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Authors: Jessie Rosen

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Chapter 15

 

November
26

Laura

 

Laura was perfectly happy to be
spending this Thanksgiving day alone with a pizza from D’Amore's. She’d spent
the previous November holiday weekend wrapped up in bandages from the second of
six surgeries required to make her transformation complete, so anything would
have been more comfortable. Also, now felt like a nice time to think through
all the things she was thankful for over the past two years.

Laura grabbed the five-subject notebook where she’d kept all
her plans around Project CO. She was up to the last section now: Execution.
Section One was filled with pre-planning; Section Two became all about
survival; Section Three was dedicated to transformation; and Section Four was devoted
to her return. Sarah had been a straight-A student for her entire life, but
this notebook belonging to Laura was her proudest achievement.

She found a spare page among all the notes and reminders she
had for what had happened over the past three months and what was still to
come, then wrapped herself in her bedspread and sat down in her backyard on a
beach chair she had bought for the party. In twenty-four hours, this space would
be filled with all her friends and fans from EHS. They would fawn all over
Laura and her amazing party-planning skills. Most of them would be insanely
jealous. And not a single one would know that the girl they wished they could
be was the same girl they’d barely known existed. Sometimes Laura felt like it
was all too good to be true, but she hated that stupid phrase. Nothing was too
good to be true because the truth was something you could control, if you were
smart enough.

 

Things To Be Thankful For, 2015 Edition
 
Thank you, Andrew, for being the person who really made this all possible.
If you hadn’t given me the chance to blackmail you with a statutory rape claim I
would have never gotten the money to live on my own for all this time. I used
to think that “Sass” was to blame for what happened in the woods that morning
because she didn’t have the strength to really say no. But I was a child and you
were an adult, and I’ve come to learn that there was zero excuse for what you
did that day. I think based on everything I’ve put you through since then, you’ve
come to learn that, too.
 
Thank you, Dr. Jerry Craig, for your incredible plastic surgery skills and
for agreeing with me that it was better to do what I said than deal with the
repercussions of having your son on trial. You made a wise decision, and you
did beautiful work. Also, it was so nice to see you in sunny California for a
little touch up a few weeks ago. I’ll be back for another checkup in the spring!
 
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for making it so easy for me to exist on my own in
two states for almost two years. Your total lack of attention to me after you
couldn’t “fix” whatever you thought was wrong with me really made me
independent, and that has definitely paid off.
 
Thank you to the very kind criminals of Los Angeles who sold me a fake
passport and a fake driver’s license, which allowed me to buy a car, rent a
house, register for high school, and countless other things without anyone
knowing I’m a sixteen-year-old dead girl. You guys get a bad rap, but you’re
really so smart.
 
Thank you, Lexi…or should I say Sasha. This one is tough because I wish I
could tell you everything I’ve been up to. You know I’m doing this for you
and
for me—it’s for all the girls who were
ignored and tortured like I was over the years. I promise that I won’t stay
hidden from you forever. There’s a bigger plan, and you are involved.
 
I can’t forget you, Amanda. If not for you there would have been no plan to
pretend to be my friend and then freak me out. You were really the ringleader
defending Charlie’s honor after the whole silly “Chelsea” incident. I get that
you wanted to help him after everything he did for you. Pretending to be the
father of your baby is a pretty intense gift. I remember him being pretty
affected by it when he told “Chelsea” everything that happened. But you two are
a big part of the problem with this world—you let the bad guys be bad.
Maybe it’s time for the real bad guy in your story to pay for what he did. I
made mine pay, and it feels really, really good.
 
Thank you even more to the secret tipster who let me know what Charlie’s
crew was planning for me that night so I could take matters into my own hands.
I always suspected that you were some concerned Englewood kid who suffered like
I did and wanted to protect me. I tried to figure out who you were, but
ultimately decided to let it go and just appreciate your gift. Maybe some day
we’ll reconnect, though I would have to make my thank-you a secret as well.
 
And finally, thank you, my Charlie. Without you I never would have had the
courage to leave my old life behind for the one I was destined to live. You
were my constant motivation, and every struggle I’ve been through has been
worth it because of what I’m gaining in the end—total and complete power
over you. For the next few weeks, it may seem like my moves are driven by
anger, but I promise you’ll someday understand that everything I’ve done for
you has been out of love. You need to get out of the crazy cycle of lies Amanda
started. You are better than all that you’ve done. I wanted to teach you a
lesson, Charlie, but now that I’m almost done with that, I want to show you
that we can be happy together. Chelsea was real—a real version of me—and
you fell in love with her. And now I’ve made myself over, and you’ve fallen in
love with me again. We’re meant to be together. And soon I’ll make it so that
you have no choice but to agree.

