Dad took a deep breath； then sighed and said； “Whatever you want； Patsy。 Just don't say I
didn't warn you。” He took a bite of hash browns and
mumbled； “A barbecue； I suppose？”
“No； Rick。 A sit…down dinner。 Like we have when your clients e over。”
He stopped chewing。 “You're expecting them to dress up？”
Mom glared at him。 “What I'm expecting is for you to behave like the gentleman I always
thought you were。”
Dad went back to his potatoes。 Definitely safer than arguing with Mom。
Lyta wound up eating the entire white of a fried egg and almost a whole pancake besides。
Plain； of course； but from the way she was glutting
and giggling as she ate； it was obvious that at least she was in a good mood。
……… Page 53………
Granddad ate plenty； even for him； but I couldn't tell what he was thinking。 He was back to
looking more granite than human。 Me； I'd started tuning
in to the fact that this dinner could be more than awkward — it could be trouble。 Those rotten
eggs were back from the grave； looming large and
smelly right over my head。
Sure； Granddad knew； but no one else in my family did。 What if it came up at dinner？ I'd be
dead； fried； cluck…faced meat。
Later； as I was brushing my teeth； I considered bribing Juli。 Getting her on board so that
nobody brought up the subject of eggs。 Or maybe I could
sabotage the dinner somehow。 Make it not happen。 Yeah； I could — I stopped myself and
looked in the mirror。 What kind of wimp was I； anyway？ I
spit and headed back to find my mom。
“What is it； honey？” she asked me as she wiped off the griddle。 “You look worried。”
I double…checked to make sure my dad or Lyta wasn't lurking around somewhere； then
whispered； “Will you swear to secrecy？”
She laughed。 “I don't know about that。”
I just waited。
“What can be …；” she said； then looked at me and stopped cleaning。 “Oh； it is serious。
Honey； what's wrong？”
It had been ages since I'd voluntarily fessed up about something to my mom。 It just didn't
seem necessary anymore； I'd learned to deal with things
on my own。 At least； that's what I'd thought。 Until now。
She touched my arm and said； “Bryce； tell me。 What is it？”
I hopped up to sit on the counter； then took a deep breath and said； “It's about Juli's eggs。”
“About her … eggs？”
“Yeah。 Remember that whole chicken…hen…salmonella disaster？”
“That was quite a while ago； but sure…。”
“Well； what you don't know is that Juli didn't bring eggs over just that once。 She's been
bringing them over every week…or about that； anyway。”
“She has？ Why didn't I know about this？”
“Well； I was afraid Dad would get mad at me for not telling her we didn't want them； so I
started intercepting them。 I'd see her ing； get to her
before she rang the bell； and then I'd toss them in the trash before anyone knew she'd been
here。”
“Oh； Bryce！”
“Well； I kept thinking they'd stop！ How long can a stupid chicken lay eggs？”
“But I take it they have stopped？”
“Yeah。 As of last week。 Because Juli caught me chucking a carton in the trash outside。”
“Oh； dear。”
“Exactly。”
“So what did you tell her？”
I looked down and mumbled； “I told her that we were afraid of salmonella poisoning because
their yard was such a mess。 She ran off crying； and
the next thing I know； she's starting to fix up their yard。”
“Oh； Bryce！”
“Exactly。”
She inute； then very softly she said； “Thank you for your honesty；
Bryce。 It does help to explain a lot。” She shook her head
and said； “What that family must think of us；” and got back to cleaning the griddle。 “All the
more reason to have them over for dinner； if you ask me。”
I whispered； “You're sworn to secrecy on this whole egg thing； right？ I mean； Juli told
Granddad； so he knows； but I don't want this to spread to；
you know； Dad。”
She studied me a minute； then said； “Tell me you've learned your lesson； honey。”
“I have； Mom。”
……… Page 54………
“Okay； then。”
I let out a big sigh of relief。 “Thanks。”
“Oh； and Bryce？”
“Yeah？”
“I'm very glad you told me about it。” She kissed me on the cheek； then smiled and said； “Now；
didn't I hear you promise you'd mow the lawn
today？”
“Right；” I said； and headed outside to trim the turf。
That evening my mother announced that the Bakers would be over Friday night at six o'clock；
that the menu included poached salmon； crab
risotto； and fresh steamed vegetables； and that none of us had better weasel out of being
there。 My dad muttered that if we were really going to do
this； it would be a whole lot better to barbecue because at least that way he'd have
something to do； but my mom positively smoked him with her
eyes and he dropped it。
So。 They were ing。 And it made seeing Juli at school even more unfortable than
usual。 Not because she gushed about it or even waved
and winked or something。 No； she was back to avoiding me。 She'd say hi if we happened to
run into each other； but instead of being； like； right over
my shoulder anytime I looked； she was nowhere。 She must have ducked out back doors and
taken roundabout ways through campus。 She was； I
don't know； scarce。
I found myself looking at her in class。 The teacher'd be talking and all eyes would be up
front … except mine。 They kept wandering over to Juli。 It
was weird。 One minute I'd be listening to the teacher； and the next I'd be pletely tuned
out； looking at Juli。
It wasn't until Wednesday in math that I figured it out。 With the way her hair fell back over her
shoulders and her head was tilted； she looked like
the picture in the paper。 Not just like it — the angle was different； and the wind wasn't
blowing through her hair — but she did look like the picture。 A
lot like the picture。
Making that connection sent a chill down my spine。 And I wondered — what was she thinking？
Could she really be that interested in root
derivations？
Darla Tressler caught me watching； and man； she gave me the world's wickedest smile。 If I
didn't do something fast； this was going to spread like
wildfire； so I squinted at her and whispered； “There's a bee in her hair； stupid；” then pointed
around in the air like； There it goes； see？
Darla's neck whipped around searching for the bee； and I straightened out my focus for the
rest of the day。 The last thing I needed was to be
scorched by the likes of Darla Tressler。
That night I was doing my homework； and just to prove to myself that I'd been wrong； I pulled
that newspaper article out of my trash can。 And as
I'm flipping it over； I'm telling myself； It's a distortion of reality； it's my imagination； she doesn't
really look like that…。
But there she was。 The girl in my math class； two rows over and one seat up； glowing
through newsprint。
Lyta barged in。 “I need your sharpener；” she said。
I slammed my binder closed over the paper and said； “You're supposed to knock！” And then；
since she was zooming in and the paper was still
sticking out； I crammed the binder into my backpack as fast as I could。
“What are you trying to hide there； baby brother？”
“Nothing； and stop calling me that！ And don't barge into my room anymore！”
“Give me your sharpener and I'm history；” she said with her hand out。
I dug it out of my drawer and tossed it at her； and sure enough； she disappeared。
……… Page 55………
But two seconds later my mom was calling for me； and after that； well； I forgot that the paper
was in my binder。
Until first period the next morning； that is。 Man！ What was I supposed to do with it？ I couldn't
get up and throw it out； Garrett was right there。
Besides that； Darla Tressler's in that class； and I could tell — she was keeping an eye out for
wayward bees。 If she caught wind of this； I'd be the
one stung。