《flipped(英文版)》第53章

To　kiss　me。
I　panicked。　I"d　been　waiting　all　my　life　for　that　kiss；　and　now？
I　yanked　free　and　ran　back　to　my　table；　and　when　I　sat　down　Jon　whispered；　“Did　he　just　try
to　kiss　you？”
I　turned　my　chair　away　from　Bryce　and　whispered；　“Can　we　please　talk　about　something　else？
Anything　else？”
People　were　whispering　and　looking　my　way；　and　when　Shelly　Stalls　came　back　from
cleaning　up　in　the　washroom；　everyone　fell　quiet。　Her　hair
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looked　awful。　It　was　sort　of　oiled　to　her　scalp　and　still　had　little　chunks　of　food　in　it。　She
glared　at　me　so　hard　it　looked　like　she　was　trying　to　get　laser
beams　to　shoot　from　her　eyes。
A　couple　of　adults　steered　her　back　to　her　seat；　and　then　everyone　started　whispering
double…speed。　And　Bryce　didn"t　even　seem　to　care！　He
kept　trying　to　e　over　and　talk　to　me；　but　either　he"d　get　intercepted　by　a　teacher　or　I"d
dash　away　from　him　before　he　had　a　chance　to　say
anything。
When　the　dismissal　bell　finally　rang；　I　said　a　quick　goodbye　to　Jon　and　bolted　out　the　door。　I
couldn"t　reach　my　bike　fast　enough！　I　was　the　first
one　off　campus；　and　I　pedaled　home　so　hard　it　felt　as　though　my　lungs　would　burst。
Mrs。　Stueby　was　out　front　watering　her　flower　bed　and　she　tried　to　say　something　to　me；　but　I
just　dropped　my　bike　in　the　driveway　and　escaped
into　the　house。　I　certainly　didn"t　want　to　talk　about　roosters！
My　mother　heard　me　slamming　doors　and　came　to　check　on　me　in　my　room。　“Julianna！
What"s　wrong？”
I　flipped　over　on　my　bed　to　face　her　and　wailed；　“I　am　so　confused！　I　don"t　know　what　to　think
or　feel　or　do…！”
She　sat　down　beside　me　on　the　bed　and　stroked　my　hair。　“Tell　me　what　happened；
sweetheart。”
I　hesitated；　then　threw　my　hands　up　in　the　air。　“He　tried　to　kiss　me！”
My　mother　struggled　not　to　let　it　show；　but　underneath　her　posed　expression　was　a
growing　smile。　She　leaned　in　a　little　and　asked；　“Who
did？”
“Bryce！”
She　hesitated。　“But　you"ve　always　liked　him…。”
The　doorbell　rang。　And　rang　again。　My　mom　started　to　get　up；　but　I　grabbed　her　arm　and
said；　“Don"t　get　that！”　The　bell　rang　again；　and　almost
right　after　that　there　was　a　loud　knocking　at　the　door。　“Mom；　please！　Don"t　get　it。　That"s
probably　him！”
“But　sweetheart　…”
“I　was　over　him！　pletely　over　him！”
“Since　when？”
“Since　last　Friday。　After　the　dinner。　If　he　had　vanished　from　the　face　of　the　earth　after　our
dinner　at　the　Loskis"；　I　wouldn"t　have　cared！”
“Why？　Did　something　happen　at　the　dinner　that　I　don"t　know　about？”
I　threw　myself　back　onto　my　pillow　and　said；　“It"s　too　plicated；　Mom！　I　…I　just　can"t　talk
about　it。”
“My；”　she　said　after　a　moment。　“Don"t　you　sound　like　a　teenager。”
“I"m　sorry；”　I　whimpered；　because　I　knew　I　was　hurting　her　feelings。　I　sat　up　and　said；　“Mom；
all　those　years　I　liked　him？　I　never　really　knew　him。　All
I　knew　was　that　he　had　the　most　beautiful　eyes　I"d　ever　seen　and　that　his　smile　melted　my
heart　like　the　sun　melts　butter。　But　now　I　know　that　inside
he"s　a　coward　and　a　sneak；　so　I"ve　got　to　get　over　what　he"s　like　on　the　outside！”
My　mother　leaned　back　and　crossed　her　arms。　“Well；”　she　said。　“Isn"t　this　something。”
“What　do　you　mean？”
She　chewed　the　side　of　one　cheek；　then　moved　over　to　chew　the　other。　At　last　she　said；　“I
shouldn"t　really　discuss　it。”
“Why　not？”
“Because　…I　just　shouldn"t。　Besides；　I　can　tell　there　are　things　you　don"t　feel　fortable
discussing　with　me…。”
We　stared　at　each　other　a　moment；　neither　of　us　saying　a　word。　Finally　I　looked　down　and
whispered；　“When　Chet　and　I　were　fixing　up　the　yard；　I
told　him　how　we　didn"t　own　the　house　and　about　Uncle　David。　He　must　have　told　the　rest　of
the　family；　because　the　day　before　the　Loskis"　dinner
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party　I　overheard　Bryce　and　his　friend　making　cracks　about　Uncle　David　at　school。　I　was
furious；　but　I　didn"t　want　you　to　know　because　you"d　think
they　were　only　inviting　us　over　because　they　felt　sorry　for　us。”　I　looked　at　her　and　said；　“You
just　seemed　so　happy　about　being　invited　for　dinner。”
Then　I　realized　something。　“And　you　know；　you"ve　seemed　happier　ever　since。”
She　held　my　hand　and　smiled。　“I　have　a　lot　to　be　happy　about。”　Then　she　sighed　and　said；
“And　I　already　knew　they　knew　about　Uncle　David。　It
was　fine　that　you　talked　about　him。　He"s　not　a　secret　or　anything。”
I　sat　up　a　little。　“Wait　…　how　did　you　know？”
“Patsy　told　me。”
I　blinked　at　her。　“She　did？　Before　the　dinner？”
“No；　no。　After。”　She　hesitated；　then　said；　“Patsy"s　been　over　several　times　this　week。
She"s　…　she"s　going　through　a　very　rough　time。”
“How　e？”
Mom　let　out　a　deep　breath　and　said；　“I　think　you"re　mature　enough　to　keep　this　inside　these
four　walls；　and　I"m　only　telling　you　because　…
because　I　think　it"s　relevant。”
I　held　my　breath　and　waited。
“Patsy　and　Rick　have　been　having　ferocious　fights　lately。”
“Mr。　and　Mrs。　Loski？　What　about？”
Mom　sighed。　“About　everything；　it　seems。”
“I　don"t　understand。”
Very　quietly　my　mother　said；　“For　the　first　time　in　her　life；　Patsy　is　seeing　her　husband　for
what　he　is。　It"s　twenty　years　and　two　children　late；　but
that"s　what　she"s　doing。”　She　gave　me　a　sad　smile。　“Patsy　seems　to　be　going　through　the
same　thing　you　are。”
The　phone　rang　and　Mom　said；　“Let　me　get　that；　okay？　Your　dad　said　he"d　call　if　he　was
working　overtime；　and　that"s　probably　him。”
While　she　was　gone；　I　remembered　what　Chet　had　said　about　someone　he　knew　who　had
never　learned　to　look　beneath　the　surface。　Had　he
been　talking　about　his　own　daughter？　And　how　could　this　happen　to　her　after　twenty　years　of
marriage？
When　my　mother　came　back；　I　absently　asked；　“Is　Dad　working　late？”
“That　wasn"t　Dad；　sweetheart。　It　was　Bryce。”
I　sat　straight　up。　“Now　he"s　calling？　I　have　lived