Holiday Parties & High School Reunions (ft. Laren)

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What is up, Daddy Gang?

It is your founding father, Alex Cooper, with Call Her Daddy. Daddy Gang, welcome back to another episode of Call Her Daddy.
I am joined today by my lovely best friend, fan favorite, Lauren McMullen, or as I call her, Lauren. Hello, Daddy Gang.
We were just laughing because we rarely do this when we podcast together. We've never podcasted with like notes or a laptop.
But something came over us and maybe it's because it's like the holiday season. We like really wanted to come prepared and give the gift of a little bit of an organized episode.
It's still going to be a little unhinged, but Lauren and I wanted to talk about Thanksgiving this year together because what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than you guys popping on an episode of color daddy and hanging out with Lauren and I, I'm so aware that some of you could be alone today. Maybe you fucking hate your family.
Maybe you love your family and you're listening to this with your family. Regardless, we are here for you.
So let's just get into it. We haven't even talked about this.
What are you going to be doing for Thanksgiving this year? So I'm doing two Thanksgivings this year. I'm doing one in Louisiana in the middle of November.
And then I'm doing one in Pennsylvania on actual Thanksgiving. Oh, wow.
Wasn't entirely planned to do two Thanksgivings. I've never done two Thanksgivings before, but I guess we'll just rip the bandaid off in the first minute of the episode.
I recently went through a breakup and the plan was to spend Thanksgiving with my ex-boyfriend's family. So I was going to do with my own family in the middle of November and then go celebrate with his family on actual Thanksgiving.
So now I'm just celebrating Thanksgiving twice with both sides of my family. Okay.
Well, I'm going to be honest. I don't think there is a better holiday to have two of than Thanksgiving because it's just meaning that you're getting to eat really good food.
So I feel like that's kind of a blessing. I'm not like really complaining.
What are you doing? Wait, you're hosting and that wasn't supposed to be the plan. Thank you.
Thank you. I was not supposed to be hosting this year.
I was very, very adamant about not hosting. I think I talked about this on an episode before, but I'm, I'm a good host, but I really have to be in the mood.
And I think there's no escape for you. Oh, there is no escape.
And you're like an escape artist at like a party. Yes.
Like I like to relax and I like to get out when I want to get out. And I feel like Matt and I've been so busy that holidays are so important to me.
Like I really, really want to spend time with him and I want to be present. And I know that when you're hosting, you can't really be present with each other.
Like I'm not going going to be sitting on Matt's lap like making out with him and like shoving cornbread in my face like I'm going to be making sure everyone is like situated and their plates are filled and like we're eating last and like so the plan was how did you get like cornered into this right so like why the fuck am I hosting yeah so I think we were first initially saying don't host because we thought like my family was coming to and we thought it was going to be like a couple of years ago. It was literally like 40 something people.
It was fucking insane. And we had people inside and outside and it was just overwhelming.
Now this year, Matt's mom called us and was like, you guys, it's literally just our internal side of the family on Matt's side. Like my family staying on the East Coast this year.
So it's going smaller so first she was gonna be hosting and then all of a sudden matt and i were like should we just offer like i felt bad because our house is a very good hosting house your house is very conducive to hosting you got the inside you got the outside you got the outdoor heaters you got the outdoor bar oh yeah we definitely set ourselves up to host so I think we just had a moment where we're like why are we making your mom do this like let's just fucking take it once you get over the mental hump of hosting not that I host many things I feel like once you get over the mental hump then you can kind of start to get cozy and be like well now I get to pick exactly the foods I want I get to pick exactly the vibe and the people and like now you can just like own it and make it exactly what you want no you're right and there was also something about like mentally for a minute thinking that Matt's mom was doing it now that it's like I don't know why but it's something like knowing someone else was gonna do it and now it's back on me I am less stressed than the whole time it had been like Matt and Alex are hosting this entire year now it's kind of like who gives a fuck where it is let's just like last minute if I don't have matching things

I'm taking one for the team I'm doing this for you so like no judgment okay so what's your menu

oh what's my menu yeah I'm not thought that far ahead oh no Matt's mom is gonna be cooking

everything Matt's mom and Matt's sister will be doing all the cooking and Matt and I always to

every single family event we bring the alcohol we are not the chefs in the family but I have

