Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Coker Page A

different political groups. Our family has to have something to live off of too, you know. How do you expect me to buy groceries when our bread money is in some politician’s bank account?”
    I peeked through the crack of the living room door. Mama was sitting in the love seat, running a floured hand through her hair. She was still wearing an apron tied over her plantation outfit. Dad stood by the fireplace smoking a cigarette. He turned to her and stuck a hand in his pocket.
    “Vida, we’re making enough money. You’ve got your job at the bed and breakfast, and Mr. Leggett mentioned hiring me to do some extra work around the farm in August. You know we’ll have enough to—”
    “I don’t know about my job,” Mama hissed.
    Dad halted, looking confused. “What do you mean?”
    Mama’s face darkened. She rubbed her cheekbones, brushing what remained of the flour onto her face. “The plantation househasn’t been doing very well. We’ve been getting very little business. The Cummins already had to let go of two workers in the last month.” She lowered her voice and leaned against the mantle. “I’m just not sure how much longer they’ll need me.”
    The room grew silent. I shivered in the ninety-degree heat and wrapped my arms around myself. I knew this was bad. What this could mean for our family. My stomach churned and, for a split second, I felt angry at both of them. Why couldn’t they just work it out and kiss and make up like normal couples? Why did everything have to be so hard and complicated and secretive? It made me hate living there and having to act like I hadn’t seen anything.
    My cheeks flushed.
I shouldn’t have thought that
. I didn’t hate my life or anything about it. At least not that much.
    Dad stepped forward and laid a hand on Mama’s shoulder. She turned abruptly and bolted away from him, heading for the door. I jumped, feeling like a snoop.
Great
.
    Without thinking, I began climbing the staircase. The living room door opened, and Mama stepped out. She glanced up. “Scarlett!” Her voice hesitated. “When did you get in?”
    “Oh, hi!” I said brightly.
Just act natural. Just act natural. Maybe they didn’t hear you earlier
. My lips pressed together, heat warming my cheeks. “I just came in. I’m going to go up and change out of these sticky clothes. I brought an extra pie if you want one.”
I am the worst liar on earth
. It was probably written all over my face. “Um, I’ll come down in a few minutes and finish up supper, okay?” I turned on my heel and practically ran up the rest of the stairs.
    Supper was quiet, as usual, and without my sister. Cliff and Grandpop Barley decided to go to bed early, so there were also no Spanish Civil War narratives that night.
    By the time I trudged upstairs and headed to my room, the sky was continuing to fade, the peachy pinks fading into a dusky purple. I switched on the lamp in my room and began to undress, pullingon my pajamas. I was just fastening the last button when the door opened suddenly and Juli walked in. She threw a bag onto the ground and nodded to me. “Hey.”
    I blinked. I knew I was supposed to say something friendly and encouraging, but the only thing that came to mind was, “Oh. You’re home.”
    “Yeah, well …” Without stopping to take off her shoes, Juli collapsed onto her bed. “I’m pretty beat.” Her words were muffled in the pillow.
    I sat on the edge of my bed and looked her over. Her sandaled feet were dirty. Stains and smears covered her long skirt, and there were small cuts on her arms. Everything about her seemed skinny and dirty and weak.
    My nose pinched at the smell of her clothes. Grass and sweat and something else I couldn’t quite make out. “Did Mama and Dad see you, Juli?”
    She groaned and rolled around until she lay on her back. “Nah. I came in the back door and hid in the kitchen until I heard Mama leave the living room. Dad stayed in there, and she went to her bedroom. They