After School Special

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Describe Mary walking and with each step her Tretorns expelling muddy water from the vent holes on the sides and how disgusted she was. Also the gross feeling that Becky felt with muddy water sloshing around in her once pristine Keds. Keds that were being worn for the first time that day.

Describe Mary calling her mom complaining about the incident. Describe her retelling their decision to cut through the woods and how they fell in the mud in her whiny tone. Describe her mother's amused reaction.

Describe Becky calling her mom complaining about the incident. Describe her retelling their decision to cut through the woods and how they fell in the mud in her whiny tone. Describe her mother's amused reaction.

Mary and Becky followed Chad toward his house, but with each step, Mary’s sense of disgust deepened. Her white Tretorns—once pristine and polished, now ruined beyond hope—squelched audibly with every move. The vent holes on the sides of the shoes were spurting little streams of muddy water, dribbling from each increment. With every step, that sickening squelch was accompanied by another disheartening plume of brown liquid shooting out from those once-stylish perforations.

Squelch. Splat. Squelch.

"Oh my GOD," Mary muttered, her expression contorted in absolute repulsion. “This feels so gross! There’s, like, actual mud in my shoes—it’s pouring out." She kicked out one foot in a futile attempt to dislodge some of the muck, managing only to send a light spray of dirty water flying.

Becky, equally miserable but quieter as she walked beside Mary, was suffering in her own right. The once lovely, clean white Keds that she'd worn for the first time that day had turned into squishy, muddy weights on her feet. She could feel the cold, slimy mud sloshing around inside, coating her toes, creeping into every crevice of her canvas shoes. Each step felt like she was sinking deeper into some kind of nightmare.

“Ugh!” Becky grimaced as her toes wriggled uncomfortably inside the soaked shoes. “I can feel it between my toes! These were brand new, Mary!" she whined, lifting one foot up pitifully and revealing the mud-caked sole. “I thought this was supposed to be a shortcut, not a mud bath!” She cringed as she shuffled forward, dreading every step that sent the cold, wet muck squelching against her feet.

They finally reached Chad’s porch, and Chad—still barely holding back his laughter—went inside to grab them towels. As they stood there drenched and waiting, Mary couldn’t resist fishing her phone from her equally soaked bag. She had to call her mom—immediately. She dialed quickly, her free hand brushing her muddied hair from her face, which just made it worse.

The call connected, and before her mother could even say hello, Mary launched into a tirade. “Mom! You have no idea what just happened! You're not going to, like, believe this!” Mary’s voice was high-pitched and utterly exasperated, as though this were the tragedy of the century. “We decided to take this shortcut through the woods—because we missed our ride—and it was supposed to save time, but instead, we ended up in some disgusting forest trail and, let me tell you, it was horrible! We had to cross these, like, gross stepping stones and these rickety boards over muddy pits! And Becky and I, like, totally fell into this huge puddle!” Her voice cracked with frustration as she emphasized the words, "huge puddle."

Her mother, on the other end of the call, listened with barely concealed amusement. “Oh honey, a shortcut through the woods? That doesn’t sound like the Mary I know,” she chuckled softly, her voice light with teasing affection. “To what, Chad’s house, I assume?”

“Mom! This is not, like, funny! My Tretorns are ruined! There’s mud everywhere!” Mary fumed, standing there with wet clumps of dirt practically sliding down her legs. She huffed impatiently while her mother continued chuckling.

“Well, sweetie,” her mother said through her laughter, “maybe next time you should stick to the sidewalk. The woods aren’t exactly a runway, you know.”

Mary groaned loudly, holding the phone away from her face dramatically, not wanting to hear another word of playful sarcasm. “Ugh, you just don't get it. I’ll call you later.”

She hung up in a huff as if it were her mother’s fault that white shoes and mud didn’t mix.

Meanwhile, Becky had pulled out her own phone, her fingers still covered in traces of mud as she hit dial and shakily waited for her mom to pick up. When her mom answered, Becky resisted the urge to just start screaming.

“Mom,” Becky said in a voice that could only be described as the epitome of whiny desperation. “You’re not going to believe what happened to me today. Remember my new white dress you spent, like, twenty minutes ironing this morning?” She paused for effect. "Yeah... well, it’s totally ruined."

