Aspyn didn't waste any time in dialling her best friends after she had (quietly) shut the door to her bedroom. She knew she would be in bigger trouble if she slammed it— and she didn't want to test that.

They picked up immediately, as if they knew something went wrong.

None of their cameras were on, they simply relished in each other's presence. Aspyn didn't speak at first, but she felt her heart beat slow down at the calming sound of Alex and Karl's voice.

"Hey, wanna see the cool thing I bought today?" Karl didn't wait for an answer before turning on his camera, propping his phone on his desk in his room. He wasn't at his set-up— Aspyn had called while he was just finishing dinner, so he travelled to his room. He pulled out a Minecraft-themed UNO card set, earning a snort from Alex. But the smile doesn't fall from Karl's face. "Don't laugh, you're just jealous, Alex." Karl huffed at Alex's constant snickering.

"You're such a nerd— this is why you have no bitches." Alex laughed, turning his camera on as well. He was sat in front of his piano, his phone propped against his monitor. At a low volume, his hands travel around the keys as he played different tunes. He knew Aspyn liked hearing him play the piano, and she mentioned countless times in the past that music is something that always calms her down.

Neither of the two bothered to ask what went wrong, but they knew something did. A small tear slipped down Aspyn's face as she recalled her mother's words, and she pulled her knees to her chest. She didn't want to make any noise, knowing how thin the walls are. The last thing she needed was her mom barging in again.

"Karl, Karl, Karl!" Alex felt his heart pang at the sound of the small sniffle that Aspyn released. He wished he was there to comfort her.

"Alex, Alex, Alex!" Karl was searching through Amazon, adding random things that he thought Aspyn would like for when she returned.

The two friends continued to joke, with Aspyn listening to their conversation silently. When a knock on Aspyn's door is heard, her heart dropped in fear. Alex and Karl had both heard it as well, and paused to see if Aspyn would answer. And after she heard some shuffling behind the door followed by the sound of descending footsteps, she did.

"Ay Nako, walang siyang respeto! Kailangan niyang maging mas katulad ni Rhea. Hindi ganon si Rhea."

Aspyn sighed when she heard the faint sound of her mother complaining about her, and like usual, comparing her to Rhea. She picked up the bowl of chopped fruit and slipped back into her room, making sure to shut the door as quietly as possible. Thank goodness tomorrow was her last day in Michigan.

"Aspyn?" Karl called out softly, sounding a bit hesitant.

Aspyn moved to her desk, pushing away the unfinished artwork piled on its surface. She placed her phone down as she ate the fruit. It was their form of apologizing— God knows she would never apologize out-loud.

"I'm here," she croaks out, chewing on a strawberry.

"How are you feelin', hun?" Alex inquired, pausing the piano-playing for a few moments.

"She said— she said I should find a "real job"." Aspyn started, recalling the conversation they had during dinner. "I said I did have one— two, actually. A-and then it led to another argument and she said if I wasn't lazy and actually studied I could be smarter, and I could be... be like Rhea." She sighed, it didn't matter how many times her mother would say it, it would hurt the same.

"I'm just— I'm so tired of it. I told her she had to stop comparing me to Rhea and that I'm my own person and she told me I was being disrespectful for talking back." She gulped, pushing away the image of her mom yelling at her. "She said I wouldn't last a day in the Philippines with my attitude, and that I was making her feel like she was a bad mom." Aspyn scoffed as if she couldn't believe the words coming out of her own mouth. But sadly, she could.

"She's trying to gaslight you, Asp." Karl is wary of his words, knowing Aspyn's current state. "You didn't do anything— anything except live and be the wonderful person you are."

"I hate that you had to be home." Alex sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Staying with your mom isn't good for your mental health. Hearing all the shit that she says to you— it shouldn't even be thought of in the first place!"

Aspyn stayed silent, not wanting to talk about her mom any longer. "Can we change the subject?" She asked them weakly.

"Of course,"

The dynamic duo never failed to make Aspyn feel better.

9:02 PM

yo

cant believe i'm saying this but

can you do me a favour?

depends

what is it?

its about aspyn

okay

wtf i didn't say what it was yet

fuckin simp

shut up

what is it?

well something's going on rn

and she doesn't feel the greatest.

but i know, for some reason, she

really enjoys ur presence.

so can you send her something to like

cheer her up a bit?

hmm

okay

hello :]

i know you might be busy right now,

but quackity told me you weren't

feeling great

and i'm here to change that

anyway, i drew these for you

but i'm not a Artist™️ like you so

don't judge :]

talk to you soon