neither was
Charlie.
September
8
Charlie
“Charlie. Hi. How are you today?” Laura asked at the start
of English class on Monday morning. Charlie thought he heard a tiny amount of
concern in her voice, but it wasn’t enough to comment on. He wasn’t expecting
such a warm hello after the way Amanda had scared her off from Jeff Haskell’s
party.
“I’m fine,” he said.
“Good,” Laura said. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
No. Concern was definitely there—as if Charlie had
been out of school sick the Friday before and Laura was checking to make sure
he was okay. Does she think there’s something wrong with me? Charlie
thought. He almost wanted to run to the bathroom to check his face in the
mirror, like maybe he’d spontaneously popped a giant black eye.
Laura rushed off at the end-of-class bell before Charlie could
gather any clues about her weird sincerity, but he got another chance in the
student parking lot after school.
“Hey, Cali. I see you staring at my car,” Charlie said as he
walked toward the Grand Am.
“I was just wondering why you bought a convertible if you’re
going to have the top up, especially on a day like today,” she said. “It’s so
sunny out.”
“It’s fifty degrees! The sun isn’t as strong on this side of
the country.”
“That’s what the car heat is for,” Laura said with a coy
smile. “I’m not putting my top up until there’s frost on my windshield.”
“That sounds like a challenge,” Charlie said.
“It would be, but you already lost.”
It didn’t take much for Charlie’s competitive streak to kick
in. “Fine. We start over today. First person to arrive at school with their top
up loses.”
“And what does the winner get?” Laura asked.
“The best thing a winner can ever get,” Charlie replied.
“Glory.”
Laura laughed—she didn’t know that Charlie wasn’t
kidding—then walked over to where he was standing.
“Think I’m safe to ask you a question over here?” she asked,
looking over her shoulder.
“Don’t worry about Amanda,” Charlie said. “She’s just
territorial.”
“Oh, I know,” Laura said. “It’s nice. She clearly cares so
much about you.”
There was that strange sensitivity again—the same tone
Charlie heard in Laura’s voice at the start of class. Like she was talking to a
cancer patient or something.
“So,” Laura said, “my question: I’m doing a profile for the
paper on a student athlete. We want to uncover what it’s like to balance sports
and school and friends.”
“That’s cool,” Charlie said. “There’s a lot to it that
people don’t realize.”
“Exactly,” Laura said, “So could you suggest one of your
teammates for me to ask? Maybe Miller?”
Charlie hoped the look on his face didn’t give away his reaction: why not me? Was she really not going to ask him? If Laura knew anything
about the Englewood soccer team, she would know he was the one to watch.
Charlie stopped himself at that thought. That was his crazy
ego talking, and when he didn’t keep it in check, there was no telling what it
could do…what it had already done.
“Let me talk to the guys about it,” he said, then his mouth
betrayed his mind, “or you could interview me.”
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” Laura said, “I don’t want you to
think I’m snubbing you. I just…I just figured now wasn’t a great time for you.”
Once again, Laura had turned on the caring-nurse voice. This
time Charlie couldn’t let it go.
“Why wouldn’t it be a great time for me?”
“Oh God, please don’t tell her I told you. I know
Amanda was talking to me in total confidence. ”
“About what?” Now Charlie was freaked. What did Amanda tell
her, and why?
“No, no. Don’t worry. She didn’t say anything. She was being
totally respectful to you. She just said you’ve been through a lot and are
still working through some things, so I figured the last thing you would want
is some fake
Charlie.
September
8
Charlie
“Charlie. Hi. How are you today?” Laura asked at the start
of English class on Monday morning. Charlie thought he heard a tiny amount of
concern in her voice, but it wasn’t enough to comment on. He wasn’t expecting
such a warm hello after the way Amanda had scared her off from Jeff Haskell’s
party.
“I’m fine,” he said.
“Good,” Laura said. “I’m so glad to hear that.”
No. Concern was definitely there—as if Charlie had
been out of school sick the Friday before and Laura was checking to make sure
he was okay. Does she think there’s something wrong with me? Charlie
thought. He almost wanted to run to the bathroom to check his face in the
mirror, like maybe he’d spontaneously popped a giant black eye.
Laura rushed off at the end-of-class bell before Charlie could
gather any clues about her weird sincerity, but he got another chance in the
student parking lot after school.
“Hey, Cali. I see you staring at my car,” Charlie said as he
walked toward the Grand Am.
“I was just wondering why you bought a convertible if you’re
going to have the top up, especially on a day like today,” she said. “It’s so
sunny out.”
“It’s fifty degrees! The sun isn’t as strong on this side of
the country.”
“That’s what the car heat is for,” Laura said with a coy
smile. “I’m not putting my top up until there’s frost on my windshield.”
“That sounds like a challenge,” Charlie said.
“It would be, but you already lost.”
It didn’t take much for Charlie’s competitive streak to kick
in. “Fine. We start over today. First person to arrive at school with their top
up loses.”
“And what does the winner get?” Laura asked.
“The best thing a winner can ever get,” Charlie replied.
“Glory.”
Laura laughed—she didn’t know that Charlie wasn’t
kidding—then walked over to where he was standing.
“Think I’m safe to ask you a question over here?” she asked,
looking over her shoulder.
“Don’t worry about Amanda,” Charlie said. “She’s just
territorial.”
“Oh, I know,” Laura said. “It’s nice. She clearly cares so
much about you.”
There was that strange sensitivity again—the same tone
Charlie heard in Laura’s voice at the start of class. Like she was talking to a
cancer patient or something.
“So,” Laura said, “my question: I’m doing a profile for the
paper on a student athlete. We want to uncover what it’s like to balance sports
and school and friends.”
“That’s cool,” Charlie said. “There’s a lot to it that
people don’t realize.”
“Exactly,” Laura said, “So could you suggest one of your
teammates for me to ask? Maybe Miller?”
Charlie hoped the look on his face didn’t give away his reaction: why not me? Was she really not going to ask him? If Laura knew anything
about the Englewood soccer team, she would know he was the one to watch.
Charlie stopped himself at that thought. That was his crazy
ego talking, and when he didn’t keep it in check, there was no telling what it
could do…what it had already done.
“Let me talk to the guys about it,” he said, then his mouth
betrayed his mind, “or you could interview me.”
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” Laura said, “I don’t want you to
think I’m snubbing you. I just…I just figured now wasn’t a great time for you.”
Once again, Laura had turned on the caring-nurse voice. This
time Charlie couldn’t let it go.
“Why wouldn’t it be a great time for me?”
“Oh God, please don’t tell her I told you. I know
Amanda was talking to me in total confidence. ”
“About what?” Now Charlie was freaked. What did Amanda tell
her, and why?
“No, no. Don’t worry. She didn’t say anything. She was being
totally respectful to you. She just said you’ve been through a lot and are
still working through some things, so I figured the last thing you would want
is some fake
Similar Books
