Chapter #21Help From an Unexpected Source by: imaj   “Uh, professor, uh, sir,” you say hesitantly. “Would you mind if I asked your advice about something.”
“Of course not William,” he says smoothly. “What kind of a mentor would I be if I refused such a request?”
“Thanks, I think,” you respond. You marshal your courage before continuing. “I, uh, kinda fucked up.”
“William Prescott,” says Blackwell primly. “Do try to mind your language. Words have meaning. Words have intent and therefore words have power. You simply can not afford to speak incautious oaths and curses.”
“Right, uh, sorry. I mean I made a mistake then.”
“Better. Now, explain.”
And so you explain everything to Blackwell. You explain the party, and how you separated Black and Chelsea. You explain your switch from being Yumi to being Chelsea. How Black found you, as Chelsea, in the master bedroom and ultimately how it was Yumi, and not Black, that revealed the ‘attack’ to the school. Finally, you explain the consequences, the fallout and your plan to abandon your identity in a suitably dramatic gesture.
The line goes silent.
“Professor,” you call out, thinking that perhaps he has hung up, or the line has been cut. “Are you still there?”
“I see,” he says evenly after a moment. “Did I not state that there would be consequences for releasing Yumi with a week missing from her life?”
You concede that he did.
“This is most vexing William, most vexing indeed. I shall need to think upon this and call you back. Is your doppelganger present?”
“I called him over once set a golem to clean up the mess around Chelsea. His, my, truck is hidden behind the house.”
“Then see that he remains with you until I phone again. Do nothing until then, and remember to grant admission to Miss Vredenburg when she arrives.”
With that, he hangs up the phone abruptly. You drum you fingers impatiently as the golem dumps a pile of books at the table beside you.
“Books on fire boss,” it says cheerfully, attempting to lighten your dark mood.
“Just put them all back for now,” you reply unhappily.
“Boss?”
“Put them back! He says do nothing, we do nothing. I’m in enough shit as it is without pissing the Professor off as well,” you explain.
And then you wait.
*****
And wait.
*****
And wait.
In fact, after a couple of hours you give up waiting because Lucy Vredenburg finally arrives at the house. She waits patiently on the gravel of Blackwell’s drive as you swing open the heavy wooden front door, holding a bright pink umbrella up as protection against the soft rain falling from the sky.
“Finally,” she says impatiently, pulling the umbrella shut. She gives it a quick shake before pushing past you. She dumps it into a stand by the door before turning back to face you, arms folded. “Well?”
“Well what,” you ask after you close the door shut, a little perplexed.
“The problem you seem to have created for yourself William,” she explains patiently. “I do hope you haven’t done anything rash.”
“What,” you ask again, unable to process what Lucy has just said. “He told you? Why would he tell you?”
“Of course he told me,” explains Lucy, walking up the stairs to the library. You trail along after her. “I had left very specific instructions about exactly when I was to be contacted. I am quite disappointed that you have managed to find yourself in this mess so quickly and completely once freed of my supervision.”
“What are you talking about, why are you talking like that,” the questions jumble out from your confused mind. “You sound just like…”
You absolutely still for a moment as your brain finally clicks into gear.
“Oh,” you say.
“Just so, my boy,” says the person who appears to be Lucy Vredenburg but who is actually, you are now sure, Professor Blackwell. After all, you’ve spent the last week disguised as a young woman, there is no reason to assume that he would not be capable of the same.
“Oh,” you say again, remembering how you had tried to blackmail Lucy for sex the night before the party. “Oh, oh oh…”
“Come on Will,” says Blackwell from ahead of you. You scuttle up after the disguised sorcerer and follow him into the library. He sets his Lucy-form comfortably into the one of the chairs there before continuing. “Tell me, is the situation as bad as you made out to my placeholder? Is your life that unsalvageable.”
“I’m getting death threats,” exclaims your golem. “You gotta get me out of town before I run into an angry mob.”
“Apparently so, “ continues Blackwell. “And where is the girl that you are alleged to have forced yourself upon.”
“Under that mask,” you reply, pointing at the golem. “I have a fake at her house holding down the fort right now. Should I call it back?”
“And the girl who made the accusation, the one you let out from under that mask?”
“No idea,” you admit. “What am I going to do professor?”
“What we are going to do is ensure that you are properly supervised for the next sections of you education. Perhaps you might learn a little more about how to properly exercise caution,” says Blackwell, keeping Lucy’s voice steady and even.
“What does that mean,” you ask.
“It means you will be leading Miss Vredenburg’s life for a while William, so that I can properly keep and eye on you.”
You smile slightly, being Lucy might not be that bad.
“This is not a reward Will,” thunders Blackwell. “Make no mistake about it, you will make amends to me for this mess. When we are done you will wish you had been more careful.”
“What about me,” asks the golem.
“I shall be working on a suitably dramatic end for you,” explains Blackwell matter of factly.
“That’s my life you are talking about,” you shout angrily.
“Which you have foolishly and irreparably damaged through recklessness,” replies Blackwell
“And Chelsea? The real one under that mask.”
“A regrettable necessity to sustain the illusion of you demise,” says Blackwell casually. Chelsea might be a bitch, but you’re not sure that she deserves that. On the other hand, better her than you.
“The fake Chelsea?”
“May prove useful later.”
“Look, Professor,” you plead. “Why not let me wear the Chelsea mask. You can use Lucy to get close to Cindy and use a mask of her to keep an eye on me. If you jump me into Lucy, I’ll miss out on a pile of schoolwork.”
Blackwell has been keen to keep you attending Westside throughout your apprenticeship. It makes sense to appeal to that notion. It would be so unfair to have Chelsea slip from your fingers having worked to hard to get her.
Blackwell frowns, deep in thought.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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