Page 106 of TJ Powar Has Something to Prove

She tries to put herself in his shoes. The first time she kissed Charlie, she basically told him he was a rebound. The second time, she was trying to prove something to Liam.

She racks her brain, but can’t think of a single instance she ever told Charlie she was into him forhim. But it still must’ve been obvious with the times she practically threw herself at him. Right?

Suddenly, her phone’s in her hand and she’s trying to compose a text message to him. But nothing sounds right. What is she supposed to say, anyway? Their text conversations have been nothing but occasional jokes since Nationals. It would be a little weird to out of nowhere say,You know I like you, right?

She puts away her phone without sending anything. Charlie might not even respond if she texted him. And even if he did, she wouldn’t get to see his face.

∗

She spends the whole drive to Charlie’s house trying to talk herself out of it.

There are no vehicles in the driveway. It doesn’t occur to her until she’s almost at the door that this probably means no one’s home. She pivots and takes a few steps away before realizingthey have a garage and there could, in fact, be vehicles inside.

So she returns to the door and raises her hand to knock. But right before she can, she imagines herself asking if he knew he was never just a rebound, and him saying yes, yes he knew. And the awkward silence that would follow. TJ would rather die.

She starts back down the driveway, pulling out her phone. She needs advice. Piper! Piper knows all about heartbreak.

Piper takes several rings to answer. “What’s up?”

“I’m at Charlie Rosencrantz’s house and I need advice,” she says without preamble. A squeal on the other end.

“Oh my god! Okay. Well, remember, foreplay is key—”

“Not what I’m talking about.”TJ pinches the bridge of her nose and explains the situation.

Piper is quiet for a second. “I don’t think being scared is an excuse not to ask. If you don’t, you’ll always wonder.”

“But what if he doesn’t feel that way anymore and I just look like a—”

“TJ,” Piper interrupts. “Remember when Charlie told you he liked you the first time? He took the same risk, lost, and accepted it. If you can’t do that, then I guess you have to make your peace with the fact that you’re not as brave as him.”

TJ gapes although no one can see it, her competitive side bristling. “That’snotthe same.”

“Isn’t it?” Piper says cheerily. “I have to go. I’m getting my nails done.”

“Piper—”

Call ended. TJ is left staring furiously at her phone. Ugh. No way is she letting Charlie make her a coward as his last act inher life. She marches for the door. Let him humiliate her, then! To her face! No one can say she was scared.

She raises her hand to knock, then notices the doorbell. She giggles nervously and reaches to press it.

Pauses before she does. There’s a mezuzah on the doorpost right next to it, most likely put up by his mother. What if his parents are home? She can’t tell him she’s into him right in front of his parents. Now,thatwould be awkward. She backs away, resolving to return later, or maybe call ahead and set a time to meet, instead of just showing up on his doorstep like a stalker—

The door swings open.

“Do you want to come in?” Charlie asks. “I’m getting tired of watching you pace around my driveway.”

THIRTY

***

TJ opens and closes her mouth several times. In the silence, he steps aside to let her in. Only his shoes are on the shoe mat. They’re alone.

She notices then that he’s in a collared shirt and paisley tie. “Going on a date or something?” She giggles, then shuts up. Why’d she even say that?

If Charlie notices how weird she’s acting, he doesn’t comment. “Going to a dinner, actually, but that’s later. I just got back from school a few minutes before you showed up. Last student council meeting of the year.”

This somewhat distracts her from her panic. “Yeah? How was it?”