“Katelyn Elizabeth” that’s all it took and I knew she meant business. When she uses my whole name I know I’m in trouble but when she said it this time it was scary. My heart was pounding in my chest when I walked into the kitchen; her eyes were stone cold. Her voice was hard; “why would you do such a stupid and irresponsible thing? Anything could have happen to you. How am I ever going to trust you again?” Its not that I didn’t know what she was talking about, I just didn’t know what to say.


The night before I had gone to a party with some friends and there was some drinking at the party. The people I went with and my self drank. By the time we were leaving, the girl who was supposed to drive was totally wasted. I knew that I shouldn’t get in the car with her because there is a chance I may never get back out. My mom had always told me if I get into a compromising situation like the one I was in, I could call her and she would come get me no questions asked. So I did just that; I called my mom at 1:30 am and asked her to come get me. She asked me where I was and she started after me.


My friends didn’t listen to me and they got in the car and drove away. I waited on the front porch right outside of where the party was taking place. When my mom pulled up, I hesitated but walked to the car. Inside the car she didn’t really say anything other than asking me if I was alright and telling me I made the right choice by calling her. I could tell she wanted to say more but she bit her tongue. At home she told me to go bed and she’d see me in the morning and I knew what that meant.


As I stand in the kitchen thinking about what she was saying to me and trying to figure out an answer, I started to get sick. This didn’t faze her in the least; she kept staring at me waiting on my response. I didn’t really have a reason as to why I did what I did but she wouldn’t accept that. “Mama, I’m really sorry!” that was all I could say. There was a fire blazing in her eyes but there was also pity; she didn’t make it noticeable in the things she was saying or doing but I saw it. That’s when she got on her whole mom speech but I didn’t dare complain because I was already walking on thin ice.

After she was finished with her tirade she gave me my punishment. I sat there crying as she yelled at me and told me I was grounded from everything. Television, computer, phone, you name it I didn’t have it; my life was going to consist of going to school and then going home to be quarantined to my bedroom. I walked back to my room in tears; my head hurt, my stomach hurt, my whole body hurt but even worse than the physical pain was the emotional pain. I could deal with her being mad at me but when she pulled the “I’m disappointed in you” card it was all over.


It was two days before my mom talked to me without yelling. Those two days were pure torture; I never thought I would be upset to have her not talk to me until she didn’t. Even after she talked to me she didn’t ease my punishment any and I was sure she probably wouldn’t for get anytime soon. I accepted my punishment because I knew she would only get angrier, when it was all over and she gained some of her trust back for me our relationship grew. And even though I made a stupid decision, I paid the price for it but not the price I could have paid had I not called her.