school to ask her which twin she wanted.
Lizzie leaned back in her chair. Were lovely girls bad wives, too? she wondered as she studied the girl next to her. Viola was strikingly beautiful. She was beautifully tanned and had deep-brown, wavy hair with gold overtones, almost as if sunlight had reached in and dyed some of her hair, just not all of it. Her eyes were slanted and very dark, and she had white teeth that flashed when she laughed.
Marlene sat on the other side of Lizzie. She looked a lot like Viola, suntanned with such dark eyes, except her hair was straight and soft and pulled back into heavy braids that fell below her waist. Lizzie had never seen such pretty girls before. She shifted in her seat, suddenly aware of her skin and how much she weighed and how her dress was made. Why couldn’t she be prettier? Each miserable thought settled on her like a huge, wet blanket until she could barely breathe.
Then Lizzie remembered what Aunt Vera had told her when she visited just after they moved to Cameron County. Aunt Vera walked like a duck. She was short and round, with solid little legs on solid little feet that rocked her from side to side when she moved. Her face was round, with big blue eyes and a small nose, and Lizzie had discovered, much to her joy, that Aunt Vera’s nostrils looked exactly like her own.
“Aunt Vera!” she said gleefully.
“Now what?”
“Your nostrils look like mine!”
Vera had thrown back her head and laughed her raucous laugh. “Now, mind you, Mousie! You think my nostrils are ugly and you think I’m short and fat and I walk like a duck. You wait! When you’re as old as me, you’ll be shaped like me. Yessir, you will. Now mind, won’t be long!”
How did she know what Lizzie had been thinking?
“No, no, Vera. I think you’re just right. You wouldn’t be Vera if you didn’t walk like you do,” Lizzie assured her.
Lizzie sat up straighter. She wouldn’t be Lizzie if she didn’t look like she did. She would have to “brace up” as Mam said. She tried to think of all her attributes. Brown hair rolled flat in this Cameron-County, slicked-down fashion that she would never get used to. Ordinary eyes, slanted nostrils, flat nose, and teeth that looked like a rabbit’s. Her covering didn’t fit right; her dress that had seemed so pretty this morning was just downright drab-looking now. She could not think of one good thing about herself.
Fortunately, the bell rang. The classroom quickly emptied outside into the school yard. Lizzie followed the others slowly, blinking as she stepped into the sun.
“Over here, Lizzie,” Sara Ruth called. “We’re picking teams for baseball.”
Lizzie hurried over to the group. Joe and John were leaders of the two teams. They took turns choosing from the group of pupils, picking the big boys first. The first girl picked was Viola, who giggled and batted her eyelashes while John grinned at Joe, or Joe grinned at John. Lizzie had absolutely no idea which boy was which.
So … Viola must be a top ballplayer. Lizzie’s heart beat faster as she thought about when she’d be chosen. She knew she could play ball every bit as well as some boys and better than most girls. That was one of the reasons why she got into so much trouble in Jefferson County. She was hot-headed and fiercely aggressive when it came to winning in baseball.
The twins were looking at her and Mandy, trying to decide if they should choose them before some of the smaller children, Lizzie realized. She felt her face heat up and quickly scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dust.
“Lizzie!” one of the twins said.
“Mandy!” the other one echoed.
Viola walked over to John or Joe and asked for his glove, holding her pretty head to one side. A tug of raw jealousy pulled at Lizzie. Oh, so Viola even shared gloves with them.
Her eyes narrowed as she set her chin resolutely. I may not be as pretty as she is, but I’ll show her a thing or two about playing baseball, Lizzie
Lizzie leaned back in her chair. Were lovely girls bad wives, too? she wondered as she studied the girl next to her. Viola was strikingly beautiful. She was beautifully tanned and had deep-brown, wavy hair with gold overtones, almost as if sunlight had reached in and dyed some of her hair, just not all of it. Her eyes were slanted and very dark, and she had white teeth that flashed when she laughed.
Marlene sat on the other side of Lizzie. She looked a lot like Viola, suntanned with such dark eyes, except her hair was straight and soft and pulled back into heavy braids that fell below her waist. Lizzie had never seen such pretty girls before. She shifted in her seat, suddenly aware of her skin and how much she weighed and how her dress was made. Why couldn’t she be prettier? Each miserable thought settled on her like a huge, wet blanket until she could barely breathe.
Then Lizzie remembered what Aunt Vera had told her when she visited just after they moved to Cameron County. Aunt Vera walked like a duck. She was short and round, with solid little legs on solid little feet that rocked her from side to side when she moved. Her face was round, with big blue eyes and a small nose, and Lizzie had discovered, much to her joy, that Aunt Vera’s nostrils looked exactly like her own.
“Aunt Vera!” she said gleefully.
“Now what?”
“Your nostrils look like mine!”
Vera had thrown back her head and laughed her raucous laugh. “Now, mind you, Mousie! You think my nostrils are ugly and you think I’m short and fat and I walk like a duck. You wait! When you’re as old as me, you’ll be shaped like me. Yessir, you will. Now mind, won’t be long!”
How did she know what Lizzie had been thinking?
“No, no, Vera. I think you’re just right. You wouldn’t be Vera if you didn’t walk like you do,” Lizzie assured her.
Lizzie sat up straighter. She wouldn’t be Lizzie if she didn’t look like she did. She would have to “brace up” as Mam said. She tried to think of all her attributes. Brown hair rolled flat in this Cameron-County, slicked-down fashion that she would never get used to. Ordinary eyes, slanted nostrils, flat nose, and teeth that looked like a rabbit’s. Her covering didn’t fit right; her dress that had seemed so pretty this morning was just downright drab-looking now. She could not think of one good thing about herself.
Fortunately, the bell rang. The classroom quickly emptied outside into the school yard. Lizzie followed the others slowly, blinking as she stepped into the sun.
“Over here, Lizzie,” Sara Ruth called. “We’re picking teams for baseball.”
Lizzie hurried over to the group. Joe and John were leaders of the two teams. They took turns choosing from the group of pupils, picking the big boys first. The first girl picked was Viola, who giggled and batted her eyelashes while John grinned at Joe, or Joe grinned at John. Lizzie had absolutely no idea which boy was which.
So … Viola must be a top ballplayer. Lizzie’s heart beat faster as she thought about when she’d be chosen. She knew she could play ball every bit as well as some boys and better than most girls. That was one of the reasons why she got into so much trouble in Jefferson County. She was hot-headed and fiercely aggressive when it came to winning in baseball.
The twins were looking at her and Mandy, trying to decide if they should choose them before some of the smaller children, Lizzie realized. She felt her face heat up and quickly scuffed the toe of her shoe in the dust.
“Lizzie!” one of the twins said.
“Mandy!” the other one echoed.
Viola walked over to John or Joe and asked for his glove, holding her pretty head to one side. A tug of raw jealousy pulled at Lizzie. Oh, so Viola even shared gloves with them.
Her eyes narrowed as she set her chin resolutely. I may not be as pretty as she is, but I’ll show her a thing or two about playing baseball, Lizzie
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