This choice: No way, bringing in more people is a risk • Go Back... "We're not bringing anyone else in," you declare. "I mean come on, think about it. With just the three of us there's already been some scares because one person," you glare at Keith, "went and did things on their own."
"Yeah, but—"
"Will's right," Caleb says. "If there's more people then there's more of a chance for someone to muck something up or to say the wrong things to people who aren't in the group." But then he turns his attention to you. "But still, it might be good to get him some back up. Just in case—"
"Then you go with him if you're so worried," you retort. "But I'm not helping him and we're not adding any more people. Period, end of story."
* * * * *
You stalk off without another word to look for someone to use the mask on. You need to get someone alone, you know that much, but you're not really sure who or even how. That experience of being inside of Jenny's mask was amazing and you kind of want to experience it again so do you try for a girl? You could always go after the kind of guy who could get with a girl but you realize that maybe that's not a good idea. Because you'd run into the same problems that you already castigated Keith for in regards to running into people. Maybe if you had their brain using one of those bands—if that's even how they work—but you don't, Keith has the only blank one.
Besides, the kind of guy who could get girls is the kind of guy you wouldn't be able to get close to anyway. Of course you can't get close to most girls either but even some of the more homely ones that you probably could get close to would be amazing because hey, boobs are boobs right? So you walk until suddenly you find yourself standing in front of the building that houses the theater. With no better idea you head in hoping that you can maybe slip backstage or something. At the entrance of the building is a small lobby (that's empty at the moment) with a pair of double doors at the end.
You're nearing the doors when suddenly another door on the right side of the room right next to you swings open. You're far enough back that it just misses you but not so far back that you don't collide with the person who steps out which causes the both of you to tumble and fall into a heap. It takes a moment to process what happened as you regain a sense of your surroundings.
"Sorry about that," you say as you pull yourself up. You offer a hand to the other person and see that it's a girl though you're still a bit dazed and aren't paying much attention to her.
"No, it's okay," she says as she takes it but instead of standing up, she stops and removes her hand as she seems to notice something, her face going from looking at you to looking at the floor. "What's this?" she asks as she notices an object on the ground... and you hold your breath as you follow her gaze because it's the mask! You were still physically carrying it in your hand—you hadn't put it in your backpack or anything—so you had to have dropped it when you'd crashed into her.
"Ah, that's mine," you say as you lean down to take it before she has a chance to grab it. "A small art project."
You're about to apologize again and then either head inside or leave the building whe you realize that this is the chance you were looking for. Sure this is some random girl but you weren't looking for a specific person or anything so before she can react you thrust the mask forward and into her face. She crumples, but perhaps thanks to Keith telling you about what happened with Stephanie and seeing what happened when he put on that mask of Jenny, you're able to react just quick enough to catch her before she falls completely to the floor.
You wonder what you're going to do with her when you see the room that she came out of. It's a small, single occupancy bathroom. It's probably something for Mr. Wilkes to use but now it'll serve you. But the girl is complete dead weight so it still takes some effort to drag her into the bathroom. But you're able to prop her against the wall and then lock the door and once you do you can finally get a good look at her.
Long dirty blonde hair that falls in waves to just past her shoulders. Her face is filled out though not in a way that makes her look chubby. Her nose is perfectly sculpted nose and she has large, pillowy lips. Her eyes—open and staring lifelessly ahead—are dark brown and something about the shape of them is simultaneously both large and open but sharp and squinty. She's very pretty and about the only off feature you can pinpoint is the beauty mark on her right cheek, about halfway between her mouth and her nose. There's nothing wrong with it, though. It's noticeable enough to be distinct and make her stand out, yet not unsightly enough to count as a blemish.
You also get the impression that she's an underclassman but you can't really tell what grade. Maybe she's a junior? There's a youthful quality about her which makes her seem younger yet she seems so well put together that there's also a maturity. Everything about her, you decide, seems like it's in almost perfect balance. With nerves you watch her as the seconds and minutes tick away, realizing that once that mask pops out and you've got it sealed up, that face is one that you will be wearing.
You're not aware of just how much time is passing and the only thing to break up the anxious monotony is when you hear a sound coming from the bag that the girl has with her. Someone calling her texting, you guess, but you're not about to check because you don't want to be digging through her stuff if she wakes up. You do your best to ignore it until finally the mask reemerges and with relief you snatch it off of her face. This time you make sure to stuff it into your backpack and then head out.
In a semi-replay of earlier, you're about to head into the auditorium when one of the doors opens and you're almost bowled over by a girl. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" she exclaims before she actually runs into you. "I'm kind of rushed so I wasn't paying attention!"
"It's... it's fine," you say. But you're more nervous over the fact that she's even prettier than the other girl than you are about almost having her run into you.
"Sorry," she repeats, "I'm just looking for my friend. Charles is throwing a fit that she's running late."
"Maybe I've seen her?" you volunteer. "What's she look like?"
"Blonde, uh, a mole on her cheek," she states. "She said she was going to the bathroom to touch up her makeup."
Your heart stops because that's probably the girl who you just copied. Seeing as she'll probably find her in a minute or two you feel the need to preemptively give yourself an alibi. "Oh, uh, yeah I... I ran into her actually. Um, literally," you explain. "She was coming out of the bathroom as I was walking by and we crashed into one another. She was, uh, out and I didn't know what to do so I just moved her into the bathroom and watched over her for a few minutes to make sure she was okay. I think she's starting to come to though. She's still in there."
The girl's face shows both concern and relief. "Oh no! I'm sorry, uh, but thanks!" She dashes by you and opens the bathroom door. You hear her cry out "Brit!" as you duck into the auditorium, hoping you can find a place to hide out for a little bit until the coast is clear.
* * * * *
It's a few minutes with you sitting on the far end when you suddenly receive a text from Caleb telling you that you need to meet him and Keith "right fucking now" with all kinds of exclamation points for emphasis. You ask him where and he says out by the portables since that's the only place where there wasn't a lot of people hanging around. Even through text, there's a panicky nature to his words and you ask him what's wrong.
keith is a goddamn fucking IDIOT is whats wrong, he sends you.
You tell him that you're a bit tangled up but you'll be there as soon as you can. It's another few minutes before you see the two girls from earlier come through the double doors and then head down the walkway. Once they're a few rows down, you move as fast as you can towards the doors and then practically dash out of the building and across the school to where the portables are.
Caleb meets you there and doesn't say anything beyond a simple "finally" before dragging you with him behind one of the portables. There you see Keith with his back up against the wall while every time he tries to get away, Jenny blocks him.
"I'm not asking again! What the fuck is going on you goddamn freak!?" she yells.
"I toldja, I don't know anyth—"
Keith's cut off by Jenny slugging him right in the breadbasket which causes him to double over. "I'm not fucking playing with you, Tilley! You're gonna tell me and you're gonna fix this or I'll rip your tiny pecker off and shove it down your fucking throat!"
"The hell is going on!?" you ask Caleb in surprise. "Did Jenny find out what Keith did?"
"No, it's way worse than that," he says as the two of you slowly and cautiously approach.
It's only then that you notice that Jenny's wearing clothing that's way too big for her and as she paces angrily and continues yelling at Keith, she has to keep using a hand to hold her shorts up. They're basketball shorts she's wearing and a basketball jersey and that's when you realize just what Caleb meant. Because there's writing on the back of the jersey and as you get closer and can make it out, you see that it's a name.
Javits. You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
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