SCRIPTOFFLIPPEDBRYCE:AllIeverwantedwasforJuliBakertoleavemealone.Itallbeganinthesummerof1957,beforethestartofsecondgrade.STEVEN:Hereweare.PATSY:Ha,ha.-Whatdoyouguysthink?LYNETTA:Ilikethisplace.BRYCE:It'scool.LYNETTA:Uh,whatcolorismyroom?Justyouwait.BRYCE:Let'sseewhat'sinside.STEVEN:Hey,comeon,buddyBryce.Whydon't,uh,youandIgohelpunloadthevan......andthewomenfolkherecangetinthekitchenandstartsettingup.Okay,Dad.BRYCE:Forme,itwasthebeginningofwhatwouldbe......morethanhalfadecadeofstrategicavoidanceandsocialdiscomfort.-Hi,I'mJuliBaker.-Hey,hey,whatareyoudoing?Don'tyouwantsomehelp?No.There'ssomevaluablethingsinthere.-Howaboutthisone?-No,no,no.Runhome.Yourmother'sprobablywonderingwhereyouare.Oh,no,mymomknowswhereIam.Shesaidit'sfine.BRYCE:Itdidn'ttakelongtorealizethisgirlcouldnottakeahint.-It'scrowdedinherewiththreepeople.-Idon'tmind.BRYCE:Ofanykind.-Youwannapushthisonetogether?Bryce,isn'tittimeforyoutogohelpyourmother?Huh?Oh,yeah.BRYCE:Imean,nothingwouldstopher.Iwasabouttotellhertogetlostwhentheweirdestthinghappened.Icouldn'tbelieveit.ThereIwasholdinghandswiththisstrangegirl.-HowdidIgetintothismess?PATSY:Well,hello.-Iseeyou'vemetmyson.-Uh-huh.BRYCE:Finally,Ididtheonlymanlythingavailablewhenyou're7yearsold.[BELLRINGING]However,mytroubleswerefarfromover.TheminuteIwalkedintoMissYelson'sclassroom...Bryce?You'rehere.BRYCE:...itwasclear:Schoolwouldnotbeasanctuary.[CHILDRENLAUGHING]Hey,Bryce,where'syourgirlfriend?BRYCE:Iwasbrandedforlife.Hey,Bryce,whydon'tyouaskhertomarryyou?GIRLS[SINGING]:BryceandJulisittinginatreeK-l-S-S-l-N-GBRYCE:Myfirstyearintownwasadisaster.GIRL:Lookatthem.BRYCE:Andthenextthreeweren'tmuchbetter.Butfinally,inthesixthgrade,Itookaction.Ihatchedtheplan.Sherry.Sherry,waitup.Hi,Bryce.Heh.BRYCE:IaskedoutSherryStalls.Iwaswonderingifyouwantedtogo...BRYCE:Tofullappreciatethebrillianceofthisplan......youhavetounderstandthatJulihatedSherryStalls......thoughIneverunderstoodwhy.Sherrywasnice,friendlyandshehadalotofhair.Atfirst,mymotherwouldn'tletmegetmyearspierced,butIbegged...BRYCE:TheideawasthatSherrywouldeatwithme......maybewe'dwalkaroundtogether,andhopefullyJuliwouldloseinterest.ButIstillcan'tgetthehoopstillI'm16.Oh,that'sashame.SoMelaniewantedtogetherearspierced,butofcoursehermothersaidno.SoshethrewafitandsmashedherJohnnyMathisGreatestHitsalbum...[LAUGHS]...andshegotgrounded,sonowshecan'tcometomypajamasleepoverparty.BRYCE:Thingswereunfoldingquitenicely.Whatareyoudoingforyourscienceproject?BRYCE:Thatis,untilmysupposedbestfriend,GarrettEinbinder......tookaninterestinSherryhimself.Iwasthinkingofshowinghowsplitendsreactwithdifferenthairconditioners.That'sfascinating.BRYCE:LoyaltygavewaytodesireandGarrett,theturncoat......toldSherrywhatIwasupto.SHERRY:Jerk.BRYCE:Shedidn'ttakeitwell.WordgotbacktoJuli,andprettysoonshestartedupwiththegoo-gooeyesagain.Onlythistimeitwasworse.Shestartedsniffingme.That'sright,sniffingme.Whatwasthatallabout?Myonlyconsolationwasthatnextyearwouldbedifferent.Juniorhigh,biggerschool.Maybewe'dbeindifferentclassesanditwouldfinally,finallybeover.JULl:ThefirstdayImetBryceLoski,Iflipped.Itwasthoseeyes,somethinginthosedazzlingeyes.Youwannapushthisonetogether?JULl:Hisfamilyhadjustmovedintotheneighborhood......andI'dgoneovertohelpthem.I'dbeeninthevanalloftwominuteswhenhisdadsenthimofftohelphismom.Icouldseehedidn'twannago.SoIchasedafterhimtoseeifwecouldplayalittlebeforehegottrappedinside.ThenextthingIknow,he'sholdingmyhand......andlookingrightintomyeyes.Myheartstopped.Wasthisit?Wouldthisbemyfirstkiss?-Butthenhismothercameout.-Well,hello.JULl:Andhewassoembarrassed,hischeeksturnedcompletelyred.Iwenttobedthatnightthinkingofthekissthatmighthavebeen.Imean,itwasclearhehadfeelingsforme,buthewasjusttooshytoshowthem.Mymothersaidboyswerelikethat.-SoIdecidedtohelphimout.-Bryce?You'rehere.[CHILDRENGIGGLING]JULl:Iwouldgivehimplentyofopportunitytogetoverhisshyness.Bythesixthgrade,I'dlearnedtocontrolmyself.ThenSherryStallsenteredthepicture.SherryStallswasnothingbutawhiny,gossipy,backstabbingflirt.Allhairandnosubstance.Andthereshewas......holdinghandswithBryce.MyBryce.Theonewhowaswalkingaroundwithmyfirstkiss.Mysolutionwastoignoreher.IknewaboyofBryce'scaliber......wouldeventuallyseethroughashallowconniverlikeSherryStalls.Ittookallofaweek.Theybrokeupatrecess.Shedidn'ttakeitwell.NowthatBrycewasoutofSherry'sevilclutches,hestartedbeingnicertome.-Hi,Juli.-Hi,Bryce.JULl:Hewassoshyandsocute......andhishair,itsmelledlikewatermelon.Icouldn'tgetenoughofit.Ispentthewholeyearsecretlysniffingwatermelon......andwonderingifIwasevergoingtogetmykiss.BRYCE:Seventhgradebroughtchanges,allright.Butthebiggestonedidn'thappenatschool.Ithappenedathome.Mygrandfathercametolivewithus.MomsaidhestaredlikethatbecausehemissedGrandma.ThatwasnotsomethingGrandpawouldevertalkaboutwithme.Asamatteroffact,henevertalkedaboutmuchofanythingwithme.Thatis,untilJuliappearedinthelocalnewspaper.-Oh,Bryce.MayIspeakwithyou?-What?Haveaseat,son.TellmeaboutyourfriendJuliBaker.Juli.She'snotexactlymyfriend.Oh.Why'sthat?Whydoyouwannaknow?BRYCE:Now,JuliBakerdidnotwindupi