The Minor Complications of Love

Chapter Fourteen: Words Hit Through the Heart

"You don't really have to change yourself if you're uncomfortable with it. You've always been cool, you know?"

Mia couldn't stop thinking about what Mark said that day - mostly because she just couldn't believe it. Mark Cho had just admitted that he thought she was cool as who she was. Imagine that? That was probably the last thing on Earth she imagined would actually happen - and to be fair, she's glad that it didn't end up to be the last thing on Earth to, well, happen. It's probably the best thing in her life right now. After all, that was Mark Cho. Mark Cho. Mark. Cho.

Mia snapped out of herself as she sat up. OK, she should probably stop putting that idea on a pedestal so much right now. After all, it sure was starting to get weird. And awkward. Gosh, imagine if Mark would hear her thoughts right about now. That would definitely be so weird. She laughed as she decided to stop thinking about how it was Mark Cho who said it and decided to focus more on what he actually said: the fact that she didn't have to change yourself if she wasn't comfortable and boy was she not comfortablr anymore with the idea of trying to get Drew's attention or dressing up as the kind of girl she was sure that she wasn't.

She took a few deep breaths before she walked up to her mother who was preparing for making dinner in the kitchen.

"Hey mom," Mia began as she buried her hands in the pocket of her jacket.

"Yes, hija?" Her mom asked as she didn't take her eyes off of the potato she was peeling.

"I'd like to give my clothes off to Natalie."

"Natalie? Your cousin?" Mia's mom stopped peeling the potato and put the root crop and the knife down on the wooden cutting board.

"You're really changing your entire wardrobe, aren't you?" She said with a wide smile on her face, thinking of how fast Mia was growing up.

"Woah, wait- what? No, no," Mia quickly said as she caught on to what her mother was thinking.

"I mean, I'm giving away the new clothes. The one that Bella gave."

Mia's mom looked at her with a surprised face. "Oh, why hija?"

"I just don't feel comfortable with them. It's not 'me'. I was only wearing them, because... because," Mia groaned as she decided to finally tell her mom the truth.

"Because I liked Drew and I was trying to impress him, but now he has a girlfriend and I don't think I have a chance with him. And also, now I realized that I don't wanna change myself. I just wanna be... me. The me right now," she explained to her mother as she fiddled her fingers.

Mia's mother sighed as she smiled weakly. She tucked a few strands of Mia's hair behind Mia's ear then slid her hand to her chin and lifted it up a little so Mia could look at her eyes.

"Hija, you know, I'm proud of you," her mother smiled as she realized that her daughter really was maturing and in an even better way at that. "You're really growing up to be a wonderful lady. I just want you to remember though that change. Change is a good thing and it's inevitable. You can change yourself as long as you remember not to do it for anyone else, but to make yourself an even better person than what you already are and a person that you know you can be happy with."

Mia smiled then hugged her mother. Her mom always knew the right things to say and Mia couldn't be more than happy to have her as a mother. And also, another thing that Mia couldn't be more than happy with was the sudden surge of motivation.

It was true that she didn't have to change herself when she didn't feel comfortable, but it was also true that she could as long as she was happy with it. And with everyone changing around her, why not make a new change in her life? Besides, a new change would mean a lot right now to keep her mind off of Drew who she had to accept was happy already with his girlfriend.

Mia rushed to her room to log onto Facebook. She went straight to the post announcent of her school for piano classes as an extracurricular after class hours which she had seen them post the other day.

How can I be apply to sign up? She typed and grinned to herself as she pressed "comment".