When we arrived to Cleo and Jared's parent's house, the house was smaller than I had imagined it to be. I mean, seriously, Jared lived in a freaking mansion, so I just assumed both Cleo and Jared came from money. Although, Cleo and I do own a relatively small house, so maybe it was just Jared who came from money? 

Whatever; it doesn't matter. 

We currently had more pressuring matters to worry about; like what type of reaction would come out of their parents when Cleo told them she was pregnant. Not to mention, this would be the first time I am meeting Jared's parents: my boyfriend's parents.

As if this night wasn't stressful enough. 

After Cleo knocked on the front door, there appeared a middle-aged man, who I assumed was Mr. Morley. Cleo definitely got her eyes from him. Not long after, a older woman, who I assumed is Cleo's mother came to the door. Her hair was just as long and luscious as Cleo's. Well, the familial resemblance to Cleo was impeccable. 

"Hi, dad." Cleo said as she kissed the side of his cheek. "Hi, mom." She did the same to her mother. 

"My babies," Cleo's mother stated as she went in to hug both Cleo and Jared. Theodore and I looked at each other, unsure what we were suppose to do. Come to think of it, Theodore had it much worse than I did. Yes, I was meeting Jared's parents for the first time. But he was meeting Cleo's parents for the first time, and he would have to confess, with Cleo, that they are pregnant. So. I guess it's not that bad, for me at least.

"Mom, this is my boyfriend, Theo." She pointed towards Theodore, who did a slight wave to both parents. "And this is my best friend, Valerie."

"Who is also my girlfriend." Jared gushed as he took hold on my hand in his. 

"Oh, wow. We sent you guys off to college, and you both get yourself partners," Mrs. Morley speculated.

"Mom, we've been in school for a few years now," Jared pointed out.

"Yeah, but you've never brought anyone home, now did you?" Their mother exclaimed. To be frank, I was starting to get the feeling that their mother was a little...sassy. 

"Anyway," their father interrupted, "I'm Mr. Morley. You can call me Leo," he put out his arm for Theodore to shake and then for me to shake. 

"And I'm Mrs. Morley. You can call me Mrs. Morley." 

Yikes. This should be fun.

"Come inside, you guys. Let's go eat. I made lasagna." Mrs. Morley gestured towards the other room, which was the dining room. 

"Now we're talking," Jared whispered into my ear, before darting into the living room. He was still holding onto my hand so he ended up dragging me along with him. 

When we all sat down at the table, there seemed to be a tension in the room. Or, at least, a tension I could feel. Cleo, who was sitting across from me, looked sick to her stomach, either because she was nervous or because she was having pregnancy sickness. Theodore, who was sitting next to Cleo and across from Jared, looked calm; almost as though he didn't even mind being here. Jared, who was sitting next to me, was only interested in the lasagna plate that Mrs. Morley was placing on the table. Mrs. Morley, who was getting ready to sit at the head of the table, looked completely and utterly obsessed with the way the table looked. And, finally, Mr. Morley -- or Leo, as he preferred it -- was sitting at the other head of the table, scanning the different expressions of our faces, looking for a way to begin a conversation with us all. 

"So, what do you guys study? I'm sure you know that my beautiful Cleo studies Architecture and my baby Jared studies Law." Mrs. Morley emphasized. Jared was now digging into the lasagna plate that was on the table, placing an enormous slice on his plate. 

"Jared, you study law? That's so cool." I whispered towards Jared, who looked at me with a smile on his face. He shrugged his shoulders, as he was clearly more interested in the food than in responding to me. 

"What, you didn't know that about him?" Mrs. Morley questioned, raising her eyebrow in such a way that demonstrate her disgust towards me.

"Well, I-"

"Doesn't matter." Mrs. Morley cut me off. 

Wow, talk about rude. 

"What I care about more is what you and Theodore study." She continued, looking into my eyes with intensity. I was beginning to get the feeling that Mrs. Morley was not my biggest fan.

"Well, I'm studying to be a vet. Or I'm hoping to become one, someday." Theodore exclaimed; he gave Mrs. Morley a smile that she completely absorbed. Cleo, on the other hand, still looked sick to her stomach.

"And you, Valerie. What is it that you study?" Mrs. Morley asked, sternly.

"Oh, I-I'm, um, actually undeclared." I awkwardly giggled. It was always great to tell people that. Everyone always looked at me with displease when I mentioned that I was undeclared. 

"Oh, well that's...disappointing." She degraded. "What year are you?"

"I'm a junior." I added, feeling my cheeks begin to burn up as angry and annoyance flowed through my skin. She may be my boyfriend and best friend's mother, but she is literally picking on me for no reason.

