[center][color=teal][h2]Jessamyn "Jess" Bailey[/h2][/color][/center]

At first, Jess remained silent. She didn't know what to say. No change there. Not that there was anything she could say to fix things. Behind her, she heard the toast pop up. She wasn't hungry any more, but she'd have to eat it anyway. Eating somebody else's food was one thing. Wasting it was quite another.

[color=teal]"At least... At least things will be fair that way, if I help out,"[/color] she eventually mumbled. That was the important thing, she told herself, although she knew deep down it wasn't enough. [color=teal]"Uh, I'd better get that. Mom's going to be here soon."[/color] She glanced at the clock before going to butter the toast.

Her nerves tightened again. The last thing her mother would want would be to visit for the first time in years only to find her in the middle of an argument.