I'm going eat. Yeah.
What do you want to eat? Are we going over like our favorite Thanksgiving foods right now? Hit me. Hit me.
We've never talked about this as friends. And I feel like we, I feel like we kind of have different food palates when it like things we like.
If we go to a restaurant, we're good because we'll do a group order and we're always aligned but for some reason I feel like we're not about to be aligned on this okay so my favorite like should I just do like top favorite Thanksgiving foods okay first are you a sides person or are you a main course person I'm a sides person I think that's the obvious answer like you're a main course person like yeah what the fuck are you doing it's like you're like you're looking forward to the appetizers when you're at a dinner more than you're looking to the main event okay so I would say I'm the sides person I would say I couldn't number one on my list and I know this is controversial maybe is stuffing I am a stuffing girl through and through are you a stuffing girl it's low that's pretty low on my list I feel like stuffings can go wrong really quick and they can be dry no I am I was like I don't want to be come off as high maintenance but my mother-in-law loves to cook for me like you were here and she was like she brought us a pumpkin pie and was like girls texting you later like how's the pie how's the pie did you try the pie she loves to cook for me and I remember it was like the first Thanksgiving I was doing with Matt. And I'm such a fucking freak about stuffing.
And I remember I was like whispering to Matt before we went to his mom's. I'm like, I just like feel like you've been kind of telling me your family doesn't like emphasize carbs as much and like stuffing.
And I'm really getting anxious because like I'm a carb family. Like I love my mashed potatoes.
Matt's family is healthy. So I would be anxious going in and be like, are you going to be doing like-free stuffing I was like just to cut the carbs Lauren I was absolutely on the edge of my seat being like I don't want to fucking miss out on a good Thanksgiving if you guys are doing healthy like let me know and I'll go to Boston Market pick up a couple bring my own exactly and so his mom for my first Thanksgiving made two different stuffings to complete that's when when, you know, that's when, you know, she was so nice.
And I remember trying. What was the difference between the two? One was way more like fat, fat kid.
And it was just like doused in everything, butter and like all the things. And then the one that was like somewhat healthier that other people were eating was actually pretty phenomenal, but she's a great cook.
But overall stuffing, number one number one I would say creamed corn the sweet potatoes with the marshmallows on top oh that's my number one I have to have the good cornbread the thing is with Thanksgiving food you guys I'm someone that dips it all together like I'm gonna get my turkey or my ham oh you hate that and they can't touch I'm not the weird person who's like oh my god my food can't touch but like i do not mix it all around i'll go back three times because i'll do like little ventures so they stay in their sections you're not gonna get a little turkey with gravy and put a little like mashed potatoes on it gravy and turkey that's normal but like a little stuffing on like with it no no, no. Please fucking comment down below.
Are you an Alex or a Lauren? I need a like, I need a sandwich essentially of my food all together in my mouth. Ideally, I have one of those child's plates that has like the dividers and they keep them in their section.
So nothing's bleeding over and touching. Okay, wait, what is your top like go to? So my family is from like louisiana and like the deep south so like our thanksgiving foods are like so like southern and rich and like i love them yeah number one is definitely the sweet potato casserole with the uh brown sugar and the mushrooms on top number two would be green mushrooms marshmallows oh my god because i'm already thinking ahead to the green bean casserole with the mushrooms and that but god forbid those touch that would be disgusting green bean casserole green bean casserole it's like literally canned green beans with canned cream of mushroom soup and the canned or the little french onion things that you put on top and you bake them oh wait that sounds amazing so good wait i don't think i've ever had that you know something i saw on social media what about Thanksgiving food someone was like do you think it's like telling why we only eat Thanksgiving foods once a year because they're not good I'm the other creep on social media that like posted being like why can't we eat stuffing for every meal when you and Matt were like legit like getting in a fight the other night you're like yeah so the other Thanksgiving I woke up and like Matt threw away all the leftovers this was a literal point of contention in my home and it was what okay so it was the first time we hosted and when you are not hosting you're not taking fucking leftovers from people's house so this was the first in our relationship I remember oh so you if you're a guest you leave all the leftovers for the host usually unless they offer it to you okay I also want to hear comments on that like if you're the host don't you agree you get to keep the leftovers and unless you offer it yeah unless you're offloading so fast forward we host for the first time and I remember I had like I I promise I I really I love how I say I promise in my brain I really thought I told Matt to keep the leftovers now in hindsight I don't think I told him I think it was in my brain like a fucking no-brainer Matt like what are you fucking doing if you give all the leftovers away so I remember I came down the next morning and like something I used to do is a tradition in my family we would make um like Thanksgiving sandwiches the next day for lunch yeah like with bread and some cranberry sauce and the turkey and the gravy and the whole thing.
I like saunter downstairs ready to eat a pumpkin pie slice. And I open my refrigerator and it's spotless.
And I was like. Knowing Matt, you probably like wiped it down, too.
It was like freshly cleaned. Like not even the smell of Thanksgiving was left behind.
No, not literally Clorox to the fucking brim. And I remember I look in the refrigerator.
I'm like, look in our other place. I'm like looking all over and I looked him at.
I'm like, where's the food? And he's like, oh, like everyone took leftovers. Like there's nothing left.
So probably so proud. Like, honey, I got it all out of the house for us.
Don't worry. And I'm mortified.
And I remember being like, Matt, like I'm genuinely upset to the point where I made him go to the grocery store with me that day and buy the stuffing mix so that I could remake stuffing for myself so I could have it with dinner.

And yes, I brought that up to Matt because I was like, if we're hosting this year, you better believe, motherfucker, we are not giving away our fucking food.

