Free Dead Ringer by Jessie Rosen Page A

more to Laura than any temporary crush—that meant
Charlie liked her as a person, not just some girl to date and forget about
later.
    “Hey. This is a little awkward, but do you want to come back
to my house to watch me work out?”
    Laura blurted out a laugh. “Um, that is awkward,” she
said. “Why do you want me to do that?”
    “I knew it sounded weird…” Charlie said, laughing himself.
“I just figured we could talk about what it’s like to keep up with the fitness
part of being on the team while I’m at home. I could even give you some
pointers if you want.”
    “Are you saying I need to buff up?” she asked, joking.
    Charlie reached out and gave her right bicep a squeeze.
“Whoa, Cali. You could have some serious guns up there if you put a little work
in.”
    “Well, then, let’s go,” Laura said.
    Fifteen minutes later she was staring at Charlie’s arms as
he showed her the proper way to do a push-up in the little garage gym he had
set up. He’d changed into a tight T-shirt and soccer shorts and Laura could see
almost every muscle in his completely built body. Plus his summer tan was still
in full effect. Laura hoped to God she didn’t have to perform whatever move he
was currently demonstrating, because she wasn’t listening to a word he said.
    “Okay, Cali,” Charlie said, as if reading her mind. “You’re
up.”
    Laura was pretty sure he could hear her gulp. Not only did
she have zero upper body strength, but also she was currently wearing the super-short,
gingham shirtdress she’d had on all day at school. Maybe that could be her
excuse.
    “I would absolutely love attempting to be remotely as strong
as you, but I’m not sure I can tackle that in this little number I’m
wearing.”
    “I don’t know,” Charlie said with a smile. “I feel like
you’ll look great doing mountain climbers in that dress.”
    Laura’s body reacted before she could and she gave Charlie a
playful shove.
    “Excuse me, but I am a very professional journalist!” she
said.
    Charlie responded by reaching over and grabbing her notebook
off his lifting bench. “Oh yeah? What have you got on me so far? Let’s take a
look.”
    Laura went to snatch it back, but Charlie was too quick. The
next thing she knew, she was chasing him around his garage.
    “Do ten mountain climbers and you get it back!” he yelled.
    “No way, you just want to see up my dress!” she yelled back.
    “Take it as a compliment, Cali!”
    But somewhere around the second lap, Charlie’s phone started
to ring and did not stop.
    “Cease fire!” he finally said on what had to be the tenth straight
ring. “This could be my mom.”
    Laura pretended to agree to the truce, but the minute
Charlie reached for the phone, she grabbed her notebook back. Charlie responded
with the raise of one eyebrow, impressed.
    “Hello,” he said. “Okay. Whoa. Calm down. Breathe …
What??” Charlie paused for a second, not looking up from the spot on the ground
where he was staring. Laura could see the panic all over his face. “Okay. I’ll
be there as soon as I can.”
    “Oh my God, was that your mom? Is she okay?” Laura asked as Charlie
hung up.
    “No,” he said, “It was Amanda. She’s…someone…it’s a long
story. But I need to go over to her place. I’m really sorry about this.”
     “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah,” he said, “I’m fine. Things are weird between us
right now, but she needs me.”
    “Well then you’re a good friend, or…whatever you guys are,”
Laura said.
    “Friends,” Charlie said, “I guess.”
    Charlie tried to mask whatever was going on inside his head
with a smile, but Laura was getting to know him too well to be convinced.
Whatever Amanda said had him in a panic, and whatever war was going on between
them was nowhere near over. If only this was the article I was writing , she thought to
herself as she followed Charlie up the garage steps.

 
     
    Charlie
     
    Amanda was pacing around her living
room when