As I Fell ✓

Chapter 5

Owen

Annoyed, I immediately deleted her friend request and message and scrolled yet again through my feed. They were mostly memes, though. I didn't have a lot of friends who were also active on social media.

I sighed again and opened another app that could count as social media without the social. I scrolled through it mindlessly while the sounds of the animal documentary in front of me droned on in the background.

It is about nine in the evening now, and people around here sleep extremely early. I found it unusual how they manage to do it without doing other stuff to make someone feel sleepy.

"Still haven't changed into your pajamas, I see." a familiar female voice said. I looked over behind and saw Mum in her sleeping robe and a cup of tea in one hand, her frazzled ginger hair was up in a volcano of a bun with her eyes fixed on me and my phone. She shot me a look of suspicion and I shrugged.

"Watching some television Mum. I want to learn more about crocs as each day passes by. They're just so captivating, don't you think?" I said with a smile as I continued saving some memes I found absolutely hilarious on my phone. Mum scoffed.

"You sure you watching crocodiles there? I see pink flamingos darling, not crocs." She said as she shook her head warily. I turned to the TV and yes, there were flamingos doing whatever with their legs in ankle-deep water. I innocently nodded along.

"Oh, right," I muttered as I turned off my phone and fumbled with it, feeling its weight shift in my hands which were still adorned with the fingerless gloves I wear whenever I'm in my chair.

Mum sat down beside me and sipped her tea, mildly smelling as of the likes of jasmine. I was tempted to go ask if there was still any tea left but I didn't. I feared Mum would go on what kind of tea do I like and once I say other things aside from jasmine, she's gonna drone on the history of jasmine tea and why it's the best. For her, that is.

"What are you up to? Obviously not paying attention to the telly." Mum said as she looked over at me, placing her tea on top of our center table. She crossed her legs and placed her hands on them as she looked at me expectantly. I sighed.

Nothing really is interesting nowadays.

"Nothing too important Mum. Just scrolling through my memes," I said as I opened up my phone again and went back to look at my feed.

I noticed Mum peering through my phone and saw her eyebrows furrow as she put on a confused look on her face.

"Memes? What are those?" she asked as she tried to grasp the idea of it. I rolled my eyes and started talking. I explained the concept of memes to Mum and she just nodded along though I was pretty sure she did it for whatever reason and might I add, she threw questions at me like it was the most confusing thing after mayonnaise.

"So you're telling me that memes are pictures with humorous captions? But, where do these pictures come from exactly?"

"Mum, I don't kno-" I said, frustratedly before she cut me off. I sighed.

"And to what extent do you young people find shallow things funny? Spongebob Squarepants being a bird is certainly NOT funny to me." She said wide-eyed with a shake of her head.

"Mum, the caption pulls everything together! It's -"

"Also, is this some trend among you young people? Some imaginary cult? My, these memes are taking a toll on you kids, aren't they?" She said dramatically. I groaned as I buried my face into my palms and shook my head.

"MUM!"

She laughed.

I explained memes to Mum yet again but she still couldn't quite grasp what was so funny about them. I wouldn't dare explain to her what Vines are then. Those quick six-second clips sure did boggle me before the app got taken down. If it were still around, Mum would flip at the sight of memes in motion.