and said； “Oh； right。”
I positively crumbled onto the floor。 And in a flash the voices were gone。 Darla checked
around the corner； then sat beside me； saying； “Oh； Jules；
I'm so； so sorry。 I thought he was about to confess that he's been crushing on you。”
……… Page 63………
“What？ Darla； Bryce does not have a crush on me。”
“Where have you been？ Haven't you noticed the way he's been looking at you？ That boy is
lost in Loveland。”
“Oh； obviously！ You just heard him； Darla！”
“Yeah； but yesterday； yesterday I caught him staring at you and he said there was a bee in
your hair。 A bee； girl。 Is that the lamest cover…up you've
ever heard or what？”
“Darla； the way things have been going； I wouldn't be surprised if there was a bee in my
hair。”
“Oh； you think you're that sweet； huh？ Just attract bees like honey？ Well； honey； the only
bee you're attracting around here is B…r…y…c…e。 Cute；
yeah。 But after what I just heard； I'd stomp and grind； girl。 Stomp and grind。” She got up to go
but turned and said； “Don't worry。 I won't jabber。”
I just shook my head and forgot about Darla。 How wrong could a person be。
It was what Bryce and Garrett had said that I couldn't forget。 How could they be so cruel？
And so stupid？ Is this what my father had gone through
growing up？
The more I thought about it； the angrier I got。 What right did Bryce have to make fun of my
uncle？ How dare he！
I felt fire burn in my cheeks and a cold； hard knot tighten in my heart。 And in a flash I knew—I
was through with Bryce Loski。 He could keep his
brilliant blue eyes。 He could keep his two…faced smile and… and my kiss。 That's right！ He
could keep that； too。 I was never； ever going to talk to him
again！
I stormed back to the section of books on Susan B。 Anthony； found two that would work； and
then went back to my table。 But as I was collecting
my things to check out of the library； I remembered。 The next day we were going to the
Loskis' house for dinner。
I zipped up my backpack and threw it on my shoulder。 Surely after what had happened； I had
the right to vote against going！
Didn't I？
The Serious Willies
Realizing that my father had the same sense of humor as Garrett gave me the serious willies。
I had the hardest time just looking at my dad； let alone
speaking to him。 But at about five o'clock Friday afternoon I agreed with him about one thing
— we should've barbecued。 A barbecue is more； you
know； low…key。 Instead； my mom was flying around the kitchen； slicing and dicing and
barking orders at Dad and me like the president was ing
to dinner。
We swept the floor； put an extra leaf in the table； brought in five more chairs； and set the
table。 We set it all wrong； of course； but all my mother
had to do was shuffle things around to make it right。 It looked the same to me； but what do I
know？
She put out candlesticks and said； “Rick； can you load the dishes and run them？ I'd like a
chance to get cleaned up。 After that you can change。
And Bryce？ What are you wearing？”
“Mom； it's the Bakers。 Are you trying to make them feel totally worthless？”
“Trina and I agreed on a dress…up； so — ”
“But why？”
My dad put a hand on my shoulder and said； “So fortable； son。”
Women。 I looked at her and said； “Does that mean I have to wear a tie？”
“No； but some sort of button…down instead of a T…shirt would be nice。”
I went down to my room and ripped through my closet looking for something with buttons。
There were lots of buttons； all right。 Lots of geeky
……… Page 64………
buttons。 I thought about boycotting my mother's dress…code requirements； but instead I
started putting on shirts。
Twenty minutes later I still wasn't dressed。 And I was extremely ticked off about it because
what did it matter？ Why did I care what I looked like at
this stupid dinner？ I was acting like a girl。
Then through a gap in my curtains I saw them ing。 Out their front door； down their
walkway； across the street。 It was like a weird dream。 They
seemed to be floating toward our house。 All five of them。
I pulled a shirt off my bed； punched my arms in； and buttoned up。
Two seconds later the doorbell rang and Mom called； “Can you get that； Bryce？”
Luckily； Granddad beat me to it。 He greeted them all like they were long…lost family and even
seemed to know which one was Matt and which one
was Mike。 One was wearing a purple shirt and the other was wearing a green one； so it
shouldn't have been that hard to remember which was
which； but they came in and pinched my cheeks and said； “Hey； baby brother！ How's it
goin'？” and I got so mad I mixed them up again。
My mother zoomed in from the kitchen； saying； “e in； e in。 It's so nice you all could
make it。” She called； “Lyn…et…ta！ Rick！ We've got pa…
ny！” but then stopped short when she saw Juli and Mrs。 Baker。 “Well； what's this？” she asked。
“Homemade pies？”
Mrs。 Baker said； “Blackberry cheesecake and pecan。”
“They look wonderful！ Absolutely wonderful！” My mother was acting so hyper I couldn't
believe it。 She took Juli's pie； then whooshed a path to the
kitchen with Mrs。 Baker。
Lyta appeared from around the corner； which made Matt and Mike grin and say； “Hey；
Lyn。 Lookin' good。”
Black skirt； black nails； black eyes — for a nocturnal rodent； yeah； I suppose she was looking
good。
