The shrill sound of the doorbell pierced through the Johnson household. Mrs. Johnson, curious about the visitor, quickly opened the door and was met with a sight that left her stunned.
There stood Mia, her face pale and her hand covered in blood. Without a word, Mrs. Johnson ushered her in and led her to the couch. "What happened, Mia?" she asked, her voice gentle and concerned.
Mia shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to talk about it," she whispered.
Mrs. Johnson
Mrs. Johnson nodded understandingly. "Alright, let's get your hand cleaned up," she said, her voice soothing. She left the room and returned with a first aid kit, gently tending to Mia's wound.
As Mia sat in silence, Mrs. Johnson tried to make small talk, but it was clear that the young girl was lost in her own thoughts. "I'll be right back," Mrs. Johnson said, patting Mia's arm gently as she went upstairs.
Chloe, hearing the footsteps, quickly opened the door, her eyes widening when she saw Mrs. Johnson standing there.
Mrs. Johnson smiled at Chloe, a hint of worry still lingering in her expression. "Mia's here," she said, her voice low. "She's not doing too well. Can you tell Luna and Stella?"
Chloe nodded, her mind racing with concern for her friend. She closed the door and turned to face Luna and Stella.
"Guys," she said, urgency in her voice. "Mia's downstairs, and Mrs. Johnson says she's not doing too well. I think we should go see her."
Luna and Stella exchanged a glance, worry etched on their faces.
Without another word, the twins followed Chloe downstairs, their footsteps echoing through the silent house.
Mrs. Johnson was sitting with Mia on the couch, the two of them locked in a quiet conversation. The girls approached, their expressions conveying their concern.
"Hey, Mia," Luna said softly, taking a seat beside her friend. "What's going on?"
Mia glanced up, her eyes dull and distant. "I just... I can't do this anymore," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.
Luna and Stella exchanged a worried look.
Mia, her eyes red and puffy from crying, spoke in a quivering voice. "I don't want to talk about it here," she said.
"It's okay, Mia," Stella reassured her. "We're here for you." Luna nodded in agreement, offering Mia a small smile.
"Mia," Luna said, gesturing to Chloe who had followed them upstairs. "This is our friend Chloe. Chloe, this is Mia, our bandmate."
Mia wiped away a tear and managed a weak smile.
The girls then excused themselves from Mrs.
Once safely in their room, Luna, Stella, and Chloe sat Mia down on the bed. She looked small and fragile, her shoulders hunched and her eyes downcast.
"What's wrong, Mia?" Luna asked, her voice gentle but insistent.
Mia took a deep breath, her words spilling out in a rush. " It's my family l. I haven't always been in a happy family. When my dad lost his job, my mom couldn't take it and started prostituting. My dad got angry and turned to drinking. I had to quit school." Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Stella and Luna exchanged a glance, both of them heartbroken for their friend. Chloe reached out and placed a hand on Mia's shoulder, offering a silent show of support.
"You're so strong, Mia," Luna said, her voice thick with emotion. "But you don't have to carry this burden alone. We're here for you, no matter what."
Mia, her body trembling with sobs, clutched Luna's hand.
"I just... I'm worried that my family will bring shame to the band if we become famous," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Luna's voice was strong and determined as she looked deep into Mia's eyes, her voice filled with compassion and understanding.
"Mia, listen to me. We may have only been friends for two days, but I love you. You're part of this band, and we're like a mountain - unshakeable. Even if we fail the talent competition, we will still have each other. We are stronger than our problems, and we won't let your family situation stand in the way of your dreams."
Mia wiped her tears, a glimmer of hope flickering in her eyes.
Stella shot up from the bed, her eyes determined. "I'm going to ask Mom if you can stay here tonight, Mia," she said, already making her way to the door. "I'll be right back."
As Stella left the room, Chloe pulled out her phone and dialed her mother's number. "Mom," she said, her voice firm. "I'm staying at Luna and Stella's tonight. We're having a sleepover." She listened for a moment before hanging up.
Luna grabbed her laptop and turned to face Mia.
"Mia, go take a shower and change into something comfortable," Luna said, handing her a towel and some fresh clothes. "We have something to show you."
Mia nodded, her eyes still red and swollen from crying. She took the items from Luna and made her way to the bathroom.
While Mia was getting cleaned up, Luna opened her laptop and navigated to the talent competition website. She turned the screen towards Chloe, her face lighting up with excitement.
"The competition is next week," she said, pointing to the date and time listed on the website.
The three girls huddled around the laptop, their excitement building with each passing second.
"We need to practice," Stella said, her eyes fixed on the screen. "If we want to win this competition, we have to be at the top of our game."
Mia emerged from the bathroom, her hair still damp but her face clean and free of tears. She took a seat beside Chloe and smiled weakly.
"We have something to show you," Chloe said, gesturing to the laptop. "The competition is next week."
The three friends looked at Mia expectantly, eager to lift her spirits with this news.
Mia's eyes widened in surprise. "Next week?" she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Luna nodded, her smile growing wider. "That's right. We have one week to get ready. And we're going to make sure we're the best band that competes."
Mia's heart swelled with gratitude. She had been convinced that her home life would put an end to her musical dreams, but her friends were determined to keep her in the band.
Mia's eyes filled with awe as Stella showed her the updated competition details. "They changed the date from next month to next week?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
Stella nodded, her excitement palpable. "They must have had a last-minute change of plans," she said. "But that means we have less time to prepare, so we need to get practicing as soon as possible."
Mia grimaced, looking down at her injured hand.
Luna noticed her friend's hesitation. "Can you still play with that injury?" she asked, concern clear in her voice.
Mia nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "I can still play," she said, her voice steady. "It might hurt a bit, but I'm not going to let this stop me."
Stella and Luna exchanged a look of admiration, proud of their friend's resilience. "That's the spirit," Stella said, smiling.
Mia grinned, a newfound confidence radiating from her. "I won't let you down," she promised.
Luna nodded, turning back to her laptop. "We need to keep our fans engaged," she said, opening the band's HopTube page.Mia nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. "I can still play," she said, her voice steady. "It might hurt a bit, but I'm not going to let this stop me."
Stella and Luna exchanged a look of admiration, proud of their friend's resilience. "That's the spirit," Stella said, smiling.
Mia grinned, a newfound confidence radiating from her. "I won't let you down," she promised.
Luna nodded, turning back to her laptop. "We need to keep our fans engaged," she said, opening the her and Stella hoptube.