Author's Note: Before you start reading this story, please know it is slow in the beginning because I want you to meet the characters and find the meaning of the story. If you want a quick story, this isn't a story for you.
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As I wake up, I hear my fourteen year old daughter downstairs on the phone giggling and laughing. Then I look over at the time.
"What the fuck," I say to myself as I look at the clock that says 8:30am.
I drag myself out of bed, put my hair up in a sloppy ponytail, then walk over to my husband and kiss him on the lips. I walk downstairs into the living room to find my daughter laying on the couch, on her laptop, on Facebook.
"What are you doing? Its 8:30 in the morning... On a Saturday!"
At first she doesn't even look up. Then she realizes that I'm standing there. "Mom, can you go?" she asks.
"Jessica, get off the phone right now!"
Then she continues to ignore me, like usual, until finally in a fit of exasperation I grab the phone out of her hands and throw it to the floor.
"HEY! What was that for, Mom?"
"Who were you talking to and why are they so important that you are up at this time?"
"It was Sophia," she says.
I never liked that girl, Sophia. I always thought she was a bad influence. She changed my little Jessie. Before middle school, my daughter LIKED talking to me and now I couldn't get a word out of her edgewise. Trying to find out what was going on in her life was like trying to pull some teeth. Now she was always busy talking to Sophia and her other bratty friends all day long on the phone. Thanks to Sophia, my daughter is so called "Popular" at school and is into wearing heavy make-up and dressing like a slut.
"Why do you even care who I talk to anyway?" she asks as she rolls her eyes at me.
"Because! I'm your mother! Do you not remember that?" I scream in response to her audacious question. Then my husband walks downstairs.
"What are you two screaming about?"
"Mom hates me," Jessie says. Then she starts crying and runs over to him.
She was always 'Daddy's little girl.' Now whenever we don't see eye to eye about something, she thinks she can get her way by dragging him into it and completely manipulating the situation. She knows this tactic will work because her father will never say no to her and she can do no wrong in his eyes. I guess he's naïve when it comes to dealing with females, but I'm too shrewd to buy into her juvenile bullshit.
I finally got so annoyed that I just walked out of the room in the middle of their conversation. Trying to have a fulfilling relationship with Jess suddenly seemed like an impossible task. We just weren't on the same wavelength anymore.
"Kourtney, come back," my husband says to me as he lets go of Jessica and proceeds to follow me into the kitchen.
"Babe, talk to me."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because, Michael! You don't understand! I'm always the bad guy and then she starts crying and she thinks she can turn you against me! Trust me, you don't think it's true but it is. And the sad part is it actually works."
Before Michael could say anything else I turn and start to head upstairs. I could feel the tears swelling up in my eyes and I just wanted to be left alone. I didn't even care anymore. I pulled the covers up under my chin and fell asleep in my bed. I woke up at 11am and found my husband standing right next to me on my side of the bed.
"Sweetie, are you awake?" he said as he kissed my forehead.
"Mhm, I'm awake."
"Hon, I feel really bad about earlier. So does Jess."
"Come on, you know our daughter. She's just saying that."
Then I saw her, standing in the doorway, holding breakfast. Then Michael kissed my lips and walked out of the room. Now it was just the two of us, Jessie and me, sitting alone together in my room.
"Mom... I know I've changed....and I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"It's okay, I don't love you any less."
"The reason why I was up this morning is because this boy...wrote something about me on Facebook."
"Oh really!" I said as I sipped my coffee. "Let's do this -- me and you will get our nails done and get something to eat and we can talk about this 'Boy,'" I said.
Then Jess's face lit up and she ran to go get ready. I got up and brushed my teeth, combed my hair, put on a little makeup, and waited for Jess downstairs. I sat there for 15 minutes and started to get annoyed.
"Jess, are you almost done?" I yelled.
"Yeah."
Five minutes later, she ran downstairs and she was wearing super short shorts that covered her butt by one inch, a tight blue long sleeve T-shirt, and for the first time no makeup.
"Ready?" I said.
"Yep."
As we drove, we talked about girl things together for the first time since she was a little kid. Then we pulled in for some gas and I let her work the pump.
Then she said to me, "See that guy in the red truck?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"He's sooo checking you out." Then we both started laughing. It felt like the longest time since I had seen my daughter smile.
As we got our nails done we started talking about this "Boy."
"So... What's his name?" I asked her.
"Nick... Nick Welse."
"Is he nice?"
"Yeah, better than most boys," she said.
"So, what did he write about you?" I asked.
"He asked me out," she said. Then she added, "He wants to know if I can see a movie tonight... Can I go?" she asked me.
"Sure, as long as he's nice and won't hurt you."
"Thanks Mom," she said and hugged me.
When we left, we couldn't walk because our toes were wet. Then we pulled into the Red Robin. As we took our seats, Jess started freaking out.
"What's wrong?" I said.
"He's here."
"Who?"
"Nick."
Then I turned around, and saw him sitting with his mom and dad and who I imagined to be his younger sister.
"Go say 'Hi,'" I said as I turned around.
"You think I should?"
