The question continues to run through your mind: should you become Lisa Yarborough? Eventually, by the time you reach the last class of the day, you come to the decision that you should. The decision makes sense to you. Geoff Mansfield is an asshole and Lisa is too good for him. He doesn't deserve someone like her and yet she seems so blind to that fact and if she can't seem to understand that... well, you'd be doing her a favor right?
Besides, none of the other options do much of anything for you. Sexy as Amanda is being her means having to deal with Ricky to keep him in line and you'd rather have nothing to do with him like that. Kelsey's a stuck-up bitch who rubs everyone the wrong way. Kim is much more well-liked but you fear that she's too nice which could leave you getting pushed around. Deanna is liked too but passive-aggressiveness on Kelsey's group hold her back
Lisa though... she's not the most popular member of the group but people do like her. If you could worm your way, maybe get an ally in Kim, then outmanuevering Kelsey and her group and taking control should be possible.
The big problem is getting to her. Chelsea and Lisa have never interacted much and while there's no enmity, at least on Lisa's end, they're not friends. But as the bell rings and class lets out you mentally shrug and decide to try the direct approach. You make a beeline for Lisa's locker and are relieved to see her there... as well as Mansfield. You'll have to get rid of him.
"Oh, Lisa! I'm so glad I ran into you!" you exclaim in a friendly manner as you approach them.
Both look over at you in surprise but it's Lisa who speaks. "Oh! Chelsea! Hi, this is... a surprise." she says taken off guard.
"A nice surprise." Mansfield adds with a grin to which Lisa replies with a light and affectionate punch to the arm but one that also tells him to cut it out.
"So what brings you around here, anyway?" she asks as she grabs a few books out, probably stuff she'll need for homework.
"Well, there's something I'd like to talk to you abou." you say before casting a glance at Mansfield, "Girl to girl, if that'd be alright."
"Lisa and I were discussing some important things ourselves." Mansfield replies, "Boyfriend to girlfriend, if that's alright."
"Geoff!" Lisa says sharply, "I'm sorry but he does have a point. You can't talk about this here?"
Mansfield's response irritated you but Lisa is a more calming presence so you acquiesce. "Fine. Alright, so I was contacted by someone who wanted to host a get together. Does the name Jonathan Straussler ring any bells?" That causes their eyes to widen, "I thought so. Well, Jon wants to hold a little meeting out at his place. The best and brightest of Eastman and Westside coming together for a little... détente he said."
"That sounds like a good idea." Lisa states plainly.
"It is!" you exclaim, "Anyway, Steve was contacted too so the both of us are looking for people to bring; he's looking for guys, I'm looking for girls and you're one of those girls Lisa. So what do you say?"
Lisa gives it a thought before nodding, "I don't know why you'd pick me but... sure. I'll go."
"What about me?" Mansfield asks.
"I just told you that Steve is the one gathering guys. Whether or not you get an invite is up to him."
"But Steve hates me!" he protests.
"Well that's tough luck, then, isn't it?" you say with more than a hint of smug joy in your voice. This causes Mansfield to mutter something to Lisa before storming off. "Is he going to be alright?"
"He'll be fine, don't worry." she replies, "So when is it?"
"Today, actually." you answer, "In fact, we should probably get out there since it's a drive. What do you say we grab our cars and you follow me?"
* * * * *
You see your imago floating before you... or to be more specific the inner workings of your image. The clasps, as is probably the best way to describe it, that join the physical and mental halves of the image are there; countless in number and more than a little daunting. However you try your best to keep your cool, significantly easier now that you're in Frank's body and have his more determined mind to support your own, and get to the task at hand: unhooking those clasps and disconnecting the physical and mental portions of the imago.
The act itself is the simple part. The difficult one is doing that act again and again, over and over, one after the the other. It's tedious and it takes all your willpower to keep concentrated on the task at hand, especially due to what you hear from outside your mental space as you go about your work.
"Oh my God!"
