The Book of Masks (Vol. 5)

Many Models

Previously: "Kelsey's Chaos" 

Chelsea has already done some preliminary culling of the candidates, so only a dozen or so were invited to try out: girls who didn't make it through the original tryouts, but who made an impression on her.

They are all good and plausible additions to the squad, including the two freshman girls. The best talent is in the sophomore class, though, which has sent four girls of superior merit: Avery Ayala, Madison Crawford, Dana DiBenedetto, and Kaylee Mercier. Erin Hale, a junior-class acquaintance of Kelsey's, also acquits herself well.

But you are also watching and judging them for their faces and figures. Chelsea is going to get masks of some of them, that she can put on when you are privately together. Which ones do you want?

Well, all of them. Thanks to the masks, you don't have to be a beggar, so why be a chooser? Still, you can rank and prioritize.

There, too, it's the sophomore girls who look best. Kaylee and Madison, for instance, are both healthy-looking girls with great legs, great bosoms, great curves, great hair ... Basically great everything. Both are blonde with thick, loose, tumble-down hair that falls just past the tops of their shoulders. Both are very cute. The only difference—though this may be a trick of the light, or of the distance from which you are watching them—is that Kaylee has a more open and radiantly innocent expression, while Madison's smile is tighter and more watchful. As you glance between them you find yourself thinking that Kaylee looks more like Chelsea in face and figure, while Madison seems closer to Chelsea in terms of expression and personality.

But even those sophomore girls who aren't so good on the floor look good. Take Amber Hartsel. You cannot for the life of you figure out why Chelsea asked (or accepted) her to tryout, for she is only passable at the gymnastics and isn't all graceful, and she has no poise. But there's no denying that she is very pretty, and she radiates a vulnerability that makes you want to encourage her rather than dismiss her outright. Much the same can be said about some of the other girls: Isabella Rosales, a junior with long, thick, jet-black hair that frames a narrow, frightened face; and Courtney Ireton, a freshman whose body is only starting to develop, but who has an endearingly awkward smile.

* * * * *

There are more than a dozen girls to get through, and even though Chelsea gives each of them only five to ten minutes to show their stuff, it is after five before she dismisses them with word that she'll be in touch with individual girls later. In the meantime, Seth, looking pink with exertion and still damp from the showers, has come in from the other side of the gym to join you. He's in shorts and a t-shirt, and the heat radiates from his skin as he settles beside you. He is joined a few minutes later by Gordon and Steve. The latter, you notice, keeps shooting you glances as he leans against the wall of the gym with his arms crossed and one foot up against the wall.

As the candidates troop out, Chelsea briefly consults with Kendra and Gloria, then gets up and gathers her stuff.

"I need to go over my notes," she coldly informs you, "and then talk to Coach Tesla. Then I'll call you and see what you think."

She glances at the coach, who has been sitting some ways off keeping silent the whole time. Then, without waiting for a reply, she sweeps from the gym with her two toadies trailing behind. Gordon glances between her and his friends, then trudges after, leaving you with Seth, Steve, and Coach Tesla.

The latter leaves a few minutes later, after asking what you thought. (You only answered that there were plenty of good candidates, and that you'd have to think about it.) Once she is gone, you stand up with a brisk sigh and announce that you need to go too. But as you're crossing under the mezzanine, a text comes in from Chelsea, asking you to stick around in the loft. So you go up there, letting the two "boys" trail after.

"Looking good there, boss," Steve says with a gleam in his eye once you're up in the loft. He's gotten himself and Seth each a beer, and he silently offers you one, which you refuse.

"Thanks," you reply, and prop a foot up on a crate so you can stroke your bare leg. "And I get to massage these things any time I want," you boast. "Not to mention fondle these." You squeeze a breast.

"If you ever get bored with him," Steve says, indicating Seth, "I can jump in, give you a taste of what you should be having."

"Who gave you permission to talk to my girlfriend that way?" Seth asks, stepping between you and Steve.

