Flipped (mini sequel)

*waiting*

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(And as the saying goes, if you don't have anything nice to say - or in this case, type - don't say anything at all :p)

JULI BAKER

All I ever wanted was for Bryce Loski to play with me. Well, when I was seven anyway. Okay maybe not just play with me. For years I had planted in my mind that he was walking around with my first kiss. And possibly... until now. After all, he did try to kiss me back at the basket boy auction three years ago right? In front of everybody. And like the annoying girl I was at that time, I shoved him away. But it wouldn't hurt to hope that such an opportunity would come again.

After everything that had happened back in the eighth grade, after all the egg wasting, and ignoring, and basically all the misunderstanding, I could now correct myself and say that Bryce was definitely more than the sum of his parts. The sycamore tree he had planted was now growing steadily in our front yard, a few meters high already, and every day when I went and came home from school, I would stare at it, and measure the length it had grown for the past few years.

I'd also constantly measure my friendship with Bryce. And now that we were in high school, I couldn't ignore the question hanging in the air, couldn't we be something more? Ever since that day he planted that baby sycamore tree in our front yard, the confusion and anger I felt for him had vanished and was replaced by a growing curiosity. If I thought I knew him then, well boy was I wrong. I came over to the Loski's that day and we talked more than we had ever talked since they moved here two days before the second grade. He explained his part of the argument to me, I explained mine. He said that he was sorry for trying to kiss me and that he'd make up for the awful things he'd done, but the whole time he was explaining his story, I couldn't help but just stare at those dazzling eyes and the constant smile he'd flash at me when it was my turn to talk.

I remember seeing him for the first time on that moving van, and memories flood back to me clear as day.

The first time I met Bryce Loski, I flipped. Honestly. One look at him and I became a lunatic. It was his eyes. Something about the blueness of his eyes and the way his dark eyelashes framed them was absolutely breathtaking. They still are.

He was still the same Bryce of course, all blue eyes and gorgeousness, but something about him really changed, and I'm not talking about puberty hitting him either. He no longer ignored me, all that was now behind us. He talks to me more enthusiastically and puts a lot - and I mean a lot of effort to try and make up and erase the things he'd done in the past, like he gives his whole heart and soul into it, and I can't help but admire that.

I gotta admit, I keep finding myself smiling, cheeks flushed and biting my lips when I rethink the days events and conversations in my head at night.

And now here I was, a junior at seventeen, being all squeamish about a date! My mom bursts into my room every minute offering to primp up my clothes and fix my hair and giggle as if she was the one going on a date, not me! My nerves were on edge and the last thing I needed was an ear piercing squeal from my mother, but I still felt happy that she was excited for me. Because I sure wasn't capable of feeling excited at the moment. I was all nervous anticipation.

My father was up before noon and after lunch, he prepared to visit Uncle David who apparently had some trouble last night. We visit uncle David more often, and my father said that he really appreciates it.

When he saw me though, I swear I almost saw his eyes twinkle. He'd hugged me and held my shoulders to get a good look at me. I admit I had changed on the outside, drastically. But, I was still the girl who wanted her father's approval on things like these. Especially on things like these.
"My daughter. Going on her first date. Oh look how you've grown sweetheart."
I pulled him into a hug once more. "Thanks dad" and kissing the top of my head, he walked out the backdoor shouting a "Don't come home late!" over his shoulder. I just had to run up to his retreating truck and call back "Be safe! And say hi to Uncle David for me!" before his truck disappeared.