1. My Friends, My mom, and Me
By Ellen Tsao
Click, click, click, the keyboard noisily clatters. Rachel and I
were chatting away on Face book happily laughing with the TV on
high volume. All the noise masked the small delicate ding dong of
the doorbell. My mom rushed to the door to greet the visitors.
Kennedy, Shania, and Emily stood on the doormat asking if I was
there.
“Ellen! Your friends are here!” my mom hollers up the stairs.
“Hold on!” I scream back at her thinking it was just my
neighbor, Jessica. As I get up I trip on a wire and fall face first.
BAM BOOM! Rachel cracks up and laughs for the longest time. I
get up, dust myself off, and descend down the stairs to see
Kennedy’s, Shanaia’s, and Emily’s faces all staring at me. I smile as
they smile back. As we start chatting happily we laugh and are full
of smiles until my mom decided she wants in.
“So are you Ellen’s friends?” my mom asks a slightly too loud.
They laugh and agree with scattered nods. She continues, “Would
you like to come inside?” They step in revealing their bare feet. I
knew my mom would be upset to see their feet dirty with grass
and dirt. “Uhhh….have you been walking around the neighborhood
with those feet?” my mom questions happily but with a slight
quiver in her voice.
“Yup!” Kennedy replies. My mom is a very clean person and
the very thought of dirty feet in her clean house made her wince.

2. “Ehhhhh stay there,” my mom says and she runs to the
bathroom, her baggy sweatpants following loosely behind her.
A worn out towel appears around the corner along with my mom’s
kind face.
“Here, wipe your feet off on this towel before you come in,”
she says looking proud of her solution. My face turned a light
pink. Who does that? I think to myself. They’re going to think I’m
a freak!
“Hey mom it’s ok! You’re going to vacuum later today! A little
dirt won’t kill you!” I say trying to convince her. She has them
wipe their feet anyway. I stifle a laugh as I watch them
hesitantly grab the towel and wipe their feet briskly.
“Great! You are now welcome in my house!” my mom
announces gladly.
“Actually we were just wondering if Ellen and Rachel could
come outside,” Kennedy replies. My face returns to its normal
color as I walk out the door. I feel relieved to get away from the
house and my mom.