Rock Star Life
By Karilicious123
Chapter 2: Welcome Home
Mia trudged her way from the Red Bedroom studio, shaking the entire time, for she was going back home. Mia had had problems at home; big problems. She thought going on tour would take her away from all of them, and it did, but she forgot that one day, she would have to come home.
Just as she approached her front door, Mia was engulfed with a wave of nausea and a train of memories that were so emotionally draining, they almost caused her to black out. She knew that it was time, time to face it, and time to step through that door. Mia then put on a brave face and opened it, almost immediately being towed under by a current of empty bottles.
"Emily?", she called out to her lifeless bag of bones, other wise known as her mother.
"WHAT?!" she heard her bark back from the living room.
Mia quickly ran to the living room, only to find her mother right where she had left her; lying on the sofa, with an obvious dose of heroine running through her veins, alcohol on her lips, and the smell of a recently lit cigarette lingering in a haze around her body.
"Oh, it's you," Emily snarled, "What, you finally decided to come home from your "year of rock and roll?" she drunkenly smocked- half slurred, half mocked.
"Yeah, the tour ended last night. I got in this morning." Mia shamefully whispered.
"Well, there's some...uhm..dishes...in the..."
Emily started as she stood up for what seemed like the first time all week, clutching her head, when all of a sudden, she hit the floor before she could finish her sentence !
"MOM!" Mia screamed in an attempt to catch her. Feeling her weak pulse, she whipped out her cell phone.
911 what is your emergency?
"Yes, hello, my mother, Emily Catalano, just collapsed in her house. I can feel almost no pulse and she needs help NOW!" Mia cried at the 911 operator.
Okay, ma'am, stay calm, what is your address?
"18775 Tree Hill Dr."
Okay, help will be there momentarily.
Mia threw her phone in her pocket and tried everything she could to revive her mother until the ambulance came minutes later and took them both away. The ride to the hospital felt like a trance for Mia. The only things going through her head were waves of guilt in the form of 3 sentences: If only I told her to stop this, If only I hadn't left, and If only I had asked for help.
***
Mia sat in the waiting room of Tree Hill Hospital for what seemed like a century before a doctor emerged from the other world behind the operating room doors to give her news on her mother.
"Family of Emily Catalano?" The doctor began.
"Yes, I'm her daughter." Mia jumped up to meet eye level with the doctor.
"Emily is currently in a coma due to an overshot of heroine. We removed as much of the heroine as we could from her, but we could not get it all."
"Is that bad?" What is going to happen to her?" Mia cried as tears started forming in her eyes.
"Well, this case is worse than usual, I'm afraid, because of the excess alcohol in her body. We need her to stay here for tests, medical watch and guard, and obviously until she comes out of this coma. I presume you have a place to stay while she is here?"
"Yes, I will just stay at home, I guess." Mia suggested.
"The police have informed me that that will not be an available option to you. Your mother is a drug abusing alcoholic and the police need to sweep your house of proof of this in order to get her government welfare support. You are going to be asked to stay somewhere else the second you arrive at your home." the doctor concluded.
"Well, then I guess I'll just stay with a friend." Mia said as she started to exit the hospital.
As Mis left, she started to head back to the only place the felt like she could go; Red Bedroom Records.
*Mia's Point of View
I didn't know how to feel walking out of the hospital. On on hand, I felt relieved that finally it wasn't my job and responsibility to wait on her hand and foot, but I felt guilty for thinking that. Another part of me was glad that maybe this would be a wake up call for Emily. Maybe this would open her eyes and really see for once what she was doing to herself, and what she was doing to me. The majority of me just felt numb and empty, but a small sliver of me did feel scared. I had prepared myself for the day she would finally overdue it since I was 9 years old, so this really, looking back, was not a shock.
I don't know why I started walking to the studio. Haley and Peyton weren't planning on seeing me until thursday, but I really had no where else to go. Ever since I left for my tour a year ago, my friends all moved on because we all grew that year, and sadly enough, it was in opposite directions from eachother. I had Brooke and Sam, but Brooke was always busy with her fashion line, or her store, or her magazine, and Sam was busy with school and staying out of trouble. There was Lucas, and Nathan, but they never really seemed into what I had to say because they had Jamie, Haley and Nathan's son, for their child entertainment. Then there was Julian, Brooke's boyfriend. I never really had a father (he left when I was just a baby), so Julian was like a father to me, even thoug he wasn't that much older than me, but he was the same kind of figure to Sam, who kind of had the same sort of situation as I did. Since Sam is only 15 and I am 19 (officially and legally an adult), I let her have Julian because it's not too late for her to have a father.