 

 

November
27

Charlie

 

Charlie couldn’t believe how nervous
he was as he walked up to Laura’s house. Six months ago, he would have been one
of the first people at a packed Englewood party, running around the room like
he was the host even if it was at Jeff, Billy, or Miller’s house. Now he was
seriously considering leaving and he hadn’t even made it to the front door.

Laura had ended up inviting Amanda, Kit, and Miller as well,
telling them all that she felt like they deserved a second chance even if what
they did to Sarah was wrong. Charlie was the only one who accepted. The rest of
them had only ever been friendly to Laura out of convenience, and even then
they never gave her the welcome she deserved. At the very least they should
have supported him when he was dating Laura.

Charlie understood why the rest of Englewood was done
letting him and his friends rule for no reason: they didn’t deserve the power
they once had anymore. Charlie wasn’t a soccer star. Amanda had taken herself
off the social committee. Kit, who was known as the friendliest of the bunch,
had been totally silent since all the Sarah news came out, and Miller was now
like her grumpy bodyguard. Charlie did not want this to be his life moving
forward, and if that meant leaving Amanda, Kit, and Miller behind, that’s what
he would have to do. His goals had never changed: he wanted to make it out of
Englewood and into college so he could maybe still possibly become a doctor. If
he could accomplish acceptance to any college after what happened, that would
be enough. If not, he didn’t know whether or not his life would be worth
living. But things were finally looking up for him now that the case wasn’t
front and center, and he needed to use the opportunity to rebuild his life, if
that was even possible.

Once he finally mustered up the courage to open Laura’s
front door, Charlie was blown away. This setup was more awesome than anything
he’d ever seen, and the parties of Englewood were pretty epic. Laura’s house
looked more like a fully decorated school dance that just happened to be inside
someone’s living room. Everywhere he turned was another element that turned the
space into a California beach bungalow: surfboards leaning up against the
walls, special light bulbs that made the room feel like it was filled with real
sunshine, old school O.C. ska music blaring over surround-sound speakers, and
girls in bathing suits and sheer cover-ups drinking from cups with little, pink
umbrellas. Charlie knew that Laura was creative, but this was next level.

Charlie grabbed a drink and said a few hellos to people.
Everyone was as surprised to see him as he figured they would be considering they
all probably knew what happened in Coach’s office on Tuesday. The EHS gossip
ring was almost as strong as the soccer team. But so far they were being civil.
He had decided that he would leave the minute anyone made a big deal about him
being around. It wasn’t worth a fight or extra embarrassment. He was there to
help rekindle things with Laura, and he didn’t need a step in the wrong
direction. So far, though, he hadn’t seen the girl of the hour.

He made his way through the living room where tables were adorned
with bowls of guacamole, salsa, queso, and Tostito chips. There was even a
massive tray of shrimp tacos that looked homemade. The whole thing must have
taken days to shop for and set up.

He finally found her standing outside on what looked like an
actual sandy beach, holding court as a bunch of people laughed at whatever
story she was telling. Charlie’s eyes stopped and locked on her; she looked
perfect. Her blond hair was down over her shoulders, wild and curly. Despite
the November chill, she was wearing a tiny, red bikini top under an old denim
jacket with baggy, colorful pants and no shoes. Charlie’s eyes shifted from
Laura’s face straight to her stomach, where he counted an actual four-pack.
He’d forgotten how strong she was, in addition to being so beautiful. Then his
gaze instinctively moved to all the guys standing around her—closely. They,
like him, were also staring straight at Laura’s body. Charlie felt a little
heat rise from his chest to his head. He was jealous.

Laura had been his from her very first day at Englewood, but
he lost her as a girlfriend because of his own stupidity. Now he was just
another guy in line. Charlie could not let this happen. He didn’t just want
Laura in his life because she was funny, sweet and interesting. He needed her
because she could be his way back into acceptance. If Laura forgave him,
Charlie realized, then everyone else at Englewood might, and he wouldn’t have
to beg his mother to transfer him to another school where he’d have to start
all over.

Of course he would never confess all that to Laura. Bottom
line, he had to have Laura back, and he had to start that campaign right now.

