Flipped

1

After the dinner Juli was?

nice

?to me at school.?

2

Which I hated. Mad was better than nice.

nice /na?s/ adj.?友好的

3

Gaga

?was better than … nice.

gaga /'ɡɑɡɑ/ adj. (對某人)狂熱的

4

It was like I was a stranger to her, and man, it bugged me. Bugged me big-time.

5

Then the auction happened, and I found myself with even bigger problems.

6

The?

auction

?is this?

bogus

?way the Booster Club raises money for the school.

auction /???k?n/ n.?拍賣

bogus /???k?n/ adj.?虛假的

7

They insist it's an honor to be chosen, but?

bull

-

stinkin

'-

loney

?to that!

baloney /b??loni/ n.?胡說八道

stinking /'st??k??/ adj.?討厭的

8

Bottom line

?is, twenty guys get?

shanghaied

.

bottom line /?bɑt?m?la?n/ n.?概要

shanghai /????'ha?/ n. (用酒或麻醉劑)使…失去知覺而把人劫掠到船上去服勞役

9

They have to come up with?

fancy

?

picnic

?lunches and then be?

humiliated

?in front of the whole school while girls?

bid

to have lunch with them.

fancy /?f?nsi/ adj.?昂貴的

picnic /'p?kn?k/ n.?野餐

humiliate /hju??m?lie?t/ vt.?使蒙羞

bid /b?d/ vi.?投標

10

Guess who made this year's top twenty.

11

You'd think mothers would say, Hey, there's no way you're going to auction my son off to the highest?

bidder

, but no.

bidder /'b?d?/ n.?投標人

12

Instead, they're all?

flattered

?that their son's been?

elected

?a basket boy.

flatter /?fl?t?r/ v.?使感到榮幸

elect /??lekt/ vt.?選舉

13

Yes, my friend, that's what they call you.

14

Over the?

P.A.

?you hear stuff like, “There will be an organizational meeting of the?

newly

?elected basket boys in the MPR at lunch today. All basket boys must attend.”

P.A. abbr.?每年（Per Annum）

newly /'nuli/ adv.?新近

MBR?多功能廳(multi-purpose room縮寫)

15

Pretty soon you've completely lost your name.

16

You and nineteen other?

saps

?are known simply as Basket Boy.

sap /s?p/ n. [非正式]?傻瓜，容易上當?shù)娜?/p>

17

My mom, of course, was into it, coming up with all sorts of stuff to put in my basket so I'd get the highest?

bid

.

bid /b?d/ n.?出價

18

I tried to explain that I didn't want to be in Mayfield Junior High's Basket Boy Hall of?

Fame

, and that really, what was in the basket didn't matter.

fame /fe?m/ n.?名聲

19

It wasn't like girls were bidding on the basket. When you?

got right down

?to it, this was a?

meat market

.

get right down?徹底了解

meat market?性市場（美國俚語）

20

“You eat lunch on campus and that's the end of it. It is?

hardly

?a meat market, Bryce. It's an honor! Besides, maybe someone really nice will bid on you and you'll make a new friend!”

hardly /'hɑrdli/ adv.?簡直不

21

Mothers can be in such?

denial

.

denial /d??na??l/ n.?否認

22

And then Garrett bends my ear with the news that Shelly Stalls is?

breaking up with

?Mitch Michaelson, and that she, Miranda Humes, and Jenny Atkinson are starting some bidding war over me.

break up with?跟......分手

23

“Dude!” he tells me.

24

“The two hottest chicks on campus. And I swear to god, man, Shelly's dumped Mitch because of you. I heard it?

direct

from Shagreer, and dude, Shagreer the Ear knows all.”

direct /d?'rekt/ adv.?親自地

25

He throws me this?

nasty

?grin and says, “Me, I'm?

rooting for

?Jumbo Jenny. It would serve you right for being such a basket boy.”

nasty /?n?sti/ adj.?污穢的

root for?支持

26

I told him to shut up, but he was right. With the way my?

luck

?was running, I'd probably get?

stuck with

?Jumbo Jenny.

luck /l?k/ n.?運氣

stuck with?被迫接受

27

I could just see it — six feet of beefy?

babe

?

downing

?both halves of my lunch and then?

coming after

?me.

babe /beb/ n.?女孩

down /da?n/ v. [非正式]?一口氣吃下

come after?緊跟

28

Jenny's the only girl or guy on campus who can?

dunk

?a basketball.

dunk /d??k/ v.?扣籃

29

The whole gym shakes when she lands.

30

And since she's got no, you know… female?

parabolas

, the girl could shave her head and make it in the NBA. Seriously.

parabola /p?'r?b?l?/ n. [數(shù)]拋物線

31

No one would ever suspect.

