The next morning, Ashanti stirs awake to the sound of her phone buzzing on the nightstand. She groans, squinting at the screen, and sees "Mom" flashing across it. Sitting up groggily, she answers, her voice raspy from sleep.
"Hey, Mom," she says, stifling a yawn. "What's up? It's kinda early."
Her mom's cheerful voice comes through the line, full of excitement. "Good morning, sweetie! Guess what? Your dad and I are here to visit for Parents' Week!"
Ashanti's eyes fly open, her grogginess vanishing in an instant. "Wait, what? You're here? As in, on campus?"
Her dad's voice chimes in from the background, equally excited. "We're parked right outside the Student Center! Thought we'd surprise you."
Ashanti's heart races as she glances around her room, her mind already spiraling. "Uh... wow, this is... a surprise, alright. I didn't even know it was Parents' Week."
Her mom chuckles. "Well, now you know! We thought it'd be fun to come see you, check out campus, and spend some time together. We'll even take you to breakfast!"
"Yeah," her dad adds. "Your mom's been talking about it all week. We're dying to see what college life is like for our baby girl."
Ashanti forces a laugh, trying to mask her panic. "Wow, uh, yeah. That's great. I just... need a minute to, um, get ready. I'll meet you guys outside, okay?"
"Take your time, sweetie," her mom says warmly. "We'll be waiting."
As the call ends, Ashanti stares at her phone in disbelief. Her parents—her parents—were here. At her college. On zero notice. Her mind flashes to everything she hadn't prepared for: her room, her schedule, even the fact that Doug was now a part of her life.
She scrambles out of bed, muttering under her breath, "This is not how I planned my morning." Grabbing her clothes and throwing her hair into a quick bun, she steels herself for what she knows will be a long and unpredictable day.
Her parents always meant well, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this surprise visit was going to lead to more chaos than either of them expected.
Ashanti quickly gets dressed, her heart still racing from the unexpected call. As she glances over her shoulder, her eyes land on Doug, still peacefully asleep on her bed. For a moment, she hesitates, but the sound of another notification from her phone jolts her back into action.
She rushes over and gently shakes his shoulder. "Doug, wake up. You gotta go. Like, now."
Doug stirs, groaning as he rubs his eyes. "What's going on? Why so early?"
Ashanti sighs, pacing the room. "My parents are here. For Parents' Week. They just called, and they're outside. I can't have them finding you in here!"
Doug blinks, the information slowly registering. A grin spreads across his face. "Your parents? Perfect! I've been wanting to meet them anyway. Let me just—"
"Nope!" Ashanti interrupts, grabbing his shirt off the chair and tossing it at him. "You're not meeting them. Not like this. Not today."
Doug frowns, pulling his shirt on. "Why not? I'm great with parents. They'll love me."
Ashanti puts her hands on his shoulders, steering him toward the door. "Doug, I'm barely ready for this. You meeting them today? Absolutely not happening. Now, go!"
Before Doug can protest further, she opens the door and nudges him out into the hallway. "I'll call you later. Promise. Just... don't let them see you."
Doug chuckles, holding up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. But this isn't over, Ashanti. I'm meeting them eventually."
"Yeah, sure," she mutters, already shutting the door. "Eventually."
YOU ARE READING
"Don't Let Go Of My Hand"("GROWNISH")
Fiksi PenggemarWhatever happens, don't let go of my hand Everything will be alright, he assures her But she doesn't hear a word that he says Preoccupied, she's afraid Afraid that what they've been doing is not right He doesn't know what to say, so he prays Whateve...
