《flipped(英文版)》第47章

I　felt　myself　spinning　out　of　control。　It　was　weird。　Like　I　couldn"t　even　steer　my　own　body。　I"d
always　thought　Jon　was　pretty　cool；　but　right　then　I
wanted　to　go　over　and　throw　him　across　the　room。
Shelly　grabbed　my　arm　and　said；　“Bryce；　are　you　all　right？　You　look…I　don"t　know…
possessed　or　something。”
“What？　Oh。”　I　tried　taking　a　deep　breath。　“What　are　you　staring　at？”　Miranda　asked。　They
both　looked　over　their　shoulders；　then　shrugged　and
went　back　to　picking　at　their　food。
But　I　couldn"t　stop　myself　from　looking　again。　And　in　the　back　of　my　mind；　I　could　hear　my
grandfather"s　voice　saying；　“The　choices　you　make　now
will　affect　you　for　the　rest　of　your　life。　Do　the　right　thing…。”
Do　the　right　thing…。
Do　the　right　thing…。
Miranda　shook　me　out　of　it；　asking；　“Bryce？　Are　you　in　there？　I　asked；　what　are　you　going　to
do　this　summer？”
“I　don"t　know；”　I　snapped。
“Hey；　maybe　you　can　spend　some　time　up　at　the　lake　with　us！”　Shelly　said。
It　was　torture。　I　wanted　to　scream；　Shut　up！　Leave　me　alone！　I　wanted　to　run　out　of　the
building　and　keep　on　running　until　I　didn"t　feel　like　this
anymore。
“Lunch　is　really　delicious；　Bryce。”　Miranda"s　voice　was　floating　around。　“Bryce？　Did　you　hear
me？　This　is　really　a　spectacular　lunch。”
A　simple　little　thank　you　would"ve　sufficed。　But　could　I　e　up　with　a　simple　little　thank　you？
No。　I　turned　on　her　and　said；　“Can　we　not　talk　about
food　or　tans　or　hair？”
She　gave　me　an　uppity　little　smile。　“Well；　what　do　you　want　to　talk　about；　then？”
I　blinked　at　her；　then　at　Shelly。　“How　about　perpetual　motion？　Know　anything　about　that？”
“Perpetual　what？”
Miranda　starts　laughing。
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“What？”　I　ask　her。　“What"s　so　funny？”
She　looks　at　me　a　minute；　then　snickers。　“I　didn"t　realize　I"d　bid　on　an　intellectual。”
“Hey…　I"m　plenty　smart！”
“Yeah？”　Miranda　giggles。　“Can　you　spell　intellectual？”
“He　is　too　smart；　Miranda。”
“Oh；　stop　kissing　up；　Shelly。　You"re　trying　to　tell　me　you"re　after　his　brain？　God；　it"s　making
me　sick　to　watch　you　grovel。”
“Grovel？　Excuse　me？”
“You　heard　me。　He"s　not　going　to　take　you　to　the　grad　dance　anyway；　so　just　give　it　up；　why
don"t　you？”
And　with　that；　it　was　all　over。　One　of　my　mom"s　flaky　apple　tarts　got　ground　into　Miranda"s
hair；　the　extra　ranch　dressing　got　smeared　into　Shelly"s。
And　before　Mrs。　McClure　could　say；　In　the　name　of　Boosters！　What　are　you　doing？　they
were　rolling　on　the　floor；　scratching　each　other"s　makeup
off。
I　took　this　opportunity　to　leave　my　table　and　head　for　Juli"s。　I　grabbed　her　by　the　hand　and
said；　“I"ve　got　to　talk　to　you。”
She　sort　of　half…stands　and　says；　“What？　What"s　going　on；　Bryce？　Why　are　they　fighting？”
“Excuse　us　a　minute；　would　you；　Jon？”　I　pull　her　away　from　the　table；　but　there"s　no　place　to
go。　And　I"ve　got　her　hand　in　mine；　and　I　just　can"t
