a crush on kate bishop

twenty four

twenty four - the end is near

"Mom, we need to talk about the graduation party," Kate began, as she walked into her mother's home office. Eleanor looked up from her work, as she sat on her desk. "Of course, Kate. What's on your mind?"

"Well," Kate continued, choosing her words carefully, "it would have been nice if you had consulted me before making decisions about the party. It's my graduation, after all."

Eleanor's expression softened. "Kate, I just wanted to do something special for you. I thought you'd appreciate the effort."

Kate sighed, "I do, Mom, but I'm not a child anymore. It would be nice to be involved in the decisions, especially ones about my own celebration."

Eleanor nodded, seemingly understanding. "I'll keep that in mind for the future."

Encouraged, Kate moved on to the next matter on her mind. "And about Yelena, why wasn't she initially invited? She felt left out."

Eleanor's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, dear, I must have forgotten to mention it. I did send her an invitation."

Kate narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Really? Because Yelena never received one, and it hurt her. I don't want her to feel excluded from something so important to me."

Eleanor maintained her composed demeanor. "Well, it must be some mistake. I'll check my records and make sure she gets an invitation right away."

Kate sighs, "Just... next time, Mom, make sure Yelena is included. She's important to me."

Eleanor nodded at her daughter. "Anything else?" She asks, noticing Kate hesitate.

"There's one more thing, Mom," Kate began, her voice steady but couldn't help but have so much anxiety. "I've made a decision about college."

Eleanor's brows furrowed slightly, her gaze fixed on Kate. "Oh? And what decision is that?"

Kate met her mother's eyes, "I'm going to UCLA, Mom. And after graduation, I'll be leaving for California."

Silence lingered in the room as Eleanor processed the information. The initial nod she gave slowly transformed into a stern expression. It was clear that Kate's decision didn't align with her mother's expectations.

"You're going to UCLA?" Eleanor's tone held a mixture of surprise and frustration. "Kate, we had plans for you to stay closer, to be more involved in the family business."

Kate sighed, "Mom, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I need to follow my own path. UCLA offers me an opportunity to pursue my passion for basketball, and I want to take it."

Eleanor's anger began to rise, "You're throwing away a future in the family business for a sports scholarship? You don't even like basketball that much."

"I love basketball, Mom," Kate replied, holding her own. "And this is about more than just a scholarship. It's about me finding my own way, making my own choices."

Eleanor's frustration grew more and more. "You're making a mistake, Kate. You should be thinking about the family, your responsibilities. Going to California is a selfish decision."

Kate felt a twinge of guilt, but soon realized this was her mother's way of guilt tripping her. "I understand that you might not agree, but I need to do what's right for me. I can't live my life based on someone else's expectations."

Eleanor sighed, her frustration clearly raging at this point. "Fine, Kate. Do what you want. But this... this is why I didn't invite that girl to the graduation party. I knew she would influence you, and I couldn't have that."