搜索
flipped1AllI'veeverwantedisforJuliBakertoleavemealone.Forhertobackoffyouknow,justgivemesomespace.Itallstartedthesummerbeforesecondgradewhenourmovingvanpulledintoherneighborhood.Andsincewe'renowaboutdonewiththeeighthgrade,that,myfriend,makesmorethanhalfadecadeofstrategicavoidanceandsocialdiscomfort.Shedidn'tjustbargeintomylife.Shebargedandshovedandwedgedherwayintomylife.Didweinvitehertogetintoourmovingvanandstartclimbingalloverboxes?No!Butthat'sexactlywhatshedid,takingoverandshowingofflikeonlyJuliBakercan.Mydadtriedtostopher.Hey!hesaysasshe'scatapultingherselfonboard.Whatareyoudoing?You'regettingmudeverywhere!Sotrue,too.Hershoeswere,like,cakedwiththestuff.Shedidn'thopout,though.Instead,sheplantedherrearendonthefloorandstartedpushingabigboxwithherfeet.Don'tyouwantsomehelp?Sheglancedmyway.Itsurelookslikeyouneedit.Ididn'tliketheimplication.Andeventhoughmydadhadbeentossingmethesamesortoflookallweek,Icouldtellhedidn'tlikethisgirleither.Hey!Don'tdothat,hewarnedher.Therearesomereallyvaluablethingsinthatbox.Oh.Well,howaboutthisone?ShescootsovertoaboxlabeledLENOXandlooksmywayagain.Weshouldpushittogether!No,no,no!mydadsays,thenpullsherupbythearm.Whydon'tyourunalonghome?Yourmother'sprobablywonderingwhereyouare.Thiswasthebeginningofmysoon-to-become-acuteawarenessthatthegirlcannottakeahint.Ofanykind.Doessheziponhomelikeakidshouldwhenthey'vebeeninvitedtoleave?No.Shesays,Oh,mymomknowswhereIam.Shesaiditwasfine.Thenshepointsacrossthestreetandsays,Wejustliverightoverthere.Myfatherlookstowhereshe'spointingandmutters,Ohboy.Thenhelooksatmeandwinksashesays,Bryce,isn'tittimeforyoutogoinsideandhelpyourmother?Iknewrightoffthatthiswasaditchplay.AndIdidn'tthinkaboutituntillater,butditchwasn'taplayI'drunwithmydadbefore.Faceit,pullingaditchisnotsomethingdiscussedwithdads.It'slike,againstparentallawtotellyourkidit'sokaytoditchsomeone,nomatterhowannoyingormuddytheymightbe.Buttherehewas,puttingtheplayinmotion,andman,hedidn'thavetowinktwice.Ismiledandsaid,Surething!thenjumpedofftheliftgateandheadedformynewfrontdoor.IheardhercomingaftermebutIcouldn'tbelieveit.Maybeitjustsoundedlikeshewaschasingme;maybeshewasreallygoingtheotherway.ButbeforeIgotupthenervetolook,sheblastedrightpastme,grabbingmyarmandyankingmealong.Thiswastoomuch.Iplantedmyselfandwasabouttotellhertogetlostwhentheweirdestthinghappened.Iwasmakingthisbigwindmillmotiontobreakawayfromher,butsomehowonthedownswingmyhandwounduptanglingintohers.Icouldn'tbelieveit.ThereIwas,holdingthemudmonkey'shand!Itriedtoshakeheroff,butshejustclampedontightandyankedmealong,saying,C'mon!??