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sure it was a goner。 Not Juli。 She scrambled up and
got it down in no time。 Man； it was embarrassing。
So I made a mental picture of how high she'd climbed； and the next day I set off to outdo her
by at least two branches。 I made it past the crook； up
a few limbs； and then — just to see how I was doing — I looked down。
Mis…take！ It felt like I was on top of the Empire State Building without a bungee。 I tried looking
up to where my kite had been； but it was hopeless。 I
was indeed a tree…climbing weenie。
Then junior high started and my dream of a Juli…free existence shattered。 I had to take the
bus； and you…know…who did； too。 There were about
eight kids altogether at our bus stop； which created a buffer zone； but it was no fort zone。
Juli always tried to stand beside me； or talk to me； or
in some other way mortify me。
And then she started climbing。 The girl is in the seventh grade； and she's climbing a tree —
way； way up in a tree。 And why does she do it？ So
she can yell down at us that the bus is five！ four！ three blocks away！ Blow…by…blow traffic
watch from a tree — what every kid in junior high feels like
hearing first thing in the morning。
She tried to get me to e up there with her； too。 “Bryce； e on！ You won't believe the
colors！ It's absolutely magnificent！ Bryce； you've got to
e up here！”
Yeah； I could just hear it： “Bryce and Juli sitting in a tree…” Was I ever going to leave the
second grade behind？
One morning I was specifically not looking up when out of nowhere she swings down from a
branch and practically knocks me over。 Heart attack！
I dropped my backpack and wrenched my neck； and that did it。 I refused to wait under that
tree with that maniac monkey on the loose
anymore。 I started leaving the house at the very last minute。 I made up my own waiting spot；
and when I'd see the bus pull up； I'd truck up the hill and
get on board。
No Juli； no problem。
And that； my friend； took care of the rest of seventh grade and almost all of eighth； too； until
one day a few months ago。 That's when I heard a
motion up the hill and could see some big trucks parked up on Collier Street where the
bus pulls in。 There were some men shouting stuff up at
Juli； who was； of course； five stories up in the tree。
All the other kids started to gather under the tree； too； and I could hear them telling her she
had to e down。 She was fine — that was obvious
to anyone with a pair of ears — but I couldn't figure out what they were all arguing about。
I trucked up the hill； and as I got closer and saw what the men were holding； I figured out in a
hurry what was making Juli refuse to e out of the
tree。
Chain saws。
Don't get me wrong here； okay？ The tree was an ugly mutant tangle of gnarly branches。 The
girl arguing with those men was Juli — the world's
peskiest； bossiest； most know…it…all female。 But all of a sudden my stomach pletely bailed
on me。 Juli loved that tree。 Stupid as it was； she
loved that tree； and cutting it down would be like cutting out her heart。
Everyone tried to talk her down。 Even me。 But she said she wasn't ing down； not ever；
and then she tried to talk us up。 “Bryce； please！ e
up here with me。 They won't cut it down if we're all up here！”
For a second I considered it。 But then the bus arrived and I talked myself out of it。 It wasn't
my tree； and even though she acted like it was； it
wasn't Juli's； either。
……… Page 13………
We boarded the bus and left her behind； but school was pretty much a waste。 I couldn't seem
to stop thinking about Juli。 Was she still up in the
tree？ Were they going to arrest her？
When the bus dropped us off that afternoon； Juli was gone and so was half the tree。 The top
branches； the place my kite had been stuck； her
favorite perch — they were all gone。
We watched them work for a little while； the chain saws gunning at full throttle； smoking as
they chewed through wood。 The tree looked lopsided
and naked； and after a few minutes I had to get out of there。 It was like watching someone
dismember a body； and for the first time in ages； I felt like
crying。 Crying。 Over a stupid tree that I hated。
I went home and tried to shake it off； but I kept wondering； Should I have gone up the tree
with her？ Would it have done any good？
