what ever happened to janie

Her first exam at school creates a conundrum for Jennie as she struggles to decide which name to use. She begins by putting a 'J', then Jennie, and finally, just before handing it in, she scratches out Jennie and defiantly puts Janie at the top instead. After school, the whole family attends the basketball game that the twins are playing in. Brendan is amazing on the court, scoring twenty one points, and Brian is left behind on the bench because his game is less than stellar. Janie is surprised to discover that Jodie is taking Japanese for the third year now, and when she says so, Stephen is ready with a quick barb, so Janie goes back to sit beside Mrs. Johnson, in front of whom Stephen would never talk that way to her. When the game is over, Jennie walks to the car, leaving the rest of the family behind. Mr. Spring walks after them, and Jodie watches from a distance praying that Jennie is nice to him. A celebratory pizza is planned, but again any ground gained by Jennie is lost when she tells the family that her mother didn't believe in junk food. That night she cries herself to sleep and waking not long afterward, the tears are back. She goes downstairs and asks to call her mother, bursting into tears again. Her mother and father sound the same as always, and she aches with the phrases in her head like 'come and get me'. She tells them sh loves them, and after they talk to Mr. Spring, Jennie is told she can call them whenever she wants to. She tells the Johnsons she loves them, forgetting for a moment that the Springs were right behind her. Then she turns to say thank you and goodnight, noting how hard they are trying to keep their composure. Again Jennie feels guilty for not trying harder, and she hurries back upstairs, this time afraid that she just didn't have enough love to go around.