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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 didn't stop the Baker boys from shoving crackers in whole； though。 Man； I
was just waiting for them to wrap themselves around
a table leg and flex。
Juli； her dad； and my grandfather were off to the side talking nonstop about something； and
my dad was over with Mrs。 Baker looking about as
stupid as I felt； standing by myself talking to no one。
My mom flutters over to me and says； “You doing okay； honey？”
“Yeah；” I tell her； but she forces me over to where Granddad is anyway。 “Go on； go on；” she
whispers。 “Dinner will be ready in a minute。”
So I stand there and the group of them opens up； but it's more like a reflex than anything。 No
one says a word to me。 They just keep right on
talking about perpetual motion。
Perpetual motion。
My friend； I didn't even know what perpetual motion was。 They were talking closed systems；
open systems； resistance； energy source；
magism … it was like joining a discussion in a different language。 And Juli； Juli was
saying stuff like； “Well； what if you put the mags back to
back — reversed the polarity？” like she really understood what they were talking about。 Then
my granddad and her dad would explain why her idea
wouldn't work； but all that did was make Juli ask another question。
I was pletely lost。 And even though I was pretending to follow along with what they were
saying； what I was really doing was trying not to stare
at Juli。
When my mom called us for dinner； I did my best to pull Juli aside and apologize to her； but
she gave me the cold shoulder； and who could blame
her； really？
I sat down across from her； feeling pretty low。 Why hadn't I said something to Garrett in the
library？ I didn't have to punch him。 Why hadn't I just told
him he was out of line？
After Mom served everyone their food； Dad seemed to decide that he ought to be the one
directing the conversation。 “So； Mike and Matt；” he
says； “you're seniors this year。”
“Amen！” they say together。
“Amen？ As in you're glad high school's over？”
“Absolutely。”
My father starts twirling his fork。 “Why's that？”
Matt and Mike look at each other； then back at my dad。 “The regurgitation gets to you after a
while。”
“Isn't that funny；” he says； looking around the table。 “High school was probably the best time
of my life。”
Matt…or…Mike says； “Seriously？ Dude； it's totally lame！” Mrs。 Baker shoots him a look； but that
doesn't stop him。 “Well； it is； Mom。 It's that whole
robotron attitude of education。 Confine； confute； conform—I've had totally enough of that
scene。”
My dad eyes my mom with a little I…told…you…so grin； then says to Matt and Mike； “So I take it
college is out of the question？”
God； what was with him？ In a flash I was clutching my fork and knife； ready to duke it out for
a couple of guys who pinched my cheeks and called
me baby brother。
I