48 Na?veté - Part 6 (1/2)
You know…
When I first started talking to Nick and Sig, I never imagined that they'd eventually have me walk through the school's halls dressed as a girl.
Uaaah, how embarrassing…
Surprisingly though, way less people are looking my way compared to when I was dressed as a guy.
Or more precisely, when I was a guy.
Right now, I'm supposed to be roleplaying as Beatrice.
That's right. I'm a girl.
I need to get myself into that mindset if I'm going to make this work.
Say it with me, Beatrice!
I'm a girl!
I'm a girl!!
I'm a girl!!!
I'm a girl…
I'm a girl, huh…?
”…”
… I just can't get used to this!!
In the first place, how do girls even walk around like this? Between the ounces of makeup clinging to my face and the fact that there's nothing but a skirt and some underwear covering my lower half…
Ugh!
This is just weird!
Are all girls just exhibitionists or something?!
… Not like Scarlet would know anything about that, she usually wears a pair of jeans to school.
The worst part about this is that the other guys are occasionally shooting very quick glances down at my legs.
They keep doing it as if I won't notice and it's seriously creeping me out.
Like, relax! I'm a guy too!
Just because puberty's a little slow for me, doesn't mean I'm not…
… Ah whatever!
If I keep thinking about this I'll just get depressed.
Class 210, right?
I think I'm… yep. I'm here.
My walking comes to a halt as.
Jennifer was nowhere to be found on my way here so she must not have left yet.
At least, that's what I'm hoping for anyway.
Haaa, oh well. Here goes.
Once I carefully turned the knob, the door opens, and…
”Haha, I can't believe that guy is trying to go against you Jenny. That's like, so crazy.”
”Yeah, he has to be insane to run against someone as popular as you.”
”Oh you guys, you're being too sweet!”
I'm greeted by the voices of three freshman girls the moment I enter the classroom.
And just as Scarlet anticipated, Jennifer is right there among them.
Seems like they're just gossiping about me right now.
Wait, that's wrong.
It's not me, they're talking about Chase.
I'm Beatrice, Leyla's assistant at the Newspaper club.
The guy called Chase is someone else.
”No way, you're just too modest! I don't think anyone's gonna vote for that little freak. Like, not even his nerd friends.”
”Really? What about Scarlet? I heard she still loves him.”
”Whaaaat? No wayyy! After all that stuff he did to her? That's so sad… You should cut her off Jen! You're better off without her.”
”Nooo, it's fine. Really! If Scarlet chooses to vote for him over me then I won't hate her for it, but… I really wish she'd like, open her eyes and see him for the awful person he is. It really breaks my heart to see her hurting like this.”
”Oh Jenny, you're so sweet!”
”Aww, you're such a good friend…”
Seriously…?
I've never seen anyone lie so blatantly outside of a television screen in my life. Does she have no shame?
”Huh?”
Jennifer seems to take notice of me and turns to look in my direction.
The other two girls follow suit.
”…”
This feels kinda awkward.
More than awkward in fact.
Let's just hope that none of them see through my disguise.
”Um, hi.”
I do my best to raise the pitch of my voice without making it seem too unnatural.
Though, even if I'm not exactly nailing the voice, Scarlet really killed it with the make-up so I should be fine, right?
”You're…”
Jen squints her eyes at me.
Oh shit.
It didn't work, did it?
Is it time to make a run for it?
The last thing I need is them taking a picture right now.
”Really cute! I'm surprised I've never seen you before! What's your name?”
Her words stop me half-way into my turn.
Haaa, I almost had a heart attack. Thank god she bought it.
”I-I'm Beatrice Mas-uh Matthews. Nice to meet you, Jennifer.”
”Hmm, Beatrice huh? Sounds kinda European. So like, what did you want here? Were you eavesdropping or something?”
”N-no, I wouldn't dream of it! It's just that… Leyla sent me to tell you that she wouldn't be able to do the interview today, so I'll be doing it in her stead.”
”Leyla did…?”
She looks down and ponders for a moment.
”I didn't know the Newspaper club had members other than her.”
Ah crap.
”U-uhm, yes. I'm new. This will be my first real interview, so I hope you'll forgive any mistakes I make.”