Her mom was immediately concerned. “Ruined? Becky, what happened?”

In true dramatic Becky style, she inhaled sharply, building up her speech. “So, we missed our ride after school, right? No big deal, because Chad’s house is just down the road, so Mary was like, ‘Why don’t we just take the shortcut through the woods?’ and I’m thinking, sure, what could go wrong?” She started really laying it on thick now. “Turns out, everything, Mom! We ended up having to cross this—this MUD PIT—on some old board! And it cracked,” Becky’s voice raised dramatically as if recounting a Shakespearean tragedy. “We both fell right into the mud and water! My new Keds are trashed! My dress is beyond wrecked. And I have mud, like, everywhere.”

There was a pause as Becky’s mother stifled a giggle. “Oh Becky, sweetheart, you took a shortcut through the woods? You know how you are with, well... outdoor adventures.” Her mother’s voice was filled with the mix of affection and amusement only a parent can master.

“Mom!” Becky snapped. “This is so not funny! Do you have any idea how long it took me to—oh my gosh, I can still feel the mud in my shoes!” She replaced her dramatic plea with a whimper, her voice quivering in exaggerated betrayal. “I just bought these Keds too! This was supposed to be the perfect day…”

Her mom couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter. “Becky, honey, I love you, but you really have to calm down. You’re not meant to trek through the wilderness on brand-new Tretorns and Keds!”

“Clearly!” Becky seethed. “Next time, I’ll just, like, never leave the house again.”

Her mom continued giggling softly. “Oh Becky… call me when you’re all cleaned up. We can go shopping for new shoes tomorrow.”

Becky hung up with a pout, shooting a tired glance at Mary, who was equally sulking as they waited, mud dripping from their ruined outfits.

“I can’t believe our moms think this is funny,” Mary muttered, folding her arms across her mud-streaked chest.

“I know, right?” Becky agreed, kicking a stone with her still-squelching shoe. “They just don’t understand…”

They stood there, two mud-covered girls with ruined outfits and even more ruined dignity, waiting for towels, already planning how they were going to make this ordeal everyone else’s fault.

 

[RonR]

Mary and Becky followed Chad toward his house, but with each step, Mary’s sense of disgust deepened. Her white Tretorns—once pristine and polished, now ruined beyond hope—squelched audibly with every move. The vent holes on the sides of the shoes were spurting little streams of muddy water, dribbling from each increment. With every step, that sickening squelch was accompanied by another disheartening plume of brown liquid shooting out from those once-stylish perforations.

Squelch. Splat. Squelch.

"Oh my GOD," Mary muttered, her expression contorted in absolute repulsion. “This feels so gross! There’s, like, actual mud in my shoes—it’s pouring out." She kicked out one foot in a futile attempt to dislodge some of the muck, managing only to send a light spray of dirty water flying.

Becky, equally miserable but quieter as she walked beside Mary, was suffering in her own right. The once lovely, clean white Keds that she'd worn for the first time that day had turned into squishy, muddy weights on her feet. She could feel the cold, slimy mud sloshing around inside, coating her toes, creeping into every crevice of her canvas shoes. Each step felt like she was sinking deeper into some kind of nightmare.

“Ugh!” Becky grimaced as her toes wriggled uncomfortably inside the soaked shoes. “I can feel it between my toes! These were brand new, Mary!" she whined, lifting one foot up pitifully and revealing the mud-caked sole. “I thought this was supposed to be a shortcut, not a mud bath!” She cringed as she shuffled forward, dreading every step that sent the cold, wet muck squelching against her feet.

They finally reached Chad’s porch, and Chad—still barely holding back his laughter—went inside to grab them towels. As they stood there drenched and waiting, Mary couldn’t resist fishing her phone from her equally soaked bag. She had to call her mom—immediately. She dialed quickly, her free hand brushing her muddied hair from her face, which just made it worse.

