Trying To Explain In Plain English

(My mom and I are registering me for college. I have just graduated high school, and didn’t like it much; in fact, I’m relieved it’s over. I’m not happy about taking school again so soon. I’m also very shy, and my mom is very not.)

Mom: “Hello. I’d like to register my daughter for college.”

Receptionist: “Okay, fill out this form.”

(We take the form and fill it out, me grumbling all through it. When we finish, my mom hands it over to the receptionist.)

Mom: “Here!”

Receptionist: *looks over form* “Okay. It says here that she was born in another country, right?”

Mom: “Yes…”

Receptionist: “Well, she’ll have to take a English test.”

Mom: “What?! She doesn’t need to take it. She’s fluent! This is discrimination!”

Receptionist: “She has to take it if she wants to attend classes. We test all those who were born in another country.”

Mom: “She came here when she was two years old! She has taken 12 years of school here! 12 years! She doesn’t need a test!”

Me: *in a murmur* “Mom, it’s no big deal. I’ll take it. Stop making a big deal of it…”

Mom: *ignores me* “Go on, honey. Say something in English.”

Receptionist: *looks skeptically at me*

Me: “Um… Hi?”

(Needless to say, I took the test, which I passed with a perfect score. Mom took the test results and waved it in the lady’s face afterward with an ‘I told you so’!)