”…”
She looks down for a moment.
Please buy it…
I honestly have no idea what this girl is thinking at any point in time anymore.
And that unreadable mind of hers just makes her that much more terrifying.
The skin on the back of my neck tingles.
My heartbeat is going wild.
Nick might just be the devil for having me cross-dress in front of this sociopath.
There's a chance that I may just die if she finds out that it's me.
Ahaha…
After keeping me waiting for a response for what felt like an eternity, she finally speaks up.
”You know, you shouldn't talk down about yourself like that.”
”H-huh?”
She looks down at her phone.
”Liiike… Imagine how I must feel, right? I worked hard to find the time to prepare for this interview. And yet Leyla still ended up ditching me to do something else at the last second. And then she leaves you, who's already talking about how she's going to mess up the interview. If you were in my shoes, it wouldn't feel good at all, right?”
”Y-yeah…”
”It's hard to tell with how she usually is, but she's kinda serious when it comes to her club. So like, if she chose you then it must be because you're reaaaally good at this stuff. Sooo, don't ruin my first impression of you by talking down about yourself like that, 'kay?”
”Y-yeah, sorry…”
Why am I being lectured about this…? This isn't even my real job.
Still, she does have a point. If I'm providing a service for someone, it wouldn't do my image well if I started talking down on it before I even showed it off.
That kind of thing can warp their perception and maybe even their interest before they can try it.
She sighs and puts her phone back into her bag.
”Sorry girls, I'm leaving earlier than usual today.”
”No it's okay girl! I'm looking forward to reading it tonight!”
”Yeah, don't worry about us. Just make sure to kick that freak's butt!”
Uh, that 'freak' is right here, you know…
”U-um, please follow me…”
”Sure.”
With that out of the way, I decide to take the initiative and lead her out of the classroom and in the direction of the clubroom.
If I walk ahead of her in this scenario, then I'll be able to distract Jennifer before she sees anything in the event that they haven't gotten Leyla out yet.
Haaa, my heartbeat still isn't coming down.
I really wish they made me disguise as a guy instead… This is the most uncomfortable thing I've ever had to do in my fourteen years of life.
Kinda reminds me of that one movie where these two black cops disguise themselves as white women. I think Terry Crews got cat-fished in it or something.
… Actually, that was a pretty controversial movie now that I'm thinking back on it, but I guess it was also kinda iconic in its own way.
Anyway my point is, I kinda hope I don't end up cat-fishing anyone like that. That's the last thing I need on my conscience right now. The make-up was surprisingly convincing, so I don't think it'd be too hard to do it if I actually tried, but…
”Hey, you're slowing down.”
”H-huh? Oh, sorry.”
”That's the second time you've apologized.”
”Sorry…”
”…”
I'm still trying to figure out how to act around her. So far I've been thinking that Beatrice should have a more passive personality than I'm used to. I won't have to talk that much if I just pretend to be shy, right?
As for the interview questions, I'll just have to wing it and ask about the things I'm interested in knowing.
Speaking of the interview…
”We're here.”
We continue walking about ten more feet until we finally arrive.
The title ”Newspaper Club” is carved into the plate above the door, making it kind of hard to miss.
There doesn't seem to be any sign of Scarlet nearby, so I guess she must've succeeded in getting Leyla out of here.
”I'm opening up, okay?”
”Why are you asking me?”
”Uh, sorry.”
I turn the knob.
There's no resistance. It opens up quite easily.
Phew, I guess she didn't lock it then. Lucky me!
Once inside, I feel out the wall with my hands in search of the light switch.
”Sorry, I'm still getting used to this place.”
It's a bit nerve-wracking, but after a few seconds I finally manage to find the switch and flick it.
The dark room is now filled with light.
”There we go. Please, have a seat.”
”…”
Jennifer doesn't comment. She simply walks into the room with her usual confident stride.
”Are all of the clubrooms in this school the exact same? This looks exactly like the Scifi/Fantasy club.”
Certainly, she does have a point.
The location of certain amenities such as the sink, the AC unit and the washroom are all the same.
Even the chairs are somewhat aligned similarly.
The only difference is that the table at the center of this room is much smaller, and much more intimate than the SF clubroom's large game table. I guess that's where the interviews are usually done, huh?
