title: Underlying
author: McGaha, Summer Michaela
description: Janette's only living family are her Aunt Paula, and her Grandma. One strange evening, a stranger shows up at her Grandma's house. Janette meets him in a very humiliating way- attempting to stow herself away in an awkward cabinet- but she's discovered quickly. He introduces himself as Dane, then he asks to stay for a short while, until her aunt Paula returns from a trip-- this Paula, who might or might not be his long-lost mother, according to Dane's father. Soon after, they go grocery shopping-- and run into one of Dane's friends from High school-Rudy, who right away seems to doubt that Dane and Janette could be related. Rudy finds a way to approach Janette to voice his opinion, as well as to challenge her, and from there, they slowly and secretly conspire with each other about how she can win Dane's affections.