The Mighty Fall // l.h.

Chapter 3 • Rhiannon

• Mimi •

The minute we arrive back at my mother's apartment, I open up my mother's cigarette dispenser — a little golden sphere, decorated to resemble a globe — and snatch one out of it. I can't open my purse and rip out my lighter fast enough. Luckily, the flame sparks up in one click, the yellow and blue flame floating just above the mouth of the little silver object, and I light the end of my cigarette. The inhale is what I've been waiting for since I woke up and I breathe the smoke out in a euphoric sigh.

My mother takes out her own cigarette, admittedly a bit more calmly than I previously had. She takes the lighter out of my hand, sinking down on the couch next to me and holding the flame up to the end of her cigarette.

"Well, that was certainly quite the performance you put on today," my mother remarks sarcastically.

"Thank you, I've been told I could be in the movies," I reply with just as much bite.

She glares back at me. "You come in dressed like an absolute slut, you throw up all over the lead singer's shoes, and then you run off without so much as an apology."

"I recall, mother dearest, I was there. An apology, really? I was a bit too embarrassed to think about stopping and apologising for ruining his stupid shoes."

She scoffs. "Perhaps you shouldn't have been hungover, then."

I just roll my eyes and take another drag on my cigarette. It's not worth my time arguing with her — it never is.

There's a knocking at the door and she gives me another disappointed look before rising to go answer it. As soon as she does, I can hear Hank's voice again. "Mimi, we need to discuss this deal with 5 Seconds of Summer," he calls from the door.

"Oh, fuck off, Hank," I call back.

I hear my mother scoff loudly as she returns to the couch, followed by Hank, her obedient pet. I spread my body out across the couch so that she can't sit down anywhere near me and take another drag. I can almost feel the smoke filling my lungs and it's a lot more relaxing than it should be.

"I thought we were done 'discussing' things for today," I say. My mother sits in the armchair across from me instead.

"Your mother and I have come up with a plan and we'd like to talk you through it before we start putting into action," Hank replies. He has nowhere to sit, so he just awkwardly leans against the wall.

"A plan for what?"

Hank looks at my mother as if for permission, and she nods. "The idea of it is to make sure you win that award and get to perform at the ceremony. We want you to ... distract the lead singer and make sure that the band doesn't perform to their full potential."

"Distract him? And how the hell am I supposed to go about doing that?"

It's my mother who answers this time. "Flirt with him," she says in a monotone voice. "Make him fall for you, sleep with him for all we care. Just make sure his music isn't the first thing on his mind and we won't have to worry about them getting that award."

After the silence of my initial shock, I burst out laughing. "Flirt with him?" I gasp through my laughter. "You've got to be kidding me! Did you miss the part where I puked on him? I have absolutely no chance with him, even if I was actually into him."

I realise quickly that I'm the only one who finds this amusing. My mother and Hank are still looking at me with completely serious expressions.

"Oh, come on," I groan. "I know you guys have had a lot of bad ideas when it comes to my career, but I think this might be the worst one yet. Luke has no reason to ever be interested in me like that, and either way, it's cheating if I try to distract them. I might not have any dignity left, but I still know what's morally right."