32

Her parents give her anything she wants, too.

33

Rumor

?has it they?

converted

?their garage into a?

full-on

?basketball?

court

?just for her.

rumor /?rum?/ n.?傳聞

convert /k?n?v??rt/ vt. & vi. (使)轉變

full-on?完全的

court /k??rt/ n.?球場

34

Which meant that in the game of the basket boys, I was?

as good as

?

slam-dunked

.

as good as?和......幾乎一樣

slam-dunk /?sl?m?d??k/ v. (籃球比賽中)扣籃

35

Unless, unless Shelly or Miranda was high bidder.

36

But how could I make sure that happened?

37

My brain went into?

overdrive

,?

constructing

?a plan, and in the end I decided that there was only one?

sensible

?

course of action

.

overdrive /?ov??dra?v/ vt.?使過度工作

construct /k?n?str?kt/ vt.?構思

sensible /?sens?bl/ adj.?合理的

course of action?做法

38

Kiss up to

?both of them.

Kiss up to?討好

39

Halfway through my first day of doing this, I felt like a?

skunk

.

skunk /sk??k/ n. [口]?卑鄙的人

40

Not that

?I was being?

gross

?about it or anything.

not that?并不是說

gross /ɡr??s/ adj.?惡劣的

41

I was just, you know, friendly.

42

And even though Shelly and Miranda didn't seem to smell a thing, Garrett did.

43

“Dude!” he says to me on Thursday. “I can see your?

game

, man.”

game /ɡem/ n.?花招

44

“What are you talking about?”

45

“Don't deny it, dude. You're working them both.” He comes up and whispers in my ear, “Basket boy or not, I'm in?

awe

.”

awe /??/ n.?敬畏

46

“Shut up, man.”

47

“Seriously! The Ear says they were, like,?

clawing

?each other in P.E. today.”

claw /kl??/ v. (用爪)撕，抓

48

I had to know. “What about … Jumbo Jenny?”

49

He shrugs. “Haven't heard. But we'll find out tomorrow, won't we, dude?”

50

My mother?

dropped

?me off at school on Friday with my stupid oversized picnic basket, and since all basket boys have to dress up,

drop /drɑ?p/ v.?送

51

I was choking in a tie and feeling completely?

dweeb

like in?

slacks

?and?

dress shoes

.

dweeb /dwib/ n.?〈俚〉呆子

slacks /sl?ks/ n.?寬松長褲

dress shoes n.?皮鞋，禮服鞋

52

Kids?

whistled

?and shouted, “Oooh, baby!” as I headed up the walkway, and then Jumbo Jenny passed me, taking the front steps three at a time.

whistle /?w?sl/ v.?吹口哨

53

“Wow, Bryce,” she said over her shoulder. “You look… delicious.”

54

Oh, man! I practically ran to the classroom where all the basket boys were supposed to meet, and the minute I walked in, I felt better.

55

I was surrounded by other dweebs, who seemed?

genuinely

?happy to see me.

genuinely /?d??nj??nl?/ adv.?真地

56

“Hey, Loski”;“Yo, dude”;“Doesn't this?

suck eggs

?”;“Why didn't you take the bus, man?”?

Misery loves company

.

suck egg [俚]?令人討厭

Misery loves company?同病相憐

57

Then Mrs. McClure, the president of the?

Boosters

, the lady who?

lassoed

?us all,?

hoofs

?it through the door.

president /?prez?d?nt/ n.?主席

booster /'bust?/ n.?支持者

lasso /?l?so?/ vt. [美]?用套索套捕

hoof /huf/ vt.?步行

58

“Oh, my!” she says. “You all look so handsome!”

59

Not one word about our baskets.

60

Not one little sneak peek inside.

61

No, for all she cared, those?

puppies

?were?

empty

.

puppy /'p?pi/ n.?人，家伙(戲謔語)

empty /?empti/ adj.?空虛的

62

Meat market?

63

You better believe it!

64

“Don't be so nervous, boys,” Mrs. McClure was saying. “You're going to have a wonderful day!”

65

She pulls out a list of names and starts ordering us into line.

66

We get numbers; our baskets get numbers; we fill out three-by-five cards to her?

insane

?

specifications

;

insane /?n?se?n/ adj.?極愚蠢的

specification /?spes?f??ke??n/ n.?明細單

67

and by the time she's got us all organized and is sure we know what to do and what not to do, we've missed all of first and most of second period.

68

“Okay, gentlemen,” she says. “Leave your baskets where they are and go to… where are we now? Still in second?”

69

She looks at the clock. “Right. Second.”