And he was like, OK, babe, like it makes you wonder how I'm married to this man. Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Viore.
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Check out the VIP treatment at T-Mobile dot com slash benefits. What is the vibe of your Thanksgiving? So like, is it like stuffy, formal? Are you getting dressed up or like are you wearing like this? So here's a problem that I feel like I deal with not even just in Thanksgiving but like my every single day life is like I want to be the girl that dresses up I want to put together a cute outfit that like someone puts on their Pinterest board like I want to be that but I love being comfortable more than anything in my life like I don't know I don.
I pop a button at dinner. Oh, like I like don't like having my birthday dinner.
I literally got up to go to the bathroom. I was like, oh, fuck.
My pants are on. Let me sit back down and put them back together.
It was Matt and I were at a business dinner the other night. He's going to kill me for saying this.
But my family, like the Coopers, like we unbutton at the table.

Okay.

I'm an unbuttoner. Right.

Like it is a said thing.

And Matt, you know, Matt, like he just like would never do that.

Matt's proper.

Matt's more proper.

And so Matt would just like never do that.

And he, ever since he's like known me, he started to slowly do it.

And so he would find himself a moment.

I know.

So he starts unbuttoning at dinners. Even if he's having a fucking straight vodka martini he's like boom open it up we are at a fucking work dinner and he gets up and I look at his pants full three buttons down and I'm like Maddie and he didn't catch it I don't think anyone saw it but I was laughing because it's like we unbutton in our home.
So back to your question. Yeah.
What are you wearing? I want to dress up in some capacity, especially if I'm a host, like in my heart, I want to lean into that Nancy Meyers, like be a host, be cozy. But the reality is I at least am going to have to wear some form of elasticity.
But this is what I'm realizing with being a host. This is going to be my situation.
People are going to show up and I'm probably going to do a sweater and like jeans and like a boot situation or like a little skirt and like tights and a boot. Like I'll show up and look cute.
And halfway through the night, I'm going to come back down the stairs and I will be in a full sweatsuit. Benefit of hosting.
You can do an outfit change change every single time I host a party or anything at my house that is the one thing and everyone mentions it and everyone also like whenever you host everyone ends up in your clothes yes because you end up dressing everyone like the end of the night every girl at the party that you're hosting yes is fully in one of your sweatsuits because I am like the peer pressure I hope in a good way where I'm like it's getting late let's change the vibe let's change the vibe come on guys like you don't want to actually be in those fucking i'll look at chris and be like you don't want to be in those jeans she's like i'm completely fine i'm like no come on you don't want to be in those jeans and i like bully everyone to go upstairs and change into my pants wait what is your vibe gonna be are you formal are you not formal no not formal at all with my dad's side of the family i'm the oldest cousin and i'm the only girl cousin so like it's not like I have like other cousins who I'm like let's go get ready you're like what are you wearing let's do our makeup I'm with just like my brother and all my guy cousins okay I like take a nap and I wake up I'm like oh it's like time to eat and I haven't showered today I haven't done my hair I'm putting on my makeup and like in theory I agree like I want to look back at the family photos and be like oh like that was a good year for me but like I look back I always look like shit oh my god like I look like I haven't like showered in days at family Thanksgiving that's what I will say that my sister is good at doing like Catherine is always down to dress up and like I know for Christmas this year like she's always gonna go out loud and I'm like it makes me want to dress up with her I wish I had a little someone putting a little peer pressure I know and and I feel like Matt's family is no one is gonna show up in sweats but they're very like casual like they'll do like jeans and sweaters they're like elevated basics yeah quiet luxury Matt's mom is watching this being like keep going Lauren what else um else? No, but you're right. It's like,

it's chill, but it's still elevated. Okay.
Next question. Oh, okay.
Something I wrote down was,

are your holidays the type where you have to navigate difficult conversations?

