Episode 24

Chapter 73

Karl

5 pm, Tuesday, November 1st, 2006

I closed my geology textbook as the mantle clock chimed five o'clock.

It was time.

They say we nerds are clever plotters. Tonight I was going to prove them right. If what I'm thinking works out, let's just say that I'll be very happy.

I went upstairs to take a quick shower.

Afterwards I looked through clothes for something that would not provoke Julia. I was going to take a big risk tonight. Selecting clothes that would not upset her was the smart thing to do. It took me awhile, but I decided the least offensive clothes I had was my Notre Dame sweat suit. I put it on and went down stairs to make dinner.

Dinner was easier. I made chicken and Stove Top Stuffing. Everybody likes chicken and stuffing.

The doorbell rang as I was finishing up the cooking.

I pulled the food off the stove and opened the door.

"I'm here." Julia snapped.

"I noticed. Hi to you too." I stepped aside. "Come on in."

"I'm only here because you made it sound like it'd be to my benefit."

"Don't worry. It will. But I'm also trying to be nice too." I led her to the dining room.

"I know you are. That's what's freaking me out."

She sat down while I set the chicken and stuffing on the table.

"You even cooked for me? Karl, two days ago you hated my guts. Earlier today you swore to make my life miserable if I did not come here tonight. Something is seriously fishy here."

I looked at the table. "Hmm, there's chicken, stuffing, soda and the seasonings tray. I see nothing seriously fishy here."

My joke fell flatter than the table top.

"Ok. Maybe I've told better jokes. But the food isn't poisoned if that's what you're worried about." I took a bite of some chicken to prove it.

She watched me as if she had called my bluff and expected me to drop dead shortly.

I surprised her by not dying.

Although I'll admit to being somewhat insulted that she'd thought I'd poison her. Annoying as I think she is, I wouldn't be stupid enough to poison her in my mother's own kitchen.

She took a tentative bite and looked a little surprised. She continued a little more eagerly.

Just how stupid does she think a geek can be?

A short time later she stopped eating. "Ok, give. What's going on here?"

"I wanted to talk."

"We could have talked at school."

"At school I'm expected to fuck you."

"You didn't have a problem with it today or yesterday."

"No. But it's not as easy as I tried to make it look."

"What, fucking me? You certainly were up to the task at school."

"No. I was referring to acting cruel."

"Then why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do this to me? You could have turned it down. Or accepted it and then not said a word to me. Why did you use me?"

"A good question. Why don't you tell me why you did what you did to Tiffany and Jacob?"

She sat there and finished her food.

I could wait. Her answers were going to give me an insight into the mind of teenaged petty vengeance. The cause and effect cycle behind this was the topic of a report I was doing in health class.

Plus anything that helped me understand the female mind was good to know.

Finally she put the last chicken bone down.

I passed her a wet napkin.

She used it and put it by the side of her plate. "First I have to tell you, that chicken was good."

"Thank you."

"You sure you want me to tell you why I did it? I don't want to ruin a nice evening."

"You won't. I promise."

She took a deep breath. "I wanted to beat Jacob at his own game."

She wanted to do WHAT??? Now it was it my turn to be shocked. I took a deep breath while I tried to grasp the enormity of what she said.

Beat Jacob at his own game??

"Are you kidding me? How could you expect to do that? What sort of thoughts did you have that made you think you could match wits with Jacob Stone at his game?"

Julia smirked. "Manipulating people was a teenaged girl thing longer than it was a political thing. It's easier for us, too. We don't care about anything beyond the immediate results of our actions. Not usually at any rate. Jacob called the police on Kevin, using political tricks to put Kevin in his place. He forgot that those in politics should be saints. I knew his opponents would jump on his being in the Program."

"That's true. Here's a question. How did you know he didn't have a plan to deal with that?"

"I didn't. However, everything I've heard about the guy told me he wouldn't care. He acted as though the combination of all he could do would protect him from incidental loopholes in any of his plans."

"I don't know about that. But you're probably right about not caring. He can be single minded at times."

"That's what I was counting on. That he'd had no reason to worry about such things. If he had no reason to worry, he probably did not think about it."

"Ok. Why didn't you tell them directly?"

"Cause Jacob would have learned about it when the scandal broke. One thing all his enemies at school never thought was that he was stupid. It probably would have taken him all of thirty minutes to find out it was me. This way all he could learn was somebody did it."

"How did you come up with this?""

"I had thought political science class was an easy A, so I took it last fall."

"That's no easy A class."

"Tell me about. But I remembered that it seemed like high school cliques and ego battles on a larger scale. So I went to work."

"But why? Your side lost. Humiliating Jacob didn't change that."

"No, but it made me and several of my friends feel much better. You mad at me again now?"

"No. Nor am I surprised at your behavior."

"Then why did you act upset in school the last couple days?"

"For the same reasons you did this. I am loyal to my friends like you are loyal to your beliefs."

We sat there in silence.

"Remember the favor I hinted at?"

"Yes."

"Come downstairs and we'll talk about it."

Chapter 74

Julia

6:10 pm, Tuesday, November 1st, 2006

Talk about WEIRD.

I expected to be used and abused.

Hell, I half expected him to invite every geek he knew to come and watch the show.

Instead I get DINNER???

What IS he up to?

After dinner he invited me into the basement.

At last we're getting to it.

The sooner the suffering starts, the sooner I can get my ass out of here.

He can't seriously expect me to think he just wanted to talk. A man would not blackmail me here just to hold a conversation. Even a geek doesn't act like that.

Karl lit up the fireplace. "Have a seat."

Here it comes.

I sat on the chaise lounge. I kept my mask on. The one that showed the emotions I thought best to show.

Come to think of it, we all wear masks all the time. We don't know enough about others to be totally ourselves at all times. Then again, there are times we know too much about the people we are talking too. We KNOW it's not safe to reveal what we are truly thinking to them. Either that or our opinions are so strong about a person that we wear a mask to keep the conversations going smoothly. I don't know about others, but I think wearing a mask on our true thoughts is as needed for a conversation as air is for breathing.

Why stop there? If we can mask our feelings, why not our desires? Why not make our behavior one big act to get what we want out of a situation?