70

“What about?

passes

?” some sensible basket boy asked.

pass /p?s/ n.?通行證

71

“Your teachers have a list. But if they say anything, tell them I say your?

neckties

?are your passes. I'll meet you back here when everyone's?

dismissed

?for the auction. Got it? Don't dawdle!”

necktie /'n?k'tai/ n.?領帶

dismiss /d?s?m?s/ vi.?解散

72

We?

grumbled

, Yeah, yeah, and headed to class.

grumble /?ɡr?mbl/ vi.?抱怨

73

And I can tell you this, not one of the twenty of us listened to a word any of our teachers said that morning.

74

How can you listen with a?

noose

?around your neck,?

pinched

?

toes

, and a room full of idiots thinking it's?

open season

on basket boys?

noose /nu?s/ n.?套索

pinch /p?nt?/ vt.?捏

toe /to?/ n.?腳趾

open season?狩獵季節(jié)

75

Whoever started this stupid tradition ought to be?

crammed

?into a basket and tossed?

downstream

?without a serving spoon.

cram /kr?m/ vt.?塞入

downstream /?da?n'strim/ adv.?順流地

76

I was basket boy number nine.

77

Which meant I had to stand there on the stage in the gym while nearly half the guys got auctioned off.

78

Minimum

?bid, ten?

bucks

. And if nobody bid, the secret was a teacher was?

assigned

?to bid on you.

minimum /?m?n?m?m/ adj.?最低限度

buck /b?k/ n.（美）錢，元

assign /??sa?n/ vt.?指派

79

Yes, my friend, the possibilities for?

mortification

?were?

infinite

.

mortification /?m??rt?f??ke??n/ n.?屈辱

infinite /??nf?n?t/ n.?無限的

80

Some of the moms showed up and stood off to the side with their?

camcorders

?and?

zoom lenses

,?

fidgeting

?and waving and?

basically

?acting as dweeby as their sons looked.

camcorder /'k?m'k?rd?/ n. (VCR)攝像機

zoom lens n.?變焦透鏡

fidget /'f?d??t/ v.?坐立不安

basically /?be?s?kli/ adv.?基本上

81

I should know. My mom took an hour off work to be one of them.

82

Tim Pello was basket boy number five, and his mom actually bid on him.

83

No kidding.

84

She jumped up and down, yelling, “Twenty! I'll give you twenty!”

85

Man, that'll brand you for life.

86

Lucky for Tim, Kelly Trott came up with twenty-two fifty and saved his sorry self from?

everlasting

?

torture

?as a mama's boy — one of the few?

fates

?worse than basket boy.

everlasting /?ev?r?l?st??/ adj.?永久的

torture /?t??rt??r/ n.?折磨

fate /fe?t/ n.?命運

87

Caleb Hughes was up next, and he?

fetched

?the Boosters all of eleven fifty.

fetch /fet?/ vt. (賣得)某價

88

Then came Chad Ormonde, who I swear was ready to?

pee

?his pants when Mrs. McClure made him step forward.

pee /pi/ vi.?撒尿

89

She read his card,?

pinched

?his cheeks, and?

raked in

?fifteen even.

pinch vt.?捏

rake in?輕易賺取

90

At this point what stood between me and the auction block was Jon Trulock.

91

And I wasn't exactly interested in what he had in his basket or what his hobbies and favorite sports were.

92

I was too busy?

scanning

?the crowd for Jumbo Jenny, sweating my?

pits

?off.

scan /sk?n/ vt.?細看

pit /p?t/ n. [非正式]?腋窩

93

Mrs. McClure calls into the microphone, “Do I hear ten?” and it took me a minute to?

tune in to

?the fact that no one said “Ten!” No one said anything.

tune in to?收聽

94

“Come on, out there! The lunch is delicious. Strawberry tarts, um …”

95

And Mrs. McClure goes back to reading off the three-by-five about Jon Trulock's lunch.

96

Talk about embarrassing! This was worse than being a mama's boy.

97

Worse than lunch with Jumbo Jenny!

98

How'd he get voted basket boy if nobody wanted to have lunch with him?

99

Then off to the right of the crowd I hear, “Ten!”

100

“Ten? Did I hear ten?” Mrs. McClure says with a?

fluttery

?smile.

fluttery adj.?焦急不安的

101

“Twelve!” came a different voice from the same area.

102

The first voice came back with “Fifteen!” and all of a sudden I recognized whose voice it was.

103

Juli Baker's.

104

I searched through the crowd and found her, hand waving in the air, that look all over her face.

105

“Sixteen!” came the other voice.

106

There was a pause, but then Juli shoots back with “Eighteen!”

