Amanda's eyes locked onto the screen as she hesitated to answer the call. Her mind raced with thoughts of what her mom could want, and why she was calling now, after all this time. She hadn't spoken to her mom in weeks, not since their last argument.

Amanda's friends noticed her hesitation and exchanged curious glances. Matilda raised an eyebrow, "Amanda, is everything okay?" she asked, concern etched on her face.

Amanda took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She didn't want to draw attention to her personal issues, especially not in front of her new friends. "Yeah, everything's fine," she said, forcing a smile onto her face.

With...