ℝ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ℕ𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝔻𝕠𝕠𝕣.

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟛𝟙

•New Problems•

Boca Raton, Florida
Friday

"Where do you think you're about to go?"

Walking past the kitchen, I was stopped in my tracks by my mom.

I made my way into the kitchen itself to speak with her.

"Uh, hey mom. You know I was just about to head out to go hang with some friends."

Placing the fruit she had pulled out of the refrigerator down on the island, she steps toward me and shakes her head.

"You promised Andrea that you'd go Christmas shopping with her and her boyfriend today. Did you not?"

"I mean I did, but I didn't actually mean it." She rolls her eyes at me. "Look you know how Drea likes to shop, and I'm really not trying to waste the rest of my Friday being dragged from store to store with her."

"Then you need to go tell her that, otherwise you will be going Carlos. Don't tell her something one minute, and then dip out the next cause that's not cool."

"I know ma. Look, I'll just tell her that I'll go with her tomorrow if she still hasn't gotten everything she needs."

She rolls her eyes at me.

"Either you go or you don't. Make up your mind and go tell your sister that, you don't make plans with somebody and cancel out of nowhere without saying anything."

Why does she always have to be right about everything, and why couldn't she just not be in the kitchen the one time I'm trying to make an escape somewhere.

"Alright fine, I'll go talk to her."

Unfortunately for me, the sound of keys jingling interrupted not only the conversation but my initial thought process as well.

I just knew it had to be Andrea coming down the stairs with them keys.

"Let's go Carlos, you know I like to get out to the mall early and before most people are out shopping. We're already running behind and We still have to go get Michael since he doesn't want to just drive and meet us there."

My mom simply smiles at me and I wanted to cry on the spot because I was serious when I said that I didn't like shopping with my sister.

I didn't like shopping with any of them to be completely honest, they just have no sense of urgency when it comes to their shopping trips.

See me, I like to be in and out, but they treat these trips as if they don't know that stores do actually having closing times to adhere to.

"Bye Carlos." My mom waved to me as she left the kitchen just as Andrea made her way in.

"You heard me talking to you right? Let's go."

I begrudgingly followed her out to her car, hopping in the backseat since I knew she was going to be kicking me back there anyways once her boyfriend gets in.

"Can we at least take Ariana with us so that this trip is at least a bit more bearable for me? I'm not really trying to be the third wheel today, especially because when you and Michael get together it's like y'all don't realize that you're around other people."