107

“Eighteen!” cries Mrs. McClure, who looks like she's about to collapse from relief.

108

She pauses, then says, “Eighteen going once … Eighteen going twice … Sold! for eighteen dollars.”

109

To Juli?

110

She was the?

last

?person I expected to bid on a lunch.

last /l?st/ adj.?最不可能的

111

Anybody's lunch.

112

Jon?

staggered

?back into line. And I knew I was supposed to step forward, but I couldn't?

budge

.

stagger /?st?ɡ?r/ vi.?蹣跚

budge /b?d?/ vt. & vi. (使)稍微移動

113

I felt like I'd been?

slugged

?in the stomach.

slug /sl?ɡ/ vt.?重擊

114

Did Juli like Jon?

115

Is that why she'd been so…so… nice lately? Because she didn't care about me anymore?

116

All my life she'd been there, waiting to be avoided, and now it was like I didn't even exist.

117

“Step up, Bryce. Come on, don't be shy!”

118

Mike Abenido shoved me a little and said, “Your turn for?

torture

. Get up there!”

torture /?t??rt??r/ n.?折磨

119

It felt like walking the?

plank

.

plank /pl??k/ n.?木板

120

I just stood up front?

sweating bullets

?while the Booster queen?

dissected

?my lunch and started?

running through

?my list of favorites.

sweat bullets?汗如雨下

dissect /d??sekt/ vt.?仔細檢查

run through?瀏覽

121

Before she's even finished, though, Shelly Stalls calls out, “Ten!”

122

“What's that?” says Mrs. McClure.

123

“I'll give you ten!”

124

“Oh,” she laughs as she puts down her notes. “Well, I guess I hear ten!”

125

“Twenty!” calls Miranda Humes from?

dead center

.

dead center?正中央

126

“Twenty-five!” It's Shelly again.

127

I'm?

looking around

?for Jumbo Jenny, praying she's gone home sick or something, while Shelly and Miranda go up by fives. “Thirty!”

look around?到處尋找

128

“Thirty-five!”

129

“Forty!”

130

Then I spot her. She's about twenty feet behind Miranda, cleaning her fingernails with her teeth.

131

“Forty-five!”

132

“Fifty!”

133

“Fifty-two.”

134

“Fifty-two?” interrupts the Booster queen.

135

“Well, this has been?

lively

! And from the looks of this basket, well worth the —”

lively /'la?vli/ adj.?激烈的

136

“Sixty!” 138 “Sixty-two!” calls Shelly.

137

Miranda scrambles around trying to?

beg

?money off her friends as Mrs. McClure calls, “Going once!”

beg /beɡ/ vt. & vi.?乞求

139

But then Jenny stands up and?

bellows

, “A hundred!”

bellow /?belo?/ vi.?吼叫

140

A hundred.

141

There's a?

collective

?gasp, and then the entire student body turns and stares at Jenny.

collective /k??lekt?v/ adj.?集體的

142

“Well!” laughs Mrs. McClure.

143

“We have a hundred! That is certainly an all-time record. And such a?

generous

?

donation

?to the Boosters!”

generous /?d?en?r?s/ adj.?慷慨的

donation /do??ne??n/ n.?捐贈

144

I wanted to?

boost

?her, right off the stage.

boost /bu?st/ vt.?推動

145

I was doomed.

146

This was something I would never?

live down

.

live down?使人們忘記（錯誤、失敗、惡名等）

147

Then there's this big?

commotion

, and all of a sudden Shelly and Miranda are standing right next to each other calling, “One-twenty-two… fifty! We'll give you one-twenty-two fifty!”

commotion /k?'mo??n/ n.?騷動

148

“One hundred twenty-two dollars and fifty cents?” I thought the Booster queen was gonna?

polka

.

polka /'polk?/ n.?波爾卡舞

149

“You're?

pooling

?your resources to have lunch with this fine young man?”

pool /pu?l/ vt.?集中…共同使用

150

“Yeah!” they call, then look over Jenny's way.

151

Everybody looks over Jenny's way.

152

Jenny just shrugs and goes back to cleaning a nail.

153

“Well, then! One hundred twenty-two dollars and fifty cents going once… One hundred twenty-two dollars and fifty cents going twice …

154

Sold to those two beautiful young ladies for an all-time record of one hundred twenty-two dollars and fifty cents!”

155

“Dude!” Mike whispered when I got back in line. “Shelly and Miranda? How am I supposed to follow that?”

156

He didn't even?

come close

.

come close?接近

157

He got Terry Norris for sixteen bucks, and the most anyone else got was forty.

158

And when it was over, all the guys told me, “Dude! You are, like, the man….?