Oh, that's such a good question. Well, I think the first like obvious answer is every single year of my life has changed, like when I was starting call her starting call her daddy and all my like extended family was like you fucking whore and I was like oh my god um now with um my internal family and like Matt's internal family no I think if I'm gonna have to I wouldn't even say navigate difficult conversations but if I had to be if someone had to be like what are you not as looking forward to I think it's now where we're at the point where maybe it's more about like people socially and I so understand where they're coming from but like just socially asking like when are you guys gonna have kids I think people don't realize like how personal of a question that is yes because I have had so many different people in LA that I'm close with I've had people that it took them a year to get pregnant I've had people that got pregnant after literally the first time they tried I have people that have fertility issues have people that are freezing their eggs.
Like I know so many different women and literally I would say, I don't know any woman that's had at like a similar almost experience in my life right now. And so of course Matt and I want kids, but I feel like I'm, I don't know, whenever I'm in those positions, I'm kind of like, this isn't really the time to talk about it.
And I know that if anyone asks us, it's genuinely coming from a place of like, they love us and they're just like good intentions, excitement. Yeah.
And like, it's really coming from like, oh my gosh, we're so excited for you too. And like, we want that next chapter and that next generation.
But I do think that, um, if anyone is listening to this at Thanksgiving this year and your sibling or your cousin oh I thought you were saying if anyone in my family is listening to this right now you're planning to ask me when I'm having kids knock it off no but I also well you know what it also is and I think this is a part of it too that Matt and I have discussed is like not knowing what my personal experience will be with one trying to get pregnant when it comes time that I want to do that. It's like, I could literally say to someone like, yeah, like we're going to try this next month.
And then what if I can't get pregnant? You know what I mean? I don't want to talk about things of timelines because I am so aware that there is no fucking timeline. There is no right time to get pregnant.
There is no exact, like there, none're none of it so I I think I'm more just like adverse the entire conversation but I'm not like please don't ask me about that I'm more just I always just kind of avoid it I'm like oh I don't know like we're still like think we're taught there's just so many layers to it and things you need to figure out yourself before like you share with other people you miss McMullen oh I know I'm gonna be asked like oh my gosh so like what happened well what happened what happened and then two like i think just like oh like you're we're 30 now and we're single and like not that i've had much i don't know how much i can speak on this because i haven't been single that long i haven't been 30 that long and i haven't really had to navigate many of these conversations yet and maybe I'm just feeling like empowered because I'm not like feeling like beaten down like fucking stop asking me so I'm like in my empowered stage and I feel like I don't know at least the approach I'm gonna take is I'm gonna lead the conversation where I want it to be and like be excited about it and be happy about it and be empowered by it and be like yeah I'm 30 and like I have a whole decade and it's so exciting like who knows who I'll end up with who knows where I'll be who knows what I'll be doing who knows what my life will be like like how exciting of like all the opportunities ahead that's such a good point like steering the conversation in direction that like most of the time when someone asks you like wow like how do you feel about that like you understandably like we know it is them checking in and caring yes checking in and caring and understandably like also on the other side it is just like based a little bit in like you wouldn't be saying that to a man you wouldn't be saying to a 30 year old man who's single like oh god and I get it it's usually not coming from a bad place but instead of allowing it to be this like sad sap thing you're you can just be like i am so happy i know how incredible even if you like you want to do that to like shut the conversation down like even if i'm being like ignorantly happy like oh my god i'm so fucking happy they're gonna be like they're gonna be like okay okay like what drugs is like no that's a good that's my approach you're like uncle jerry i'm so fucking happy i want to be single for the rest of my fucking life like it's true though it's like the hope of the life but i could see you i also feel like you're so not that type of person. So for you to like be sarcastic, I feel like people would be like, oh my God.
Okay. I'm going to walk away.
But I do. I love that approach.
How do you feel? Obviously, like you mentioned early, obviously in this episode, like you just went through a breakup and regardless of the fact that like, I think you in such an incredible place right now like breakups are hard and holidays I feel like specifically are really really tough because even when you're feeling good there's this odd thing that like holidays do that really just shed light on like love and family and the perfect holiday notebook-esque environment and family and relationship like are you at all anxious that you're just gonna feel that like dark cloud in a moment I think I'm prepared to feel it and like I think I'm like I know I'm gonna feel it yeah it's so new that we were supposed to be doing this Thanksgiving together and we were supposed to be doing Christmas together so I'm still like going through phases of life where like I had tangible plans with my ex to be doing this together. So like no doubt I'm going to be sitting there being like, well, I'm supposed to be doing this right now.