Still, if I'm playing Beatrice then I can't ignore that passing comment.
”You've been to the Scifi/Fantasy club?”
”…”
She clenches her fists.
Oh, did she slip up? She doesn't seem to want to answer.
That's kinda scary…
”Ahahaha, why don't I prepare you some coffee?”
I'll just drop it. No point making enemies before the interview even begins.
”Mm, thank you.”
I lock the door behind us and head to the kitchen-like part of the clubroom.
”Ah, we only seem to have instant coffee right now. How would you like it?”
”Black's fine.”
Well aren't you hardcore?
I flick the kettle's switch and the sound of water boiling quickly fills the room.
Then, careful not to appear too lost afterwards, I open the cupboard in search of a mug that I can serve her with.
”Hey, Beatrice…”
”Hmm? What is it?”
”What kind of boyfriend do you have?”
”Huh?”
What…?
Wait a minute. That question sounds familiar.
Isn't that… similar to what Jennifer asked Scarlet on the day she started getting involved with me?
”Umm, why do you ask?”
”Well, I dunno. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if a cute girl like you had a really good looking one.”
My face turns red.
Seriously, why is everyone calling me cute…?
”I-I don't have one.”
My feeling around comes to an end as I managed to find a mug in the cupboard.
”Do you want one?”
”S-sorry, I'm not really, um, interested in a relationship.”
”Oh, okay.”
Why was she asking me about boyfriends? Am I missing something here?
Is it one of those 'loaded questions' I hear so much about?
I grab one of the spoons lying around and, after washing it for a few seconds, I begin scooping the powder from the instant coffee container into the mug.
The sound of the electric kettle boiling the water slowly but steadily increases in intensity as the time goes by.
But even as I run through these tasks, something is nagging at the back of my mind.
… It's the vague sensation that I'm extremely vulnerable right now.
I've had my back faced to this girl ever since I offered to get her coffee.
There's no real way of telling what she's thinking.
And god, what temperature did Leyla leave this AC at? My lower half is freezing right now…
”Hey…”
She grabs both of my upper arms.
The sound of the water boiling in the background increases in volume.
But also, more importantly…
The feeling of something soft presses against my back.
”!!!”
Wait, t-those are…
”Y-yeah?”
”Do you wanna be friends?”
”F-friends?”
”Yeah. Sounds like fun, right? You'd be friends with the most powerful girl in this school.”
'Most powerful'?
Wait, forget about all that.
Her tits are rubbing against my back!
Momo was right. This was a mistake…
I mean…
If I pitch a tent here then it's over!
There's no way I could hide it with this stupid skirt!
Okay. Stay calm. Just stay calm.
It's hard to stay calm with the sound of the kettle in the back, but dammit I'll try!
”U-um Jennifer, more importantly, do you mind taking a seat? I'm trying to mentally prepare for the interview.”
She pauses.
”… Really?”
”Yes, really.”
”You mean that?”
Please…
”Y-yes.”
”Even though I just asked you a question?”
Stop delaying this… your tits feel so good that I could cry.
”Sorry.”
”…”
”…”
”That so?”
Without putting up much more resistance, she decides to pull away from me.
And as she does, the sound of the kettle finally going off fills the room.
PHEW. Thank god!
For some reason, the universe decided to have mercy on both me and my manhood.
That was too close. I thought I was going to die.
”You're as hardworking as Leyla, aren't you?”
She folds her legs after she takes her seat.
”Hmm? What do you mean?”
”Don't play dumb. You're trying to give an honest report, right? That's why you won't let things like friends get in the way of the interview.”
”…”
I can't just tell her I was just trying not to get a boner…
”Oh that's fine. I'll only be telling the truth so there's no problem here either way. My offer still stands once the election is done, by the way.”
”Y-yeah…”
I pour the hot water from the kettle into the mug filled with coffee and I begin stirring.
Okay, I think I've got a good idea of what I want to ask.
Questions that she'll want to answer, and questions that'll give us a deeper look into her campaign.
Alright, here goes.
After grabbing a coaster from the counter, I walk over to the center table that she's seated at with her drink.
”Here.”
