Alyssa pulled away from her mother's grasp, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside her. She didn't know why her mother was being so overprotective, but she knew she had to find a way to convince her that JoeGad was genuinely her friend.
"I need some space, Mom," Alyssa said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can we talk about this later?"
Her mother nodded, looking concerned. "Of course, sweetie. But promise me you'll be careful around JoeGad."
Alyssa nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. She knew her mother was only trying to protect her, but she couldn't help feeling like she was being suffocated.
As she walked away from her mother, Alyssa couldn't shake off the feeling that her mother's words had planted in her mind. Was she really just friends with JoeGad, or were her feelings for him more complicated?
She pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. She had to convince her mother that JoeGad was trustworthy, and that their friendship was genuine.
But as she walked through the hallway, Alyssa couldn't help but feel like she was walking into a minefield. Her mother's words had awakened doubts in her mind, and she wasn't sure how to silence them.
Just then, her phone buzzed with a text from JoeGad. "Hey, what's up?" he asked.
Alyssa hesitated for a moment before responding. She wasn't sure what to say, or how to navigate the complicated emotions swirling inside her.
But as she looked at the screen, she knew she had to respond. She took a deep breath and typed out a reply. "Not much, just dealing with some drama. I'll tell you about it later."
She hit send, feeling a sense of trepidation. What would JoeGad say when she told him about her mother's concerns? And how would he react when he found out that Alyssa's feelings for him might be more complicated than she had let on?
Alyssa's eyes widened with excitement as she stared at the entrance results on her phone. She had done it! She had gotten into the prestigious high school she had been dreaming of attending. And to make it even sweeter, JoeGad had also made it in.
She couldn't wait to share the news with her mother. She ran to the living room, where her mother was sitting on the couch, and thrust her phone in her face.
"Mom, Mom! I got in! I got into the high school!" Alyssa exclaimed.
Her mother's face lit up with a bright smile as she took the phone from Alyssa and scanned the results. "Oh, sweetie, I'm so proud of you!" she exclaimed, pulling Alyssa into a tight hug.
Alyssa beamed with pride, feeling happy and relieved that all her hard work had paid off.
As they hugged, Alyssa's mother suddenly pulled back and looked at her with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"You know what this calls for, don't you?" she asked, a sly smile spreading across her face.
Alyssa shook her head, curious.
"A vacation! We're going to spend our summer vacation abroad, just the two of us. We'll celebrate your achievement and have some quality time together before you start high school."
Alyssa's eyes widened in excitement. A vacation abroad with her mother? It sounded like a dream come true!
But then, she remembered JoeGad. She had been looking forward to spending the summer with him, exploring the city and having fun.
"Mom, what about JoeGad?" Alyssa asked, feeling a pang of guilt.
Her mother's expression turned serious, and Alyssa could tell that she was still worried about JoeGad's influence.
"We'll talk about JoeGad later, sweetie," her mother said. "Right now, let's just focus on celebrating your achievement and planning our vacation."
Alyssa nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and uncertainty. She knew that her mother was still wary of JoeGad, and she wasn't sure how to navigate the situation.
But for now, she was just going to enjoy the moment and celebrate her achievement. She was going to high school, and she was going on vacation with her mother!
As the days went by, Alyssa found herself getting more and more excited about the vacation. She and her mother spent hours poring over travel brochures and websites, deciding on the perfect destination.
But despite her growing excitement, Alyssa couldn't shake off the feeling that she was being pulled away from JoeGad. She had tried to bring him up in conversation with her mother a few times, but her mother had skillfully changed the subject.
It wasn't until the night before their departure that Alyssa finally worked up the courage to confront her mother about JoeGad.
"Mom, can I talk to you about something?" Alyssa asked, as they sat in the living room packing their last-minute essentials.
Her mother looked up from her packing, a questioning expression on her face. "Of course, sweetie. What's on your mind?"
Alyssa took a deep breath. "It's about JoeGad. I know you're still worried about him, but I promise you, Mom, he's a good person. And I'm going to miss him so much while we're away."
Her mother's expression softened, and she put down the clothes she was packing. "Alyssa, I know you care about JoeGad, and I respect that. But I'm still not convinced that he's the right influence for you."
Alyssa felt a surge of frustration, but she tried to remain calm. "Mom, please just listen to me. JoeGad is my friend, and I need to be able to spend time with him. Can't we just find a way to make this work?"
Her mother sighed, looking tired. "We'll talk about this more when we get back from vacation, okay? Right now, let's just focus on enjoying our time together."
Alyssa nodded, feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty. She knew that the conversation with her mother was far from over, but for now, she was just going to have to accept that things were not going to change anytime soon.
As she went to bed that night, Alyssa couldn't help but wonder what the future held for her and JoeGad. Would they be able to stay friends despite her mother's disapproval? Only time would tell.