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now； does it？”
“Just ask Matt or Mike；” I say to Lyta。
She scowls at me and hisses； “Shut up。”
“What？ What'd I do now？”
“Haven't you noticed I haven't been going down there； you idiot？”
“Lyta！” my mom says。 Like this is the first time she's heard my sister talk to me or
something。
“Well； it's true！ How can he not have noticed？” “I was going to ask you about that； honey。 Did
something happen？”
Lyta stands up and shoves her chair in。 “Like you care；” she snaps； and charges down to
her room。
“Oh； boy；” my dad says。
Mom says； “Excuse me；” and follows Lyta down the hall。
When my mother's gone； my dad says； “So； son； why don't you just ask Juli？”
“Dad！”
“It's just a little question； Bryce。 No harm； no foul。”
“But it'll get me a half…hour answer！”
He studies me for a minute； then says； “No boy should be this afraid of a girl。”
“I'm not afraid of her…！”
“I think you are。”
“Dad！”
“Seriously； son。 I want you to get us an answer。 Conquer your fear and get us an answer。”
“To whether or not they have a rooster？”
“That's right。” He gets up and clears his cereal bowl； saying； “I've got to get to work and
you've got to get to school。 I'll expect a report tonight。”
Great。 Just great。 The day was doomed before it had started。 But then at school when I told
Garrett about what had happened； he just shrugged
and said； “Well； she lives right across the street from you； right？”
“Yeah； so？”
……… Page 24………
“So just go look over the fence。”
“You mean spy？”
“Sure。”
“But … how can I tell if one of them's a rooster or not？”
“Roosters are …I don't know… bigger。 And they have more feathers。”
“Feathers？ Like I've got to go and count feathers？”
“No； stupid！ My mom says that the male's always brighter。” Then he laughs and says；
“Although in your case I'm not so sure。”
“Thanks。 You are giving me big…time help here； buddy。 I really appreciate it。”
“Look； a rooster's going to be bigger and have brighter feathers。 You know； those long ones
in the back？ They're redder or blacker or whatever。
And don't roosters have some rubbery red stuff growing off the top of their head？ And some
off their neck； too？ Yeah； the rooster's got all sorts of
rubbery red stuff all around its face。”
“So you're saying I'm supposed to look over the fence for big feathers and rubbery red stuff。”
“Well； e to think of it； chickens have that rubbery red stuff； too。 Just not as much of it。”
I rolled my eyes at him and was about to say； Forget it； I'll just ask Juli； but then he says； “I'll
e with you if you want。”
“Seriously？”
“Yeah； dude。 Seriously。”
And that； my friend； is how I wound up spying over the Bakers' back fence with Garrett
Anderson at three…thirty that afternoon。 Not my choice of
covert operations； but a necessary one in order to report back to my dad that night at dinner。
We got there fast； too。 The bell rang and we basically charged off campus because I figured
if we got to the Bakers' quick enough； we could look
and leave before Juli was anywhere near her house。 We didn't even drop off our backpacks。
We went straight down the alley and started spying。
It's not really necessary to look over the Bakers' fence。 You can see almost as well looking
through it。 But Garrett kept sticking his head up； so I
figured I should too； although in the back of my mind I was aware that Garrett didn't have to
live in this neighborhood — I did。
The backyard was a mess。 Big surprise。 The bushes were out of control； there was some
kind of hodgepodge wood…and…wire coop off to one
side； and the yard wasn't grass； it was highly fertilized dirt。
Garrett was the first to notice their dog； sacked out on the patio between two sorry…looking
folding chairs。 He points at him and says； “You think
he's going to give us trouble？”
“We're not going to be here long enough to get in trouble！ Where are those stupid chickens？”
“Probably in the coop；” he says； then picks up a rock and throws it at the mess of plywood
and chicken wire。
At first all we hear is a bunch of feathers flapping； but then one of the birds es fluttering
out。 Not very far； but enough so we can see it's got
feathers and rubbery red stuff。
“So？” I ask him。 “Is that a rooster？”
He shrugs。 “Looks like a chicken to me。”
“How can you tell？”
He shrugs again。 “Just does。”
We watch it scratching at the dirt for a minute； and then I ask； “What's a hen； anyway？”
“A hen？”
“Yeah。 You got roosters； you got chickens； and then there's hens。 What's a hen？”
“It's one of those；” he says； pointing into the Bakers' backyard。
“Then what's a chicken？”
He looks at me like I'm crazy。 “What are you talking about？”
“Chickens！ What's a chicken？”
……… Page 25………
He takes a step back from me and says； “Brycie boy； you are losin' it。 That's a chicken！” He
stoops down to pick up another rock； and he's just
about to let it fly when the sliding…glass door to the back patio opens up and Juli steps
outside。
We both duck。 And as we're checking her out through the fence； I say； “When did she get
home？”
Garrett grumbles； “While you were losing it about chickens。” Then he whispers； “But hey；
this'll work great。 She's got a basket； right？ She's
probably ing out to collect eggs。”
First she had to get all mushy with that mangy mutt of hers。 She got down and nuzzled and
ruffled and patted and hugged； telling him what a good
boy he was。 And when she finally let him go back to sleep； she had to stop and coo at the
bird Garrett had scared out； and then she started singing。
Singing。 At the top of her lungs； she goes； “I've got sunshine on a cloudy day。 When it's
cold outsi…ye…yide； I've got the month of May。 I guess
you'd say； what can make me feel this way？ My girls。 Talkin' 'bout