I thought about calling Juli to tell her I was sorry they'd cut it down； but I didn't。 It would've
been too； I don't know； weird。
She didn't show at the bus stop the next morning and didn't ride the bus home that afternoon；
either。
Then that night； right before dinner； my grandfather summoned me into the front room。 He
didn't call to me as I was walking by — that would have
bordered on friendliness。 What he did was talk to my mother； who talked to me。 “I don't know
what it's about； honey；” she said。 “Maybe he's just
ready to get to know you a little better。”
Great。 The man's had a year and a half to get acquainted； and he chooses now to get to
know me。 But I couldn't exactly blow him off。
My grandfather's a big man with a meaty nose and greased…back salt…and…pepper hair。 He
lives in house slippers and a sports coat； and I've
never seen a whisker on him。 They grow； but he shaves them off like three times a day。 It's a
real recreational activity for him。
Besides his meaty nose； he's also got big meaty hands。 I suppose you'd notice his hands
regardless； but what makes you realize just how beefy
they are is his wedding ring。 That thing's never going to e off； and even though my
mother says that's how it should be； I think he ought to get it
cut off。 Another few pounds and that ring's going to amputate his finger。
When I went in to see him； those big hands of his were woven together； resting on the
newspaper in his lap。 I said； “Granddad？ You wanted to
see me？”
“Have a seat； son。”
Son？ Half the time he didn't seem to know who I was； and now suddenly I was “son”？ I sat in
the chair opposite him and waited。
“Tell me about your friend Juli Baker。”
“Juli？ She's not exactly my friend … ！”
“Why is that？” he asked。 Calmly。 Like he had prior knowledge。
I started to justify it； then stopped myself and asked； “Why do you want to know？”
He opened the paper and pressed down the crease； and that's when I realized that Juli
Baker had made the front page of the Mayfield Times。
There was a huge picture of her in the tree； surrounded by a fire brigade and policemen； and
then some smaller photos I couldn't make out very
well。 “Can I see that？”
He folded it up but didn't hand it over。 “Why isn't she your friend； Bryce？”
“Because she's …” I shook my head and said； “You'd have to know Juli。”
“I'd like to。”
“What？ Why？”
“Because the girl's got an iron backbone。 Why don't you invite her over sometime？”
“An iron backbone？ Granddad； you don't understand！ That girl is a royal pain。 She's a show…
off； she's a know…it…all； and she is pushy beyond
……… Page 14………
belief！”
“Is that so。”
“Yes！ That's absolutely so！ And she's been stalking me since the second grade！”
He frowned； then looked out the window and asked； “They've lived there that long？”
“I think they were all born there！”
He frowned some more before he looked back at me and said； “A girl like that doesn't live
next door to everyone； you know。”
“Lucky them！”
He studied me； long and hard。 I said； “What？” but he didn't flinch。 He just kept staring at me；
and I couldn't take it — I had to look away。
Keep in mind that this was the first real conversation I'd had with my grandfather。 This was
the first time he'd made the effort to talk to me about
something besides passing the salt。 And does he want to get to know me？ No！ He wants to
know about Juli！
I couldn't just stand up and leave； even though that's what I felt like doing。 Somehow I knew
if I left like that； he'd quit talking to me at all。 Even
about salt。 So I sat there feeling sort of tortured。 Was he mad at me？ How could he be mad
at me？ I hadn't done anything wrong！
When I looked up； he was sitting there holding out the newspaper to me。 “Read this；” he said。
“Without prejudice。”
I took it； and when he went back to looking out the window； I knew — I'd been dismissed。
By the time I got down to my room； I was mad。 I slammed my bedroom door and flopped
down on the bed； and after fuming about my sorry
excuse for a grandfather for a while； I shoved the newspaper in the bottom drawer of my
desk。 Like I needed to know any more about Juli Baker。
At dinner my mother asked me why I was so sulky； and she kept looking from me to my
grandfather。 Granddad didn't seem to need any salt；
which was a good thing because I might have thrown the shaker at him。
My sister and dad were all business as