Charlie stood and waited just inside the sliding door to the
fake beach patio so that Laura would see him the moment she looked inside. Once
she finally did he turned on his nicest, most innocent smile—one that
said, “
thank you for inviting me, but I’m feeling a little awkward
.”

Laura smiled back with a look that made him know she
understood and excused herself from the group and walked inside to meet him.
Step one:
check
.

 

 

Laura

 

“Are you bringing me in here so
people don’t see you talking to me?” Charlie asked as Laura led him into her
bedroom.

“No,” she said. “I heard Billy Cosentino saying some really
mean stuff about you, and I don’t want him to confront you in the middle of the
party.”

Charlie’s face fell, but he didn’t look surprised to hear
that information. “It’s fine,” he said. “I deserve it.”

“No one deserves to be abused. I told him that if he had an
issue with you he could take care of it at his own party. This is mine, and I’m
not tolerating any of that crap. Just hang here for a minute or so until he
cools down or leaves.”

“I don't believe you,” Charlie said.

“What do you mean?” Laura asked.

“You’re, like, not a real person,” he replied. “You threw
this insane party that’s better than anything we’ve ever seen here.”

“Oh, well…some of the girls from the homecoming committee
helped a lot…”

“But it’s not just that. You’re being so cool to me when
nobody else is. You don’t need to do this.”

“I know, but I get what it’s like to be treated like you’re
some kind of monster.”

“But I am a monster,” Charlie said, putting his fist to his
forehead. “Or I was…to Sarah.”

Laura had to fight everything in her body not to betray
herself by smiling from ear to ear. It wasn’t a confession of what he had done,
but it was finally an admission of who he was back then, and she absolutely
loved hearing it.

“I know,” she said. “It’s still hard for me to believe you
did whatever you did to her, and I don’t even know the whole story.”

“I want to tell you,” Charlie said earnestly. “I want to
start over and be honest with you about everything. I’m just not sure I can.
It’s too hard to talk about.”

They were sitting side by side on the bed now. Laura distanced
herself a little from him to let him know she didn’t appreciate him keeping
information from her.

“But maybe I can someday,” he hurried to add.

“That’s something,” she said. “I want to believe in you,
Charlie. Because—this feels weird to admit—but I think you know I
really fell in love with you when we first got together.”

Charlie smiled. “I didn’t know that,” he said, “but I’m glad
I do now.”

“Yeah, well, now is different.”

Charlie shifted his body so that he could look her directly
in the eyes. “I know,” he said, “but I’ll do anything to prove I can still be a
good boyfriend to you. I want to try to get back together, Laura. Is there any
chance that could happen?”

Laura was silent for enough time to make Charlie squirm. “I
think we could try,” she finally said.

“Maybe we could go somewhere special for our second first
date or something?”

“Maybe,” Laura said. “I need to take it really slow though.
What if we see how things go for a few weeks and then plan something special
for around Christmastime?”

“That sounds great,” Charlie said. “Some kind of big, fancy
holiday date?” Laura smiled at that suggestion, like she just had a brilliant
idea. “Whoa. What?” Charlie said, noticing her reaction. “Do you have an idea?”

“Yes, but…oh,” she said, quickly turning the smile to a
concerned look. “It might be weird.”

“What is it?” Charlie asked. There was an awkward
desperation in his voice. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be weird. I’m cool with
everything.”

“My grandmother had this old cabin—like two hours from
here. It was my favorite place in the world, and we used to go there every year
for Christmas, until Gram died. But this year my parents are letting me go
there for one night before I meet them on vacation, by myself.”

“Wow,” Charlie said. “Your parents are insane.”

“They just trust me. But they definitely wouldn’t want me
bringing you or any guy there. I have to think about it. I don’t like lying to
them.”

“But they’ll never know, right?” Charlie said. “And this is
the kind of stuff we’re supposed to do in high school. It’ll be one of those
things we talk about forever!”

“Forever?” Laura asked. Charlie blushed. “I’ll think about
it. We should get back to the party now though. I’m not quite ready for people
to start rumors about us getting back together.”

“I get that,” Charlie said.

They both headed toward the door, but just as Laura was
about to walk out, she stopped short and turned back to Charlie. “Oh, wait,”
she said. “I forgot one thing about the cabin night.” She made sure to sound
guilty and disappointed so that Charlie wouldn’t suspect anything. “Crap… We
should forget it. It won’t be a good day for you to go.”

“Wait. Why not?” Charlie said. “What day is it?”

“December 23. That’s the night Sarah Castro-Tanner died, right?”

BOOK: Dead Ringer
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