The Stand-In Boyfriend

by Doherty, Emma

  I frown. What do I do? This has been happening less and less recently. It’s nothing like when I was in the seventh grade and had my complete meltdown that triggered my mom shipping me off to the child psychologist. I’m much better at dealing with stress and change than I’ve ever been, and honestly I’ve been much better at calming myself down. Sophie and Jessie have always been a big part of that. In a way, they’re my coping mechanism, and they helped me get through my tough times. I guess that’s why it’s started flaring up again—Jessie is the reason for it now, not the one who can distract me and pull me out of it. He’s actually the reason this is the worst I’ve felt in a really long time.

  “Um, I don’t know. I exercise, I guess—go for a run, play soccer, basketball.”

  His face lights up. “Why didn’t you say so?” He jumps out of his seat and leaves the room, leaving me looking after him in surprise and feeling kinda awkward being in this huge room by myself. He returns five minutes later dressed in running shorts, a Grove Valley gym shirt, and sneakers with a pile of clothes in his hands that he promptly passes over to me.

  When I don’t immediately understand what he’s implying, he rolls his eyes. “My sister is about the same size as you. You can borrow her shorts, the shirt is an old one of mine, and the sneakers are brand new.”

  “You want to go for a run?”

  He snorts back a laugh. “Well, yeah. I go for one a day anyway, and it might help you relax.”

  I stare at the pile of clothes he shoved into my hands. “I can’t wear your sister’s stuff.”

  He shrugs. “She has three closets full of clothes and doesn’t even live here full time anymore—that’s how much clothing she owns. She wouldn’t notice if half of them went missing.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Three closets?”

  He smirks. “Yup, and she’s at college now so she has stuff there too.”

  “She really wouldn’t mind?”

  “Nope. Come on, get changed.”

  I stare at the clothes for another minute before deciding. Eventually, I figure, what the hell? I’m willing to try anything to push this anxiety away. I quickly stand and go to a bathroom off to the side to get changed. The running shorts are definitely shorter than I’m used to, but the shoes fit perfectly. Chase’s old shirt almost hits the bottom of the shorts and is so loose I know I won’t feel self-conscious when running. I leave the room and find him waiting by his front door.

  His eyes drop briefly to my bare legs but before I can begin to feel awkward, he’s opened the front door and is already halfway out. “Come on,” he calls back over his shoulder.

  We walk down the path and he asks how far I want to run. I shrug and tell him I usually do a four- or five-mile jog every day. He face lights up like I’ve just announced he’s joining a pro team, and he takes off down the sidewalk, challenging me to keep up with him.

  I take a couple of long strides to catch up then fall into step with him, the familiar smack of feet against the sidewalk oddly comforting. It only takes a couple of minutes before my mind becomes calm and it spreads throughout my body. The only thing I think about as I run is matching my breathing to my stride. Chase kicks up the pace and I match him step for step, feeling the familiar stretch of my muscles as I push myself to go faster. I don’t let up, matching him step for step, and after fifteen minutes, it’s gone. The anxiety and stress of the day is gone, and I feel better than I have since this whole thing with Jessie blew up at Aaron’s party. I glance over at Chase and he must sense it because he looks over at me and grins. I grin back. It’s actually nice to run with somebody for a change. Sophie wouldn’t be caught dead exercising in public, and Jessie isn’t fast enough. It’s nice to have somebody push you.

  Chase lets me know when we need to turn since I don’t know the route, but apart from that, we’re silent. We don’t need to talk, and that makes it even better for me. I don’t have to think about what to say to him or worry about how boring I appear to him. Not for the first time, Chase Mitchell surprises me by making me feel comfortable in silence. It’s strange how you have all these ideas about someone just because they’re well known at school, but actually they’re not what you perceive them to be at all.

  “Last mile,” Chase suddenly barks out, and without warning, he accelerates forward.

