ally　bugged　me　because　no　one　ever　noticed

her　doing　it；　but　she　was　just　as　sly　about　giving　me

answers；　which　was　okay　by　me。　The　bad　thing　about　it　was　that　I　started　counting　on　her

spelling　in　my　ear。　I　mean；　why　study　when　you　don't　have

to；　right？　But　after　a　while；　taking　all　those　answers　made　me　feel　sort　of　indebted　to　her。

How　can　you　tell　someone　to　bug　off　or　quit　sniffing　you

………　Page　7………

when　you　owe　them？　It's；　you　know；　wrong。

So　I　spent　the　sixth　grade　somewhere　between　unfortable　and　unhappy；　but　I　kept

thinking　that　next　year；　next　year；　things　would　be　different。

We'd　be　in　junior　high　—　a　big　school　—　in　different　classes。　It　would　be　a　world　with　too

many　people　to　worry　about　ever　seeing　Juli　Baker　again。

It　was　finally；　finally　going　to　be　over。

Flipped

The　first　day　I　met　Bryce　Loski；　I　flipped。　Honestly；　one　look　at　him　and　I　became　a　lunatic。

It's　his　eyes。　Something　in　his　eyes。　They're　blue；　and

framed　in　the　blackness　of　his　lashes；　they're　dazzling。　Absolutely　breathtaking。

It's　been　over　six　years　now；　and　I　learned　long　ago　to　hide　my　feelings；　but　oh；　those　first

days。　Those　first　years！　I　thought　I　would　die　for　wanting

to　be　with　him。

Two　days　before　the　second　grade　is　when　it　started；　although　the　anticipation　began　weeks

before—ever　since　my　mother　had　told　me　that

there　was　a　family　with　a　boy　my　age　moving　into　the　new　house　right　across　the　street。

Soccer　camp　had　ended；　and　I'd　been　so　bored　because　there　was　nobody；　absolutely

nobody；　in　the　neighborhood　to　play　with。　Oh；　there　were

kids；　but　every　one　of　them　was　older。　That　was　dandy　for　my　brothers；