Chapter 3

Meredith dropped me off at my house, informing me about the next meet-up and shrugging away my fearing body towards the house that seemed like it would gallop me any second.

Let's see if I succeed at lying. Note the sarcasm.

I opened the door, inviting myself inside the warm house.

"Millie? Is that you?" My mom called out, a second after I closed the door behind and tensed up.

"No, it's my soul." I slapped my forehead for the slip-off. Goofing with my best friends is making me accidentally use the same tone and language towards my mother.

"What?" She said, storming to the front door as she saw me standing with a regret flowing in my veins.

"Sorry. It was a slip of tongue. I meant, yeah, it's me." I said politely, biting my tongue to control the sarcastic sentence willing to add in with it.

She crossed her arms across her chest, raising her brow and holding an intimidating fire glowing in her eyes.

Crap... what did I do? Does she already know that I'm about to run off to Las Vegas?

"Is... something... wrong?" I asked, roaming my sight around the house except for looking straight into her eyes.

Spare me!

"Something wrong? A lot is wrong. I heard you bunked your last class and drove away with your friends." She spat.

Oh... so it's about that. I thought I broke one of her possessions again. I mean I did, but I've kept it well hidden.

"Well... I was just trying out something new because yolo...?" I replied awkwardly, finding no excuse to help me escape.

Also, who even thought it would be nice to lock me up in this situation?

"Yolo doesn't mean you break some rules. That's not fun. You must be disciplined-"

"Mom! As much as that sounds very... what's the word? Um... acclaimed? Well, the point is I don't want to hear it again. I mean, I have it engraved in my head by now." I complained, removing my shoes and wearing the house wear fluffy slippers.

I sighed contentedly, welcoming the comfort seeping through my toes. "Also, I've got to tell you something."

I walked past her as she was stunned for cutting her off in the midst of the glory of rules and regulations. Honestly, they sometimes go overboard. Truly.

"You can't just butt in and cut off the righteous lesson I'm teaching you." She exasperated, following behind me with frustrated-paced steps and a look of displeasure.

I swirled around, facing her, "Mom, I know. I've been learning it from... forget the year. What I mean is I've been following them for years. I want to try something risky and new. This is my last year in college." I tried to penetrate her upstanding self.

"You do risky and new every day. That's already a lot." She pointed.

I bit down the scoff threatening to come out. "My clumsiness doesn't count, mom!"

"Yes, it does. Oh! Also, you thought you could hide your mistakes, but guess what I found it." She spat, walking to the kitchen with the indication of following her.

I frowned, an unsettling feeling rising in my chest as I took heavy steps behind her.

"Got any explaining to do?" She sneered.

I wet my lips, pursing them tightly in a thin line.

"Uh..." before I could even give an excuse for it getting beaten on itself, Mom decided it would be best for both of us (including the mistake) to speak up.

"You burnt my toaster. It was a limited edition one. How could you, Millie?!" She rebuked me.

Okay, in my defense... I got nothing to say.

"I was only using it to toast the bread. I did no such thing for it to get burnt." I tried my best to still seek a way out of this.

"Whatever you do gets either broken or burnt, Daughter. That means you shouldn't have touched it!" She raised her voice, crying mentally for her precious toaster.

Honestly, it's not a surprise she is more conscious of its state than mine after almost bursting out.

"Well, a small, Are you alright?  could've been better to hear." I mumbled, glowering at the toaster for easily taking over my place.

She huffed, "You're not even concerned for him."

"Him!?" My mom has clearly replaced me with a toaster!

Wow... The shock I'm receiving in just a day. What a life!

"Mom, it's a toaster. Not a living being for you to call it him or her. It's just an object." I grumbled.

She snarled at me, startling the daylights out of me.

Do I need to call 911 now?

"Anyways, if that is over and gladly you found out about it because I don't think I would've been able to hide that for a longer time," I mumbled trying to discreetly move on to the talk I've been edging about. "Um... mom I'm going to go in-inside Hailey's home."

She frowned, raising her brow at me. That judgy look spoke everything it needed to. She caught on to my lie.

"What are you hiding, Millie?" She asked, no such kind of surprise lacing in her tone.

Well, is anyone volunteering to rescue me? No? Rude.

"Not a thing..." I am inviting her to unveil the lie.

"Millie Quinn, you better utter what I should be hearing." She threatened, gesturing her finger at me.

I felt a drop of sweat running down my forehead that had formed due to her pointy looks in suspicion.

"Alright. I'm going to Las Vegas with Hailey and Meredith." There I said it.

"Oh, really?" Her reaction seemed unforeseen.

"So... you allow it?" I asked, hopeful.

She laughed, "You're grounded."

"What!?" This is nonsense. "I'm an adult. You can't just ground me."

She gazed amused, "Yes, I can. I'm still your mother and you live in my house. So yes, you're grounded."

Please tell me I'm not the only one who gets grounded like a teenager.

"What for??" I asked, forgetting about my neighbors and letting them know what kind of drama is channeled in our home tonight.

"For burning my beautiful toaster and for planning a trip to Las Vegas." She smirked, triumphantly.

When will I ever fully become an adult?