Exposed (Unedited)

One - meet my family

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm looking for...Prudence Morris?...Does she live here?"

With a stern face and annoyance in her tone, my Mom attacks the innocent, and trembling young man in our front yard. "I am her mother. I demand to know why you ask for my daughter, mister. Who are you?"

He's startled by the cold remark. "I... actually, I'm a classmate and...s-she texted me her home address. I came to pick her up to school."

At this point, my mom is on the verge of ripping off his manhood. "Excuse you. You are in no position of picking and dropping my daughter to and fro school."

"No, not exactly but we were paired as lab partners so, we both agreed that I'd give her a ride to school..." He trails off when he sees me come out and urge him to quit talking now.

"Mom, you got the door—"

She attacks me immediately. "What in the world is this boy talking about, saying that he's supposed to give you a ride to school?"

I look from my mom to Luke, my classmate. He's a tall, lanky random teenage boy who basically isn't the type that gives a shit. And he is known for cursing a lot. He does literally almost every thing a seventeen year old junior would do; drink, party, watch porn, visit strip clubs, play bets, fuck girls, talk to adults rudely, and being grounded couple of hundred times.
And I happen to be friends with him, no matter his bad qualities, Luke is really an understanding nice guy, if not for his playboy lifestyle, I wouldn't mind being his girlfriend.

My mom glares at Luke as he adjusts his headphone around his neck and slip his hands into his pockets. No single trait of manners detected.

Although, according to him, standing this long and being able to reply my mom without cursing in front of her is showing respect. Until my mom should push her luck.

"Mom, please, he doesn't mean any harm. We're classmates and we've been paired—"

Luke cuts me off impatiently. "I told her already."

My eyes bust wide open in shock. Just behave the least, would you, Luke?

"Er... I'm all set to go to school now," I turn to my mom with pleading eyes.

She throws at me one of her dirty looks. "You, go back inside now, and you," she points her index finger at Luke. "Get out of my front yard before I call my husband." She threatens him, eyes getting red with anger.

Luke doesn't bulge. He rather asks, "Why should I leave? Your daughter just confirmed that she knows me."

Oh god, oh god, oh god, I'm dead. "Luke! Just go. My dad will drive me to school, okay. Please." I beg him to get a clue that my mom is already mad, she's an African woman, and the last thing she'll tolerate is an adamant stubborn teenage boy who lacks home training.

He looks at me in disappointment and sighs. "See you in school." He turns to take his leave. I'm hundred percent sure he muttered a cuss under his breath. Reaching to his convertible, he grabs the door open, jumps in and zooms off.

I cautiously take three steps back away from my still raging mom.

"Your father must hear of this." She eyes me disgustedly from head to toe and pushes me out of the way, slamming the door after her.

I take a deep breath to calm down. Breathe, Pru, breathe. Your mom is still new to America and so not fond of the way things are done here.

******

I walk inside the house only to see my Mom already yelling daggers at my Dad while he's trying to drink up his cup of hot coffee.

I close my eyes and open them back, listening to what she burst out.

"Is that how they behave these days, Vincent? Me, I did not do that to any elder when I was that age, and I never taught my daughter to be disrespectful to elders no matter what."

"Why can't you calm down, Agnes, huh, tell me? I told you, even before bringing you here that the systems and way of life is far different from that of ours back home. I asked for you to drop any unnecessary behavior before we got off the airport and you promised me you'll do just that—"

"Shunning a stupid young boy I can give birth to is not an unnecessary behavior, Vincent. It is not! You are supposed to shun your child not to associate herself with such kind of kids. Or is that what they also teach in their schools here?!" She claps her hand and put them on her hips. Shouting and arguing is what I've come to know my mother for seventeen years now. "Let me know."

Dad sighs, ignoring Mom on purpose. He put his cup down, walks to the foyer and double check himself before the big mirror then grab his briefcase and heads for the front door.

"Come on, Prudy, let's go before you'll be late for school." He said walking out the door, leaving it ajar for me to follow.

My mom rushes to the door and follows dad to the driveway where his sleek black Honda accord is parked. It's the official car given to him from the firm he works with. The house and some other assets came along.

Since my dad got this American job, our lives has changed for the better. We were living better. I attend one of the best high schools in town which offer scholarship to 50 of her best students per year into great renowned universities in and out of the States.

That is why I'm striving to add more academic effort to be eligible for the scholarship so to make my parents more proud of me. I have my dad's full support in seeing that I made it to the scholarship program, meanwhile my 'African' mom is suppressing his efforts, making my life uncomfortable because all she believes is that I'm only making boyfriends and not reading at all. That's what she thinks of me.

Sometimes, I wonder, is it even wrong to have a boyfriend or ever be noticed by a guy who has feelings for you?

Is it wrong to fall in love with someone and they don't know it?

Or, you have a diary where you write down all your hearty feelings about the boy you admire but you're too shy to let him know how you feel about him?

My name is Prudence Morris, an African now living in the US, and this is my story.

••••••••••••••••

How was it? Is this story something you'll find interest in?
Please tell me your feedback on this. I'd be happy to know if you want me to continue or make a few changes, or change it totally.

Update coming soon *

Thanks for reading :)