Zoe walked downstairs and saw her mom, her little brother Mikey, Jon, and his friend Karyn sitting around the kitchen table.
"What's she doing here?" asked Zoe.
"Now, now, Zoe. No need to be rude. Karyn has decided to eat with us tonight." Her mom stared at her. "What are you wearing?"
Zoe looked down at herself. She was still wearing what she wore to school that day: a dark green T-shirt and blue jeans. "What? You don't like green?"
Her mom made an odd look, then said "Green is fine, dear. It's just that that shirt is a little old. Why didn't you wear one of your pink or lavender shirts?"
Don't make me gag, Zoe thought. "I just didn't feel like it." She saw Jon lean over and whisper something in his friend's ear and Karyn smiled. "Hey, what are you saying about me?"
Jon looked up, stunned. Like he got caught. "Nothing. It wasn't even about you."
"Yeah," Karyn agreed.
Zoe looked at them a second more, then took her seat at the table.
"I like your shirt," Karyn said.
"Thanks," Zoe said, sarcastically.
"Who's hungry for chicken?" her mom happily asked.
Zoe rose her hand. She loved chicken. Sometimes she ate three or four pieces.
"Since when do you eat chicken?" Zoe's mom asked her. Then she set a bowl in front of her. It was filled with lettuce.
"Salad?"
"Well, yeah. You know how you're always watching your figure."
Zoe couldn't believe it. Now she was forced to eat Sarah's favorite meals too? Zoe didn't even care about her figure.
But she ate it anyway. She didn't want to make anyone suspicious. Maybe later she could grab a burger.