Score

!” but I didn't feel like the man. I felt?

wiped out

.

score /sk?/ v. [非正式] (使)成功

wiped out?精疲力竭的

159

My mom came up and gave me a hug and a kiss like I'd won a gold medal or something, then whispered, “My little baby,” and clickity-clicked off in her high heels, back to work.

160

So I was wiped out, embarrassed, and then practically dragged to the?

multi-purpose room

?by Shelly and Miranda.

multi-purpose room?多功能廳

161

The Boosters had?

outfitted

?the MPR with little tables for two, all decorated in shades of pink and blue and yellow, with balloons and?

streamers

?everywhere.

outfit /?a?tf?t/ v.?配備

streamer /'strim?/ n. (作裝飾用的)彩色紙帶

162

I felt like the?

Easter

?

bunny

?with my stupid basket boy lunch clutched in both hands while Miranda held on to one arm and Shelly?

latched

?on to the other.

Easter /?i?st?r/ n.?〈宗〉復活節(jié)

bunny /'b?ni/ n.?兔子

latch /l?t?/ v.?附著(在某物上)

163

They gave us the biggest table and?

whisked

?in an extra chair, and when everyone was seated, Mrs. McClure said,

whisk /w?sk/ vi.?飛奔

164

“Boys and girls? I don't think I need to remind you that you are?

excused

?from class for the rest of the day. Enjoy your lunches, enjoy your friendships….

excuse /?k?skjuz/ v.?同意免除

165

Take your time, relax, and thanks again for supporting your Boosters. We wouldn't be us without you!”

166

So there I was, with the two hottest girls on campus, having lunch.

167

I was “the man,” the?

envy

?of every other guy in school.

envy /?envi/ n.?嫉妒

168

Buddy, I was?

miserable

.

miserable /?m?zr?bl/ adj.?痛苦的

169

I mean, these two girls may be?

gorgeous

, but what was coming out of their mouths about Jumbo Jenny was?

embarrassingly

?

ugly

.

gorgeous /?ɡ??rd??s/ adj.?非常漂亮的

embarrassingly /im'b?r?si?li/ adv.?使人尷尬地

ugly /??ɡli/ adj.?無禮的

170

Miranda works herself up to, “What was she thinking? Like you would ever want to go out with her, right, Bryce?”

171

Well, yeah. That was right.

172

But it seemed really wrong to say so.

173

“Look, can we talk about something else?”

174

“Sure. Like what?”

175

“I don't care. Anything else. You guys going anywhere this summer?”

176

Miranda?

shoots off

?first. “We're taking a?

cruise

?to the?

Mexican Riviera

. We're supposed to stop in all these cool?

ports

?and shop and stuff.”

shoot off?夸夸其談

cruise /kru?z/ n.?乘船游覽

Mexican Riviera?墨西哥蔚藍海岸

port /p??rt/ n.?港口

177

She flutters her?

eyelids

?at me and says, “I could bring you something back….”

eyelid /'a?'l?d/ n.?眼皮

178

Shelly?

scoots

?her chair in a little and says,

scoot /skut/ vt.?猛沖

179

“We're going up to the lake. My dad has a?

cabin

?there, and you can get the most?

outrageous

?

tan

. Do you remember what I looked like at the beginning of this year? I was, like, black.

cabin /?k?b?n/ n.?小屋

outrageous /a?t'red??s/ adj.?令人驚訝的

tan /t?n/ n.?棕褐色

180

I'm going to do that again, only this time I've got a schedule all worked out so that it's even every where.”

181

She giggles and says, “Don't tell my mom, okay? She would have a ka-

nip

!”

nip /n?p/ vt.?阻止

182

And this, my friend, is how the Tan Wars began.

183

Miranda told Shelly that she didn't even notice her tan at the beginning of the year and that the place to really?

roast

?is on a cruise ship.

roast /ro?st/ vt. & vi.?烤

184

Shelly told Miranda that anyone with?

freckles

?can't really get tan and since Miranda had freckles everywhere, the cruise was a?

guaranteed

?waste of money.

freckle /'fr?kl/ n.?雀斑

guarantee /?ɡ?r?n?ti?d/ adj.?確定會發(fā)生的

185

I choked down my third of the lunch and looked around the room, trying to let it all flow past me.

186

Then I saw Juli. She was two tables away from me, facing my direction.

187

Only she wasn't looking at me. She was looking at Jon, her eyes all?

sparkly

?and laughing.

sparkly /?spɑrkli/ adj.?閃耀的

188

My heart lurched. What was she laughing about? What were they talking about?

189

How could she sit there and look so… beautiful?

190

I felt myself spinning out of control.