"I did," you reply before Steve can. "Come on." You wrap your arms around Seth from behind, and go up on tiptoes so you can kiss the back of his neck. "You know you're the one I want." You drop one hand to cover and squeeze his junk, which is beginning to burgeon in his shorts. "But I like it when a good-looking hunk flirts with me," you add as you eye Steve.

Seth turns around in your arms. He looks down at you from under hooded eyes, then puts his mouth to yours and kisses you.

Mmm, not bad, you think. But it's better when Chelsea is here.

* * * * *

She shows up about ten minutes later, her eyes shining with mischief.

"Oh my God, Kelsey," she squeals after she's shut and locked the door. "Wasn't I the total bitch to you out there!"

"You were awful!" you giggle, and step close to her. You hesitate, then clasp your hands onto the sides of her torso. "But I was better in the cafeteria."

"You scared me in there," Chelsea says as she in turn clasps your torso between her hands. "I was sure you were going to fuck it up for us."

"I scared myself a little too," you confess. "But I had to let Kelsey ... do her thing."

Chelsea starts to reply, but you are already bending your face to hers, and touching your lips to hers. Your mouth opens, and you put the tip of your tongue out. She hesitates, then opens her mouth slightly and puts her tongue out. A tremble runs through you as you gently kiss and probe at each other.

But then you both pull away, both of you sucking in a hard breath.

Kelsey is not into lesbian action, you realize with some disappointment, and though you can override her, her attitude is like a sour stench in the air. And from the way Chelsea looks everywhere but you, it appears that she is no more enthusiastic.

"Well," she sighs in a businesslike way. "You wanna talk about what we saw out there?"

* * * * *

She listens intently as you go over your notes, and as you see no reason to waste time, you give her your own opinion: Madison Crawford and Kaylee Mercier are shoo-ins for the squad. The other slots should be picked from the quintet of Stacey Stahl and Joelle Pope (both juniors); Dana diBenedetto and Avery Ayala (both sophomores), and Caitlyn Smart (freshman).

She nods, then asks, "What about faces? Who do you want to fuck, Will?"

You swallow, despite yourself, and answer Madison, Kaylee, and Dana are the ones you most want. After that, you'd have to make and sort a list.

"What about Amber and Isabella and Courtney?" she asks, naming the three candidates whose presence most puzzled you.

"They'd go on that list too," you say. "All of them would, technically."

"How high would Amber be?"

Only then do you realize how dense you've been.

"Was that why you asked her to try out?" you ask. "Her and the other two? Because you thought I'd like them?" She nods, smiling smugly. "Well, Amber would be, like, fourth or fifth," you say. "Top of the second tier. I'd have to sort the others."

"I like Kaylee and Madison too," Chelsea says, and lifts herself up onto a crate, dangling her legs and kicking her heels against it. "Amber third."

"For the squad?"

"Maybe." Chelsea's lips pucker. "If I was in a mask of her, she'd be as good as me. Well, maybe I'd have to practice some," she adds with a shrug. "Limber her up. Also, make it convincing that she got better."

"But," you slowly say, "what does that matter if you're only wearing her mask up here?" You have a dreadful premonition of what Chelsea is going to say next.

"Well who says any of the masks have to stay 'up here'?" she says. "But I'm only talking about one. Well, one more for me, and then one more for you."

"Yeah?" you say. Prickles are running up and down your spine. "Who? One of those girls?"

"Exactly! For me, at least. For you—" She shrugs. "The boyfriend, if they've got one. And if not, you can get her one!"

"Why?"

She grins at you. "Don't you want to be my boyfriend, Will, if I'm—?"

"No, I mean, why become one of them? Why add them to the—?" You glance around at Seth and Steve, who are listening closely.

Because now you are mystified. Chelsea has been making masks because it would suit her plans for the squad, and to keep you close together: Gary and Seth for her; Yumi and Kelsey and Steve for you. But for the life of you, you can't see how she would get a benefit from adding one of those girls to the ring.

So her answer floors you:

"For after I graduate, Will," she says. "So I can come back to school next year as her!"

Next: Coming soon! Check back!

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"Table of Contents (Vol. 5)" 
"The Book of Masks (Vol. 5)"