  I lengthen my stride to catch him, punching my arms back and forth until I eventually manage to come up level with him. We’re matching each other stride for stride and my breathing becomes ragged as I try to push forward and onward. This is what it’s about—this competitive edge. Nothing else compares for me. I may have trouble standing up for myself and struggle with anxiety and disbelief on a daily basis, but what I am is an athlete and I always aim to win, no matter what. I use this drive to dig deep and stretch out ahead of him, keeping up the pace. I can feel him just a step behind me, his own breathing labored as he tries to catch up, and when I see his car just up ahead, I know we’re almost back to his house. I try to stay ahead just for this last bit so I can control something. I might not be able to control Jessie or Courtney and the way they feel about each other, but I can control my body and I can make sure I leave nothing out here—even if it is just a jog around Chase’s neighborhood.

  It’s two steps to go and I’ve almost made it. I feel the familiar exhilaration that washes over me when I know I’ve given it my all, when I know I’ve given it my best performance, and then I feel arms wrap around my waist in a tackle and I tumble onto the grass outside Chase’s house with him tumbling down on top of me.

  “You cheated,” I cry out, flat on my back. I was definitely about to win that race. Ideally I’d jump straight up to show him that last mile hasn’t affected me at all, but it’s all I can do to spit the words out.

  Chase laughs and shifts his weight so he’s not on top of me. He’s propped up on his elbows, looking down. “Damn right I did.” His breathing is as jagged as mine, and a small part of me is proud that I managed to push him so hard. “I have a rep to uphold—can’t have you showing me up the first time you come around here.”

  Our eyes meet and I burst out laughing. It feels good as I turn my attention back to the blue sky overhead. The sun is beaming down and I’m dripping with sweat from the exercise, but it’s nice to feel this carefree and I’m extremely grateful to Chase for pulling me out of my dark cloud. It’s been known to last for days, and this one run has cheered me up.

  “You didn’t think I could run like that did you?” I ask, unable to keep the pride out of my voice.

  “Oh, I knew, Chapman. We had gym class together when we were freshmen.”

  I laugh at that; it’s something I’d forgotten. It feels good to know that the star athlete of Grove Valley High considers me a good competitor and knows I can hang. I stretch my legs out. My muscles already feel sore, but it’s a good ache; it means I know I put my all into that run.

  Chase grins at me and leans farther toward me. “You good?”

  I grin. “Yeah, I’m good.”

  His eyes find mine and he shifts ever so slightly closer.

  I blink in surprise but don’t look away.

  His eyes drop from my eyes to my mouth and he licks his lips.

  My heart rate, which had started to slow down after the run, immediately picks up again. I bite my lip but Chase doesn’t break eye contact, and he starts slowly leaning toward me, his intent clear. I’m completely frozen. Everything inside me is screaming that this is a bad idea and I should break the spell by saying something stupid or rolling away, but I don’t. For some reason, as his head gets closer to mine, I don’t move.

  A throat is cleared above us. “Sorry, little brother—am I interrupting something?”

  I JUMP AWAY FROM CHASE as though he’s the devil himself and scramble to stand up to find the female version of him standing in front of me. Aaron is smirking beside her.

  Oh my God. Chase was about to kiss me on his front lawn and I wasn’t going to stop him. Christ. Exercise does strange thin
gs to my head.

  With a sigh, Chase stands up next to me, and I automatically take a step away from him. My heart is still beating way too fast.

  “Perfect timing as always,” Chase says dryly.

  His sister turns to face me and I can’t help but feel intimidated. Here I am sweating in her shorts and sneakers after she’s just interrupted her brother and me doing I don’t even know what. I take her in. She’s so similar to Chase that I think if I walked past her on the street I would have known they were siblings. Her dark blonde hair falls halfway down her back, her makeup is perfectly applied, and her slim figure is decked out in designer clothes. I suddenly feel incredibly inferior and can sense myself cowering a little.

  “So you’re Abigail’s stand-in?” she asks, eyebrows raised.

  “Shut up,” Chase tells her. “Don’t be a bitch.” He nods at Aaron in greeting then takes a step forward. “Come on,” he says to me over his shoulder. “Let’s get something to drink.”

  Aaron smiles at me encouragingly and I have little choice but to follow Chase in, all my happy endorphins gone now that his sister is here. I get the distinct impression she already doesn’t like me.

  I follow him into the kitchen and just about manage to stifle my gasp of amazement at the sheer size of it as he grabs a couple of glasses and fills them with water before passing one over to me. I greedily gulp down the liquid, not pausing for breath as Aaron and Chase’s sister come join us at the island in the middle of the room.

