My mom is always trying to find ways to embarrass me. “That’s why moms were put on this earth” is what she always says. But one time, she went way too far.

It was the week before Halloween, and TMIS students and teachers were dressing up for the occasion, especially my mom. She had spent the whole week trying to figure out what to wear. She considered everything from rock stars to serial killers. My mom likes to make her own costumes, not buy the cheap ones from Walmart. So she dragged me along to craft stores and discount shops and picked some things out that she thought were “creative.” Finally she decided that she was going to be a gothic punk.

Her outfit consisted of torn-up army boots, a fire red leather jacket, black loose pants, an emo band shirt, fake nose and eyebrow rings, various chains and spiked necklaces, but to top it all off, she gave herself a black mohawk. She even put on musky perfume that made her smell like she hadn’t showered in a week.

What she failed to tell me was that she was going to pick me up from school that day so that we could go shopping for a birthday present. Unfortunately, she didn’t get the chance to go home and change out of her Halloween costume, and she showed up at my school looking like a creep. Luckily, most people were still in class and didn’t have to look at the frightening image. But we still had to go to the Outlet Mall.

We got to the Mall and entered Pacsun, only to find people staring at us. I could hear laughing in the background, and yet, my mom remained totally oblivious to the situation and went on looking at different clothes and accessories. I couldn’t take the looks anymore, so I finally just yelled out to the whole store, “The idiotic outfit is a Halloween costume.” Once I said that, everyone started to act normally again, Mom even got some compliments on how “realistic” the costume was.

We left the store with me a little relieved and Mom disappointed that I ratted her out. I told her that if she ever does that to me again I’m going to disown her as my mother.

She laughed and said “Oh this is nothing; next year, I’m going to be Hannah Montana.”