Chasing Lilacs by Carla Stewart Page B

She’s a show-off. Everybody thinks so. So Miss Paper Shaker decides who you can and can’t be friends with?”
    “No, we have lots of different friends at school, but here at Graham Camp, we’ve just always stuck together.”
    “Well, then, we’ll invite Tu-tu along to Slim’s.”
    Tuwana visiting Mr. Wallace? Not in my lifetime. I checked on the spider.
    “Another thing. Daddy says I can’t hang around you.”
There. I said it.
I waited, watching Cly’s face. He scrunched his eyebrows together, and then his jaw tightened.
    “And what reason did your old man give?”
    “Don’t call him that. I don’t like it. I’m trying to be as honest as I can. It’s because of your uncle.”
    Cly straightened up, surprised, I could tell.
    “Norm?”
    “Yes, it’s like I tried to tell you the other night. People say you had problems at your old school, skipping or something.
     Your uncle told Daddy about it, and Daddy said I couldn’t be around you.”
    Cly’s breath hissed out through his teeth. “Norm’s always having a cow about something. It’s bad enough getting shipped to
     Nowheresville. But you and me. Well… I thought we were pretty tight, you know? Guess I was wrong.”
    I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to think of something, anything to say.
    Cly stood up and walked to the door. I heard the bathtub draining and the back door slam at the same time. Daddy breezed in,
     bringing the scent of petroleum on his work clothes.
    Everything swirled together. The plant smells mixed with Mama’s lilac soap from the bathroom. Cly standing with his cap in
     his hand.
    Cly twisted the front doorknob and said, “I was just leaving, Mr. Tucker.”
    My insides felt scrambled.

[ TWELVE ]
    A T SUPPER MAMA CHATTERED nonstop while we ate salmon patties and macaroni and cheese.
    “I thought the MacLemores’ nephew was nice. Very polite.” Mama waved her fork around while she talked.
    “First impressions ain’t always what they appear. Norm’s not much of a specimen himself. Reckon the nephew’s made from the
     same cloth. I’ll have another salmon patty, sugar.” Daddy held out his plate to Mama.
    “I don’t know. You seemed to think I was all right the first time we met.” She gave Daddy a wink.
    “Different deal entirely. It’s Sis here we got to concern ourselves with.”
    “I suppose you’re right.” Mama reached over and touched me on the arm. “Sammie, you’ve got all the time in the world for boys.”
    “He just wanted to teach me backgammon. It’s not that big a deal.” And that wasn’t the point. Daddy didn’t trust me to pick
     my own friends. My stomach churned, but before I had time to think about it, Mama skipped off in a whole other direction.
    “I’ve been thinking….” Mama took a sip of iced tea. “We ought to get another dog. A puppy. I’ve missed our Patch, haven’t
     you?”
    “What made you think of old Patch?” Daddy’s fork stopped in midair.
    “Nothing, really. Just thinking.”
    The macaroni in my mouth swelled up with my chewing. I concentrated on working it around. Would she tell Daddy she hadn’t
     even remembered Patch died?
    “Maybe we’ll look into it after our vacation. What do you think, Sis? Would you like a new mutt?”
    “I guess.” I managed to swallow as I considered it. “Yeah, I think I would.”
    Mama made an O with her mouth. “What vacation? When did you decide this?”
    “Today. A spot came open on the vacation list for next week. Since you’re doing better, I thought we’d go to Red River for
     a few days. Rent a cabin, do some fishing…”
    “Oh, Daddy, that’d be great!” Getting off the subject of Cly and Patch suited me fine. “Don’t bother with the dishes, Mama.
     I’ll do them.”
    “That’s my girl.” Daddy slipped his arm around Mama’s waist. In the front room I heard them rustling the map and planning
     the trip. Every once in a while Mama laughed, and I imagined them cuddled on the couch with Mama’s head resting