191

It was weird.

192

Like I couldn't even?

steer

?my own body.

steer /st?r/ vt. & vi.?掌舵

193

I'd always thought Jon was pretty cool, but right then I wanted to go over and throw him across the room.

194

Shelly grabbed my arm and said, “Bryce, are you all right? You look…I don't know… possessed or something.”

195

“What? Oh.” I tried taking a deep breath.

196

“What are you staring at?” Miranda asked.

197

They both looked over their shoulders, then shrugged and went back to picking at their food.

198

But I couldn't stop myself from looking again.

199

And in the back of my mind, I could hear my grandfather's voice saying, “The choices you make now will affect you for the rest of your life. Do the right thing….”

200

Do the right thing….

201

Do the right thing….

202

Miranda shook me out of it, asking, “Bryce? Are you in there? I asked, what are you going to do this summer?”

203

“I don't know,” I snapped.

204

“Hey, maybe you can spend some time up at the lake with us!” Shelly said.

205

It was torture.

206

I wanted to scream, Shut up! Leave me alone!

207

I wanted to run out of the building and keep on running until I didn't feel like this anymore.

208

“Lunch is really delicious, Bryce.” Miranda's voice was floating around. “Bryce? Did you hear me? This is really a?

spectacular

?lunch.”

spectacular /spek?t?kj?l?r/ adj.?令人驚嘆的

209

A simple little thank you would've?

sufficed

.

suffice /s??fa?s/ vt.?使?jié)M足

210

But could I come up with a simple little thank you?

211

No. I turned on her and said, “Can we not talk about food or tans or hair?”

212

She gave me an?

uppity

?little smile. “Well, what do you want to talk about, then?”

uppity /??p?ti/ adj.?傲慢的

213

I blinked at her, then at Shelly. “How about perpetual motion? Know anything about that?”

214

“Perpetual what?” Miranda starts laughing.

215

“What?” I ask her. “What's so funny?”

216

She looks at me a minute, then?

snickers

. “I didn't realize I'd bid on an?

intellectual

.”

snicker /?sn?k?r/ v.?竊笑

intellectual /??nt??lekt?u?l/ n.?知識分子

217

“Hey… I'm plenty smart!”

218

“Yeah?” Miranda giggles. “Can you spell intellectual?”

219

“He is too smart, Miranda.”

220

“Oh, stop kissing up, Shelly. You're trying to tell me?

you're after

?his brain? God, it's making me?

sick

?to watch you?

grovel

.”

be after?追求

sick /s?k/ adj.?想吐的

grovel /?ɡrɑ?vl/ vi.?卑躬屈膝

221

“Grovel? Excuse me?”

222

“You heard me. He's not going to take you to the?

grad

?dance anyway, so just give it up, why don't you?”

grad /ɡr?d/ n.?畢業(yè)生

223

And with that, it was all over.

224

One of my mom's?

flaky

?apple?

tarts

?got?

ground

?into Miranda's hair; the extra?

ranch

?

dressing

?got?

smeared

?into Shelly's.

flaky /'fleki/ adj.?薄片的

tart /tɑ?rt/ n.?果餡餅

ground /ɡra?nd/ vi.?著陸

ranch /r?nt?/ n.?大牧場

dressing /?dres??/ n.?（拌制色拉用的）調(diào)料

smear /sm?r/ vt.?涂上

225

And before Mrs. McClure could say, In the name of Boosters! What are you doing? they were rolling on the floor, scratching each other's makeup off.

226

I took this opportunity to leave my table and head for Juli's.

227

I grabbed her by the hand and said, “I've got to talk to you.”

228

She sort of half-stands and says, “What? What's going on, Bryce? Why are they fighting?”

229

“Excuse us a minute, would you, Jon?” I pull her away from the table, but there's no place to go.

230

And I've got her hand in mine, and I just can't think.

231

So I stop right there in the middle of the room and look at her.

232

At that face.

233

I want to touch her cheek and see what it feels like.

234

I want to touch her hair, it looks so incredibly soft.

235

“Bryce,” she whispers. “What's wrong?”

236

I can barely breathe as I ask her, “Do you like him?”

237

“Do I… you mean Jon?”

238

“Yes!”

239

“Well, sure. He's nice and — ”

240

“No, do you like him?” My heart was pounding through my chest as I took her other hand and waited.

241

“Well, no. I mean, not like that….”

242

No! She said no! I didn't care where I was, I didn't care who saw.

243

I wanted, just had to kiss her.

244

I leaned in, closed my eyes, and then …

245

She broke away from me.

246

Suddenly, the room was dead quiet.