And now I'm doing this instead. And like so I think I'm just expecting to feel that.
You're understandably going to lightly play out like what it would have been like had they been there versus now there's like this empty chair that would have had their name on it and it's like a weird fucking feeling it's sad but it's not said but it's just like I don't even know how to describe it it's literally what grieving is like that's I went through something like very similar when I um for those of you don't know my dad passed away when I was in college yes like it's it's almost like the missing person. Yes.
Like the unsaid thing. Yeah.
It's something I had felt before with in regards to holidays, like that missing presence, like the empty chair. Yeah.
That's a good point. Like, I feel like we've talked about a lot before, um, kind of like when you do now, this is like kind of getting over like your ex-boyfriend.
Now it's like you talking about your dad I feel like there's probably like a lot of daddy gang that have lost a family member and the traditions that you kind of have to start to like create with your family without someone is like a really challenging thing because you want to honor them and remember them but you also don't want to like move on from them like oh I have a lot to say oh give it to us give it to us so I think the weird feeling of feeling like you're like moving on and like forgetting them something that really made me think of that was my mom is now engaged and we love him shout out Kara yeah shout out care baby live your life she's like she's gonna clip this inside and I was like Larry you guys gave me a shout out on the pod yeah we did yeah we did Kara she was her and her fiance were indescribably thoughtful about the way they introduced him into me and my brother's lives. And they were very, very seriously dating for a while, for years before he came to one of my family holidays.
And I was talking about it in therapy and I was like, I love this person. I love him as an individual.
I love him for my mom. I love them together.
I feel more at peace knowing they have each other. But why does him coming to a holiday feel so unsettling to me? And she was like, I think there's this unspoken thing that when he sits down at the fourth table setting, it means your dad's replaced.
It means your dad's forgotten. And like, that's not the case.
That's not true. Right.
Because it was so confusing to me. I'm like, I love like I love this person I love their relationship I love the whole thing but like it just making me not anxious it's just I couldn't put a finger on this unsettling feeling of like and it was the feeling that I thought that meant that my dad was being replaced and that wasn't the case at all yeah no that is like so beautiful I remember that time in your life and you it so gracefully.
And I think like, again, you were so fortunate to have your mom handled that way. And I know that there are so, I'm so appreciative.
I know there are so many people that probably have horror stories of step parents and all of that, but I do think it's such a true statement. And I think we've talked about this a lot about how like, there are so many ways to like continue to remember someone and a new addition doesn't mean that someone else now like can't be a part of things and I feel like it's hard when the person isn't there but there's so many ways that you can celebrate that person without feeling like you're just like overriding them when we're done with you sitting at a table the four of us I couldn't get over the fact it just felt like delete and like insert so we just like said fuck it and now for Christmas we don't sit in Pennsylvania every year for Christmas now we go to a different national park and we hike and we just do something entirely different and like start over fresh and it just feels so nice and new and we hike and we like reminisce and we talk about him but for some reason reason, just like sitting in Pennsylvania, sitting the four of us around the table just felt like.
And it's so illogical, but it just felt like we were trying to like write my dad out of like the story. And it just feels so much better and more exciting and fun to just completely start over with a new tradition.
I love that you said that, though, that you're like, it feels completely illogical. And like, I'm pretty sure.
And so many people that experience that type of grief, it's like, it should be illogical. It's this, like, you can't explain it and you don't have to explain it.
Like you felt the way you felt. And now I love that.
Like daddy gang, like you can make your own new traditions. And especially when things are wrapped in like trauma and loss, like you can shake shit up.
and when you step out of line or when you change shit up it can feel a little disorienting even thinking about like breaking the tradition like you're like oh I feel like I'm like fucking up and like being like a bad family member and it's like I bet all of you sitting at that fucking table like I bet your mom's fiance was like probably would have been the first one to be like, guys, I'm so down to do something different.

