girl in town and all." Quickly, though, she perks back up and looks at you with a sweet smile. "But I'm pretty sure I know where they hang out."
"Yeah? Where would that be?"
"Around the college, duh!" she beams. "All those little coffee shops and cafes downtown and near Keyserling... we'd be guaranteed to find at least one person attending the school!"
However you flinch a bit at that. "I never actually said we'd be trying to get someone from the college though!" you exclaim in surprise.
"Didn't you?" she retorts while continuing to smile. "I mean you're right in that we don't really have ways into some of those other places and the moms..." Sydney grunts at that. "Well, I kind of wanted to do that but you might be right too about the viability of even being able to do it. Heading off to college seems like the easiest, surest bet when all the options are laid out."
"So we go to one of the cafes and... what?"
"We wait," Sydney states matter-of-factly. "It'd be a small enough environment to where we could scope things out and if an opportunity arises..."
"You think it'd be that easy?" you ask after she trails off.
"All we really have to do is wait until someone uses the bathroom or something," she says with a shrug. "If they're a good enough candidate then we just go in and make a switch, right?"
"That makes as much sense as anything else," you say with resignation.
"Great!" Sydney chirps excitedly. "Then let's meet up around lunch tomorrow. We need to get some masks anyway and we can work out which coffee shop would be the best place to scout."
* * * * *
The one that's eventually chosen a little before lunch the next day is the Starbucks on 20th Street. It's a bit past the ones closer to the campus but Sydney decided that a pair of high schoolers might stick out too much if they hung around somewhere closer like Dunn Brewin'. The Starbucks, she reasons, is close enough to the campus to still get plenty of traffic from the students but far enough to where there's likely a decent presence of high schoolers stopping in as well.
Truth be told you would've rather gone somewhere closer but you figure that she seems confident enough that it's better to defer to her as you both order your coffees and take a seat. You make idle chit chat for a few minutes before a voice calls out both your and Sydney's names saying that your orders are ready.
You go to grab your coffee when that same voice calls out in surprise.
"Whoa, is that you Will!?" it calls out. You look up in its direction and are surprised to see Connor Hutchinson, a bespectacled young man with dark, shaggy hair and a mischievous gleam in his eye, smiling at you.
"Sure is. Didn't expect to run into you here," you reply back. "It's been a while hasn't it?"
"Probably not since before graduation I don't think," he answers. "So what's up? How's the old crew doing?"
"Same ol' same ol'," you shrug. "Me and Caleb and Keith are doing whatever, Carson and James are always trying to come up with some new way to prank the jocks."
"Some things never change, I guess," Connor laughs before he notices something and raises an eyebrow. "But some things do. Who's the girl?"
"Sydney," she states as she wraps her arms around your own arm and squeezes tightly. "Are you a friend of Will's?"
"In a sense," replies Connor. "We ran in the same circles last year. Sure as hell never saw him with anyone like you though."
"You two go to Westside?" asks a girl -- the same one who took your order -- as she leans up against the counter next to Connor and not so subtly checks her phone. "I don't really remember anyone like you."
"You'd already graduated when we started talking I think," says Connor as he turns to the girl. "Plus we only saw each other at school. Never at any of the parties."
The cashier pauses as she seems to take a moment to size up both you and Sydney. "You and your boyfriend are having a get together after work right?" She says in a teasing tone of voice. "Why not invite 'em to hang out, it'll be like a class reunion."
"Manuel isn't gonna go for having a ton of people over."
"That's too bad but hey," she grins, "I know someone who'll lend their place out if you want to let me and some others in on your little soiree. Until then," Connor flinches as she swats him on the butt before walking back over to the cash register as a new customer comes up, "get your skinn ass back to work."
Connor turns a bit red but manages to still flash you a grin. "Well hey, if you want to get together once we're off it's cool. Call up Ioeger and Lamont and all them if you want. Bring your girl too. I'll get in touch with you once Lina's given me an address."
* * * * *
"Didn't imagine I'd ever run into him again," you say to Sydney as the two of you sit at a table and drink your coffee while simultaneously scoping the place out.
"Seems like a fun guy," she replies.
"He's a dangerous asshole is what he is," you tell her but you smile a little bit as you say it. "Him and his buddy Justin used to like fucking around with the jocks and other assholes; play pranks on them and stuff. Probably why they got on so well with James and Carson."
"Hmm, and you didn't recognize that cashier?"
"Can't say that I did," you admit. "Connor and Justin were a grade ahead of us and from how he was talking she might've been two or three grades I guess. It seems like they probably hung out more outside of school too since I don't remember anyone named Lina coming up when we'd talk."
"Still, that's a good opportunity right? If him and that girl are both college students then it's an easy in if we can grab one of them. Maybe both of them," she leans in, "they're co-workers after all. They'd probably make a good couple if we stepped in for them."
It sounds like a good idea but you voice your concerns about being able to get anyone at a party. Plus who knows if high schoolers like you would even be accepted at a college party, even with someone like Connor vouching for you.
"There's probably students that have older siblings or neighbors or something who go there," you tell her. "I think Cindy and Yumi and a few others might? I know Cindy's got a sister and Yumi's mentioned an older brother once or twice. If we can grab one or both of them then we can just use whoever they know as our way in."
"Or we can just try that that girl right there," Sydney says as she points out a girl heading into the women's restroom. "If you're brave enough to do it, Will."
"Why me!?" you ask in surprise. "Wouldn't it be easier if you did it?"
"Sure, but you shot down my idea to use moms so I kind of want to pay you back a little bit." You make note of the smirk that's plastered right on your girlfriend's face. She's having fun at the idea of you squirming. "Besides you might not be entering that bathroom a girl but you'd be coming out as one so what's the problem? indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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