AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She wasn’t the kind of parent who used him like so many parents of celebrities seemed to. But lately, it seemed they only talked when she needed something. His dad had left when Sterling was eight after being fired from his pastor job. Churches didn’t look fondly on alcoholic pastors cheating on their wives. He left the pulpit, left their family, and they hadn’t heard from him since. His mom had managed to hold things together and keep their house, but Sterling’s income had made things a lot easier on her.
“No,” he admitted.
There was a brief pause. “It’s May.”
Sterling began to pace, following the white lines in the parking lot, like that straight, clean edge could somehow ground him for whatever came next in the conversation. When it came to May, Sterling couldn’t seem to control his emotions. He loved his little sister so much, but it was like he couldn’t do anything to actually show her that.
When he got signed, she was eleven. By the time May was thirteen, she was being incessantly bullied in school for being his sister. They pulled her out of her public school and Sterling paid for private school, which was a huge financial drain. He had money, but not that much money. Music didn’t make as much as people would imagine, even when you were big time. Not unless you constantly toured. Sterling was trying to be smart about his money, not throwing it away.
This helped, but gave them a host of other problems, including a drinking and prescription drug problem for May. Seeing May go down the same path as his father was crushing. And though she didn’t say it, he felt like his mother blamed him for May’s issues and she had grown increasingly colder. It had been years since he had gone home.
“What’s going on?” Sterling asked.
“We need to get her into rehab.”
Sterling stopped. He stood looking out over the parking lot toward a strip mall. It was such a bright, ordinary day. Yet hearing these words made him feel like the normal things were just a covering for the darkness underneath. He closed his eyes.
“Is it to that point? I mean, what are we talking?”
His mother’s voice shook. “Alcohol. And I don’t know what kind of drugs exactly. Pills? Or cocaine? That prep school crowd is really something else. I thought public schools were bad. These kids are no better, but have more money.”
Sterling’s jaw ached from clenching so hard. “How did she … I can’t even find the words. I’m sorry, Mom. I can pay for rehab. Is that what you need? Is she okay?”
Guilt always rested just below the surface. These phone calls with his mother and every thought of May brought it bubbling up and running over. Sterling felt his skin heating with it. No matter what he accomplished—records sold, awards won, money made on tour, tickets sold—Sterling couldn’t make up for the negative impact on his family, particularly May.
He remembered her face when he first got the call that Arista wanted to sign him. She had been practically glowing with excitement, throwing her gangly pre-teen arms around his neck. Before he left for Nashville, he took May and a few of her girlfriends bowling. He had a massive headache by the end from all the squealing and screaming and giggling, but May told him it was the best night of her life.
Fast forward two years and May had to delete all of her social media accounts and start counseling to deal with panic attacks caused from bullying. His mother said she didn’t want to worry him, so she simply didn’t tell Sterling. Which translated to May as Sterling deserting her. The next time he came home, May wouldn’t even speak to him. She had dyed her blonde hair black and stayed locked in her room. Except for when she climbed out of her window to meet her boyfriend.
She had been thirteen.
“The problem isn’t paying for rehab, though I appreciate the offer and will take you up on it. The problem is that we may not be able to get her into rehab at all.”
“Wait—she doesn’t want to go?”
“I don’t even know where she is right now. She doesn’t come home every night. When she does, she won’t talk to me. Or she just screams at me, asks for money. She got kicked out of school.”
“Mom. Why haven’t you called before now?”
“I didn’t want to worry you. And I don’t think she wanted you to know.”
Sterling put a palm over his face. “What’s the plan? What can I do?”
“We’re planning an intervention.”
“Just tell me when. I’ll be there. I’m on tour, but this is a priority. Do you already have a date, or—”
“I don’t think you should be there.”
The words soaked through him like icy water. Sterling’s legs shook and he crouched down, tracing a fingertip over the rough pavement. He wanted nothing more than to be there for his baby sister. The idea of her falling down this path, the one his father went down, killed him. May, who had been so sweet and shy and innocent. If he had only been there for her, instead of on tour or living in Nashville. Maybe then he could have been there for her through this. Or she might not have needed this intervention at all.
A piece of glass pricked against his finger, not quite breaking the skin. For a moment, he hovered there, thinking about pressing down on the sharp edge. He could handle that kind of pain: a sharp cut, easily treated and bandaged.
“James?”
“I’m here.”
“I’m sorry. I just think it would be best if—”