  “You want some food?” he asks me. I shake my head; I can never eat when I’ve just exercised. Chase turns to Aaron, who nods his head. “You know where to find it,” Chase tells him, and I almost chuckle out loud at the look on Aaron’s face at having to get it himself. Chase smirks over at me. “He’s here every day—he can make his own food.”

  The beautiful blonde beside Aaron clears her throat, looking at Chase and then pointedly over at me.

  “What?” Chase snaps.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce me to the girl you were about to make out with on the front lawn?”

  If possible, my face burns even redder.

  Chase sighs. “Rosie, this is Livy. Livy, this is my sister, Rosie.”

  I kind of wave awkwardly at her then drop my hand because I know I probably look really weird.

  She narrows her eyes at me. “Livy?” she asks thoughtfully. I nod my head. “What’s your last name?”

  “Uh—”

  “What is this? The Spanish inquisition? Leave my girlfriend alone.”

  I nearly fall over. I wait for him to clarify that I’m his fake girlfriend, but he doesn’t, just stares defiantly back at his sister, who is glaring right back at him.

  My eyes find Aaron, who is looking over at Chase and Rosie in interest. He glances my way and shrugs like he doesn’t get it either.

  “So you guys are together?” she asks, turning to me.

  “Yes,” Chase snaps. “Why are you even here? Shouldn’t you be out, living it up on campus?”

  “Well excuse me for coming to check on you when I know the folks are out of town for the next couple weeks.”

  Chase doesn’t say anything in return but his stance softens, and I know he’s not as upset with her now. My guess is they’re really close.

  Rosie turns back to me and offers a smile. It’s genuine and blinding, and I’m momentarily dazzled. “Sorry, Livy. I can be a bit overprotective. I’m just used to Abigail being around, and she’s no good for him. Then when they’re not together, he usually has some random hook-up hanging out for a week or so until he gets bored.”

  I snicker—I can’t help it. It’s not as if I don’t know this, and the way Chase’s face turns bright red is hilarious. He looks mortified, and it’s so different from the confident, assured guy I see at school that I can’t help laughing. It’s nice to know even the great Chase Mitchell gets embarrassed.

  “Would you shut up?” he demands.

  Rosie just dismisses him with her hand. “So how long have you been dating?”

  I look to Chase in panic. She actually believes us? Why isn’t he telling her the truth? It’s not like people don’t know—Sophie and Aaron both do—and what am I supposed to say about how long we’ve been dating?

  Chase answers for me. “A couple of weeks, not that it’s any of your business.”

  “You know each other from school?”

  I nod at her. That’s one thing I can answer. I mean, it’s a stretch to say we know each other, but we do attend the same high school.

  “Okay, interrogation over,” Chase announces. “Let’s go watch TV.”

  He walks right past me, grabbing my arm as he goes and tugging me out of the kitchen. Aaron follows, a huge bag of chips in his hands. Chase flops down on the couch, Aaron sprawls out next to him, and Chase looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to take the seat beside him.

  “Uh, I should probably go,” I tell him.

  “Why?”

  I shrug uncomfortably. “Well, uh, I need to get home and take a shower, and I have homework to do.”

  Aaron pipes up from his spot next to Chase. “That’s why I’m here, Chapman. I thought we could do our chemistry homework together.”

  “Oh, well…”

  “You can shower here,” Chase tells me. “There’s a hairdryer and everything you need in the guest bathroom, then you can change back into your clothes and we can sit down to study.”

  “Um…”

  “Come on, Livy. I need your help. I really don’t get it.”

  I glance over at Aaron. He looks totally engrossed in the car chase that’s on TV, not like he’s ready to study. “I mean…”

  Chase turns to look at me. “Go shower,” he tells me. “Then when we’re done we can talk about our agreement.”

  I audibly swallow. This is what I’ve been avoiding since I got here, but he’s right. Chase might have started this, but I set it in motion today in the cafeteria. I might as well see what he thinks we should do next. I do as I’m told. I go and shower.

