Never Enough by Denise Jaden Page A

class early to find out what I missed,” he said without inflection. “But I thought we could meet at thecomputer lab at lunchtime to work on our photo-set. Sound good?”
    I nodded, trying not to let my disappointment show. I thought we’d have time to catch up and talk about more personal stuff during lunch backstage. So much for that. So much for any private time.
    When I arrived at the computer lab two minutes after the lunch bell, Marcus was already at work behind one of the terminals near the teacher’s desk. I sighed. Two other students worked at the back of the room, and didn’t even lift their heads when I arrived.
    “Hey.” I plopped down in the chair beside him and splayed the photos out on the desk.
    His mouth turned down. I wondered if he really had to rush off this morning. Was he trying to avoid me, or had I inadvertently done something wrong again?
    Marcus pointed to a contraption on the other side of him. “Put one facedown in the scanner. I’m going to see what kind of quality I can get.”
    I did as he instructed and watched as he scanned the photo, then resized it, and added all sorts of effects. My eyes widened as Marcus’s fingers flew over the keyboard.
    “Yeah, I don’t think the caricature look is going to work for this play,” I said, forcing a laugh at something he was trying on the screen.
    “Hmm, I guess not.” Marcus smiled a little now, and I hoped my laugh had broken the tension. “What about sepia tones on the house photo for the beginning of the play?”
    I handed him the picture and he nodded, slipping it into the scanner. When he adjusted the color and then enlarged it, my mouth opened in awe. All this time I’d been thinking a photo-set could be okay, passable. But now . . . I really thought it could be great. My heart thumped with excitement. And from the way Marcus’s fingers paused typing, I suspected his did too.
    When I opened my locker after last class, caught in the crack between my door and Marcus’s was a blown up vignette of my squirrel picture. I caught it just before it hit the ground. I’d left all my pictures with Marcus for the afternoon, since he had computer class after lunch. He’d obviously fiddled around with it. The background was now muted tones, with the bright brown squirrel standing out in the middle. I loved it.
    I studied it with wide eyes, marveling at not only his talent but also at mine. How could two different people with opposite abilities come up with something so beautiful?
    Suddenly Deirdre appeared beside me.
    “Hey, Loann. A few of us are going swimming this afternoon. Want to come?”
    I blinked. Well, I wasn’t wrong about her finding a new set of friends quickly, but she seriously still wanted to hang out with me?
    “Uh, I can’t today,” I said. Even though Marcus and I hadn’t made official plans, I figured now that he was back, we’d for sure go to the Arts Club today. “But thanks,” I added.
    “Well, maybe next time.” She fiddled with the edge of her binder. “Hey, cool picture!” She pointed to the squirrel in my hands.
    I nodded. She jabbered on. Something about the swimming pool and her new friends, but all I could hear was Cool picture resonating again and again in my ears.
    I waited around, but Marcus didn’t show at our lockers. He wasn’t at the computer lab, either. Not that I’d have gone swimming with Deirdre and her friends, whom I didn’t know, anyway, but I tried hard to swallow my frustration.
    Was Marcus trying to give me a hint—he would work with me on the set, but that’s all he wanted?
    I nibbled at my lip, looking around one more time for him.
    Shayleen came tromping down the hallway right then. I hated to admit it, but the jeans and short cardigan she wore made her look really good. She was having a great hair day, too. I suddenly felt frumpy.
    “Where’s your boyfriend?” Shayleen scoffed. “Get stood up for another guy?”
    “I’m not—” I stopped myself. I didn’t owe