第4部分(第5/8 頁)

　the　men　were　holding；　I　figured　out　in　a

hurry　what　was　making　Juli　refuse　to　e　out　of　the

tree。

Chain　saws。

Don't　get　me　wrong　here；　okay？　The　tree　was　an　ugly　mutant　tangle　of　gnarly　branches。　The

girl　arguing　with　those　men　was　Juli　—　the　world's

peskiest；　bossiest；　most　know…it…all　female。　But　all　of　a　sudden　my　stomach　pletely　bailed

on　me。　Juli　loved　that　tree。　Stupid　as　it　was；　she

loved　that　tree；　and　cutting　it　down　would　be　like　cutting　out　her　heart。

Everyone　tried　to　talk　her　down。　Even　me。　But　she　said　she　wasn't　ing　down；　not　ever；

and　then　she　tried　to　talk　us　up。　“Bryce；　please！　e

up　here　with　me。　They　won't　cut　it　down　if　we're　all　up　here！”

For　a　second　I　considered　it。　But　then　the　bus　arrived　and　I　talked　myself　out　of　it。　It　wasn't

my　tree；　and　even　though　she　acted　like　it　was；　it

wasn't　Juli's；　either。

………　Page　13………

We　boarded　the　bus　and　left　her　behind；　but　school　was　pretty　much　a　waste。　I　couldn't　seem

to　stop　thinking　about　Juli。　Was　she　still　up　in　the

tree？　Were　they　going　to　arrest　her？

When　the　bus　dropped　us　off　that　afternoon；　Juli　was　gone　and　so　was　half　the　tree。　The　top

branches；　the　place　my　kite　had　been　stuck；　her

favorite　perch　—　they　were　all　gone。

We　watched　them　work　for　a　little　while；　the　chain　saws　gunning　at　full　throttle；　smoking　as

they　chewed　through　wood。　The　tree