"Thank you for your concern," I said, looking away.
I headed for the stairs while Charlie waved from the doorway.
"Wait, Bella," he said.
I cringed. Had Billy Ray gotten something in before I'd joined them in the living room? Was I busted?
But Charlie was relaxed, still grinning from the unexpected visit.
"I didn't get a chance to talk to you tonight. How was your... uh... day?" He struggled to make conversation.
"Good." I hesitated with one foot on the first stair, searching for details I could safely share. "My badminton team won all four games."
"Wow, I didn't know you could play badminton."
"That's four out of four games, dad."
"Wow, Bella. Is your partner Mikey Newton?"
"My partner is Mike Newton." I told him reluctantly.
"Oh yeah—you said you were friends with Mikey Newton." He perked up. "Nice family. Great kid... real great kid." His eyes seemed distant, starry, as if remembering some halcyon memory. It was the first time I had ever seen him happy about anything since my mother had left him. "Why don't you ask Mikey Newton to the dance this weekend? It's a girl's choice, you said it yourself."
"Dad!" I groaned. "He's kind of dating my friend Jessica. Obviously if I asked him, he'd dump her in an instant, but he's annoying, dad. And he looks like a horse. Besides, you know I can't dance."
"Oh yeah!" He chuckled. "Come to think of it, the only time I ever saw you dance, you kind of looked like this." He began humming a very crude version of the Macarena and doing some signature moves from the 'Thriller' video. "So I guess it's good you'll be gone Saturday..." He said, the words getting mixed in with the bout of laughter that had overtaken him while he was mocking me. "I've made plans to go fishing with the guys from the station. The weather's supposed to be real warm. But if you wanted to put your trip off 'til someone could go with you, I'd stay home. I know I leave you here alone too much."

241

Chapter 12

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