"Harmony, when you do your extension your knee is bent and you're not even centered," Mia said so Harmony straightened her leg but she couldn't exactly move because of the position that she was in.
"Where is your center? If you don't find your center now, the entire dance will be off," Lauren and Sophia had already started their front walkovers and Harmony was just now bending over because she was trying to fix her spacing. The music stopped and so did the girls.
"And now you're an entire count behind. What is going on? I told you to fix your spacing and you act like you couldn't do that," Mia questioned, folding her arms over her chest and waiting for Harmony to reply when she was just trying to catch her breath.
"You guys aren't focused and this competition is in a little less than two weeks. Get it together or I'm scratching this trio. You're dismissed," Mia exited the room and Harmony collapsed on the floor as Sophia and Lauren did the same. Eight hours of school and then an extra six hours of dance was a bit much for anyone.
"Is your mom back yet?" Lauren asked, pulling her hair out of the ponytail that it was in and letting it cascade down her back.
"No...but I have an idea. Let's go get tattoos," Harmony squealed in excitement as Lauren defiantly shook her head but Sophia hopped up in agreement.
"Our parents have to sign for them and do you really think they'll do that?" Lauren questioned, heading towards the changing room as Harmony and Lauren did as well.
"Do you know who our parents are? I'm pretty sure if we want tattoos, we can get them. Plus, I know a guy. He did all of my mom's tattoos," Harmony slipped her leather jogging pants on and the crop top that she had worn with it before slipping her black Vans on as well. Sophia and Lauren got dressed too and soon they were all out the door, headed towards Harmony's car.
"Harmony, let's think about this for a minute. You just got out of trouble with both of your parents. Are you really willing to risk that all for a stupid tattoo?" Lauren questioned after tossing her bag into the backseat where Sophia had decided to sit.
"Yup, and I already know what I want. We should get matching ones. Let's hurry up before they close," in the back of her mind, Harmony knew that her parents would eventually find out about her tattoo and she would get into huge trouble for it, but then again, she just didn't care.
Demi had returned to California a little over a day ago but she was just now going home. She had spent some time clearing her head at her parents' house before finally going home and facing the heat. Both of the girls were out of school and Trey was at home with them so as soon as she walked in, everyone took notice.
"MOMMY!" Lyric hopped off of the bar stool and ran over to her mother. Even though Demi was tired and her body was sore, she gathered Lyric into her arms and kissed all over her face.
"I missed you mommy!" Lyric didn't mean to scream but she was so excited that it came out like that.
"I missed you too. How about you go down to the theater and pick out a movie for us to watch?" Demi suggested as Lyric eagerly nodded her head before running down to the theater.
"Hey mom," Harmony took her sweet time making it over to her mom, because she was sore as well, but for different reasons. Her tattoo ran all the way up the side of her torso and it was in the process of healing. Her hip and her back were hurting from dance too but she could make it through that pain.
"Hey, did you get my letter? I'm sorry for just leaving," Demi apologized, wrapping her arms around Harmony. They were both short but Harmony was just a tad bit taller than her. She got that from her dad.
Harmony just nodded. She had read her mom's bogus letter about her just needing a break and a breath of fresh air because it had been hard to breathe lately and how it had nothing to do with her or Lyric. Everything she said was totally obvious and her mother had written that letter like she wasn't aware of what was going on between her and Trey.
Speaking of, the two of them were eyeing each other now that Harmony wasn't hugging her anymore so she took it upon herself to go up to her room so that they could at least attempt to talk their problems out.
"I'm gonna take my bag upstairs and then go hang out with Lyric," Demi pointed towards the stairs and grabbed her suitcase but Trey stopped her. Thinking that she was about to receive some grand apology, she stopped to listen to what he had to say.
"We good?" No I'm sorry baby I was wrong for talking to you like that? Not even a half assed apology that she wouldn't believe but would feel better because he at least tried.
"Sure," she huffed before dragging her suitcase up the stairs. She quickly showered and changed into something more comfortable before going down to the theater to hang out with her daughter.
"You're avoiding me," Trey said as soon Demi had walked into the house after dropping Harmony and Lyric off at school for the day. She shrugged him off and jogged up the stairs so that she could lay down. Her chest was tightening and it wasn't a good feeling. She just felt so bad today and she didn't know what it was. Between the tightening of her chest and the terrible headache that she had, she wasn't sure how she would make it through the day.
Plus, it was always hard for her to look Trey in the eye after she returned from seeing Wilmer. Her and Wilmer fought and argued, mostly about Harmony, but they had the deepest love for each other that wouldn't go away. Trey could be difficult and it was hard for them to stay on the same page but he loved her and supported her through so much and she continued to betray him. And that only made her feel so much worse about herself.
"Demi, you're avoiding me. And whatever this is between us, we need to talk it out," Trey demanded as Demi kicked her shoes off and pulled back the covers on her bed.
