nutritious。” She nodded toward the stage。 “You gonna
go up to the table like you're supposed to？ Or you gonna stick around and see the carnage？”
I almost didn't have a choice。 Before Mrs。 McClure could say two words about Bryce or his
basket； Shelly called； “Ten！” Then from the middle of
the gym came “Twenty！” It was Miranda Humes； with her hand way in the air。 They went
back and forth； back and forth； higher and higher； until Shelly
called； “Sixty…two！”
“I can't believe it；” I whispered to Darla。 “Sixty…two dollars！ C'mon； Miranda； e on。”
“I think she's out。 Shelly's got it。”
“Sixty…two dollars going once！” cried Mrs。 McClure； but before she could say； Going twice！ a
voice from the back of the gym called； “A hundred！”
Everyone gasped and turned around to see who had called the bid。 Darla whispered； “It's
Jenny。”
“Atkinson？” I asked。
Darla pointed。 “Right over there。”
She was easy to spot； standing tall above the others in the number…seven basketball jersey
she almost always wore。 “Wow；” I whispered； “I had
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no idea。”
“Maybe she'll slam…dunk him for you；” Darla said with a grin。
“Who cares？” I giggled。 “She slam…dunked Shelly！”
Mrs。 McClure was gushing into the microphone about the record…breaking bid when a big
motion broke out over by Miranda。 I spotted
Shelly's hair； and my first thought was that there was going to be a fight。 But instead； Shelly
and Miranda turned to face Mrs。 McClure and called；
“One…twenty…two fifty！”
I choked down a cry。 “What？”
“They're teamin' up；” Darla whispered。
“Oh； no…no…no！” I looked over Jenny's way。 “e on； Jenny！”
Darla shook her head and said； “She's through；” and she was。 Bryce went to Shelly and
Miranda for one hundred twenty…two dollars and fifty
cents。
It was a little strange； meeting up with Jon and walking over to the multi…purpose room for
lunch。 But he was just so nice； and I think grateful that I'd
bid； that by the time we got situated at our table； I wasn't feeling so awkward or silly。 It was
just lunch。
Things would have been easier if they hadn't seated me in direct view of Bryce and his little
harem； but I did my best to ignore them。 Jon told me
all about this radio…controlled airplane that he and his dad were building from scratch； and
how he'd been working on it for nearly three months； and
that over the weekend they were finally going to get to try it out。 He told me a funny story
about soldering the wires wrong and practically starting a
fire in their basement； and I asked him about how a radio…controlled airplane works because I
didn't really understand it。
So I'd relaxed a lot and was actually having a good time eating lunch with Jon。 And I was so
relieved that I hadn't bid on Bryce。 What a fool I would
have made of myself！ Watching Shelly and Miranda fawning all over him didn't bother me
nearly as much as I thought it would。 Really； they looked
ridiculous。
Jon asked about my family； so I was telling him about my brothers and their band when a
huge motion broke out over at Bryce's table。
Suddenly Shelly and Miranda were rolling on the floor like an enormous furball； smearing
each other with food。
Out of nowhere Bryce appeared at our table。 He grabbed my hand； pulled me a few feet
away； and whispered； “Do you like him？”
I was stunned。
He held my other hand and asked again； “Do you like him？”
“You mean Jon？”
“Yes！”
I can't remember what I said。 He was looking into my eyes； holding my hands tight； and then
he began pulling me toward him。 My heart was racing
and his eyes were closing and his face was ing toward mine…。 Right there； in front of all
the other basket boys and their dates and the adults；
he was going to kiss me。
To kiss me。
I panicked。 I'd been waiting all my life for that kiss； and now？
I yanked free and ran back to my table； and when I sat down Jon whispered； “Did he just try
to kiss you？”
I turned my chair away from Bryce and whispered； “Can we please talk about something else？
Anything else？”
People were whispering and looking my way； and when Shelly Stalls came back from
cleaning up in the washroom； everyone fell quiet。 Her hair
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looked awful。 It was sort of oiled to her scalp and still had little chunks of food in it。 She
glared at me so hard it looked like she was trying to get laser
beams to shoot from her eyes。
A couple of adults steered her back to her seat； and then everyone started whispering
double…speed。 And Bryce didn't even seem to care！ He
kept trying to e over and talk to me； but either he'd get intercepted by a teacher or I'd
dash away from him before he had a chance to say
anything。
When the dismissal bell finally rang； I said a quick goodbye to Jon and bolted out the door。 I
couldn't reach my bike fast enough！ I was the first
one off campus； and I pedaled home so hard it felt as though my lungs would burst。
Mrs。 Stueby was out front watering her flower bed and she tried to say something to me； but I
just dropped my bike in the driveway and escaped
into the house。 I certainly didn't want to talk about roosters！
My mother heard me slamming doors and came to check on me in my room。 “Julianna！
What's wrong？”