It's Chelsea's voice that cries out, a mixture of surprise and horror. For a brief moment you want to open your eyes to see what it is that has her so upset but you fight the urge and continue your work. This clasp is undone, then that one, then the next, on and on until finally your mental and physical imago float in front of you. You grasp the mental one and are about to do the same to the physical but stop. You're no longer going to be Will Prescott, physically, are you? The golem is already in place so you have no reason to ever step into that role or life again; and so you allow it to float away and disappear into nothingness.
"The mask and the doll," you say to Joe trying not to lose concentration, "Grab them. Mask on the book, doll on the mask, got it?"
In a few seconds your partner as given you the affirmative so you get to work doing the same for Lisa's physical and mental imago. It comes along much easier and much faster, feeling more natural and less laborious. Once the separation is done you then take hold of her mental imago and push it toward your own. With only slight prodding both sets of mental imago begin to connect and entwine and as the process plays out there's a feeling--an indescribable one--that you want to say is at the back of your skull but you're not sure that'd be correct.
There's a warmth there but also a bit of nervousness and uncertainty.
The process finishes and all that's left is adding Lisa's physical imago. Much like that implies, it's a reverse of the process with your own imago as you skillfully seek out and find each clasp and connect them, fastening them into place. You're not quite sure how long the process takes--not just the task of reconnecting the two imago halves but the entire operation--but eventually the last of them comes into view, the last connection is made and you finally allow your eyes to open.
You take a brief look to your side and see Joe, still done up as Jon, and a confused and possibly somewhat frightened Chelsea clinging to him. You look forward to see something that looks exactly like the the girl you've long been pining for laying there. You then wave a hand and leave Frank's body.
"How do you feel?" comes the voice of the nise Jon as you feel yourself come back to awareness.
"You know how a southern summer is? When you step out and the humidity just saps you of all your strength?" you hear Frank respond groggily.
You stir before bringing yourself to a sitting position. You brush a bit of raven hair out of your face and look down at large but not too large chest, you take one in your hand, heft it and let it drop. It's a feeling that you can't describe and an action that brings attention to you.
"Is that you, Will?" asks Jon.
You want to nod but you're not sure that's the correct answer so you just say what comes to mind. "It is but... it isn't." you say vaguely.
"That doesn't make much sense." Frank pipes in, still smarting.
"That's because it's hard to explain." you state, and you're surprised by how calm you're being. "With the anima bands it's like using a new personality to override the old one but with this it's different. The easiest way to think of it is that Lisa Yarborough and Will Prescott aren't separate people anymore." You then cast another look down at your body and hug yourself, "Half of me is excited and amazed to see this, he's been fantasizing about it. To the other half this is what she sees every day and the weird part is sharing it with her ex-boyfriend."
"All this mystical crap is making my head hurt." Chelsea complains.
"Oh, Chelsea I want to tell you something: don't cut Yumi from the squad." you state.
"Don't cut her?" she asks, "But why? She's such an uptight bitch!"
"Because I want to put Frank in for her." you state and that catches both him and Chelsea by surprise, "With Frank as Yumi you'll have an ally and he'll keep the opposing side in check."
Chelsea bites her lip but concedes. "That sounds good... Jessica would go along with Yumi. Eva's a hothead but will go along with her sister. Lin's still a wildcard though."
"Then we use Lin for the last bit of essentia we have." you state, "Or maybe we put Frank in Lin and use the essentia with Yumi. Either way you'll have the squad under control."
"What about me?" Jon asks, "Do I get to be a pretty cheerleader too? Can I be Maria?"
"Well... you'll be a girl but you'll be with me." you say with a bright smile.
You've got two options in mind, in fact. The first is Kim. You need her as an ally and with Joe running her that'll be dealt with. Plus with Joe running her, she wouldn't be pushed around.
The other, however, is Deanna. Her and Lisa, you really, have a rivalry due to her massive crush on Geoff. That crush is really her biggest negative aspect as Kelsey, Amanda and the like have called it "pathetic". Joe in Deanna would take care of that and you're confident you could get Kim on your side without anyone running her; that would mean a nice power trio of yourself, Deanna and Kim to counter Kelsey. As a bonus, when you end things with Geoff his obvious Plan B won't be there and in fact his ex and her former rival will be on the same side. It'd crush his pride.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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