Lizzie spread a layer of peanut butter thicker than she needed across her piece of bread. There was something calming about dragging the knife over the sticky spread.
"You're being awfully quiet tonight," Josie said, dropping more jelly onto her sandwich.
Lizzie pounced. "Because usually I dominate the conversation and speak over everyone else?"
Josie turned her face away and rolled her eyes where her sister couldn't see. "That's not what I meant."
"I know." Lizzie sighed. "It's just something I heard Penelope saying."
"She shouldn't have said that."
"She shouldn't say a lot of things." Lizzie took a huge bite out of her sandwich, hopping up on the countertop. She stopped chewing, jaw freezing. "Uh-oh. I just had a thought. What if it wasn't Hope who was sabotaging me?"
"What?" Josie dropped the jar lid. It clattered to the counter loudly. "Who else would it be?"
"What if it was Penelope?" Lizzie leapt down. "I know she's your girlfriend, Jo, - and sorry for that - but this is exactly the kind of manipulative power play she would pull. Swaying public opinion is a Penelope Park specialty."
Josie pushed her face down into an expert pout, looking at Lizzie sadly. "You think I couldn't have won without Penelope's persuasion?"
"Of course not." Lizzie rushed to comfort her. "But are you sure it wasn't Penelope who's been undermining me at every turn of this campaign?"
Josie smiled. "I'll ask her."
"Thanks." Lizzie screwed the lid back on the peanut butter jar. "And Jo?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm happy you won. I know I don't seem like it with the whole having-an-episode, but you deserve this spot."
Josie smiled wider. "Thanks."