"Wow," Mrs. Morley huffed as she rose her eyes up. 

"Mom!" Jared scolded.

"It's just, I haven't found anything I'm passionate about yet." I defended. 

"Honey, college isn't about finding what you're passionate about. It's finding something you can make a living from."

"So you're suggesting college students shouldn't follow their hearts. They should just follow a major that will lead them to money?" I questioned, almost harshly. I'm never seen someone so unsupportive when it came to college majors.

"Yeah, I am. Both my Cleo and Valerie chose amazing majors that will lead them to successful careers."

I bit my lower lip and nodded my head lightly. This wasn't the time for me to go on one of my rants. Today was about both meeting the Morleys and supporting Cleo's pregnancy announcement, so I dropped it. 

"Anyway, let's get to the important things." Ouch. "Why did you guys decide to visit us tonight?"

"Yes, I am curious to know that myself," Leo added, with a sincere smile on his face. I wonder how he got stuck with such a witch for a wife -- but replace the w with a b.

"This was a-actually m-my idea," Cleo stuttered as she stood up. 

"Mom," she looked at her mother, "dad," she looked at her father. "I'm p-p-pregnant." 

Instead of an immediate reaction, though, there was silence. Everyone waited to hear what Leo and Mrs. Morley would say to this; more importantly, how they would react to this.

"Oh, and I'm the father," Theodore rose his hand up slightly, looking at both Cleo's parents to see the reaction that would come. I had to place my hand over my lips the moment after Theodore added that, because I was moments away from laughing. The tension in the room was unsettlingly uncomfortable, but Theodore's comment was killing me. 

"Well." Mrs. Morley added, almost too calmly, as she folded her napkin and placed it on her plate. "We know who's fault this is."

"We?" Cleo asked; her face was completely pale at this moment, and her hands were clearly shaking.

"Yes, me and your father." Mrs. Morley blurted. "It's obvious that ever since you got a new roommate, you've been acting different."

"What are you talking about?!" Cleo screamed. It was clear to see that Cleo was moments away from losing it, even though seconds ago she was pale as could be.

"Well, none of this would have happened with your previous roommate, Melanie. Now, it seems like you've been visiting us less, talking to us less, and clearly going out more since you managed to get yourself pregnant ever since you became roommates with Valerie over here!" Mrs. Morley bellowed as she looked dead into my eyes with a fire-burning hatred. 

"Are you serious right now?!" Cleo defended. "Monica was a back-stabbing whore! She slept with the guy I liked literally after I told her I liked him, and the only good friend I have is Valerie!" 

"Watch your language, Cleo!" Mrs. Morley demanded.

"No, I will not, mother!" Cleo howled.

"Do you see what she's done?! Disobeying your own mother!" Mrs. Morley yelled as she pointed at me. This all happened so quickly that I didn't even know what to say. Was Mrs. Morley seriously blaming me for Cleo's pregnancy?! I mean, last time I checked it takes TWO PEOPLE to make a child, now I know technology is extremely advanced these days but Cleo and I can't make one! AKA, this was not my child! So why was Mrs. Morley going after me?!

"Elaine," Leo warned.

"Are you fucking serious right now, mom?!" Jared chimed in at the same time as his father. It was clear that he was beyond angry at his mother for even suggesting such an absurd notion.

"Mrs. Morley-" I tried to say, but Mrs. Morley quickly cut me off.

"No, you have no right to speak to me in this household. You ruined my family." 

And this phrase was the last thing I needed to hear before losing it. 

"Excuse me? I ruined your family?! How dare you? Mrs. Morley, you have no right to condescend me, okay? I may not have my life together, but I sure as hell would never do anything to hurt your children. You have no idea how much I love both of your children. I would do anything for them. They are my family. They mean everything to me. So please, don't sit around here and act like you're the saint and I'm the demon who broke your family apart. The only person who is ruining this family right now is you!" I pointed at her, before I turned around and stormed out of the house.

I slammed the front door shut so intensely that I'm pretty sure I heard a window nearby crack. 

Oh, well. To quote Amy Santiago from Brooklyn 99, "I'M HOOTLESS." 

I'VE GOT NO MORE HOOTS TO GIVE. 

-----------------------------------------------

YESH! Elaine's a buzz-kill. And such a rude mother for no reason. She's literally attacking Valerie for no valid reason. 

Not only did she not take the news about Cleo's pregnancy well, but she also completely degraded Valerie.

After seeing some of what Mrs. Morley is capable of, do you think her behavior has sculpted the way Cleo and Jared act? (Remember Jared was adopted into this family around the age of eight).

Vote if you enjoyed the chapters <3 Thank you guys for reading this <333 :P