He probably was ecstatic that now he's getting to hang out with a version of

me.

That's like relaxed and like open and not me sitting around the table being

like,

Oh my God.

Talk.

Right.

Say words.

Say words.

Right.

I think that's like a great way to like wrap that conversation up in terms of

tradition is a motherfucker and it's beautiful,

but it can be really,

really intoxicating where you just feel like you have to follow it.

And I think that's a good thing. that conversation up in terms of tradition is a motherfucker and it's beautiful but it can be really really intoxicating where you just feel like you have to follow it and sometimes I do think like anything in this world maybe sometimes we need to check ourselves of like is it tradition because it's fun or is it tradition because you actually kind of don't know why it's tradition and like maybe it's time to shake shit up yeah um okay you're going back.
I am. And you told me that when you go back to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving, you will be attending your high school reunion.

Now I am fascinated and I need every fucking detail when you you go because I haven't gone to a high

school reunion. Let's just talk, first of all, high school reunions.

call her daddy is brought to you by airbnb okay so i went on a trip with all of my girlfriends to vermont where my best friend was getting married and we were all gonna figure out like where do we want to stay and oh this place is too far away and if you stay there i won't really get ready with you. And then we decided on an Airbnb and it was the best decision of the weekend because we got this house.
All of us stayed there. Matt came, my friends came, my friend brought her boyfriend and we all were able to feel like we were almost back in college where we were all in one space.
We all got to make our coffee together. We got to eat breakfast together.
We got to go on walks together. We got to have late night conversations after we went to the rehearsal dinner and the weddings.
And it was just the best time because I feel like if you don't stay in an Airbnb, you're not going to be as close. You're not going to have those late night conversations.
And we as girls, you know how much goes in to those late night conversations. We also had a pool table, which was so fun.
The guys ended up playing while the girls were having wine in the living room in front of the fire, just talking about all the things about life and dating and relationships. You know, a wedding makes you emotional.
I told Matt in 2025, my goal is to stay in more Airbnbs wherever we go. If we're exploring a new city, culture, learning a new language, traveling, wherever it be, Airbnb is where it's at.
So you can really be fully, fully invested in your time and experience all the things that come with that environment. Airbnb is the best way to make your trip one to remember because you get to explore not only the new city, but a new space in the city.
Staying like a local helps you feel immersed wherever you are, as opposed to feeling like a tourist. You can grab groceries at a local market, explore the neighborhood bars and restaurants, Daddy Gang.
And if you wanna go somewhere, but you don't really know where, guest favorites might inspire you and may create a new tradition for you. So Daddy Gang, as you book your 2025 travel, my number one tip is to check out Airbnb first to find the perfect place to stay because your accommodation can really make or break the trip.
Whatever your travel priorities are, they can be taken care of with an Airbnb, want a big kitchen, a gym, somewhere you can bring your dog. It's my favorite way to travel, hands down.
There are so many reasons I love Airbnb. Stay tuned to hear more about my upcoming trips this year.
Have you ever had the best first date and then all of a sudden everything takes a turn for the worst? The director of Happy Death Day brings you a perfect date night thriller called Drop, which hits theaters April 11th. A woman going on her first date begins to get mysterious, unwanted dropped messages from an unknown sender.
From the producers of Megan and producers of A Quiet Place, audiences will be on the edge of their seats. Don't miss Drop, hitting theaters on April 11th.
So let's discuss, how do you feel about it? I'm excited. What are you gonna wear? I was literally thinking of that.
Like right do you like pop the fuck off? Like maybe like a little bit. Right like because also I don't have social media so like no one knows what I look like or like what I do or what I'm up to or wearing.
You gotta kind of like pop off. A little bit.
Like we need you to look hot but not like try hard. That's like, no, no, no, no, no.
While we're talking about high school though, we have been friends for so long, but I don't know if people know this. We did not go to the same high school.
We went to the same elementary school for one year. You guys, my parents fucked me up.
I moved to Pennsylvania from Texas in first grade. I went to public school and they were like, you need to find God.
They sent me to Catholic school in second grade and they were like, you're not Catholic and this is expensive. Back to public school.
So literally first, second, third grade, I switched schools every year. Like imagine what that would do to a child.
But thank God, right in between there, that second grade where you were supposed to find God, you found me yep and we became best friends in second grade i remember lauren with like her giant bows because like your mom had every color bow ready to go for you at school i was so fucking jealous i remember in first grade and even in second grade still when we'd have dress down days i would cry because i'm like mom the kids in the north don't wear this no I thought you were epic uh-huh anyway so Lauren and I went to school for one year wait one year one year together yeah oh my that's it yeah so all of middle school all of elementary school we didn't go and then high school we went to different schools but we stayed connected like really connected all through elementary school and middle school because we were on the same soccer team yeah like soccer teams we were on like three teams together and then we went to high school and naturally in high school like we literally stayed close but it wasn't as close because you're like you have your own friend group yeah you went to private school I went to public school yes um so let's talk about how we were different in high school. What do you think? Um, you were like head down grinding.
Soccer was like your mission and like your career. Like you only hung out with like the soccer girls, like every weekend, like you were going all around the country, like doing like your college showcases.
And I said goodbye to soccer and I was parting it up and living my life I think that I slowly slowly ramped into my more social mode but my for sure my freshman year I was like head down like soccer soccer soccer because I had gotten like a scholarship I couldn't afford to go to that that's why you were going to that high school I forgot I got a I got a scholarship that they like faked was like academic meanwhile like, like no one was giving me an academic scholarship.

Like that would have gone to you.

No one in their right mind was giving me an academic scholarship.

It was just disguised so that I could play on the soccer team.

Okay.

It's obviously the Thanksgiving episodes.

We're partying.

Maybe you're drinking.

Maybe you're fucked up.

Maybe you're laying in bed and you're alone. Do we have any overlapping high school stories of us? Because Lauren and I did not party together.
And let's really explain why. Our friendship was so wholesome.
And growing up, it was based in like we would make movies together and we would like film and we would make. Like I like viewed your parents as like family.
yeah so the idea of going to your home and like cracking open a mic's hard like I couldn't disrespect Lori like that I was disrespecting a lot of other situations but not Lori Cooper I was getting after it everywhere across Newtown Pennsylvania but not in not at my house i'm fucking obsessed i am i'm gonna bleep that you guys because she just said my street name but i'm obsessed you're right i think we had this weird thing where like our relationships to our families were so pure pure and youthful and we'd been through so fucking much that it was just like i would come over and we'd catch up and order dumplings dumplings yeah yeah we'd get duck sauce we'd order dumplings and we would just chill and we wouldn't drink so but do we have any like high school there were oh you came to I your new year's I was gonna say I threw a new year's party no my senior year let me just say this Lauren threw this banger of a new year's Banger. And when you just referenced like not wanting to disrespect my mother like that, I remember I showed up late to your party and we had a lot of memories in that house.
It was my childhood home. Yeah.
And I think it was also a hard time for us because not to get too deep, so much had been going on with your dad that like understandably

I think in your life in high school like no one kind of knew about fully yeah most people did not didn't know and you and I like we knew every detail and I think I hadn't been back to that physical house in so many years and I learned I don't think I did I ever tell you yeah you did Okay okay I was so emotional at that party because I show up to this house that had like incredible pure memories and then like pretty like really fucking traumatic memories yes and I remember walking in late and I'm with moon in yeah um our friend Nicole and I walk in and it is like people are swinging from the fucking chandeliers. And I'm thinking like, oh, Lauren's having a you're thinking probably like 20 kids hanging out in my basement.
Her entire school plus another school in this fucking house jam packed. I'm like, Lauren, I will never forget what happened on the ceiling.
Oh, my gosh. Someone sprayed a champagne bottle like all over this.
And the cork went up through the ceiling. And I remember i was like i'm coming up i'm gonna have to fix that in the morning your poor mother comes home and everyone's like trying to like be like no no it's not what it looks like and kara is literally looking up in the ceiling crying so i talked about that in therapy i was like i feel a little guilty for that one it was but it was like a sending away your house party but I do remember like that extent of our friendship was like us feeling like so