I place the mug onto the coaster and take my seat on the opposite end of the table.
”…”
She carefully blows cool air at her drink and takes a small sip.
It was a simple action, and yet I couldn't help but find the gesture eloquent.
My hand digs into my over-shirt's pocket in order to retrieve Nick's cellphone.
Let's see… He told me to slide this and…
Okay, got it.
I put the phone down.
”Um, so… everything you say from now on is going to be recorded. If you don't want me to use something you said then just let me know, okay?”
”To be honest, I'm kinda nervous for this but…”
Like hell you are… Did your personality just do a full 180?
”I'll do my best!”
”S-sure. Let's get started then.”
You might think I'll go easy on you because of your change in demeanor, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
I adjust my fake glasses.
”Okay. First thing's first. A lot of people are interested in why you decided to run for class president. You're already the first freshman to make the cheerleading squad, so I think a lot of people are interested in both why and how you plan on juggling both, especially as a freshman who's still getting used to things at this school.”
”…”
She looks stupefied.
Ohhh? Weren't expecting such hard hitting questions from me, were you?
Sorry, this isn't going to be your standard interview honey.
”Ahem.”
But apparently, her confusion only lasts for a moment.
She quickly shakes it off and gets back to her usual fake self.
”Uhmm, I think I have a lot of good ideas for organizing and unifying my homeroom. I'm very close with pretty much everyone there, so I think I'll be very good at listening to their criticisms of the relationships between classmates and the state of the overall school. I hope to make the class into a learning space that can hopefully meet their standards. As for cheerleading, I have a very straight-forward plan for juggling both so I don't think there'll be a problem there. I already spoke to the cheer captain about it and she thinks its fine too.”
When she's done, she takes a sip of her coffee.
N-not bad…
She really came up with something that quickly, huh?
Guess that's Jennifer Swift for you. Annoyingly on the ball.
”Ah, that's interesting. A lot of people have noticed that you've been going really hard with this campaign. Have you had any help from your friends?”
”Uhh, it's mostly just me and Momo. She takes care of all the marketing stuff, like the poster design and making this interview happen, for example. All of the boring things like policies and stuff is all me.”
Momo, huh…?
”Speaking of policies, if you get elected you'll be able to run for an important seat on the Student Government next year. What would your plans for the school be if you did decide to run for Student Body President?”
”Uhh, I'm not sure to be honest… I'm still a freshman so I think it's too early to be thinking about school policies when I haven't gotten used to things here yet. But if I did decide to run I'd be asking the current secretary of the Student Body for advice. We're friends these days and she's been giving me advice here and there for my campaign and stuff.”
Hmm, she's been getting advice from someone near the top, huh?
…
That's cheating, isn't it?!
Goddammit, I feel like she's legitimately in control of everything at this stupid school. How am I supposed to compete with her on equal footing, exactly?!
”T-then… let's talk about the campaign itself. You were the sole candidate for class 103 until yesterday, when Chase Masters suddenly announced that he'd be running for the seat himself. Were you aware that he would be running beforehand or was it a surprise for you too?”
”It was a real surprise! I always thought he was just another quiet kid. Never really paid him any mind, even when he started dating Scarlet.”
Really? You seemed pretty upset with me from day one, though.
”Then the rumors about him started going around and I felt really bad. I mean, Scarlet is my best friend, right? And like, he turned out to be this terrible person…”
I really, REALLY hate this girl.
”I think that, if the students of class 103 believe in all that is good and well, they'll vote for me instead of Chase. I think it's a miracle that he hasn't been expelled yet with all of the things he's done, but at the very least, we can all do our part to stop him from holding any position of power at this school.”
Right… yeah there's no way we're letting any of this get to Leyla.
”So you believe the rumors about him then? There's a lot of students in the higher years who don't seem to buy it. Even Jack Bourne for example…”
”And just what does that degenerate know about anything..?”
”…”
”…”
”Ah, don't include that in the write-up.”
”G-got it.”
Talk about scary…
Jennifer looks down for a moment.
There's a hint of sadness in her eyes.
”I actually… have something to confess.”
”Hm? What's wrong Jennifer?”
”… To be honest, it's the thing I originally came here to talk about.”
Uh oh.