ME

"NO MOM"

May walked through the front door of her house, dropping her backpack onto the floor. Her mom, Juliet, was in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

"Hey, sweetie! How was your day?" Juliet asked, stirring the pot on the stove.

May shrugged, heading for the fridge to grab a snack. "It was fine, I guess."

Karen raised an eyebrow. "Just fine?"

May sighed, pulling out a container of leftovers. "School's just so boring, Mom. I don't see the point of any of it."

Juliet turned off the stove and leaned against the counter. "I know it's hard, May. But education is important. It opens doors for you."

May rolled her eyes. "I know, Mom. You've told me that a million times."

Juliet smiled. "I know I have. But someone's got to remind you of your potential."

May smiled back, feeling a little guilty for snapping at her mom. "I know, Mom. Thanks."

She didn't want to sound like a dummy for hating school, she was an excellent student but she just disliked having to see people and the everyday will to live.

"hey sweetie! any plans on prom night"

I was definitely not gonna entertain this conversation with my mom.

"I've got homeworks to do mom"

Oh how I wanted to be so done with high school, but I wasn't excited about college either. I just wanted to live on the mountain far far away, feed pigeons and water a large garden till I grew old and grey. But then wouldn't that be so pathetic.

May settled into her favorite spot on the couch, her laptop open in front of her. She was browsing mindlessly through social media, watching videos and scrolling through her feeds.

As she stared blankly at her screen, May's mind wandered back to the concert. She had felt so alive, so carefree, dancing with Maya and screaming along to the music.

And then there was Jamie. May couldn't help but feel a flutter in her chest whenever she thought about him. She had been trying to play it cool, but she couldn't deny the connection they had shared.

May's phone buzzed, breaking her reverie. It was Maya.

"Hey girl, what's up?" Maya asked, her voice bright and cheerful.

May smiled, feeling a little more grounded. "Not much, just chillin' at home. How about you?"

Maya launched into a detailed account of her latest social media scheme, and May listened, laughing and offering words of encouragement.

As they chatted, May felt her thoughts drifting back to Jamie. She wondered what he was doing right now, whether he was thinking about her too.

Maya's voice cut through her reverie. "Earth to May, are you still there?"

May laughed. "Sorry, yeah, I'm here. Just got a little distracted."

Maya's tone turned sly. "Distracted by a certain someone, maybe?"

May's cheeks flushed, but she tried to play it cool. "Maybe."

Maya squealed. "I knew it! You two are meant to be!"

" what an odd thing to say"