nostalgia childhood that it was like we never really drank together in high school

we didn't need to drink to have fun Have you ever had the best first date and then all of a sudden, everything takes a turn for the worst? The director of Happy Death Day brings you a perfect date night thriller called Drop, which hits theaters April 11th. A woman going on her first date begins to get mysterious, unwanted dropped messages from an unknown sender.
From the producers of Megan and producers of A Quiet Place, audiences will be on the edge of their seats. Don't miss Drop, hitting theaters on April 11th.
Call Her Daddy is brought to you by Jack in the Box. Jack's new crispy boneless wings pack so much crunch.
You guys, I love a good wing. These wings are super crunchy.
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You got to try the new smoke show smoky barbecue sauce and the honey garlic sriracha both. I love a good honey garlic sriracha flavor.
It is something that gets my gears going. And when I have a little smoky barbecue

sauce lathered on my wings, I cannot be stopped. Okay.
I love a good wing, but if it does not have a crunch, I start to be like, what is this texture and why is it happening? So daddy gang, you can always get so much more at Jack in the box, like free food. When you sign up for the Jack app, high school arch nemesis

we're like how did free food when you sign up for the Jack app. High school arch nemesis.

We're like, how did we get here? How did this just slide in? Because we want to talk about it.

So Lauren and I were laughing about her going to this reunion and I was talking to her about like,

who are you most looking forward to seeing? Like, who are you nervous to see? Like,

who do you want to impress? Who do you want to avoid who do you want to avoid and Lauren press no one

avoid no one nervous no one but my arch nemesis I also have to be careful because this is gonna

air three days before the reunion so I'm about to like blow up how much I have an arch nemesis

and then walk in this room and be like oh that's the girl who like can't get over high school

do you think that your nemesis would know that they are your enemy I don't think she thinks I

Like,

Thank you. girl who like can't get over high school do you think that your nemesis would know that they are your enemy I don't think she thinks I like think about her one bit you're like I think she would listen to this and be like oh my god okay let's talk about why is she your nemesis okay so I don't want to accidentally paint myself as a saint here the issue is and i truly cannot remember who cheated first me or my high school boyfriend but junior year we hit rocky territory you were saying we hit rock bottom we hit rock bottom we did.
Okay. And it kind of became this open situation.
But like we still were in love. We were still talking all the time.
But like I ventured off a little bit to this older guy and he ventured off to my arch nemesis. But then we had a reconciliation and we came back together.
And I kicked the older guy to the curb. Or did he just graduate? I don't know.
Yeah, yeah. Details.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. But my arch nemesis could not get kicked to the curb.
She literally was like the bug that would not die. And.
No, we're getting riled up. I just have such vivid memories being in my childhood bedroom after school, 4.30 p.m., prime time.
Everyone's on form spring everyone's on snapchat and i'm snapping him and i'm watching my snap streak with him go up and up and up and up and up but i'm watching his snap streak with her go up and up and up and up and they were just oh that's just a core memory we hold on so did he cheat on you with her oh all the time all the time. Wait, how did you find out? Okay, well, there's two instances where he was caught red-handed.
Okay. Okay, incident number one.
Senior prom. Wait, I don't even know this story.
So it was the morning of senior prom, and we met up in a parking lot and had sex in a car classic and we go to pictures we do pictures together so like that's kind of official like oh I like checked Facebook this morning we had pictures we took prom pictures together not her making sure the receipts are dotted and the oh my god Lauren I'm obsessed with you okay and so we're at prom We're grinding i'm slapping the ground i'm turning around i'm making out get low get low oh my god the grind chains i can't i can't and i go get a beverage and i come back into the auditorium and i'm like oh where's my boyfriend grind chaining with my arch nemesis what making out with my arch nemesis in front of you in front of the whole auditorium wait so what the fuck did you do so i had known that like they were consistently talking i would talk to him about it and be like you have to stop like i'm not doing anything else like i'm not with anyone else like i want to be together right and like he was like but like they were still always operating so I did the