The call connected, and before her mother could even say hello, Mary launched into a tirade. “Mom! You have no idea what just happened! You're not going to, like, believe this!” Mary’s voice was high-pitched and utterly exasperated, as though this were the tragedy of the century. “We decided to take this shortcut through the woods—because we missed our ride—and it was supposed to save time, but instead, we ended up in some disgusting forest trail and, let me tell you, it was horrible! We had to cross these, like, gross stepping stones and these rickety boards over muddy pits! And Becky and I, like, totally fell into this huge puddle!” Her voice cracked with frustration as she emphasized the words, "huge puddle."

Her mother, on the other end of the call, listened with barely concealed amusement. “Oh honey, a shortcut through the woods? That doesn’t sound like the Mary I know,” she chuckled softly, her voice light with teasing affection. “To what, Chad’s house, I assume?”

“Mom! This is not, like, funny! My Tretorns are ruined! There’s mud everywhere!” Mary fumed, standing there with wet clumps of dirt practically sliding down her legs. She huffed impatiently while her mother continued chuckling.

“Well, sweetie,” her mother said through her laughter, “maybe next time you should stick to the sidewalk. The woods aren’t exactly a runway, you know.”

Mary groaned loudly, holding the phone away from her face dramatically, not wanting to hear another word of playful sarcasm. “Ugh, you just don't get it. I’ll call you later.”

She hung up in a huff as if it were her mother’s fault that white shoes and mud didn’t mix.

Meanwhile, Becky had pulled out her own phone, her fingers still covered in traces of mud as she hit dial and shakily waited for her mom to pick up. When her mom answered, Becky resisted the urge to just start screaming.

“Mom,” Becky said in a voice that could only be described as the epitome of whiny desperation. “You’re not going to believe what happened to me today. Remember my new white dress you spent, like, twenty minutes ironing this morning?” She paused for effect. "Yeah... well, it’s totally ruined."

Her mom was immediately concerned. “Ruined? Becky, what happened?”

In true dramatic Becky style, she inhaled sharply, building up her speech. “So, we missed our ride after school, right? No big deal, because Chad’s house is just down the road, so Mary was like, ‘Why don’t we just take the shortcut through the woods?’ and I’m thinking, sure, what could go wrong?” She started really laying it on thick now. “Turns out, everything, Mom! We ended up having to cross this—this MUD PIT—on some old board! And it cracked,” Becky’s voice raised dramatically as if recounting a Shakespearean tragedy. “We both fell right into the mud and water! My new Keds are trashed! My dress is beyond wrecked. And I have mud, like, everywhere.”

There was a pause as Becky’s mother stifled a giggle. “Oh Becky, sweetheart, you took a shortcut through the woods? You know how you are with, well... outdoor adventures.” Her mother’s voice was filled with the mix of affection and amusement only a parent can master.

“Mom!” Becky snapped. “This is so not funny! Do you have any idea how long it took me to—oh my gosh, I can still feel the mud in my shoes!” She replaced her dramatic plea with a whimper, her voice quivering in exaggerated betrayal. “I just bought these Keds too! This was supposed to be the perfect day…”

Her mom couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into laughter. “Becky, honey, I love you, but you really have to calm down. You’re not meant to trek through the wilderness on brand-new Tretorns and Keds!”

“Clearly!” Becky seethed. “Next time, I’ll just, like, never leave the house again.”

Her mom continued giggling softly. “Oh Becky… call me when you’re all cleaned up. We can go shopping for new shoes tomorrow.”

Becky hung up with a pout, shooting a tired glance at Mary, who was equally sulking as they waited, mud dripping from their ruined outfits.

“I can’t believe our moms think this is funny,” Mary muttered, folding her arms across her mud-streaked chest.

“I know, right?” Becky agreed, kicking a stone with her still-squelching shoe. “They just don’t understand…”

They stood there, two mud-covered girls with ruined outfits and even more ruined dignity, waiting for towels, already planning how they were going to make this ordeal everyone else’s fault.

Mary called her mom back and asked, “You seem to think that my accident is funny. Why? What are you picturing as Becky and I attempted our cut through the woods? Tell me how you are seeing it play out in your mind.”

Becky called her mom back and asked her the same question.

Describe both moms responses in detail.

 

[FeedBot]

Mary called her mom back and asked, “You seem to think that my accident is funny. Why? What are you picturing as Becky and I attempted our cut through the woods? Tell me how you are seeing it play out in your mind.”

