Fourteen

“Mom!” I screamed from across the kitchen, “ I don’t understand why you can’t just get me a phone already!” 

“Because you're too young,” she said, her voice icy cold. 

“Im freaking 14 years old and I am about to go into high school! It’s like at this point you are just trying to make me get made fun of!” I said as I got up from my chair. I was getting really heated now. I just don't understand why she can’t get me a dang phone.

“We feed you and send you to school and have tried to raise you like a decent human being, but clearly that didn’t work.” The look she was giving me now showed me how much anger she was suppressing; in a few minutes if this kept going on, she was for sure going to blow. 

“What is wrong with you?” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “Why does it matter so much for me to not have a phone? We both know you're just being an overprotective and bad mom!” I knew at that moment that I had struck home because she was dead quiet. Slowly, one after another, tears started streaming down her eyes. 

“What is wrong with me?” Her voice was rising now. “You seriously think that just because I won’t get you a freaking light up brick means that there is something wrong with me?” Now at this point we were both totally yelling across the room. 

“Yes! For the love of God YES!” My words seemed to gravitate towards her until finally they hit her. 

“Young man, you listen to me and you listen to me closely. There is nothing wrong with me and I'm sorry if you think there is. I am truly sorry if you think that me letting you have a phone and letting you ruin your entire life is a good thing.” As she said this, her voice returned to its usual icy cold as she started walking towards the sink.

“Oh so that’s what it’s all about then,” I said, very quietly. “You honestly think that me having a phone is going to ruin my life?” 

“Well It's scientifically proven-” I cut her off there.

“No Mom, no, no, no. Me having a phone is not going to ruin my life, it'll actually probably make my life better in fact. But you probably wouldn’t care at all about that seeing as you won’t give me one.” I could tell things had just started to cool down but now they were starting to heat back up. 

“All I do is care for you! I love you so much but you just can’t see that!” She was just screaming again, like, so much that my ears were starting to hurt.

“Okay Mom, that’s it I'm sorry you're overprotective but here's the thing, you act like my life is your life. I get to make my own decisions and I get to control who I am, so you need to stop trying to be the boss of everything I do!” 

With that she picked up a kitchen plate and threw it at my head. It was just a normal green plastic plate but it only barely missed me. As it smacked against the wall, a look of horror passed over her face. 

“What have I done?” she asked.

I stood there frozen. What kind of mom would do this? I was completely dumbfounded. I had never thought that she would get so mad that she would freaking throw a plate at me. 

I finally thought of something to say, “See what I mean? You're only proving my point!” I could tell she was totally about to say something but just then Tucker, our golden retriever dog, walked in and plopped down right next to me. I collapsed on the floor, sobbing into his fur. 

Tucker was a great dog because he could always tell if you were feeling sad or down. 

“Tucker,”I said, barely audible, “Please help me escape this place.” 

My mom was totally lost for words. I mean she had no idea what to say. She started to take deep breaths as if she were about to say something. But just then my savior walked in, the one person that could put a stop to all of this. 

While I was watching him come through the door Mom was still screaming at me, but at this point I didn't care. He looked over and yelled, “Whoa! What is going on here?” And that for you is Dad. I was so relieved that he had finally come home and could cool Mom down. 

“Mom’s overreacting  to me wanting her to get me a phone! She’s so mad that she threw a plate at my head!” I said, pleading my case. 

“Well excuse me, you just started screaming at me,” she countered.

“Well I wonder why?” I said as I rolled my eyes. 

Dad finally stepped in and said, “Can everyone just cool down for a minute please?” He took a long breath in and continued, “Son, your mother doesn't have to get you a phone, but I totally understand how you would want her to get you one. Honey, I think we both can admit that you kinda overreacted on this one. I mean, there was no reason to throw a plate at his head.” 

She was flabbergasted, I mean, I can see how she probably thought Dad would have been on her side for this one, but I think he totally did the right thing. 

But then at the same time I said “But she needs to get me a phone!” And she said, “But he needs to stop complaining like he always does!” 

“Everybody just stop! For once would guys just stop arguing? I feel like I'm always just stuck in between the two of you!”

“Sorry Dad,” I said glumly.

“Sure you are,” My mom muttered. Dad just glared at her as she fell silent, “Son, can you go to your room, and honey can you just go somewhere else? I think you guys need some space away from each other. “ 

As I was walking up the stairs I thought of what just happened. My mom had gotten more heated than I had ever seen her before. 

As I walked into my room I immediately sat on my bed and just thought for a little while. Eventually I got up and went to my book shelf to find something to read. Harry Potter caught my eye so I picked it up and went back to my bed to read for a while. Reading this would be a nice break so I could immerse myself in a different world so I wouldn't have to think about what just happened in this one.