Read Online Behind the Stars by Leigh Talbert Moore - Free Book Online

as good.”
    She put a piece of the extra meat in her mouth. “If I could just get out of the sun.”
    “I’ll ask to go back on the rows if they don’t put me there. You know how to milk a cow, right?”
    She shook her head No.
    “Well, maybe they’ll do another demonstration. Or you could churn butter, although that might wear you out, too.” I bit my lip trying to think. “There’s gotta be chickens somewhere. You could collect the eggs and scatter their feed. I wonder if we can make requests.”
    The loud tone sounded for us to go into the yard for our work assignments. I squeezed my friend’s forearm hoping she’d take the encouragement and hang in there. I wasn’t losing any of my people if I could help it.
    * * *
    I stepped back when Shubuta went through the line picking the dairy rotation. Flora was four inches taller than me and had very smooth, shoulder-length red hair that never flew out around her head like my stringy blonde locks, but the guard didn’t seem to remember the difference.
    “You were in the barn yesterday?” Before Flora could disagree, Shubuta nodded and said, “Good. Return there today.”
    Flora’s big brown eyes shot to me, and I smiled and nodded my satisfaction with her assignment. I watched as she, Yolanda, and Yolanda’s braiding friend Roxie went with Cato and Oma into the barn.
    As they approached the large, dark entrance, I caught sight of the new guy there as well. He stood with his arm around the top of a cow pen surveying them. Once they were there, he turned and followed them inside.
    A basket, hat, and trowel were put in my hands, jerking me back to attention, and we turned and walked out into the blazing hot field to start another day digging spuds.
    By lunchtime, my hair was slick with sweat. I’d unzipped my coveralls and tied the long sleeves in a knot around my waist, and my white tank top was again streaked with dirt. I didn’t care. I was worried about my friend, so I quickly ran to the barn to deposit my basket of small red potatoes.
    Flora sat on the bench near the churn, a silver pail at her feet. She didn’t look as pale as she had earlier in the day, but her fatigue seemed stronger than ever.
    “Easier day?” I asked, lifting her pail of milk and carrying it to the wooden churn. She shrugged and turned to the side, leaning her head against the back of the bench. Her eyes blinked slowly closed.
    “Take a nap after lunch,” I said. “And remember what I told you about sitting by me.”
    She nodded, and I heard voices speaking low at the back of the barn. I looked up and saw Cato with her brother.
    “Why were you there if you didn’t learn about this?” Her lips were drawn tight, and I could tell she was working hard to control the volume of her voice. “That was your whole argument for going away. To be prepared if—”
    “It was only in my first year. Practicals didn’t start until second semester!”
    She looked up and caught me staring, so I quickly bent down and took Flora’s hand. “Come on, let’s get some lunch.”
    * * *
    M y heart leaped as I approached the dining hall. Cleve was behind my brother, walking slowly in the mob that funneled into a line. Dropping Flora’s hand, I moved as casually as possible, pushing my way through the bodies to where Braxton and my brother waited. Cleve didn’t see me at first, but my brother did.
    “You’ve been avoiding me.” His voice was flat.
    “No I haven’t.” I didn’t meet his eyes as I lied. “I’ve just been tired. Working in the hot sun all morning pulling potatoes. What they got you guys doing?”
    He looked at his feet, and I studied his face as silent moments passed. Braxton had dark hair and eyes, and if you didn’t know we had the same mamma, you’d never guess we were related.
    Finally he spoke. “Yesterday we went down to the bottom and dug a big pit. A green pickup was there, and we unloaded the back of it. Put a bunch of long, wooden boxes in the hole then covered