iday 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