JULIANNA

Early today, I found a white box sitting alone on top of the shelf inside my room. I don't know where it came from and I also don't know who left it there.

I don't even know if someone came to my room without my permission and put the box on top of the shelf. It doesn't look old if you actually examine it very closely. And it doesn't look new too. It just looked like it's been there for a whole day.

And the thing is, the person who put it on top of the shelf didn't leave a note or a card, For a second, I thought it was actually from my brothers. But I dismissed that thought when I remembered that Matt and Mike doesn't go inside my room without my permission. They have my respect, and I have theirs also. That's fair enough for the three of us.

Just to make sure if I am correct, I asked them awhile ago when we were eating breakfast. I even asked Mom and Dad.

They were all eating cereal and I was staring at them. Each one of them. I'm very curious about the box and who was it from. I cleared my throat and said, "Matt, Mike. I have something to ask."

I just called both of my brothers but all of them looked up at me. So I started.

"Did both of you go inside my room?" I managed to squeeze my sentence whole. I know they didn't go in there. I just wanted to know if my instincts are right.

Matt and Mike stared at each other and laughed. They laughed so hard that it made me frown and sound stupid.

"What are you laughing at? I'm not a clown, am I?"

Matt tried to hide his laughter. "Of course you're not a clown, little sister. But you are making us laugh!" And they laughed again.

I glanced over at my parents direction to see if they were laughing too. I mean, I didn't make you laugh, did I? And my parents are not laughing too. So... why were they laughing?

"I'm not playing here. Which one of you went in my room?"

"Not me." Matt answered.

"Of course, I should be answering the same. Not me!" Mike blurted out.

Dad sighed and said, "Matt. Mike. I think your sister is being serious here. Why can't you just answer her?"

"We just did, Dad."

"Yeah. He's right. Juli doesn't go to our room. So, why should we go to hers?"

They are right. I sighed and slumped on my chair. Suddenly, both of my brothers stopped laughing and their expressions turned serious. Dead serious.

"Julianna. Why are you even asking us that when you perfectly well know that you trust us?"

"And why do you look so serious? Did someone steal something from your room?"

"Did they do something to your room?"

I thought the seriousness in their voices were going to last. I was wrong. Mike said, "Or maybe they vandalized all her furniture!" and with this, I knew they were now joking.

"Mike, we're not joking here." Matt, at least, wasn't joking. He was serious. And Mike's expression turned serious again. This is getting crazy.

"Okay, enough. What's going on, Juli?" Mom interrupted.

Should I tell her that someone went into my room and placed the box on the top of the shelf? No. That would probably sound stupid. I shrug anyway.

"Juli. Is something wrong? You're making us worry."

"Nothing's wrong, Mom. It's just that... I found this white box sitting on top of the shelf in my room. There's no note or anything... I thought it was Matt and Mike who put it up there."

Matt and Mike laughed again but stopped when Dad eyed them.

"We didn't go to your room. That would be stupid, you know. Why would we even put it there when we could give it to you personally?"

Good point. Both of my brothers went back to their old selves with the joking and playing around. This started making us laugh:

"Did you even look what's inside it? Maybe it's a bomb or something!"

"Yeah! Oh no, Julianna! You better throw it far from here!"

"Run for your lives! We're going to die!"

They're pretty funny, I know. I can totally see what Lynetta sees in Mike. He's funny, he's handsome. Everything. Well. Except for the 'songwriting' thing. Matt continued joking around and we continued laughing. Not until he hit everyone's nerves.

"You could go get the bomb and throw it on the Loski's house!"

He was laughing and we weren't. Including Mike. Mike was eventually glaring at Matt for saying it. When Matt did notice we stopped laughing, he also stopped and said, "That's not a good joke, is it?"

Me, Dad and Mom shook our heads while Mike yelled, "What do you think?"

Wow. I've never seen Mike yell at Matt before. Especially about Mike's girlfriend. Matt said sorry to Mike for at least 10 times. Both of them marched into their room.

Dad broke off the silence with, "Who wants pie?"

Mom and I raised our hands like we were inside a classroom and reciting. We ate pie. We laughed and talked. Afterwards, I helped Mom with the dishes while Dad continued to finish a painting for Uncle David.

When Dad left us alone, Mom asked me about the box.

"Honey, what is inside the box?"

"I don't know. Wasn't able to check it."

"Maybe you should go and see it. Maybe the card is inside."

I glanced at her and I became suspicious. "Mom. Why are you suggesting that?"

"Suggesting what?"

"Suggesting that. For me to open the box and see what's inside it."

"I'm just saying. If you don't, then it's fine. It's not mine."

"But I don't even know if it is mine."

"You should go check it."

"Why –" I was supposed to ask her "Why become like this all of a sudden?" but cut if off. I just nodded and headed for my room.

There I picked up the box and stared at it. Eyeing it closely. There's something very familiar about the ribbon. Yes. It is. It looks like Bryce Loski's ribbon... he once used this for Art Class. A thought occurred to me and I opened the box already. There is something. It's a note and next to it was a necklace. A beautiful necklace with a "J" on the center.

I read the note and it just says,

"I'm sorry for everything, Juli.

I hope this could help as a sorry gift.

I picked it out for you."

This came from Bryce Loski and I know it! Even if he didn't sign it with his name. That is such a stupid idea! If Miranda and Shelly didn't even block my way, then I would have said 'I'm sorry Bryce' in front of him! I don't want a gift. I want a real apology.

I know that this came from him because I saw this ribbon before and it was his! He used this! This isn't even his, it's her sister's! I was so angry and put the box on the top shelf. Why can't he just give it to me personally? Why does he have to sneak in my room just to put this box?

Sneak in my room. Did my Mom help him put it inside my room? Is that why she's acting so suspicious awhile ago? I got up and went back downstairs, my feet stomping on the floor very loudly.

I got there just in time to see Mom alone inside the kitchen. Not washing the dishes but washing Dad's paintbrush. I didn't go over to her. I stayed where I am and said angrily, "Mom. I know who's it from."

Mom turned and smiled at me. "Really? Who's it from?"

"It was from Bryce Loski! And you helped him get to my room to put the box on the top shelf!" I was so angry at her that I think I said this fast.

"Julianna... Slow down...I can't understand you."

"Nevermind!" Then I went back to my room, slamming the door hard and locked it.

The gift is beautiful, yes. But he doesn't need to buy me a necklace to say sorry. I was so angry. He gave me a necklace and he didn't even give it to me in person.

There's just one thing to say now: Bryce Loski... is a coward.