craziest thing I've ever done in my entire life oh my god I've I have I've never okay let me just give context to my character I've never had a falling out with another girlfriend before I've never gotten to a physical confrontation I've really never gotten to like a heated exchange words to this day except this one moment i walk up to them and i say no i pull them apart and i say we had sex this morning i hope you're enjoying the taste of me right now she starts hysterically crying in high school in high school i don't know i don't know how i feel about it but i just like snapped this is high school like yeah people are cheating and people are being whatever it's not actually nefarious like it's actually just like but it's so funny to think about like the drama in fucking high school what's the most bold thing you ever did to confront someone oh well you have like a laundry list I'm like this is the one time I've ever said something to anyone ever well the thing is too for like me I would say which I'm gonna have to tell the story one day is oh your archnemesis story yeah this is fucked because it was me really standing up for my other best friend and I then she tried to ruin your life yes I am someone that will always stand up for myself like my mother taught me that like use your fucking words um and so I would always say it to people's faces that they were upsetting me. And when someone though fucks with one of my friends who, who I know has a harder time speaking up for themselves, I go to like a different level and I stood up for my one friend to another one of our friends.
And one day I'm going to tell this story. It that's a good story it is the most insane thing because it followed me into my adult life and it still is going it's just crazy whatever but drama let's talk about drama because I can't talk about my archenemesis because that deserves like a solo fucking episode I need to like literally call my mom for like notes and I need to like literally call my headmaster and get the notes also from okay so drama though the drama though, the, one of the most dramatic things.
And when I say dramatic, like this is so fucking stupid, but I remember for me with boys, um, my high school year boyfriend, I was so obsessed with him. And I remember he was a boarding student.
I was a day student. And so he would always just like, it was really fun in high school because you were able to try to sneak into the dorm rooms and like what high school kids are afforded like a bed that you can just access at the dining hall.
It was hard to sneak, but we figured it out anyways. So I was like falling in love and I was having the time of my life, my freshman year.
And I remember he was definitely a partier and he had transferred from another school and he had to redo his freshman year. So yeah, that's my first red flag.
Anyways, I remember it is a Tuesday and Tuesdays were always chapel days where we had to like walk to this chapel in New Jersey and it was like a Presbyterian school and we would sit and we'd do chapel, whatever. And would walk together we would always hold hands together and he was nowhere to be found and I'm texting him and it's all going to green and I'm like where is he and the boarding students come up to me and they look like they saw a fucking ghost and his friends come up to me and they're like Alex you didn't hear and I'm like no like what happened and they're like he drank so much last night with everyone, but like people were drinking, but he drank to the point of absolute blackout to the point where it got so, so bad that we had to blow our cover and call for help.
And they took him out on a stretcher in an ambulance and they had to bring him to the hospital and he had to get his stomach pumped. And I'm sitting in chapel as like DeAndre is like sitting next to me, whispering this to me.
And I'm like, what the fuck? And finally his phone turns on and he's like, I'm fine. Like I'm okay.
And I'm freaking out. I'm like crying, whatever.
He gets kicked out of school. Not from that, which is crazy.
He did so many more things. And eventually they were like, you have to get the fuck off off this campus like you are literally ruining like our culture here and when he got kicked out I shit you not Lauren for three straight months and think about like three months of high school that's long that's long for three straight months I wore black every single fucking day to school because I was so mad at the head master and the protest I would I was literally protesting I was or you mourning him I was both I was mourning but I was more protesting because I was so livid that they kicked him out they should let me just be clear they should have kicked him out but I was just so dramatic because I was like I just lost the love of my life he got kicked out your future husband got away exactly and I'm like walking around campus and every fucking week the dean of students would pull me in being like Alex like people are getting concerned like and meanwhile I'm like not a fuck like I'm not a sad fucking person usually so I'm they can tell I'm fucking fine they're like bitch you're fucking fine and meanwhile I'm like I don't know if I'll ever recover like I can't believe you got rid of him and eventually I got over it but it's like why do we do those things when we're younger the drama within us oh high school I have like memories just like laying on the floor like sobbing right just like heartbreak and like oh my god my chest hurts if the boy broke like just so fucking stupid but honestly amazing.
And it's fun to reminisce. And we'll try to post pictures to you guys if we can find any of these like hidden gems.
I think there's some crazy ones. Oh yeah, I'll post my prom pics.
I look good. Y'all are coming out of the woodwork this episode.
I kind of love it. I love the confidence.
I think the fun thing also about like being friends for your whole life is it's really beautiful. Like we have seen every single almost like decade of each other so far in our lives.
Like we have been together and we have seen it all. And I think it's also humbling to know like where we both came from because we can both keep it real with each other.
We've had some of our darkest moments together we have had some of our best moments together we have had both moments where I think we've been able to look at each other and say you need to get your shit together or you need to get your shit together and I'm here for you but let's let's pick let's pick it up and I feel like we've in a good way like both done that for each other. Like it's a very, very equal sided relationship.
But I was talking about that in an episode the other month about how we're always on the opposite pages. I know.
But I feel like it's kind of like the beauty of our relationship. Like we always know.
Makes it more interesting. It does.
It does. Listen, I think Thanksgiving is so fun.
And I hope, Daddy Gang, that you are surrounded by your loved ones. And I hope you enjoy this little like throwback reminiscent episode.
We have had we have so many random stories together. And it's always fun to sit down and just like chat and talk.
And yeah, I think I would like to end this episode by saying everyone who was in my grade, I just I think they're all probably doing amazing things. I probably I think they're probably probably so successful I can't wait to see how good they all look I can't wait to see how they're all thriving and their own lives and they were just like such amazing people that I was blessed to go to school with and I just I cannot wait to see you all bye daddy gang we love you happy Thanksgiving and have the best fucking time and go eat some food and drink good drinks we love you pop a button I three many I will see you next time.