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her glasses。 “Sounds delicious； and sounds like fun！ Which；” she said； looking back at the
crowd； “Jeffrey is！ He enjoys skateboarding； skiing； and
swimming； but ladies； he also enjoys a day in the park and watching Humphrey Bogart
movies。” She turned to him and grinned。 “They are a kick；
aren't they？”
Poor Jeff tried to smile； but you could tell—he wanted to die。
“All right； then；” said Mrs。 McClure as she whipped off her glasses。 “Do I hear ten？”
Not only did she hear ten； she heard twelve； fifteen； twenty； and twenty…five； too！ “Going …
going … gone！” cried Mrs。 McClure。 “To the young lady
in the purple tunic！”
“Who is that？” I asked Darla。
“I think her name's Tiffany；” she said。 “She's a seventh grader。”
“Really？ Wow。 I would never have bid last year！ And I …I don't remember bids going up that
high； either。”
Darla eyed me。 “Which tells me that maybe you would bid this year？ How much you got？”
I looked at her and almost dissolved right on the spot。 “Darla； I didn't bring money on purpose！
My neighbor made me take it on the way to school
because she owed it to me for eggs and—”
“For eggs？ Oh； like Bryce was talking about in the library？”
“Exactly； and—” I looked at her looking at me and stopped cold。
“How can you even think about bidding on that boy？”
“I don't want to！ But I've liked him for so long。 Darla； I've liked him since I was seven。 And
even though I know he's a coward and a sneak and I
should never speak to him again； I'm having trouble focusing on that。 Especially since Shelly
Stalls is after him。 And now I've got this money burning
a hole in my pocket！”
“Well； I can understand the bit about Shelly Stalls； but if you know that boy's just a big piece
of fluffy cheesecake that you're gonna regret eating； I
can help you with your diet。” She put out her hand。 “Give me the money。 I'll hold it for you。”
“No！”
……… Page 87………
“No？”
“I mean…I can handle this。 I've got to handle it。”
She shook her head。 “Oh； girl。 I'm hurting for you here。”
I looked back at the stage。 The auction was happening so fast！ They'd be at Bryce in no time。
As the bidding continued； the battle in my head got
louder and fiercer。 What was I going to do？
Then suddenly the gym fell quiet。 You could have heard a pin drop。 And standing next to Mrs。
McClure looking pletely mortified was Jon
Trulock。 Mrs。 McClure was scouring the crowd with her eyes； looking very unfortable； too。
“What happened？” I whispered to Darla。
“No one's bidding；” she whispered back。
“Do I hear ten？” called Mrs。 McClure。 “e on； out there！ This lunch is delicious。
Strawberry tarts； roast beef and Muenster cheese sandwiches
…” “Oh； no！” I whispered to Darla。 “I can't believe I did this to him！”
“You？ What did you do？”
“I voted for him！”
“Well； you couldn't have been the only one…。”
“But why isn't anyone bidding on him？ He's … he's so nice。”
Darla nodded。 “Exactly。”
That's when I realized what I had to do。 My hand shot into the air and I called； “Ten！”
“Ten？” warbled Mrs。 McClure。 “Did I hear ten？”
I put my hand up higher and said to Darla； “Say twelve。”
“What？”
“Say twelve； I'll outbid you。”
“No way！”
“Darla！ He can't go for ten； c'mon！”
“Twelve！” Darla called； but her hand didn't go up very high。
“Fifteen！” I cried。
“Sixteen！” called Darla； and eyed me with a laugh。
I whispered； “Darla！ I've only got fifteen。”
Her eyes got enormous。
I laughed and called； “Eighteen！” then held her arm down and said； “But that really is all I've
got。”
There was a moment of silence and then； “Eighteen going once！ Eighteen going twice …
Sold！ for eighteen dollars。”
Darla laughed and said； “Whoa； girl！ What a rush！”
I nodded。 “Yes； it was！”
“Well； no dessert for you。 Looks like you got cleaned out by something a little more …uh…
nutritious。” She nodded toward the stage。 “You gonna
go up to the table like you're supposed to？ Or you gonna stick around and see the carnage？”
I almost didn't have a choice。 Before Mrs。 McClure could say two words about Bryce or his
basket； Shelly called； “Ten！” Then from the middle of
the gym came “Twenty！” It was Miranda Humes； with her hand way in the air。 They went
back and forth； back and forth； higher and higher； until Shelly
called； “Sixty…two！”
“I can't believe it；” I whispered to Darla。 “Sixty…two dollars！ C'mon； Miranda； e on。”
“I think she's out。 Shelly's got it。”
“Sixty…two dollars going once！” cried Mrs。 McClure； but before she could say； Going twice！ a
voice from the back of the gym called； “A hundred！”
Everyone gasped and turned around to see who had called the bid。 Darla whispered； “It's
Jenny。”
“Atkinson？” I asked。
Darla pointed。 “Right over there。”
She was easy to spot； standing tall above the others in the number…seven basketball jersey
she almost always wore。 “Wow；” I whispered； “I had
……… Page 88………
no idea。”
“Maybe she'll slam…dunk him for you；” Darla said with a grin。
“Who cares？” I giggled。 “She slam…dunked Shelly！”
Mrs。 McClure was gushing into the microphone about the record…breaking bid when a big
motion broke out over by Miranda。 I spotted
Shelly's hair； and my first thought was that there was going to be a fight。 But instead； Shelly
and Miranda turned to face Mrs。 McClure and called；
“One…twenty…two fifty！”
I choked down a cry。 “What？”
“They're teamin' up；” Darla whispered。
“Oh； no…no…no！” I looked over Jenny's way。 “e on； Jenny！”
Darla shook her head and said； “She's through；” and she was。 Bryce went to Shelly and
Miranda for one hundred twenty…two dollars and fifty
cents。
It was a little strange； meeting up with Jon and walking over to the multi…purpose room for
lunch。 But he was just so nice； and I think grateful that I'd
bid； that by the time we got situated at our table； I wasn't feeling so awkward or silly。 It was
just lunch。
Things would have been easier if they hadn't seated me in direct view of Bryce and his little
harem； but I did my best to ignore them。 Jon told me
all about this radio…controlled airplane that he and his dad were building from scratch； and
how he'd been working on it for nearly three months； and
that over the weekend they were finally going to get to try it out。 He told me a funny story
about soldering the wires wrong and practically starting a
fire in their basement； and I asked him about how a radio…controlled airplane works because I
didn't really understand it。
So I'd relaxed a lot and was actually having a good time eating lunch with Jon。 And I was so
relieved that I hadn't bid on Bryce。 What a fool I would
have made of myself！ Watching Shelly and Miranda fawning all over him didn't bother me
nearly as much as I thought it would。 Really； they looked
ridiculous。
Jon asked about my family； so I was telling him about my brothers and their band when a
huge motion broke out over at Bryce's table。
Suddenly Shelly and Miranda were rolling on the floor like an enormous furball； smearing
each other with food。
Out of nowhere Bryce appeared at our table。 He grabbed my hand； pulled me a few feet
away； and whispered； “Do you like him？”
I was stunned。
He held my other hand and asked again； “Do you like him？”
“You mean Jon？”
“Yes！”
I can't remember what I said。 He was looking into my eyes； holding my hands tight； and then
he began pulling me toward him。 My heart was racing
and his eyes were closing and his face was ing toward mine…。 Right there； in front of all
the other basket boys and their dates and the adults；
he was going to kiss me。
To kiss me。
I panicked。 I'd been waiting all my life for that kiss； and now？