247

Miranda and Shelly stared at me through their?

slimy

?hair, everyone was looking at me like I'd?

blown

?my entire?

circuit board

,

slimy /?sla?mi/ adj.?黏滑的

blow /blo?/ v.?炸毀

circuit board?電路板

248

and I just stood there, trying to?

reel

?in my lips and pull myself back together.

reel /ri?l/ vt.?卷

249

Mrs. McClure took me by the shoulders, guided me to my chair, and told me, “You sit here, and you stay here!”

250

Then she?

hauled

?Miranda and Shelly outside,?

scolding

?them and telling them to find?

separate

?bathrooms and clean up while she ran down the?

janitor

?to?

mop

?up their mess.

haul /h??l/ vt.?拖拉

scold /sko?ld/ vt.?責罵

separate /?sepr?t/ adj.?單獨的

janitor /?d??n?t?r/ n.?清潔工

mop /mɑ?p/ vt.?擦干

251

I sat there by myself and didn't even care about?

covering up

.

cover up?掩蓋

252

I just wanted to be with her. To talk to her. To hold her hand again.

253

To kiss her.

254

Before school was out, I tried to talk to her again, but every time I got close, she'd dodge me.

255

And then when the final bell rang, she disappeared.

256

I looked everywhere for her, but she was just gone. Garrett, however, wasn't.

257

He tracked me down and said, “Dude! Tell me it isn't true!”

258

I didn't say a word.

259

I just headed for the?

bike racks

, still hoping to find Juli.

bike rack?自行車車架

260

“Oh, man …it is true!”

261

“Leave me alone, Garrett.”

262

“You get?

hooked up with

?the two finest chicks on campus, then?

bail on

?them for Juli?”

hook up with?和......有聯(lián)系

bail on?放棄

263

“You don't understand.”

264

“You're right, dude. I completely don't understand. Did you seriously try to kiss her? I couldn't believe that part.

265

We're talking Julianna Baker? Your nightmare neighbor? The know-it-all?

nuisance

? The coop poop babe?”

nuisance /?nu?sns/ n.?討厭的東西[人,?行為]

266

I stopped cold and shoved him. Just?

laid into

?him with both hands and shoved. “That was a long time ago, man.?

Knock it off

!”

lay into v.?痛打

Knock it off?少來這一套

267

Garrett put both hands up, but moved in at me. “Dude, you have flipped, you know that?”

268

“Just back off, would you?”

269

He blocked my path.

270

“I can't believe this! Two hours ago you were the man. The man! The whole school was?

on their knees

?before you! Now look at you. You're, like, a social?

hazard

.”

on one's knees?下跪

hazard /?h?z?rd/ n.?公害

271

He?

snorted

?and said, “And, dude, the truth is, if you're gonna be like this, I don't need the?

association

.”

snort /sn?rt/ vt. & vi.?噴鼻息(以表示不耐煩,?輕蔑等)

association /??so?si?e??n/ n.?交往

272

I got right in his face and said, “Good! 'Cause you know what? Neither do I!”

273

I shoved him aside and ran.

274

I wound up walking home.

275

In my pinchy shoes, with dirty dishes?

clanking

?inside my?

sticky

?picnic?

hamper

, this basket boy?

hiked

?all the way home.

clank /kl??k/ vi.?發(fā)叮當聲

sticky /?st?ki/ adj.?粘性的

hamper /?h?mp?r/ n.?食籃

hike /ha?k/ vi.?徒步旅行

276

And there was a battle?

raging

?inside me.

rage /re?d?/ vi.?大怒

277

The old Bryce wanted to go back in time, wanted to hang with Garrett and?

shoot the breeze

, wanted to hate Juli Baker again.

shoot the breeze?閑聊

278

Wanted to be the man.

279

But in my heart I knew the old Bryce?

was toast

.

be toast?完蛋了

280

There was no?

going back

.

go back?回去

281

Not to Garrett or Shelly or Miranda or any of the other people who wouldn't understand.

282

Juli was different, but after all these years that didn't bother me anymore.

283

I liked it.

284

I liked her.

285

And every time I saw her, she seemed more beautiful. She just seemed to glow.

286

I'm not talking like a hundred-

watt

?

bulb

; she just had this warmth to her.

watt /wɑ?t/ n.?〈物〉(電力計量單位)瓦

bulb /b?lb/ n.?電燈泡

287

Maybe it came from climbing that tree.

288

Maybe it came from singing to chickens.

289

Maybe it came from?

whacking

?at two-by-fours and dreaming about perpetual motion.

whack /w?k/ vt.?重擊

290

I don't know.

291

All I know is that compared to her, Shelly and Miranda seemed so…ordinary.

