There was an eerie silence in the bungalow as Sarah entered. She switched on the light and called out, "Dad? Daddy?" Her voice echoed through the empty halls.
When there was no response, she pulled out her phone to call him. Her heart sank as he answered, saying, "Hey baby, I'm not around. I'm with Jenny." Jenny was her father's girlfriend, a woman Sarah didn't particularly care for.
Her father continued, "I love you. There's mac and cheese in the oven for you to eat."
With a heavy sigh, Emma hung up the phone and trudged towards the kitchen. The mac and cheese wasn't going to fill the emptiness she felt inside.
She pulled out the cheesy, steaming dish and sat down at the table, staring blankly at the plate. The silence of the house felt oppressive, almost suffocating. Mia knew she needed to tell her dad about the band, but she was too scared to broach the subject.
She took a bite of the mac and cheese, its warmth doing little to ease the chill that had settled over her.
Absolutely, let's dive deeper into Emma's dad's story. 😊 As Emma sat in the quiet bungalow, her dad was at a nightclub, his arm wrapped around Jenny's waist. He was drinking heavily, his mind clouded with the rush of the music and the alcohol.
Jenny laughed and leaned closer to him, whispering in his ear. "Let's go back to my place," she said, her voice low and seductive.
Emma's dad nodded, his eyes glassy and unfocused. "Sounds good," he slurred, his words slightly incoherent.
Jenny led Emma's dad out of the nightclub and into the cool night air. They climbed into her car and drove through the winding streets, the silence between them thick and heavy.
As they approached Jenny's house, Emma's dad could feel his buzz wearing off, replaced by a dull throbbing in his head. He was starting to feel the weight of the night's decisions, his conscience pricking at him like a thorn.
They pulled up to the curb, and Emma turned to him, her eyes glittering in the moonlight. "Let's go inside," she said, her voice a low purr.
Two days after their first rehearsal, Chloe followed Luna and Stella to their house. Excitement filled the air as they entered Luna and Stella's living room, still dressed in their school uniforms. Luna turned to Chloe and said, "You ready to meet our new bandmates?"
Chloe jumped up, her smile radiating joy. "Yes! I'm so excited!" she exclaimed.
"You're going to love them," Stella chimed in, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Luna then fired up a video call using Dogram, a new social media platform she had introduced to the group.
She had told them to open accounts.
As Luna connected the video call, Chloe bounced on her toes, her eagerness palpable. The screen flickered to life, revealing the faces of two girls.
One was Emma , her long hair cascading over her shoulders, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. The other was Sarah, her dark eyes framed by her trendy glasses, a look of curiosity on her face.
"Hey Chloe, Luna, and Stella!" Emma said, her voice warm and inviting. "It's great to finally meet you. Luna and Stella has Been telling us about you.
Sarah nodded in agreement.
Luna, her face showing concern, turned to Emman and asked, "Where's mia? We thought she would be joining us today."
Emma, her expression sympathetic, replied, "I'm afraid she had an issue at home. She won't be able to join us today."
Chloe's smile faded slightly, but she was still determined to make the best of the situation. "That's a bummer, but we can still start planning, right? We've got a competition to win!"
Sarah nodded in agreement, her expression serious and focused.
As the three girls sat around the screen, their energy and enthusiasm rising, Mia was trapped in a very different world. In her home, her father was drunk, his anger boiling over as he raged through the house.
"You whore! You bitch!" he shouted, his voice hoarse with rage. "You bastard!"
Mia's mother stood in the corner, her eyes downcast, her body shaking with fear. Emma, huddled in the shadows of her bedroom, covered her ears as the sound of shattering glass echoed through the house.
Mia's father, his face twisted with fury, turned to her mother. "How dare you continue prostituting your body to my friend!" he snarled, his eyes glinting with madness.
Mia's mother, her voice filled with defiance, shot back, "Why not? You're so useless!"
His rage reached a boiling point. "You insolent bitch!" he roared, throwing the bottle to the floor with a deafening crash.
Mia, her heart racing, rushed down the stairs and tried to intervene. "Please, Dad!
But Mia's father, his mind clouded by alcohol and anger, saw Mia as nothing more than an obstacle. With a violent shove, he knocked her aside, sending her crashing to the floor.
As Mia cried out in pain, she realized that her hand had landed on the shattered bottle, her skin pierced by a jagged piece of glass.
Mia, her eyes filled with terror, screamed for her father to stop, but it was too late. He had lost control, consumed by his rage.
Mia, her heart filled with rage and sorrow, could take no more. With tears streaming down her face, she shouted, "I hate this family!"
Without a second thought, she dashed out the front door, slamming it shut behind her. She ran down the street, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her mind numb with terror and grief and blood dripping from her hands
Inside the house, Mia's dad looked at his wife with anger. Her mom stood in silence she picked her bag and went out.
Shaken and bleeding, Mia grasped her phone and dialed Luna's number. "Luna," she said, her voice trembling. "Can I... can I stay with you tonight? My dad..."
Luna's voice was filled with concern as she replied, "Of course you can! Are you okay?"
Mia's eyes welled up with tears as she answered, "Yeah, I'm okay." She knew she wasn't, but she didn't want Luna to worry.
Luna was silent for a moment, trying to absorb the situation.
In Luna's room, she put her phone down and turned to face Stella and Chloe, both of whom were sitting on her bed, their eyes wide with concern.
"That was Mia," Luna said, her voice grave. "She had a fight with her dad. She's coming over here for the night."
Stella and Chloe exchanged worried glances, their hearts heavy with concern for their new friend.
"Is she going to be okay?" Stella asked, her voice a whisper.
Luna shook her head, her expression solemn.