Becky called her mom back and asked her the same question.

Describe both moms responses in detail.

### Mary’s Call:

Mary sighed dramatically as she hit redial on her phone, her fingers still slick with mud. She’d just endured what felt like the most embarrassing conversation of her life, and her mother had had the nerve to laugh. Mary was determined to understand why her discomfort had turned into such apparent amusement.

Her mother picked up almost immediately, the smile clear in her voice. "Back already, sweetie?"

“Mom!” Mary’s voice was laced with frustration. “You said you thought this was funny—what, exactly, are you picturing when you think about Becky and me trying to cut through the woods? Clearly, you weren’t taking me seriously!”

Her mother paused, as if gathering herself before another round of chuckles. “Oh honey, it’s not that I wasn’t taking you seriously, but... well, okay, I’ll tell you what I’m picturing.”

Mary rolled her eyes, already regretting asking—but she stayed quiet, waiting for the explanation she both dreaded and desperately needed.

Her mother sighed again, the warmth in her voice unmistakable as she began describing the mental image she'd formed: “I’m picturing you, my high-maintenance princess, setting foot out of the car seriously thinking you could conquer the woods in those perfect little Tretorns of yours—like this was going to be some fashion runway crossed with a nature hike."

Mary huffed but didn’t interrupt, her brows furrowing.

“And then, of course," her mom continued, "you immediately start realizing how unprepared you are because you know, trees and real ground aren’t as forgiving as sidewalks. You’re probably holding onto your purse like it's a flotation device, trying not to look too disheveled while secretly panicking every time a twig scrapes at your shoes.”

Her mom’s voice was light, clearly painting this scene in her mind as though it were fresh out of a slapstick comedy.

“And OH!" she laughed again, "the part where you come face-to-face with a obstacle—a stream, or mud, or whatever it was. I can see the look on your face right now. The sheer horror of realizing your new white shoes might get dirty… and the way you’d have stared at that water, just willing it to clear up like you had magic powers. And then, of course, once you start sliding and splashing into mud… well, I imagine you both resembled two baby deer trying to figure out why their legs weren’t working anymore.”

Mary groaned, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment as her mom’s visualization conjured up worse thoughts than she’d originally considered. “Mom!” she protested weakly, though even she couldn’t help but feel a little bit defeated in the face of that exact sequence of events.

“And you, trying to maintain some level of dignity as you flail through mud in your Tretorns—oh COME on, Mary, you have to admit…” her mom said, restraining another laugh. “It’s at least a little funny.”

Mary stood there, looking down at her muddied shoes as they made squelching sounds. She hated that her mom was right. Worse, the more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it actually seemed.

“…Okay,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “Maybe. A little.”

Her mom smiled over the phone. “There you go. Now, go inside and get cleaned up, sweetie. You’ll laugh about this yourself one day.”

Mary sighed, feeling just a little of her frustration melt away.

---

### Becky’s Call:

Meanwhile, Becky was nursing her own sour mood as she dialed her mom for a follow-up. If Mary’s mom found the whole ordeal funny, Becky was sure her mom was probably on the floor with laughter by now. As soon as her mother answered with a light and cheery, “Hey sweetheart, everything okay?” Becky jumped right to the point.

“Mom!” she groaned. “You were laughing at me earlier! What's so funny about what happened?! I want to know what you’re picturing—because clearly, I'm missing the joke.”

Her mom didn’t miss a beat and launched into her own mental playback of what had likely transpired.

“Well, darling, it’s just...” A familiar chuckle escaped her lips before she could continue. “I know how much you care about your outfits, and I can just see you—wearing that cute little sundress and those squeaky-white Keds, thinking you’re about to conquer a nature walk like it’s no big deal! But you, Becky, are more of a… well, let’s just say you’ve never been one to fare well outside the confines of a shopping mall.”

Becky sighed deeply, already irritated but unable to interrupt.

“I imagine,” her mom continued, “you and Mary get halfway into those woods before you realize, ‘Oh… this is really happening. This is actual nature,’ isn’t it? All the while you're trying so hard not to let a speck of dirt touch that dress. I can just hear you now, saying, ‘Ugh! There's bugs!’—because, well, that’s exactly how you are.”