They disappeared down to Lyta's room； and when I turned around； my granddad was
taking Mr。 Baker into the front room； which left me in the
entry hall with Juli。 Alone。
She wasn't looking at me。 She seemed to be looking at everything but me。 And I felt like an
idiot； standing there in my geeky button…down shirt
with pinched cheeks and nothing to say。 And I got so nervous about having nothing to say
that my heart started going wacko on me； hammering like
it does right before a race or a game or something。
On top of that； she looked more like that stupid picture in the paper than the picture did； if
that makes any sense。 Not because she was all
dressed up — she wasn't。 She was wearing some normal…looking dress and normal…looking
shoes； and her hair was the way it always is except
maybe a little more brushed out。 It was the way she was looking at everything but me； with
her shoulders back and her chin out and her eyes
flashing。
We probably only stood there for five seconds； but it felt like a year。 Finally I said； “Hi； Juli。”
Her eyes flashed at me； and that's when it sank in— she was mad。 She whispered； “I heard
you and Garrett making fun of my uncle in the library；
and I don't want to speak to you！ You understand me？ Not now； not ever！”
My mind was racing。 Where had she been？ I hadn't seen her anywhere near me in the library！
And had she heard it？ Or had she heard it from
somebody else。
I tried to tell her it wasn't me； that it was Garrett； all Garrett。 But she shut me down and made
tracks for the front room to be with her dad。
So I'm standing there； wishing I'd punched Garrett out in the library so Juli wouldn't stick me
in the same class as someone who makes retard
jokes； when my dad shows up and claps me on the shoulder。 “So。 How's the party； son？”
……… Page 65………
Speak of the devil。 I wanted to whack his hand off my shoulder。
He leans out so he can see into the front room and says； “Hey； the dad cleans up pretty good；
doesn't he？”
I shrug away from him。 “Mr。 Baker's name is Robert； Dad。”
“Yeah； you know； I knew that。” He rubs his hands together and says； “I guess I ought to go in
and say hello。 ing？”
“Nah。 Mom probably needs my help。”
I didn't run off to the kitchen； though。 I stood there and watched Mr。 Baker shake my father's
hand。 And as they stood there pumping and smiling；
this weird feeling started ing over me again。 Not about Juli — about my father。 Standing
next to Mr。 Baker； he looked small。 Physically small。
And pared to the cut of Mr。 Baker's jaw； my dad's face looked kind of weaselly。
This is not the way you want to feel about your father。 When I was little； I'd always thought
that my dad was right about everything and that there
wasn't a man on earth he couldn't take。 But standing there looking in； I realized that Mr。
Baker could squash him like a bug。
Worse； though； was the way he was acting。 Watching my dad chum it up with Juli's dad—it
was like seeing him lie。 To Mr。 Baker； to Juli； to my
grandfather—to everybody。 Why was he being such a worm？ Why couldn't he just act normal？
You know； civil？ Why did he have to put on such a
phony show？ This went way beyond keeping the peace with my mother。 This was disgusting。
And people said I was the spitting image of my father。 How often had I heard that one？ I'd
never thought about it much； but now it was turning my
stomach。
Mom jingled the dinner bell and called； “Hors d'oeuvres are ready！” and then saw me still
standing in the hallway。 “Bryce； where'd your sister and
the boys go？”
I shrugged。 “Down to her room； I think。” “Go tell them； would you？ And then e have some
hors d'oeuvres。”
“Sure；” I said。 Anything to get rid of the taste in my mouth。
Lyta's door was closed。 And normally I would have knocked and called； Mom wants you；
or； Dinner！ or something； but in that split second
before my knuckles hit wood； my hand became possessed by Evil Baby Brother。 I turned the
knob and walked right in。
Does Lyta freak out or throw stuff at me and scream for me to get out？ No。 She ignores
me。 Matt…and…Mike give me a nod； and Lyta sees
me； but she's got her hands over some headphones and her whole body's bobbing up and
down as she listens to a portable CD player。
Matt…or…Mike whispers； “It's about over。 We'll be right there；” like of course I was there to say
it was time to eat。 What else would I be doing there？
Something about that made me feel； I don't know； left out。 I wasn't even a person to those
guys。 I was just baby brother。
Nothing new there； but now it really bugged me。 Like all of a sudden I didn't fit in anywhere。
Not at school； not at home … and every time I turned
around； another person I'd known forever felt like a stranger to me。 Even I felt like a stranger
to me。
Standing around eating little round crackers smeared with whipped cheese and fish eggs
didn't do much for my mood either。 My mother was
acting like an entire swarm of busy bees。 She was everywhere。 In the kitchen； out of the
kitchen。 Serving drinks； handing out napkins。 Explaining the
food； but not eating a thing。
Lyta didn't buy Mom's explanation on the hors d'oeuvres — she wound up dissecting hers；
categorizing the parts into gross； disgusting； and
revolting。
……… Page 66………
Hanging near her