  By the time I’m finished drying my hair and back in my own clothes, Aaron and Chase are sprawled out on the floor in front of the sofas with their textbooks open and the TV off. Chase’s hair is damp and he’s in some sweats and a new t-shirt, indicating that he showered in my absence. The only other difference is that Sophie’s joined them.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask immediately. Yes, she knows these guys, but as far as I know, she’s never hung out at their houses before (unless it’s a party), and yet they’re all just sitting here like this is the most natural thing in the world.

  She grins at me. “Heard about the study party, didn’t want to miss out.” I glance at Chase, but his eyes don’t stray from his textbook. “You sitting or what?” Sophie continues. “The pizza will be here soon.”

  She cocks an eyebrow at me when I still don’t move. Aaron glances up. “Can I check your notes from last Thursday? I think I missed something because this is not making sense.”

  I glance back to Sophie and she jerks her head at the empty space next to her, so I gingerly take a seat and pull over my backpack. I know what Chase is doing—getting Sophie and Aaron here acting like everything is normal so I’m more likely to stay—and the thing is, it’s working. I feel more relaxed when they’re around, like I actually want to stay and chill with him.

  The next hour flies by, and between the two of us, Aaron and I figure out what Donaldson wants and both complete our homework as well as reading ahead into next week’s homework. I’ve even started on my trig and am engrossed in answering a question when the doorbell rings and Chase gets up and comes back with a bunch of pizzas. By this point, my stomach’s growling, and I gratefully accept a slice.

  “Are we done studying now?” Sophie asks as she grabs another slice. I can’t help but smile. She’s been quiet for a whole hour—practically a record for her.

  “I’m done,” Chase announces, slamming his textbook shut. Aaron follows suit.

/>   “Good,” Sophie continues. “So now can we talk about the fact that your little show at lunchtime was hot enough to make me worry I’d get pregnant just watching?”

  I choke on my pizza—full-on choke while Chase just smirks over at me. A couple minutes and several gulps of water later, I pull myself together enough to glare at Sophie.

  “What? I’m telling the truth.”

  Aaron starts laughing. “It was definitely a surprise.” He glances over at Chase. “Abigail was so mad.”

  “Yeah?” he asks, never taking his eyes away from me, that same old smirk covering his face. “What about Stephenson?”

  My heart lurches. They’ve got me, and all four of them know it. I glance over at Sophie, knowing what she’s going to say before she opens her mouth. As far as she’s concerned, there’s no question that I should be going along with Chase’s plan. Her next words confirm it.

  “Pissed. He sat there for like two minutes, brushed Courtney off when she started rubbing up against him, and then stormed out of the cafeteria.”

  My heart starts pounding in my chest.

  “Really?” I know she wouldn’t lie to me, even if she does want to talk me into something, but she has been known to exaggerate the truth before and she’s so intent on me agreeing to this.

  She nods.

  “You promise?” I ask again.

  “I promise, Liv. He was more pissed than I’ve seen him in a long time.”

  I bite down on my lip to stop a grin spreading across my face. It’s not that I want Jessie to be angry—I’d never want him to be unhappy—but this shows that he cares, shows something I’ve done has actually affected him, and it feels good.

  “So what do you say, Livy?” My attention is pulled back to Chase, who is gazing at me intently. “You gonna be my fake girlfriend?”

  I only pause for a second, just a second, and then Jessie’s face flashes in my mind and I nod my head. “Sure, Chase. I’ll be your fake girlfriend.”

  Twenty minutes later, I’m ready to leave. Sophie said she’d drop me off at home then take me to school tomorrow so I don’t have to go back for my car, and Chase and I have hashed out the details of our arrangement. I made a case for no more kissing, thinking back to the scene on his front lawn, but he just snorted and said no one would believe us. So, I compromised and said we could have two more public kisses (I get to pick one and he gets to pick the other) when the situation justified it, but it would have to be in front of either Abigail or Jessie in order for it to be effective. He countered, arguing that as I’d instigated our last kiss in the cafeteria, I owed him one more. I tried to say his peck on my lips counted but he wasn’t buying it, and I was tired of arguing with him by that point so I agreed. Three more public kisses, hanging out at school and in places we might get seen, and general ‘couple-y’ behavior. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.