Becky groaned, her eyes rolling so far back it felt exhausting. But her mom wasn’t finished.

"And of course, then," her mom added, "that moment where the two of you face down your greatest enemy of the day—a mud pit. I can just picture you both trying to cross it like it’s some ancient moat, with arms flailing for balance. You, sweetie, probably trying to do some sort of gymnastics-like maneuver across that board, thinking you’ve got it, only for... snap!"

Her mom started laughing again. “Oh, and when you both fell… I imagine you both just froze for a split second before the realization hit: ‘We’re absolutely covered in mud. Our shoes are ruined!’ My poor Becky, worrying more about your Keds than getting out of the mud itself.”

Becky was utterly embarrassed hearing her mom’s description, but she couldn’t deny it. That was exactly how she had reacted.

“You are such a drama queen, Becky,” her mom added warmly, though without malice. “Every little inconvenience feels like the whole world’s crashing down, but sweetie... sometimes, you’ve just gotta let go and laugh at the disaster.”

Becky shook her head, grimacing as she lifted an arm smeared with mud. “Well… I guess it was kind of ridiculous.”

Her mom’s comforting voice softened. “There you go. Laugh it off, then go get cleaned up. This is just one of those things, honey. It’ll be okay.”

---

Both girls stood there, covered in mud but feeling just a little lighter after hearing their moms' perspectives. Though they still felt utterly humiliated, there was something in the way their mothers had described the event that made everything feel a little less catastrophic. Maybe, just maybe, it would be something they could laugh about another day—even if today wasn’t that day.

 

[RonR]

### Mary’s Call:

Mary sighed dramatically as she hit redial on her phone, her fingers still slick with mud. She’d just endured what felt like the most embarrassing conversation of her life, and her mother had had the nerve to laugh. Mary was determined to understand why her discomfort had turned into such apparent amusement.

Her mother picked up almost immediately, the smile clear in her voice. "Back already, sweetie?"

“Mom!” Mary’s voice was laced with frustration. “You said you thought this was funny—what, exactly, are you picturing when you think about Becky and me trying to cut through the woods? Clearly, you weren’t taking me seriously!”

Her mother paused, as if gathering herself before another round of chuckles. “Oh honey, it’s not that I wasn’t taking you seriously, but... well, okay, I’ll tell you what I’m picturing.”

Mary rolled her eyes, already regretting asking—but she stayed quiet, waiting for the explanation she both dreaded and desperately needed.

Her mother sighed again, the warmth in her voice unmistakable as she began describing the mental image she'd formed: “I’m picturing you, my high-maintenance princess, setting foot out of the car seriously thinking you could conquer the woods in those perfect little Tretorns of yours—like this was going to be some fashion runway crossed with a nature hike."

Mary huffed but didn’t interrupt, her brows furrowing.

“And then, of course," her mom continued, "you immediately start realizing how unprepared you are because you know, trees and real ground aren’t as forgiving as sidewalks. You’re probably holding onto your purse like it's a flotation device, trying not to look too disheveled while secretly panicking every time a twig scrapes at your shoes.”

Her mom’s voice was light, clearly painting this scene in her mind as though it were fresh out of a slapstick comedy.

“And OH!" she laughed again, "the part where you come face-to-face with a obstacle—a stream, or mud, or whatever it was. I can see the look on your face right now. The sheer horror of realizing your new white shoes might get dirty… and the way you’d have stared at that water, just willing it to clear up like you had magic powers. And then, of course, once you start sliding and splashing into mud… well, I imagine you both resembled two baby deer trying to figure out why their legs weren’t working anymore.”

Mary groaned, feeling her cheeks flush with embarrassment as her mom’s visualization conjured up worse thoughts than she’d originally considered. “Mom!” she protested weakly, though even she couldn’t help but feel a little bit defeated in the face of that exact sequence of events.

“And you, trying to maintain some level of dignity as you flail through mud in your Tretorns—oh COME on, Mary, you have to admit…” her mom said, restraining another laugh. “It’s at least a little funny.”