I flipped over on my bed to face her and wailed； “I am so confused！ I don't know what to think
or feel or do…！”
She sat down beside me on the bed and stroked my hair。 “Tell me what happened；
sweetheart。”
I hesitated； then threw my hands up in the air。 “He tried to kiss me！”
My mother struggled not to let it show； but underneath her posed expression was a
growing smile。 She leaned in a little and asked； “Who
did？”
“Bryce！”
She hesitated。 “But you've always liked him…。”
The doorbell rang。 And rang again。 My mom started to get up； but I grabbed her arm and
said； “Don't get that！” The bell rang again； and almost
right after that there was a loud knocking at the door。 “Mom； please！ Don't get it。 That's
probably him！”
“But sweetheart …”
“I was over him！ pletely over him！”
“Since when？”
“Since last Friday。 After the dinner。 If he had vanished from the face of the earth after our
dinner at the Loskis'； I wouldn't have cared！”
“Why？ Did something happen at the dinner that I don't know about？”
I threw myself back onto my pillow and said； “It's too plicated； Mom！ I …I just can't talk
about it。”
“My；” she said after a moment。 “Don't you sound like a teenager。”
“I'm sorry；” I whimpered； because I knew I was hurting her feelings。 I sat up and said； “Mom；
all those years I liked him？ I never really knew him。 All
I knew was that he had the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen and that his smile melted my
heart like the sun melts butter。 But now I know that inside
he's a coward and a sneak； so I've got to get over what he's like on the outside！”
My mother leaned back and crossed her arms。 “Well；” she said。 “Isn't this something。”
“What do you mean？”
She chewed the side of one cheek； then moved over to chew the other。 At last she said； “I
shouldn't really discuss it。”
“Why not？”
“Because …I just shouldn't。 Besides； I can tell there are things you don't feel fortable
discussing with me…。”
We stared at each other a moment； neither of us saying a word。 Finally I looked down and
whispered； “When Chet and I were fixing up the yard； I
told him how we didn't own the house and about Uncle David。 He must have told the rest of
the family； because the day before the Loskis' dinner
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party I overheard Bryce and his friend making cracks about Uncle David at school。 I was
furious； but I didn't want you to know because you'd think
they were only inviting us over because they felt sorry for us。” I looked at her and said； “You
just seemed so happy about being invited for dinner。”
Then I realized something。 “And you know； you've seemed happier ever since。”
She held my hand and smiled。 “I have a lot to be happy about。” Then she sighed and said；
“And I already knew they knew about Uncle David。 It
was fine that you talked about him。 He's not a secret or anything。”
I sat up a little。 “Wait … how did you know？”
“Patsy told me。”
I blinked at her。 “She did？ Before the dinner？”
“No； no。 After。” She hesitated； then said； “Patsy's been over several times this week。
She's … she's going through a very rough time。”
“How e？”
Mom let out a deep breath and said； “I think you're mature enough to keep this inside these
four walls； and I'm only telling you because …
because I think it's relevant。”
I held my breath and waited。
“Patsy and Rick have been having ferocious fights lately。”
“Mr。 and Mrs。 Loski？ What about？”
Mom sighed。 “About everything； it seems。”
“I don't understand。”
Very quietly my mother said； “For the first time in her life； Patsy is seeing her husband for
what he is。 It's twenty years and two children late； but
that's what she's doing。” She gave me a sad smile。 “Patsy seems to be going through the
same thing you are。”
The phone rang and Mom said； “Let me get that； okay？ Your dad said he'd call if he was
working overtime； and that's probably him。”
While she was gone； I remembered what Chet had said about someone he knew who had
never learned to look beneath the surface。 Had he
been talking about his own daughter？ And how could this happen to her after twenty years of
marriage？
When my mother came back； I absently asked； “Is Dad working late？”
“That wasn't Dad； sweetheart。 It was Bryce。”
I sat straight up。 “Now he's calling？ I have lived across the street from him for six years and
he's never once called me！ Is he doing this because
he's jealous？”
“Jealous？ Of whom？”
So I gave her the blow…by…blow； beginning with Mrs。 Stueby； going clear through Darla； the
auction； the furball fight； and ending with Bryce trying
to kiss me in front of everybody。
She clapped her hands and positively giggled。
“Mom； it's not funny！”
She tried to straighten up。 “I know； sweetheart； I know。”
“I don't want to wind up like Mrs。 Loski！”
“You don't have to marry the boy； Julianna。 Why don't you just listen to what he has to say？
He sounded desperate to talk to you。”
“What could he possibly have to say？ He's already tried to blame Garrett for what he said
about Uncle David； and I'm sorry； but I don't buy it。 He's
lied to me； he hasn't stood up for me … he's … he's nobody that I want to like。 I just need
some time to get over all those years of having liked him。”
Mom sat there for the longest time； biting her cheek。 Then she said； “Pe