mean； he was my friend； and a lot had happened in
the last couple of months that was weighing on me。 I thought that if I talked to him； maybe
he'd help get me back on track。 Help me to stop thinking
about everything。 Garrett was real reliable in that arena。
Luckily； in social studies our class got library time to do research for our famous historical
figure report。 Darla and Juli were both in that class； but
I managed to drag Garrett into a back corner of the library without either of them noticing。
And the minute we were by ourselves； I found myself
laying into Garrett about chickens。
He shakes his head at me and says； “Dude！ What are you talking about？”
“Remember when we went and looked over her fence？”
“Back in the sixth grade？”
“Yeah。 Remember how you were down on me for wondering what a hen was？”
He rolled his eyes。 “Not this again…。”
“Man； you didn't know jack…diddly…squat about chickens。 I put my life in your hands and you
dumped me in a bucket of bull。”
So I told him about my dad and the eggs and salmonella and how I'd been intercepting eggs
for nearly two years。
He just shrugged and said； “Makes sense to me。”
“Man； she caught me！”
“Who？”
“Juli！”
……… Page 56………
“Whoa； dude！”
I told him about what I'd said； and how almost right after that she was out playing weed
warrior in her front yard。
“Well； so？ It's not your fault her yard's a mess。”
“But then I found out that they don't even own that house。 They're all poor because her dad's
got a retarded brother that they're； you know； paying
for。” Garrett gives me a real chumpy grin and says； “A retard？ Well； that expla