Make Lemonade

LaVaughn’s mom disapproves of Jolly going on welfare and “goes on about bootstraps” (119) while carefully monitoring LaVaughn’s report card. LaVaughn is still unsure of her own feelings about the entire babysitting arrangement; she thinks it wasn’t “right” (119) that she watched the kids without getting paid, but at the same time, it’s good to help others.

Jolly starts to get Bs and then As in school, and she’s so proud she’s “prancing around/absolutely cool like she’s a fancy princess” (121), but then Jeremy gets chickenpox, Jolly stays home with him, and her grades fall. After three days, the school arranges to put Jeremy in a special part of day care so he won’t spread the illness, and they ask Jolly why she didn’t tell them what was going on right away. Jolly responds that “nobody told me” (122), and LaVaughn thinks about all the people Jolly’s never had in her life, the people who tell you things, who offer guidance and advice: parents, teachers, friends, and coaches. LaVaughn asks Jolly if she ever played a sport, and Jolly shows LaVaughn “her resentfulness” (122) for asking about something so trivial. As the chapter ends, Jolly and LaVaughn head off in their “separate directions” (123)—figuratively as well as literally.