292

I'd never felt like this before. Ever.

293

And just admitting it to myself instead of hiding from it made me feel strong. Happy.

294

I took off my shoes and socks and stuffed them in the basket.

295

My tie whipped over my shoulder as I ran home?

barefoot

, and I realized that Garrett was right about one thing — I had flipped.

barefoot /'b?r'f?t/ adj. & adv.?赤腳的〔地〕

296

Completely.

297

I?

trucked

?down our street and spotted her bike lying on its side on the driveway.

truck /tr?k/ v.?輕松前進

298

She was home!

299

I rang the bell until I thought it would?

break

.

break /bre?k/ v.?損壞

300

No answer.

301

I pounded on her door.

302

No answer.

303

I went home and called on the phone, and finally, finally her mother answers.

304

“Bryce? No, I'm sorry. She doesn't want to talk.” Then she whispers, “Give her a little time, won't you?”

305

I gave her an hour. Almost.

306

Then I went across the street. “Please, Mrs. Baker. I've got to see her!”

307

“She's locked herself in her room, dear. Why don't you try phoning tomorrow.”

308

Tomorrow? I couldn't wait until tomorrow!

309

So I went around the side of their house, climbed the fence, and knocked on her window. “Juli! Juli, please. I've got to see you.”

310

Her curtains didn't open, but the back door did, and out came Mrs. Baker to?

shoo

?me away.

shoo /?u/ vi.?發(fā)出噓聲趕走

311

When I got home, my granddad was waiting at the front door.

312

“Bryce, what is going on? You've been running back and forth to the Bakers', climbing over their fence…. You're acting like the world's on fire!”

313

I blurted, “I can't believe this! I just can't believe this! She won't talk to me!”

314

He led me into the front room, saying, “Who won't talk to you?”

315

“Juli!”

316

He hesitated. “Is she … mad at you?”

317

“I don't know!”

318

“Does she have reason to be mad at you?”

319

“No! Yes! I mean, I don't know!”

320

“Well, what happened?”

321

“I tried to kiss her! In front of this whole room of people, while I was supposed to be having that stupid basket boy lunch with Shelly and Miranda, I tried to kiss her!”

322

Slowly a smile spread across his face. “You did?”

323

“I was, like, possessed. I couldn't stop myself! But she pulled away and…”

324

I looked out the window at the Bakers' house. “And now she won't talk to me!”

325

Very quietly my grandfather said, “Maybe she thinks this is all a little sudden?”

326

“But it's not!”

327

“It's not?”

328

“No, I mean …” I turned to him.

329

“It started with that stupid newspaper article. And I don't know… I've been weirded out ever since.

330

She doesn't look the?

same

, she doesn't sound the same, she doesn't even seem like the same person to me!”

same /sem/ adj.?和從前一樣的人(或事情)

331

I stared out the window at the Bakers'. “She's… she's just different.”

332

My grandfather stood beside me and looked across the street, too.

333

“No, Bryce,” he said softly. “She's the same as she's always been; you're the one who's changed.”

334

He clapped his hand on my shoulder and whispered, “And, son, from here on out, you'll never be the same again.”

335

Maybe my grandfather's happy about all this, but I'm miserable.

336

I can't eat; I can't watch TV; I can't seem to do anything.

337

So I went to bed early, but I can't sleep.

338

I've watched her house from my window for hours now. I've stared at the sky; I've counted sheep.

339

But man, I can't stop?

kicking myself

?for what an idiot I've been all these years.

kick myself?恨死自己(非正式)

340

And now how am I going to make her listen to me?

341

I'd?

scale

?that monster sycamore if I could. Right to the top.

scale /ske?l/ vi.?攀登

342

And I'd yell her name across the rooftops for the whole world to hear.

343

And since you know what a tree-climbing?

weenie

?I am, I think it's pretty?

clear

?that I'm willing to do anything to get her to talk to me.

weenie /?wini/ n.?窩囊廢

clear /kl?r/ adj.?明顯的

344

Man, I'll dive after her into a chicken coop full of poop if that's what it takes.

345

I'll ride my bike all the stinkin' way to school for the rest of?

eternity

?if it means being with her.

eternity /?'t?n?ti/ n.?無窮無盡的時間

346

Something.

347

I've got to come up with some thing to show her that I've changed.

348

To prove to her that I understand.

349

But what?

350

How do I show her that I'm not the guy she thinks I am?

351

How do I?

erase

?everything I've done and start over?

erase /??re?s/ vt.?擦除

352

Maybe I can't.

353

Maybe it just can not be done.

354

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.

heart and soul?全心全意地

355

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

356

I'll never be the same again.

357