you and Garrett making fun of my uncle in the library;
and I dont want to speak to you! You understand me? Not now; not ever!”
My mind was racing。 Where had she been? I hadnt seen her anywhere near me in the library!
And had she heard it? Or had she heard it from
somebody else。
I tried to tell her it wasnt me; that it was Garrett; all Garrett。 But she shut me down and made
tracks for the front room to be with her dad。
So Im standing there; wishing Id punched Garrett out in the library so Juli wouldnt stick me
in the same class as someone who makes retard
jokes; when my dad shows up and claps me on the shoulder。 “So。 Hows the party; son?”
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Speak of the devil。 I wanted to whack his hand off my shoulder。
He leans out so he can see into the front room and says; “Hey; the dad cleans up pretty good;
doesnt he?”
I shrug away from him。 “Mr。 Bakers name is Robert; Dad。”
“Yeah; you know; I knew that。” He rubs his hands together and says; “I guess I ought to go in
and say hello。 ing?”
“Nah。 Mom probably needs my help。”
I didnt run off to the kitchen; though。 I stood there and watched Mr。 Baker shake my fathers
hand。 And as they stood there pumping and smiling;
this weird feeling started ing over me again。 Not about Juli — about my father。 Standing
next to Mr。 Baker; he looked small。 Physically small。
And pared to the cut of Mr。 Bakers jaw; my dads face looked kind of weaselly。
This is not the way you want to feel about your father。 When I was little; Id always thought
that my dad was right about everything and that there
wasnt a man on earth he couldnt take。 But standing there looking in; I realized that Mr。
Baker could squash him like a bug。
Worse; though; was the way he was acting。 Watching my dad chum it up with Julis dad—it
was like seeing him lie。 To Mr。 Baker; to Juli; to my
grandfather—to everybody。 Why was he being such a worm? Why couldnt he just act normal?
You know; civil? Why did he have to put on such a
phony show? This went way beyond keeping the peace with my mother。 This was disgusting。
And people said I was the spitting image of my father。 How often had I heard that one? Id
never thought about it much; but now it was turning my
stomach。