Mary stood there, looking down at her muddied shoes as they made squelching sounds. She hated that her mom was right. Worse, the more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it actually seemed.

“…Okay,” she muttered, crossing her arms. “Maybe. A little.”

Her mom smiled over the phone. “There you go. Now, go inside and get cleaned up, sweetie. You’ll laugh about this yourself one day.”

Mary sighed, feeling just a little of her frustration melt away.

---

### Becky’s Call:

Meanwhile, Becky was nursing her own sour mood as she dialed her mom for a follow-up. If Mary’s mom found the whole ordeal funny, Becky was sure her mom was probably on the floor with laughter by now. As soon as her mother answered with a light and cheery, “Hey sweetheart, everything okay?” Becky jumped right to the point.

“Mom!” she groaned. “You were laughing at me earlier! What's so funny about what happened?! I want to know what you’re picturing—because clearly, I'm missing the joke.”

Her mom didn’t miss a beat and launched into her own mental playback of what had likely transpired.

“Well, darling, it’s just...” A familiar chuckle escaped her lips before she could continue. “I know how much you care about your outfits, and I can just see you—wearing that cute little sundress and those squeaky-white Keds, thinking you’re about to conquer a nature walk like it’s no big deal! But you, Becky, are more of a… well, let’s just say you’ve never been one to fare well outside the confines of a shopping mall.”

Becky sighed deeply, already irritated but unable to interrupt.

“I imagine,” her mom continued, “you and Mary get halfway into those woods before you realize, ‘Oh… this is really happening. This is actual nature,’ isn’t it? All the while you're trying so hard not to let a speck of dirt touch that dress. I can just hear you now, saying, ‘Ugh! There's bugs!’—because, well, that’s exactly how you are.”

Becky groaned, her eyes rolling so far back it felt exhausting. But her mom wasn’t finished.

"And of course, then," her mom added, "that moment where the two of you face down your greatest enemy of the day—a mud pit. I can just picture you both trying to cross it like it’s some ancient moat, with arms flailing for balance. You, sweetie, probably trying to do some sort of gymnastics-like maneuver across that board, thinking you’ve got it, only for... snap!"

Her mom started laughing again. “Oh, and when you both fell… I imagine you both just froze for a split second before the realization hit: ‘We’re absolutely covered in mud. Our shoes are ruined!’ My poor Becky, worrying more about your Keds than getting out of the mud itself.”

Becky was utterly embarrassed hearing her mom’s description, but she couldn’t deny it. That was exactly how she had reacted.

“You are such a drama queen, Becky,” her mom added warmly, though without malice. “Every little inconvenience feels like the whole world’s crashing down, but sweetie... sometimes, you’ve just gotta let go and laugh at the disaster.”

Becky shook her head, grimacing as she lifted an arm smeared with mud. “Well… I guess it was kind of ridiculous.”

Her mom’s comforting voice softened. “There you go. Laugh it off, then go get cleaned up. This is just one of those things, honey. It’ll be okay.”

---

Both girls stood there, covered in mud but feeling just a little lighter after hearing their moms' perspectives. Though they still felt utterly humiliated, there was something in the way their mothers had described the event that made everything feel a little less catastrophic. Maybe, just maybe, it would be something they could laugh about another day—even if today wasn’t that day.

Mary said to her mom that it wasn’t fair that she got dirty because she wasn’t dressed for getting dirty. Describe mom’ response.

Becky said the same thing to her mom. Describe her mom’s response.

 

[FeedBot]

Mary said to her mom that it wasn’t fair that she got dirty because she wasn’t dressed for getting dirty. Describe mom’ response.

Becky said the same thing to her mom. Describe her mom’s response.

### Mary’s Call:

Mary, still fuming as she attempted to wipe some stubborn mud off her shorts, couldn't let the matter go. She redialed her mom, frustrated beyond words by the entire ordeal. The thought of how unfair it all was gnawed at her. She wasn’t some outdoorsy kid! She was prepared for a casual outing with Chad, not an impromptu mud bath.

“Mom!" she started before her mother could even get a word in. "It’s just so unfair! I wasn’t even dressed for getting dirty! My Tretorns are completely ruined. I wasn’t supposed to fall in mud—I shouldn’t have been anywhere near mud! It wasn’t fair!”

