1. Perfect Plan

A friend? Is that was Juli thought of me? Ever since I planted that tree in her yard we've started a friendly relationship, but nothing more to that, sadly. We have never really talked about the incident that happened in the lunch room at school, when I tried kissing her and she completely jerked away from me and ran off to her seat.

I think today would be a great day to talk about it: It is a cloudy, gloomy day today so I'm sure no one has anything to do that is active, or something that will make you break a sweat. I have been planning and strategizing, and constructing a perfect sentence to tell Juli about our kissing incident, something that won't make her feel uncomfortable or depressed all-over-again.

I have talked about it with granddad and he is 100% sure that my plan was brilliant; anything to my granddad is brilliant when it comes to me liking Juli. I remember when I first told him and mom they were so crazy, but I can tell my granddad went more coo coo, which is weird since he is serious most the time. Anyways, I was on my way to the bakers and just as I cross to the middle of the road I stopped. Should I say it? What if she won't like me? What if she gives me a wicked smack when I start talking about it? Thinks went through my head as I walk closer to her house. "Bryce, you got to do this, man. You're the man. I'm the man." I had to pep talk myself just to give the guts to talk to a girl. How stupid.

I knocked on her door, and in a few minutes her dad came out. I have been talking to Mr. Baker lately, he knows I have this crush on Juli and I told him not to tell her. He's cool; he's not like my dad who just crosses the line too much. I like Mr. Baker.

"Oh, hey Bryce, buddy. Are you here for Juli?" Mr. Baker says with a wink at the end of his sentence.

I give a small chuckle, I just can't help he knows. "Yes sir, I would just like to have a quick chat with her. It's about the kissing incident. I just want to make it clear with her and apologize."

"I see. You know, Bryce, she couldn't stop talking about it with her mom. She really is confused about you." Mr. Baker says and calls out Juli.

Moments later Juli came up the door, and Mr. Baker left. She was walking towards me. And she looked so beautiful. "Hiya Bryce!" She says with a spark of excitement.

"H-Hi Juli" I giggled to her enthusiasm.

"So, what's up?" Juli says.

"Umm... Actually I want to talk to you about something seriously important with you. I hope you understand." I was already shy and looked down at my shoes. Her face has already turned into a mixture of anxiety and confusion. Should I bail on it? She looks really worried. No, I can't. She has to know."Uh, Juli, umm, Remember, umm, you know?" What the hell am I saying, I sound like a clueless idiot.

"What was that, Bryce?" She seemed serious.

I regained myself back to planet earth and suddenly blurted out all that I kept inside of me. "Juli, remember that time when I was picked as the Basket boy and Shelly and Miranda ate lunch with me and you ate lunch with Jon. Then there was this catfight between Shelly and Miranda and then I came up to you and you dashed away, and I was trying-"

She cut me off and silently said. "Yes, I do remember. Its okay, Bryce. I know it was an accident."

I immediately said "No. It's not okay. I haven't said my apologies to you. And..." I stopped and rehearsed my perfect line one more time in my head. It wasn't an accident, Juli. I love you with all my heart. Please love me back. Oh, no. I just realized how stupid that sentence sounded; granddad said it was a good one. What to say? Why now?! Then I said something that was close to my rehearsed line, but a bit chiller. Yes!

"...And it wasn't an accident. I mean yes, but..." I messed up, again, but I came back to my senses. "Juli" I let out a massive sigh. "I did want to kiss you that day, but I didn't know when the right time was and I can't stand myself, so I did it there. I just want to say sorry for embarrassing you.

"Oh, thanks Bryce, really." Juli was blushing. Her cheeks were bright red. I wanted to touch her cheeks. She paused for like 5 minutes looking at me and then she continued. "Uh Oh, It looks like its homework time." She smiled awkwardly and I smiled back at her. We paused for a second and then she moved in to me and put her hand around my elbows and squeezed me she didn't even let me put my hands around her. But who cares? She hugged me, that is such an improvement since last week.

As I was walking home I was thinking and couldn't believe it; Wow, Juli Baker hugged me. It just gave me the best feeling, man. But, wait. Why did it feel like she wanted to leave so sudden? And what is up with that excuse "its Homework time", it sure was weird. Well she hugged me, right? And as I slept, I looked back to that conversation and learned one thing: How girls can seriously make a guy over think with their confused signals.