When I went home after planting the sycamore tree in Juli Baker's yard, I made a beeline for my bedroom, where I could spy on the Baker home in peace. And buddy, I watched their home until it was almost midnight. When it got dark, and the lights started coming on in their house, I could see Juli's silhouette against the curtains, sitting on the couch, in the exact same spot I'd seen her earlier when I'd waved, and she waved back.
All I could think about was how much I wanted her to forgive me, and then maybe, if I could get her to do that much, I could get her to like me again. It would take time, and patience, but if that's what it took, that's what it took. I'd do anything to have Juli back. She'd become my sun and moon and stars.
At some point she got up and went to bed, but on the slight chance she'd get up for a drink of water, I stayed at the window.
The next morning I found myself panicking about what to wear. I wanted to look good for Juli, heck man, I wanted to make her drool. But I didn't want her to know I wanted to look good for her. I tried on every shirt in my closet, and still nothing.
I rolled my eyes about how girlish I was being and grabbed a white polo with a few different sized stripes of blue across the chest. This should be fine.
When I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, I looked in the mirror and saw deep, dark, exhausted bags under my eyes. I kicked myself for staying up so late, watching the inactivity at the Baker home. Great. Just great. Good going Bryce.
Quickly, I checked the hallway to make sure nobody was coming my way, and then quietly I opened Lynetta's makeup drawer. What in the world were all of these tubes and cases and brushes and tiny mirrors for, anyway? I searched for something skin colored and with my fingers rubbed a little on under my eyes to cover up the bags.
I heard someone coming down the hallway. And, my friend, I had that makeup drawer shut and my toothbrush in my mouth so fast that my arms were shaking a little by the end.
Lynetta barged in and opened up her makeup drawer, looking around inside for a bit. Oh please, please, please don't notice. I would never live that down.
"What the heck?" Lyn said.
My heart pounded, but she just slammed it shut and stomped into her room. She came back with an unopened package of makeup that had a picture of some raccoon's, I mean girl's, eyes on it. I rolled my eyes to myself but spat, rinsed, and cleared out before Lyn can get any fighting word in. Or any words.
On the bus ride, I sit by myself. And surprisingly, that's okay by me. I've come to realize that I don't need anyone's approval. Well, except for Juli's. None of my peers seemed to get it. And I was starting to feel what Juli must have felt everyday of her life. Like a goat in a flock of sheep. Or, more accurately for her, an angel fish in a school of clowns. So I sat alone and content.
Until we got to Garrett's stop, at least. He plopped down right next to me and immediately started talking my ear off.
"So is it true?" He asks eventually.
"Is what true?" Honestly I'd been ignoring him the whole time.
"Dude seriously? Miranda Humes said you tried to kiss Juli on Monday so that Shelly would stop bugging you so you and Miranda could have some alone time. You plotted the whole thing. Is it true?"
I found myself staring at Garrett like he was from an alien planet. Of all the people I knew, he was one of the most clueless people ever, falling second only to my dad. "I thought you didn't want the association." Is all I said.
"Oh. Yeah." He said weakly, "I'm, you know, sorry about that man."
For a while I didn't say anything. I thought about all the times in the last month that he'd complimented me, and all the times he'd insulted me. It seemed to me that he'd only ever been nice to me when he could mooch social in-status off me. "I don't believe you." I answered finally.
