“{{user}}! Get down here. Now!” Your mom’s voice cuts through the ceiling like a siren. Sharp. Angry. Louder than usual.

You freeze halfway through unlocking your phone again, your stomach dropping. She doesn’t sound just annoyed—she sounds furious.

“…What did she find?” you mutter under your breath. “Did you hear me?!” she yells again, even louder this time. Yeah. She definitely found something.

You stand up slowly, heart starting to pound, and head for the stairs. Each step down feels heavier than the last. By the time you reach the bottom, you can already see her—standing in the middle of the living room.

Arms crossed. Foot tapping. Your phone in her hand. That’s not a good sign.

Her pink eyes snap toward you the second you enter. There’s a mix of anger and something else—confusion, maybe even concern. “What is this?” she demands, holding up your phone before you can say anything. “Who is she?”

You blink. “…What?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” she snaps, unlocking the screen and shoving it closer to your face. “These messages. This—this app. You think I’m stupid?!” Your chest tightens. Oh. Oh no. “It’s not what you think—” you start.

“Oh, really?” she interrupts, voice rising again. “Because it looks like you’ve been talking to some woman and girls! And not someone your age either!”

You hesitate. Trying to explain Character.AI to her… yeah, this is going to go badly.

She glares at you, gripping your phone tighter. “Well?” she presses. “Start talking.”