You're Not Enough

Chapter 40

"I invited Jeanine and Paul Washington over for dinner Friday." My dad says from across the dinner table.

"Friday?" My mom questions.

"Does that not work for you?" He asks. I hear the tone of annoyance in his voice, but I don't see his expression. My elbow is on the table with my head resting on my hand. With the fork in my left hand, I play with the pasta my mom made for dinner.

"I did have a meeting with the firm," she says. "But that's in the morning. It'll be fine. What time are they coming over?"

"Seven," he replies. "Jayda, I'm canceling your appointment that day; I'll be picking you up right after school." I don't respond. "Jayda?" he calls my name again, wanting my full and undivided attention.

I remove my head from my hand. "Yeah, okay." I swiftly answer.

"Are you okay, dear?" My mother questions my lack of enthusiasm and interest in their conversation.

"I'm fine." I snap.

"Did something happen?" she asks concerned, "When I picked you up from school, you looked a little upset,"

I drop my fork, and it slams against the white glass plate. "I said I'm fine." Their eyes widen, showing that they are clearly taken back at my tone.

She turns her head and says to my father, "Maybe we shouldn't cancel her session,"

"Hello!" I growl. "I'm right here; why are you talking about me in the third person?" I ask. "I'm here. How about you ask me if I do or don't want my session on Friday." My throat tightens as I yell.

My father scolds me, saying, "Do not yell at your mother! "Yet he is yelling also.

"You cannot tell me what to do!"

"Oh, I can't, can I?" he questions what I just said. "I am your father, and she is your mother. You show us respect."

I press my lips together and then say, "You get what you earn." I stand up, sliding my chair back from the dining room table. I run up the stairs to my room and shut the door behind me. I've never argued with my parents before. They were never here for me to even argue with them.

"I am your father, and she is your mother. You show us respect." Is what he said. How can I respect them when they don't respect me?

My mother addressed me as if I wasn't even there. "Maybe we shouldn't cancel her appointment."

HER!

She talked about me in the third person, which made me feel like she was talking about me, not with me. She could've asked me if I wanted to keep my appointment on Friday or cancel. But she didn't; she made the suggestion to my father without including me, though I was right there beside her, not even a feet away.

Any other day I would've overlooked it, as I always do. But I'm so angry. I'm still not over everything that went down with Ryder earlier. Usually, I'm able to forget about our encounters. But today, I think today was the worst. I should have never left school with him!

After I walked up the hill back to school, he pulled into the parking lot as if nothing happened. Ashely ran into his arms, and he kissed her right in front of me. It was a long kiss too.

She asked, "Where did you go?"

His eyes looked at me for a quick moment, then he responded, "I had to take care of things."

She didn't question him further. She wrapped her hands around his waist, and then they walked back into the building. He walked right past me as if I hadn't just called him out only a few minutes ago.