my uncle； but I wasn't。 I hadn't asked him not to tell；
and he certainly wasn't the one making fun of David。
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Mrs。 Loski came up behind Chet； whisked us in； and fluttered about。 And even though she
had quite a bit of makeup on； I was surprised to see
the blueness of bags beneath her eyes。 Then Mrs。 Loski and my mother went off with the
pies； my brothers vanished down the hall with Lyta； and
my father followed Chet into the living room。
And wasn't that just dandy？ That left me alone in the foyer with Bryce。
He said hi to me and I lost it。 I spun on him； snapping； “Don't you speak to me！ I overheard
you and Garrett in the library； and I don't want to talk to
you now or ever！”
I started to walk into the living room； but he stopped me。 “Juli！ Juli； wait！” he whispered。 “I'm
not the bad guy here！ That was Garrett。 That was all
Garrett！”
I glared at him。 “I know what I heard。”
“No！ No you don't！ I …I was feeling bad about； you know； the eggs and what I'd said about
your yard。 I didn't know anything about your uncle or
what kind of situation your family was in； okay？ I just wanted to talk to someone about it。”
Our eyes locked for a minute； and for the first time the blueness of his didn't freeze up my
brain。 “I heard you laugh。 He made a joke about me
being a retard； and you laughed。”
“Juli； you don't understand。 I wanted to punch him！ Really； I did！ But we were in the library…。”
“So instead you laughed。”
He shrugged and looked miserable and sheepish。 “Yeah。”
I left him。 Just walked into the living room and left him。 If he was making it up； he was quite
an actor。 If he was telling the truth； then Chet was right
—he was a coward。 Either way； I didn't want to be anywhere near him。
I stood beside my father and tried to follow his discussion with Chet about something they'd
both read in the paper。 My father was saying； “But
what he's proposing otion machine； so it's not possible。”
Chet replied； “Maybe in the context of what scientists know now； but do you rule it out
pletely？”
At that moment I was feeling absolutely no scientific curiosity。 But in a desperate attempt to
block Bryce Loski from my mind； I asked； “What's a
perpetual…motion machine？”
My father and Chet glanced at each other； chuckled； then shrugged； giving me the sense
that they'd just agreed to let me into a secret club。 My
father explained； “It's a machine that runs without any external power source。”
“No electricity； no fuel； no water propulsion； nothing。” Chet glanced over my shoulder and
asked rather absently； “You think that's a doable thing？”
What had distracted him？ Was Bryce still in the foyer？ Why didn't he just go away？
I forced myself to focus on the conversation。 “Do I think that's a doable thing？ Well； I don't
really know。 All machines use energy； right？ Even real
efficient ones。 And that energy has to e from somewhere…。”
“What if the machine generated it itself？” Chet asked； but one eye was still on the foyer。
“How could it do that？”
Neither of them answered me。 Instead； my father stuck out his hand and said； “Good evening；
Rick。 Nice of you to have us over。”
Mr。 Loski pumped my dad's hand and joined our group； making little ments about the
weather。 When that topic was all dried up； he said；
“And wow； that yard of yours has really e along。 I told Chet here that we ought to hire
him out。 He really knows his pickets； doesn't he？”
He was joking。 I think。 But my father didn't take it that way； and neither did Chet。 I was afraid
of what might happen next； but then Mrs。 Loski
tinkled a little dinner bell and called； “Hors d'oeuvres； everybody！”
The hors d'oeuvres were delicious。 But when my father whispered that the teeny…tiny black
berries on top of the crackers weren't berries at all； but
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caviar； I stopped midbite。 Fish eggs？ Repulsive！
Then my father pointed out that I ate chicken eggs all the time； so ish over
fish eggs？ He had a point。 I hesitantly finished the
cracker； and before long I was having another。
Bryce was standing all by himself across the room； and every time I happened to look his
way； he was staring at me。
Finally I pletely turned my back on him and said to my father； “So who's trying to invent a
perpetual…motion machine； anyway？”
My father laughed。 “Mad scientists all over the world。”
“Really？”
“Yes。 For hundreds of years。”
“Well； what do they do？ What's one look like？”
It wasn't long before Chet was in on the discussion。 And just as I was finally starting to catch
on to magism； gyroscopic particles； and zeropoint
energy； I felt someone standing behind me。
It was Bryce。
I could feel my cheeks flush with anger。 Couldn't he see I wanted to be left alone？ I took a
step away from him； but what that did was open up the
group and allow him to move forward。 Now he was standing in our circle listening to our
discussion！
Well！ Surely he was not interested in perpetual motion。 I barely was myself！ So； I reasoned；
continuing our discussion would drive him away。 I
dove back in； and when the conversation started to peter out； I came up with my own ideas
on perpetual…motion machines。 I was like a perpetualidea
machine； spinning ridiculous suggestions right out of the air。
And still he wouldn't leave。 He didn't say anything； he just stood there； listening。 Then when
Mrs。 Loski announced that dinner was ready； Bryce
held my arm and whispered； “Juli； I'm sorry。 I've never been so sorry about anything in my
whole life。 You're right； I was a jerk； and I'm sorry。”
I yanked my arm free from his grasp and said； “It seems to me you've been sorry about a
whole lot of things lately！” and left him there with his
apology hanging wounded in the air。
It didn't take me long to realize that I'd made a mistake。 I should have let him say he was
sorry and then simply continued to ignore him。 But I'd
snapped at him in the middle of an apology； which somehow made me the rude one。
I sneaked a peek at him across the table； but he was watching his dad； who was asking my
brothers about graduating and their plans for college。
I had； of course； seen Mr。 Loski many times； but usually from a distance。 Still； it seemed
impossible that I'd never noticed his eyes before。 They
were blue。 Brilliant blue。 And although Mr。 Loski's were set farther back and were hidden
somewhat by his eyebrows and cheekbones； there was
no mistaking where Bryce had gotten his eyes。 His hair was black； too； like Bryce's； and his
teeth were white and straight。
Even though Chet had called Bryce the spitting image of his father； I'd never really thought of
them as looking alike。 But now I saw that they did
look alike； though where his dad seemed kind of smug； Bryce seemed… well； right now he
seemed angry。
Then f