think。　So　I　stop　right　there　in　the　middle　of　the　room　and　look　at　her。　At　that　face。　I　want　to
touch　her　cheek　and　see　what　it　feels　like。　I　want　to　touch
her　hair；　it　looks　so　incredibly　soft。
“Bryce；”　she　whispers。　“What"s　wrong？”
I　can　barely　breathe　as　I　ask　her；　“Do　you　like　him？”
“Do　I…　you　mean　Jon？”
“Yes！”
“Well；　sure。　He"s　nice　and　—　”
“No；　do　you　like　him？”　My　heart　was　pounding　through　my　chest　as　I　took　her　other　hand　and
waited。
“Well；　no。　I　mean；　not　like　that…。”
No！　She　said　no！　I　didn"t　care　where　I　was；　I　didn"t　care　who　saw。　I　wanted；　just　had　to　kiss
her。　I　leaned　in；　closed　my　eyes；　and　then　…
She　broke　away　from　me。
Suddenly；　the　room　iranda　and　Shelly　stared　at　me　through　their　slimy　hair；
everyone　was　looking　at　me　like　I"d　blown　my　entire
circuit　board；　and　I　just　stood　there；　trying　to　reel　in　my　lips　and　pull　myself　back　together。
Mrs。　McClure　took　me　by　the　shoulders；　guided　me　to　my　chair；　and　told　me；　“You　sit　here；
and　you　stay　here！”　Then　she　hauled　Miranda　and
Shelly　outside；　scolding　them　and　telling　them　to　find　separate　bathrooms　and　clean　up　while
she　ran　down　the　janitor　to　mop　up　their　mess。
I　sat　there　by　myself　and　didn"t　even　care　about　covering　up。　I　just　wanted　to　be　with　her。　To
talk　to　her。　To　hold　her　hand　again。
To　kiss　her。
Before　school　was　out；　I　tried　to　talk　to　her　again；　but　every　time　I　got　close；　she"d　dodge　me。
And　then　when　the　final　bell　rang；　she　disappeared。
I　looked　everywhere　for　her；　but　she　was　just　gone。
Garrett；　however；　wasn"t。　He　tracked　me　down　and　said；　“Dude！　Tell　me　it　isn"t　true！”
I　didn"t　say　a　word。　I　just　headed　for　the　bike　racks；　still　hoping　to　find　Juli。
“Oh；　man　…it　is　true！”
“Leave　me　alone；　Garrett。”
“You　get　hooked　up　with　the　two　finest　chicks　on　campus；　then　bail　on　them　for　Juli？”
“You　don"t　understand。”
“You"re　right；　dude。　I　pletely　don"t　understand。　Did　you　seriously　try　to　kiss　her？　I　couldn"t
believe　that　part。　We"re　talking　Julianna　Baker？　Your
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nightmare　neighbor？　The　know…it…all　nuisance？　The　coop　poop　babe？”
I　stopped　cold　and　shoved　him。　Just　laid　into　him　with　both　hands　and　shoved。　“That　was　a
long　time　ago；　man。　Knock　it　off！”
Garrett　put　both　hands　up；　but　moved　in　at　me。　“Dude；　you　have　flipped；　you　know　that？”
“Just　back　off；　would　you？”
He　blocked　my　path。　“I　can"t　believe　this！　Two　hours　ago　you　were　the　man。　The　man！　The
whole　school　was　on　their　knees　before　you！　Now　look
at　you。　You"re；　like；　a　social　hazard。”　He　snorted　and　said；　“And；　dude；　the　truth　is；　if　you"re
gonna　be　like　this；　I　don"t　need　the　association。”
I　got　right　in　his　face　and　said；　“Good！　"Cause　you　know　what？　Neither　do　I！”
I　shoved　him　aside　and　ran。
I　wound　up　walking　home。　In　my　pinchy　shoes；　with　dirty　dishes　clanking　inside　my　sticky
picnic　hamper；　this　basket　boy　hiked　all　the　way　home。
And　there　was　a　battle　ragin