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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
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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？”
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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。