Wendelin Van Draanen - Flipped

Something. I’ve got to come up with some thing to show her that I’ve changed. To prove to her that I understand.

But what? How do I show her that I’m not the guy she thinks I am? How do I erase everything I’ve done and start over?

Maybe I can’t. Maybe it just can not be done. But if I’ve learned one thing from Juli Baker, it’s that I’ve got to put my whole heart and soul into it and try.

Whatever happens, I know that my grandfather’s right about one thing.

I’ll never be the same again.

The Monday after the Loskis’ dinner party, Darla tracked me down at school and forced Bryce Loski back into my brain. “Jules! Whoa, girl, wait up! How have you been?”

“I’m fine, Darla, how are you?”

“No, seriously,” she whispered. “Are you doing okay?” She shifted her backpack and looked over each shoulder. “I got to thinking, you know, that was just so cold of Bryce. Especially since you’ve got that soft spot for him.”

“Who told you that?”

“Like I haven’t got eyes? Come on, girl. It’s a given. Which is why I got to worryin’ about you. Are you seriously all right?”

“Yes, I am. But thanks for thinking about me.” I eyed her and said, “And Darla? It’s not a given anymore.”

She laughed. “How long’s this diet gonna last?”

“It’s not a diet. I’ve just, uh, lost my taste for him.”

She looked at me skeptically. “Uh-huh.”

“Well, I have. But thanks for, you know, caring.”

All through first period I was still feeling strong and right and certain, but then Mrs. Simmons ended the lesson a full fifteen minutes early and said, “Clear your desks of everything but a pen or pencil.”

“What?” everyone cried, and believe me—I was right along with them. I was not prepared for a quiz!

“Everything!” she said. “Come on, you’re wasting valuable time.”

The room filled with grumbles and the sound of shuffling binders, and when we’d all pretty much complied with her request, she picked a stack of bright yellow papers off her desk, fanned them with an evil grin, and said, “It’s time to vote for basket boys!”

A wave of relief swept across the room. “Basket boys? You mean it’s not a quiz?”

She ticked through the stack, counting ballots as she spoke. “It is like a quiz in that I don’t want you conferring with one another. It’s also like a quiz in that you have a limited amount of time.” She slapped a set of ballots down on the first desk of row one, then went on to the second row. “I will collect them from you individually when the bell rings, and I will inspect to see that you have complied with the following instructions.” She scooted over to row three. “Choose five, and only five, of the boys on the list. Do not put your name on it, and do not discuss your choices with your neighbors.” She was on to row four now, talking faster and faster. “When you’ve made your selections, simply turn your sheet over.” She slapped the remainder down on the last desk. “Do not, I repeat, do not fold your ballot!”

Robbie Castinon raised his hand and blurted out, “Why do guys have to vote. It’s lame to have guys vote.”

“Robbie…,” Mrs. Simmons warned.

“Seriously! What are we supposed to do? Vote for our friends or our enemies?”

A lot of people snickered, and Mrs. Simmons scowled, but he had a point. Twenty of the school’s eighth-grade boys would be made to pack a picnic lunch for two and be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

“Being a basket boy is an honor—” Mrs. Simmons began, but she was interrupted by Robbie.

“It’s a joke!” he said. “It’s embarrassing! Who wants to be a basket boy?”

All the guys around him muttered, “Not me,” but Mrs. Simmons cleared her throat and said, “You should want to be one! It’s a tradition that has helped support the school since it was founded. There have been generation after generation of basket boys helping make this campus what it is today. It’s why we have flower beds. It’s why we have shade trees and a grove of apple trees. Visit another junior high sometime and you’ll begin to realize what a little oasis our campus really is.”

“All this from the sweat and blood of basket boys,” Robbie grumbled.

Mrs. Simmons sighed. “Robbie, someday when your children go to school here, you’ll understand. For now, please just vote for whoever you think will earn a high bid. And class,” she added, “we’re down to nine minutes.”

The room fell quiet. And as I read down the list of over one hundred and fifty eighth-grade boys, I realized that to me, there had only ever been one boy. To me, there had only been Bryce.

I didn’t let myself get sentimental. I had liked him for all the wrong reasons, and I certainly wasn’t going to vote for him now. But I didn’t know who else to vote for. I looked at Mrs. Simmons, who was eagle-eyeing the class between glances at the clock. What if I didn’t choose anybody? What if I just turned it in blank?

She’d give me detention, that’s what. So with two minutes left to go, I put dots next to the boys I knew who weren’t jerks or clowns, but were just nice. When I was through, there were all of ten names with dots, and of those I circled five: Ryan Noll, Vince Olson, Adrian Iglesias, Ian Lai, and Jon Trulock. They wouldn’t make basket boy, but then I wouldn’t be bidding, so it didn’t really matter. At the bell I handed over my ballot and forgot all about the auction.

Until lunchtime the next day, that is. Darla cut me off on my way to the library and dragged me over to her table instead. “Have you seen the list?” she asked.

“What list?”

“The list of basket boys!” She shoved a scrawled copy of twenty names in front of me and looked around. “Your main dish is on it!”

Five from the top, there it was—Bryce Loski.

I should have expected it, but still, this awful surge of possessiveness shot through me. Who had voted for him? Out of one hundred fifty names he must have gotten a lot of votes! Suddenly I was picturing a swarm of girls waving stacks of cash in the Booster ladies’ faces as they begged to have lunch with him.

I threw the list back at Darla and said, “He’s not my main dish! As a matter of fact, I didn’t even vote for him.”

“Oooo, girl! You are stickin’ to your diet!”

“It’s not a diet, Darla. I’m… I’m over him, okay?”

“I’m glad to hear it, ’cause rumor is, that bimbette Shelly is already stakin’ her claim on him.”

“Shelly? Shelly Stalls ?” I could feel my cheeks flush.

“That’s right.” Darla waved her list in the air, calling, “Liz! Macy! Over here! I’ve got the list!”

Darla’s friends fell all over themselves getting to her, then pored over the paper like it was a treasure map. Macy cried, “Chad Ormonde’s on it! He is so cute. I’d go ten bucks on him, easy!”

“And Denny’s on it, too!” Liz squealed. “That boy is”— she shivered and giggled—“fi-yi- yine !”

Macy’s top lip curled a little and she said, “Jon Trulock? Jon Tru lock? How did he get on this list?”

For a moment I couldn’t believe my ears. I snatched the paper out of Macy’s hand. “Are you sure?”

“Right there,” she said, pointing to his name. “Who do you suppose voted for him?”

“The quiet girls, I guess,” Darla said. “Me, I’m more interested in Mike Abenido. Have I got any competition?”

Macy laughed, “If you’re in, I’m out!”

“Me too,” said Liz.

“How about you, Jules?” Darla asked me. “Bringin’ spare change on Friday?”