Anyways, on my way to the studio, I made a decision to tell Peyton and Haley what was going on. I know that they can help me and probably wouldn't mind, but my mind kepy boggling back and forth because I am not really a trusting person, and telling them my situation would mean "trusting them", and I don't think I can put myself through being let down again.
When I finally reached the studio, I decided I would tell them.
I think.
***
Mia pushed herself through the doors of Red Bedroom records once again that day, and carefully headed to the main office where she found a frazzled Peyton filing papers on her desk. Maybe I should come back later, she seems busy, Mia thought, but it was too late; Peyton spotted her.
"Hey Mia, I though you weren't coming until tomorrow? What's up?" Peyton said.
Before Mia could answer, tears started trickling out of her eyes and it felt like there was so much she wanted to say, but it wouldn't come out of her guarded mouth.
"Mia, honey, what's wrong?" Peyton sai das she left her desk and swept the rock star in her arms.
"Uh...there is just something I have to talk to you and Haley about. Is she here?" Mia stuttered
"You know, she's actually out right now, but I'll call her and I'm sure that she can be up here in a minute or so!" Peyton said as she started dialing the phone, "Be right back!" she hollered as she left the room to make a phone call.
Hello?
"Haley, it's Peyton. Look, I need you to get down here to the studio right now!" cried Peyton.
What happened?!
"Mia wants to talk to us about something. She seemed pretty upset and it sounded urgent and serious, she could barely talk."
Okay, I'm on my way!
Haley flew in the door about 5 minutes after she had had her conversation with Peyton.
"Mia, Baby, what's wrong?" She said with her arm around the girl.
Haley could sense the bottled up emotion ringing between Mia's skull. Haley had a good intuition for that kind of thing. All 3 of them took seats on ther couch, and Mia started thinking of what she would say. Sensing that she was having a hard time talking abou her problem, Peyton jumped in and said,
"We can help you, we won't judge you, if that's what you are afraid of."
"Yeah, you can talk to us." Haley said in agreement.
"Okay," Mia said as she took a deep breath and said shamefully, "There was a gas leak in my house and I need a place to stay for a few days. Can I stay with one of you?"
Okay, so I didn't tell them the full story, but it's a start, Mia thought.
Shocked by the petty problem, Haley and Peyton exchanged stern glances at each other that clearly, but non verbally stated, okay that is a lie and you know it. Then Peyton spoke up and said, "Lucas and I have an extra bedroom, you are more than welcome to use it until your house gets fixed."
"Thanks, I'm uh, going to get my things and I'll be at your house soon." Mia said as the bolted out of there.
Right when she left, Haley turned to Peyton and said,
"Okay, so clearly she isn't telling us the full story."
"Clearly" Peyton sternly chimed in.
"But what do we do?" Haley questioned.
"We really can't do anything until she is ready to trust us with whatever it is that is bothering her."
"Yeah you're right," Haley agreed, "we just have to keep reminding her that we're here and that she can and should talk to us about anything and everything!"
"Yeah," Peyton said, "Well, I guess I am going to go and get her moved in. Later Haley."
"Call me if anything happens."
"Sure thing." Peyton said as she left.
God I hope I can help my shining light. Peyton thought as she headed home.
*Mia's Point of View
Now I know what you're thinking; Why did I chicken out of teling them? Because I was afraid.
Not only afraid of trusting someone again, but afraid of being judged and pityed. Haley and Peyton aren't the kind of people who judge harshly upon othe rpeople, but let's face it, with a situation like mine, how could you not?
I want to tell them, and I will eventually tell them (eventually being the key word here.) I just have to build up enough strength in myself first. Maybe staying with Peyton for a while will be a good thing. I can learn more about her and instill trust in her, which will then lead to trusting haley too.
Well I guess we'll see.