Flipped

Juli tells her parents she would like to fix up the front yard and plant grass in it as a project. They reveal to her that they only rent the home and that the landlord, Mr. Finnegan, is supposed to tend to the outside property. They coax Juli to tell them why she wants to fix up the yard, and she lets them know about the eggs: “The Loskis have been throwing my eggs away because they were afraid they’d have salmonella because our yard is such a mess” (103). Juli’s mother is mortified and tells Juli’s father that things must change regarding his brother. Juli recalls that Uncle David has a disability and lives in a residential care facility. For the first time, she realizes the financial burden he is to her parents. Her parents promise that all will work out.

Juli starts on the yard despite their rental status and hesitantly accepts help from Bryce’s grandfather Chet when he offers. Then she realizes he must feel bad over Bryce’s actions, and she confronts Chet regarding his motives. She reveals that Bryce dishonestly threw away her eggs for two years. He replies that Bryce “still has a ways to go” (109) and that he only wanted to help because Juli reminds him of his late wife.

She welcomes Chet’s help after that. Together they mend and paint the fence. They converse and enjoy each other’s company. One day that week, Juli is aggravated because she still cannot rationalize Bryce’s actions. Chet knows what she means and warns that some people have trouble seeing what’s beneath the surface; he recommends that she “get beyond his eyes and his smile and the sheen of his hair—look at what’s really there” (113). On Saturday, Chet asks if she and her family are moving; Juli reveals that their landlord disregards his responsibilities at their property and that the yard is not a priority because of her parents’ devotion of time and money to her Uncle David’s care. Later, after Chet goes home, Bryce stops to tell her the yard looks nice. Initially angry, Juli realizes he is sincere. Bryce apologizes to her, and she converses with him more willingly than she has for days, but that night she is uneasy and filled with anxiety thinking about Bryce.

Bryce sees that his father spent the night on the couch, a suspicious sign of trouble brewing. Bryce’s mother cooks an elaborate Sunday morning breakfast and calls the family together. She announces that they will be hosting the Bakers for dinner to solve their problem. Lynetta is surprised but thinks it is funny; Granddad thinks it is a wonderful idea; Bryce’s father grumbles and insists that it is a mistake but does not fight his wife. Bryce realizes the egg debacle may come back to haunt him yet; he decides to get out ahead of the news before it breaks and confesses his actions and criticisms to his mother. Mrs. Loski is mortified but tells Bryce she is glad for his honesty. She promises to keep the secret from Bryce’s father and grows more devoted to the dinner idea, not less. The Bakers accept the invite, and they plan the get-together for Friday evening.

Bryce finds himself staring at Juli at school. He thinks sometimes she looks like she does in the newspaper picture. One evening as he looks at the newspaper in his room, Lynetta barges in, forcing him to stow the paper in his backpack. He forgets it is in there until school the next morning when Garrett sees it. Bryce, paranoid that Garrett will tease him in front of others, tells him during library research time how Juli caught him in a lie about the eggs, then started to repair her yard after Bryce’s mean comments. He even tells Garrett that the reason the Bakers cannot afford better repairs is Mr. Baker’s “retarded brother” (127). Garrett laughs cruelly and, referring to Juli, says, “Well, that explains a lot, doesn’t it?” (127). Bryce is infuriated at Garrett’s callousness and horrified that Garrett and his own father made similar comments, but he cannot bring himself to call Garrett on his rudeness. He agrees, then avoids him instead.

On Sunday morning, Juli is up watering her grass seedlings in the front yard. Her father says he is going to visit his brother David because it is his fortieth birthday. She decides spontaneously to go with him. She has never visited David before; she is “oddly afraid” (131) when they walk into Greenhaven. She is amazed that her father converses so easily with the administrator Josie and a resident named Mabel, whose speech is difficult for Juli to understand.

They find Uncle David in his room, which is covered in completed, glued-together and displayed jigsaw puzzles. Uncle David hugs Juli tightly and excitedly tells her it is his birthday. He opens his gift, a new puzzle of three thousand pieces, which Juli’s father offers to help display on the ceiling when it is finished, as it is the image of clouds and sky. They walk to a drugstore for ice cream and get ice cream cones. Juli feels confused, as if this part of her father’s life was an unknown mystery for a long time. When David’s ice cream falls to the floor, he has a loud and violent outburst. Juli gets him a new ice cream and helps her father right the chairs and table that David knocked over. Back at David’s room, Juli’s dad sets up a card table for David’s new puzzle, and David becomes engrossed in starting it. He only distractedly says goodbye.

In the truck going home, Juli’s father explains that Greenhaven is the best place for David. He does not enjoy leaving to visit the Baker home and has friends, interests, and pastimes at the facility where he is treated and tended well. He has a job and friends. These reasons help the Bakers to rationalize the high cost, although Mr. Baker admits to Juli that he feels guilt for not being able to provide more to his wife and kids. He compares himself negatively to Mr. Loski, who better provides for his family. Juli reassures her father that he is wonderful and hard-working. Back at home, Juli hears from her mother about the Loskis’ dinner invite.

That week in school, Juli thinks about her parents’ choice to care for David and their sacrifices to keep him at Greenhaven. She thinks about how her sycamore tree was lovely and what her mother called “a testimony to endurance” (142) but that others did not see it that way. On Thursday, Darla Tressler whispers for Juli to join her in eavesdropping on Bryce and Garrett in the library. Darla thinks Bryce is about to reveal that he likes Juli, but instead, Juli overhears what Bryce tells Garrett about her eggs, chickens, yard, and Uncle David. She hears Bryce agree with Garrett’s rude comment. Furious and hurt, she refuses to acknowledge the crush Darla insists Bryce has on her. She grows increasingly incensed that day and decides she will “vote against going” (144) to the dinner party.