Flipped Again // A Bryce Loski love story

Chapter 4- Insults

*Juli's pov*

I wanted to think the reason I started working on my yard had nothing to do with Bryce or the Loskis. It was about making our house look more appealing and less disgusting. After what he did with the eggs, why should I care what he thought about anything? I was struck out of my thoughts by my front door slamming shut, I looked over and saw my sister putting on some gardening gloves and walking over.

"I never thought I would live to see the day you helped me garden." I say jokingly.

"Don't get used to it." she says adjusting her hat. Midway through our work an old man approched us, it was Chet, Bryce's grandfather. He was nice, he helped us with the garden. We put up a fence, planted flowers, mowed the lawn and it was looking nice. Chet went home and I went inside to lay down.

*Susan's pov*

I was watering the grass when I heard a familair voice behind me, "It's looking good, Suzie. Nice job." I turned around and saw him. The dirty blonde whose family talked down on mine. Why did I have to be nice to him? Oh wait, I liked him, but those feeling shattered a while ago. Insted of yelling at him to go away I said,

"Thanks, Chet and Jules did most of it." and smiled.

"I'm sorry for what I did."

"I just don't get it, Bryce. Why didn't you just tell me?" Was he really sorry? Or was he just saying these things to make himself feel better? I was thinking to myself when I looked over to his eyes, those dazzling eyes. I may forgive Bryce Loski.

*Bryce's pov*

"Are those girls working you too hard?" my father asked.

"Those girls names are Juli and Susan. And, no, they aren't working me too hard." my grandfather said holding his wrist.

"You've developed quite a soft for them, huh?" my father said.

"Steven." my mother said.

"No, Patsy. Just wanna find out why your father has then energy to befriend complete strangers when he won't throw a baseball with his own grandson." my father said annoyed.

"It's okay, Dad." I said.

"No, it's not okay."

"They remind him of grandma." I said. My father started laughing at my comment then my grandpa reveled why the Bakers haven't fixed their yard, Susan's father had a disabled brother and all thier money goes to helping him. He also said that when her uncle was born had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and that if he had enough oxygen he would've been a perfect baby like me. What did have to do with this? My mother stormed off in tears. I asked why she was upset and he told me that I also had the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck to, but the doctors removed it.

"Wanna go for a walk?" he asked breaking the silence, "I find it helps clear the mind.", he stood up and walked off. I asked him more about the situation from earlier and what they would have done with me. Without knowing we walked to where the lonely tree stump was and he asked," This is where that tree was, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." He started talking about how the veiw would have looked and then about Susan. How she was quite a girl and then about people getting dipped in materials and I realised he was talking about Suzie.
Flat, glossy, iridescent? What the hell did that mean? Susan Baker had always seemed plain to me, I thought, until now.

The next moring at breakfast my mother announced that we were having a sit-down dinner with the Bakers.

"I think it's marvelous idea." my grandpa said.

"Patsy, what purpoese does this serve?" my dad asked.

"Trina Baker is a very nice person." my mother said trying to reason with my dad.

"And Matt and Mark are really cool," my sister chimed in.

"I hate cool." my dad scolded.

"And Susan and Juli are very nice young girls." my grandpa said.

"Something we should have done years ago." my mother continued.

"Yeah, but we didn't. And now we can't. The statute of limitations has run out." my father said trying to create reasons not to go forward with this.

"We're having the Bakers over for dinner and I expect everyone to dress acordingly and that's final." she concluded. So that was it, a dress-up, sit-down dinner with Susan Baker was in my immediate future. And that made seeing her at school more uncomfortable. I found myself staring at her in class, her bestfriend Dana Tressler caught me watching.

"There was a bee in her hair." I said thinking I dodged a bullet.

"There's no bee." she said confused.

"It flew away." Next peroid Garrett found the Bakers sister newspaper in my folder, I had to talk to someone about this. Why not Garrett? Maybe he can help me.

"Are you freaking mental? Susan Baker. You hate her." he whisper-shouted considering the fact we were in a library.

"That's what so weird. I dont think I do. I can't stop thinking about her." I said honetsly.

"You've gotta nip this in the bud. I mean think about, these aren't real emotions."

"There not?"

"No, you just feel guilty because of the whole egg thing."

"Yeah, and I insulted her yard."

"Exactly. Of course, the place is a dump anyways."

"It's not her fault her dad's got a disabled brother and all their money goes to helping him."

"A disabled? Well that has to tell you something."

"About what?"

"About Susan, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree my friend." God I wanted to slap that smug look straight off his face but I didn't I just laughed. Why did I laugh?! I just walked off and went home. I was supposed to go Garrett's after school but I couldn't be around him. Not after what he said, he had crossed the line. Just like my father did, I don't care what any of them think. I liked Susan Baker..

*Susan's pov*

I was studdying in the library when my bestfriend, Dana, inturrupted me, "Bryce Loski likes you."

"What?" I asked.

"He's got a big crush on you." she countiued.

"Bryce Loski does not have a crush on me." I said.

"Well, in science, I caught him staring at you. He said there was a bee in your hair," she said, "Is that the lamest cover up or what?"

"Maybe there was a bee."

"The only bee you're attracting is B-R-Y-C-E, believe me that boy is lost in loveland." She said as she grabbed my hand, dragged me along to where she saw Garret and Bryce sneaking off to. Once we found them we hid behind a book case and evesdropped on their conversation.

"Are you freaking mental? Susan Baker. You hate her." Garrett whisper-shouted.

"That's what so weird. I dont think I do. I can't stop thinking about her." Bryce said. A hot blush rose in my cheeks as a large smile platered across my face.

"You've gotta nip this in the bud. I mean think about, these aren't real emotions."

"There not?"

"No, you just feel guilty because of the whole egg thing."

"Yeah, and I insulted her yard."

"Exactly. Of course, the place is a dump anyways."

"It's not her fault her dad's got a disabled brother and all their moeny goes to helping him." I didn't tell Bryce about that, how did he know?

"A disabled? Well that has to tell you something."

"About what?"

"About Susan, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree my friend."

"Oh, yeah, right" Bryce laughed. From that moment I no longer liked Bryce Loski..