Never Enough by Denise Jaden

come up with a plan to solve things tomorrow.
    I pushed my bowl away. “I’ve got homework. I’m going upstairs.”
    “The kitchen, please, Loann.”
    “Aw, Mom. It’s Claire’s turn. It’s been Claire’s turn for, like, a week now.”
    She put her head in her hands on the table. “Oh, Loann, why do you fight me? Can you just be helpful for once?”
    I snatched her bowl, grabbed my own, and headed through the door into the kitchen. As I loaded the dishwasher, I muttered away to myself, “Yeah, I’m the problem. I’m the one who doesn’t bother to show up for dinner, or invite her sister out, let alone do the dishes. Yeah, it’s all me.” I knew I was just jealous of Claire, who did no wrong. My sister, who never seemed to screw up with her friends. I didn’t care. Gripping the dish sponge tightly in my hand, I wanted to let my jealousy swallow me up.
    Ten minutes later, I’d almost calmed down when I overheard arguing from the dining room. I left the soup pot mid-scrub to lean in to the door and listen.
    “Young lady, that’s the third time this week you haven’t been home for dinner. The least you could do is call.”
    “I told Loann to tell you,” Claire said. “Besides, Mom, you would love this new sushi pla—”
    “That’s not the point, Claire. You have a family, and we will eat dinner together.”
    Oh, just like Dad does was my first thought. But right at that second he traipsed through the front door, making a racket with his briefcase and shoes.
    “You cook so much meat and potatoes, Mom. Or bring home take-out .” She said the words as though they were onestep below garbage. “I can’t eat that stuff. I swear, I put on five pounds every time I eat at home.”
    “Are you insulting my meals?” I could picture Mom folding her arms across her chest.
    “I’m sorry, Mom, but look at me, I’ll gain from even looking at a slab of meat, and I have to stay fit for dance. You know that. I think I’m going to go vegetarian for a while.”
    “Oh, Claire.” Mom let out a huge sigh.
    With the sudden burst of an idea, I pushed through the door. “Actually, Mom, I’ve noticed you have been cooking a lot of beef lately. More vegetables might be a healthy choice for all of us.”
    Claire and Mom both looked at me, stunned for a second, but then Claire’s mouth turned up just a little on the edges. Perfect. Why hadn’t I thought of this earlier? There was an easy way to renew my friendship with Claire: show her I’m still an ally.
    Of course, Mom’s mouth turned down. Way down.
    “I mean, I really love your chicken casserole,” I added, trying to intercept her rant. That was the one thing about ganging up on Mom. Sure, it got me in Claire’s good graces, but it turned Mom into one big throbbing vein of anger.
    “How’s everybody today?” Dad asked, clapping his hands together like he expected a chorus of Just dandy, Daddy! He hadn’t been home this early since before my birthday, andI suspected he had been looking forward to a few hours of relaxing family time.
    “I better get to my homework,” Claire said.
    “You will be home for dinner tomorrow night, young lady,” Mom said.
    Claire took mouselike footsteps toward the stairs, giving Dad a kiss hello on her way. She didn’t even acknowledge Mom.
    “You need to talk to her, Darren,” Mom said to Dad, shaking her head. “She won’t listen to me, and you’re always home so late, you practically never see the girls.”
    Great. The blame game. And as I could predict, Dad made for his escape route—the kitchen—before she even finished her thought. Since I didn’t want to be her target either, I bolted to my bedroom.
    So much for relaxing family time.

CHAPTER TWELVE
     
    I had a plan for fixing things with Marcus.
    I cut out of English the second the bell rang the next day and raced straight for the auditorium. No sign of Marcus yet. Perfect. I climbed the rickety metal ladder.
    By the time I heard him, I was ready.
    At first