第3部分(第6/7 頁)

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whispering　spelling　words；　sniffing　watermelon；　and　wondering　if　I　was　ever　going　to　get　my

kiss。

Buddy；　Beware！

Seventh　grade　brought　changes；　all　right；　but　the　biggest　one　didn't　happen　at　school　—　it

happened　at　home。　Granddad　Duncan　came　to　live　with

us。

At　first　it　was　kind　of　weird　because　none　of　us　really　knew　him。　Except　for　Mom；　of　course。

And　even　though　she's　spent　the　past　year　and　a　half

trying　to　convince　us　he's　a　great　guy；　from　what　I　can　tell；　the　thing　he　likes　to　do　best　is

stare　out　the　front…room　window。　There's　not　much　to　see

out　there　except　the　Bakers'　front　yard；　but　you　can　find　him　there　day　or　night；　sitting　in　the

big　easy　chair　they　moved　in　with　him；　staring　out　the

window。

Okay；　so　he　also　reads　Tom　Clancy　novels　and　the　newspapers　and　does　crossword　puzzles

and　tracks　his　stocks；　but　those　things　are　all

distractions。　Given　no　one　to　justify　it　to；　the　man　would　stare　out　the　window　until　he　fell

asleep。　Not　that　there's　anything　wrong　with　that。　It　just

seems　so　…　boring。

Mom　says　he　stares　like　that　because　he　misses　Grandma；　but　that's　not　something

Granddad　had　ever　discussed　with　me。　As　a　matter　of　fact；

he　never　discussed　much　of　anything　with　me　until　a　few　months　ago　when　he　read　about

Juli　in　the　newspaper。

………　Page　11………

Now；　Juli　Baker　did　not　wind　up　on　the　front　page　of　the　Mayfield　Times　for　being　an　eighth…

grade　Einstein；　like　you　might　suspect。　No；　my

friend；　she　got　front…page　coverage　because　she　refused　to　climb　out　of　a　sycamore　tree。

Not　that　I　could　tell　a　sycamore　from　a　maple　or　a　birch　for　that　matter；　but　Juli；　of　cours