He was right. Charlie and Owen were back in our apartment about fifteen minutes after me and Owen's conversation.
I had taken Owen's advice and texted my mom just a quick message about everything that has happened this week. It did help calm me down a bit, even though she hasn't texted me back. I feel better now that I've at least tried to reach out.
Charlie, Sav, Owen, and I are all piled up on one couch, trying to figure out a movie to watch. Savannah is scrolling through Netflix aimlessly, and every time one of us tries to pick something out, Charlie disagrees and she is forced to keep scrolling.
We finally end up having to override all of Charlie's complaints and just choose a movie. Savannah was kind enough to pop popcorn for us, but it was gone before we even got five minutes into the movie.
I ended up falling asleep very fast. I was exhausted after all the work I've done this week, and even though I tried so hard to keep my eyes open, my attempts were pointless.
Charlie and Owen were still asleep when I woke up. Charlie was asleep near my feet, half of his body hanging off the side of the couch. Owen was curled up right beside me. I had no idea where Savannah was.
I carefully get up from the couch and I see that Savannah is asleep in her room. She must've ditched us last night.
I go in my room, fully intending to take a shower and get ready for the day, but I end up in my bed scrolling through Pinterest. Which inevitably leads to me falling asleep, again.
It wasn't a very peaceful sleep, however. I ended up having a nightmare about my parents, which is not very convenient considering I thought I had resolved that issue yesterday.
Nightmares come and go. My dreams are always super vivid for some reason, which makes nightmares seem even more realistic. They've always been a struggle of mine, but I learned early on in life that I just have to get over them. My parents weren't exactly happy about their daughter waking them up at night because she was scared. I've learned to just cry in my pillow and get over it.
This nightmare was particularly realistic. I woke up crying, as I usually do after I have a nightmare.
I heard voices coming from the living room, but luckily my door was closed so none of the others could see that I was awake.
When I go into my bathroom and look in the mirror, my eyes are bloodshot and you can still see the tear stains on my cheeks. I do my best to wash it all off, but my eyes are still a little red even after that. Hopefully it's nothing too noticeable.
I change clothes and do some basic hygiene stuff before I walk back in the living room. Savannah and Charlie are on the couch scrolling on their phones, and Owen is nowhere to be seen.
"Jenny, how nice of you to join us," Charlie announces.
I roll my eyes as I walk into the kitchen and grab a Capri-Sun. I go back over to the couch and sit right in between Charlie and Savannah.
"Where's Owen?" I ask.
"He went back to the apartment to get ready. Sav wanted to know if we all wanted to go out to eat for breakfast. Well, brunch, since it's already close to lunchtime," Charlie replies.
"Am I invited?"
"Of course!" Savannah exclaims. "You really think we would've just left you here while the rest of us went to eat? We're not that horrible, you know."
I smile at her, and I hear Owen walk in.
"Jenny, you're awake! I was afraid I was going to have to wake you up and drag you out of bed," he says, a mischievous grin across his face.
"Too bad."
After Owen arrived, we all carpooled with Charlie to go get breakfast. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful; we spent most of it in Charlie and Owen's apartment (surprisingly).
We had another movie night in Savannah and I's apartment, since apparently it's the "only place movie nights can be held," according to Charlie. The guys leave after the movie, which means I actually get to sleep in my bed instead of crammed in between a bunch of people.
When I went back in room and checked my phone, I saw that I had finally gotten a response from my mom. It boosted my mood for about 2 seconds, until I actually read the message. Spoiler alert- it was long. And she also said she wanted me to call her when I got it.
The message was pretty straightforward. She was very upset that I hadn't been communicating with her since I got to Vancouver, and I should treat her with more respect because she allowed me to go on the trip. Technically, she didn't "allow" anything because I am an adult, but I can't exactly tell her that because it will just come along with more lectures.
I hesitate before I hit the call button. I know it's not going to be pretty, but I also kind of just want to get it out of the way. So I can go to sleep and dwell on it for the next month or two.
I click the call button, it rings a few times, and then I hear her pick up.
"Jennifer?"
"Hi, mom."
"Finally, you decide to call us. I sent that message five hours ago, where have you been?"
"I was hanging out with my friends," I respond.
"Ah, the friends you told me about. Are they telling you not to communicate with your own mother? Or is that of your own choosing?"
Thirty seconds in and she's already placing blame on my friends. Great, this is going fantastic.
"Mom, no. I've told you I've just been really busy over the past week because I've been working hard at the studio everyday. This has nothing to do with them."
"Jennifer, you know we're very proud of what you've been doing. But that is no excuse for the way you've been treating us. We're your parents, we deserve your respect. We helped you get to this spot."
"I know, I'm sorry. But you have to understand that I have a life here. I can't update you every single day and tell you every single detail of what happened. You don't-"
"I'm stopping you right there," she interrupts. "I do understand you have a life there, but you also have a life here. You do know that you're not going to be there forever, right? We raised you. You can't just ignore us for people who you'll forget about once you leave."
"They're my friends- my best friends. I'm not purposefully ignoring you either, I'm working. I have a job here, and I'm trying to do it to the best of my ability. If anyone is stopping me from that, it's you, and not my friends. My friends are helpful, encouraging, and kind. And all you do is place blame on me, and act like everything I do is wrong."
"Jennifer, that's no way to speak to your mother. I don't place blame on you, I try to make you a better person. I push you, but only because I love you."
"I love you too, mom, but maybe this is for the best. I actually feel loved here, and I feel like I have a purpose. I don't need your negativity getting in the way of that."
"Negativity?" she scoffs. "Unbelievable. After all I've done for you? You know what, you can have your freedom and your friends. But don't come crawling back to me after you realize that I was right."
She hangs up. And I cry.