"So you're just gonna go to sleep while I'm trying to talk to you? You're the first one to say that we have terrible communication yet-"
"Trey I am tired. I am exhausted. I feel so sick right now that I can't even breathe or think properly so if you could just," Demi deeply inhaled as the tightening in her chest worsened and she felt herself lower to the ground. It felt like someone was taking her heart and squeezing it as hard as they could, causing every other part of her body to erupt in pain as well.
"Demi!" Trey made his way over to her and whipped out his phone to call 911 as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Before he could even begin to tell the operator what was happening, he saw Demi's eyes roll to the back of her head before she went limp in his arms.
"Since I'm among the rich and famous, you know there was a rumor that Marilyn Monroe had an affair with President Kennedy?" Second hour Government was such a blow off class that half the time Harmony didn't even bother to show up. But she did today because Jeremiah wasn't responding to her texts and she hadn't seen him all week. She brushed it off as him just being out of the country with his mother or something. If she wasn't in his top ten list of concerns, then he wouldn't be in hers.
"Mr. Young? Can you please send Harmony Lovato-Valderrama down to the main office prepared to leave?" The intercom blasted through the speakers and Mr. Young replied with an annoyed yes before motioning for Harmony to leave the room. All of the teachers got upset when kids were dismissed early but what did they expect? They were teaching the sons and daughters of actresses and actors and models and international superstars. You never knew when your parents would call you out for an impromptu lunch because they had just returned from a three month tour or a photoshoot that you just couldn't miss. She didn't recall a reason for needing to get picked up early but she wasn't complaining either. Maybe she could finally catch up on the few hours of sleep that she had missed last night.
After shouldering her Chanel backpack she exited the classroom. She didn't grab anything from her locker because she didn't need to. Her Doc Martens squeaked against the tile floors as she made her way to the main office but she was stopped by none other than Jeremiah.
"Oh look who rose from the dead," she sarcastically spat before rolling her eyes and attempting to move pass him.
"I know I haven't talked to you. I'm sorry. I've just been busy," Jeremiah replied but Harmony wasn't buying it.
"I'm pretty sure we're supposed to be dating or whatever and people in relationships don't go an entire week without talking to their significant other. You don't even seem serious about this thing that we're doing," she attempted to move past him again but once again he stopped her. He looked especially good in his white Polo shirt and khaki pants and his hair looked good as usual. But she couldn't get caught up in his looks when he had pissed her off.
"But I am. I'll make it up to you, okay?" He caressed one of her cheeks and Harmony felt like putty in his hands. She shot him a weak smile before walking away to the main office where she saw Trey waiting for her with an anxious look on his face.
"You know I drove myself to school, right?" Harmony asked as they exited the office together.
"I'll take you to come get your car later," Trey was fidgeting with anything that he could as they made their way back to the car so Harmony stopped him before he could get into the driver's seat.
"Do you want me to drive? I don't know how valuable your life is but..."
"Harmony, just get in the car," Harmony shrugged it off and hopped into the passenger seat of his Mercedes coupe and buckled her seat belt.
"Your mom is in the hospital," he stated as he started the car up and pulled out of the parking lot.
"Wait, what? For what? What happened?" Harmony questioned. She didn't treat her mom the best but she was still her mom, and if anything were to happen to her...
"She's just not at her best right now. She needs to rest and she's stressed and she hasn't been telling anyone that," Trey explained, breaking traffic laws so that he could get back to the hospital faster.
"I know this is asking a lot, but can you just stay out of trouble for a while? Your mom doesn't need any extra stress on her, okay?" Trey shut the car off and exited it while Harmony grabbed her bag and do the same. Everyone was always telling her to stay out of trouble but it's not like she got into trouble on purpose. What she saw as wrong was completely different from what her parents saw as wrong and that was why she got in trouble for everything.
When they made it to her room, Harmony wasn't prepared for what she saw. Her mom looked so weak in her hospital gown. It looked like it was swallowing her up. She had a pulse monitor in her finger and two IVs, one in each arm. She had oxygen plugs in her nose and she was taking slow shallow breaths that made it seem like she wasn't breathing at all.
"Demi, Harmony is here," Lyric was asleep on the couch and Trey went to pick her up and cradle her in his lap so that her neck wouldn't be sore when she woke up.
"Hey," Demi croaked out, reaching out for her daughter who went and sat on the end of her bed.
"You look disgusting mom," Harmony admitted as Demi released a raspy cackle.
"I know. This is what happens when you don't properly take care of yourself," Harmony chewed down on her bottom lip before looking back down at her mom. She was facing the door of the hospital room so her back was to her mom.
"But you're gonna be okay, right?" Harmony asked and Demi nodded. Her doctor just wanted to keep her for observations for a few days and then she could go home.
"Yeah, sweetie, I'm gonna be fine," Demi rubbed her arm and Harmony nodded before laying down on her mother's side, gulping back any of her tears that were about to fall.