Her mother, still clearly holding back her chuckles, gave a long, understanding sigh. “Oh Mary,” she began, the warmth lacing her voice again. “I get it—you didn’t plan to get dirty. But here’s the thing… life doesn’t exactly care how you’re ‘dressed.’ You could be in full glam with heels or in cargo pants—nature doesn't really check first."

Mary opened her mouth to object, but her mom carried on.

"You weren't expecting mud, I get it. But honey, the minute you decided to walk through the woods for that 'shortcut,' you made an unspoken deal with the universe: if you’re walking through nature, you might get dirty.” She paused for another soft chuckle. “Getting dirty doesn’t exactly ask for your permission. That’s just part of the adventure—even if you're in your best prep school outfit.”

“An adventure?" Mary spat, scandalized by the word. "More like a disaster!”

Her mom’s tone softened, laced with amusement but also that knowing affection. "I know it feels unfair, but sweetie… sometimes you can't control every little detail. Whether you were dressed for it or not, you got dirty. And you know what? You’ll survive it.” There was a lightness to her words, as her mom clearly saw more humor in the situation than Mary did.

“It’s just not fair,” Mary whined one last time, though with less anger now. More resignation.

“Honey, life isn’t always fair—especially to white shoes,” her mom quipped, the smirk audible in her voice.

Mary groaned and hung up, but a small part of her couldn’t help but feel like maybe, maybe, her mom had a point.

---

### Becky’s Call:

Becky, on the other hand, was sulking in her now-heavy, mud-soaked sundress. She too had been thinking about how unfair it felt. Lifting her dress slightly to try to air out her legs, she dialed her mom again, unable to shake the feeling that there’d been some cosmic mistake.

As soon as her mom picked up, Becky launched into her complaint. “Mom, this seriously isn’t fair. I wasn’t dressed for anything like that! It’s not like I was out hiking—I was in a cute sundress and brand-new Keds! I shouldn’t have had to get dirty at all!”

Her mom, more familiar than anyone with Becky’s flair for over-dramatics, let out a gentle laugh. Clearly, this wasn’t her first Becky-induced crisis. "Oh, sweetheart,” she said gently but with amusement tinging her tone, “whether you were dressed for it or not, you decided to take that ‘shortcut,’ didn’t you?”

Becky huffed on the other end of the line, her lips pulling into a pout. “Well, yeah, but I didn’t plan on falling in the mud! I was supposed to be meeting Chad, not, not—" Becky stumbled for the words to describe the disaster, "—doing a mud-wrestling impression!”

Her mom giggled warmly again, completely at ease despite Becky’s escalating frustration. "Becky, life doesn’t always care what you’re wearing. You could be in your best dress or your rattiest jeans—if you set foot outside, sometimes things happen. You don’t get to choose when the universe hurls mud at you—literally or figuratively." Her voice remained light but firmly practical.

"Mom," Becky whined, "I’m always careful with my clothes, and…" She paused, clearly wanting to find something to blame other than herself.

Her mom cut in lightly, "My dear, you can be dressed however you like, but nature doesn’t play by dress codes. And walking through the woods, no matter how carefully you think you're stepping, carries a risk."

Becky groaned audibly, her hands moving to her now sad, clumpy hair. “I didn’t sign up for this.”

"Well," her mother said brightly, "think of it this way: it’s like Mother Nature’s little reminder that getting dirty is just a part of life, no matter how cute your shoes are."

Becky glared down at her now-fearfully ruined Keds, defeated. "It’s not fair…" she mumbled one last time.

“You’re absolutely right,” Becky’s mom replied with more amusement. "But now you’ve got a story to tell."

Becky sighed deeply. “Yeah, a story that ends with Chad seeing me look like I crawled out of Swamp Thing.”

Her mother just chuckled softly again. “I’m sure Chad will survive. And honestly, it sounds like you’re going to survive too, sweetie—mud and all.”

With that, Becky quieted down, accepting the inevitable: sometimes, even perfect outfits get messy. And as much as it stung now, her mom’s easygoing response was already making her see just the tiniest bit of humor in it.