Empire State of mind

Chapter Twenty- Two: Mental Health

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Shelby's POV

I cuddle with Jania as I breath out a sigh of relief, Cookie and Hakeem took care of things with Tiana and she's back at Empire and has a performance set for a later date to get the media on her side and have it show that the rumors of her leaving aren't true

"Baby let me go I got a meeting" Jania says as she tries to detach from me but I pull her closer

"Just five more minutes" I say as I close my eyes, she laughs and gets out of my grip before getting up

"No I really got a meeting to go to, it's important to my career" She says and I sigh and give up

"Fine...where you goin" I say as I get up too and walk over to her

"A meeting....it's a surprise ok and I don't wanna get my hopes up but it's connected to my career and it's exciting so I gotta go get ready" Jania says before kissing me and leaving to her room, I sigh and grab my notebook and sit at my desk

I start writing and writing, I've been havin so many ideas for songs and performances that it's been crazy and I have to release my album soon and I'm prepping for my second album right now

I start humming the songs out and getting the beat I want in my head, I start drumming it out and building it up causing me to smile, i start recording the raw audios of the song  in the phone

I feel hands in my shoulders causing me to stop the recording and turn around to see Jania dressed up and smiling at me, I smile at her before leaning up and kiss her lightly to not mess up her lip gloss

"That's gonna be a hit baby" Jania says causing me to smile

"Thank you baby" I say happily, my mother was the only other one to see me in my process as I call it

"You're welcome baby, I gotta go I'll see you later" She says, I wish her goodbye and to be safe before going back to my music, I continue to work on it till I got three to four songs in there raw form before stopping and making some tea
I drink my tea as I watch First Kill on Netflix  before taking a nap

Oof this is a filled morning

Time skip

I sit in the clinic that Andre is at with Cookie to my left, I watch as he looks at the empty seat that our father is supposed to be in

I tap my foot impatiently as the family session starts, the family starts talking about how the music business is doing well but I can tell he's not paying attention at all

"Y'all i don't think talkin business is gonna help, he clearly needs his own identity outside of Empire...something he likes and is for him only" I say causing everyone to look at me

I start to think back to when he saw all of us singing and I saw the look in his eyes....he feels like an alien in his family

"All he cares about is Empire, he slaved away building this company so yes he cares about that's IPO that's coming" Rhonda says offended and I raise my eyebrow at her, what she mean by slaved...someone get this girl

"Well how about you actually look at his face and see if he gives a fuck, how about that" I say irritatedly, Cookie puts her hand on mine before asking about the bipolar disorder that Andre was diagnosed with

I start getting flashbacks to when I was in therapy, I had the exact hand movements and distant look that Andre has now as the guidance counselors told my mom I had anger issues as well as ptsd from the abuse I had faced by the many men my mother had owed money

The schools didn't know I was being abused too but I don't think they would have cared either, they tend not to handle those things well

I watch as Cookie apologizes for not being there, I watch the whole family looking at him with sympathy and a bit of pity, I start feeling a bit isolated from everything as I never had siblings or friends due to the area and my mothers job

It was always just her and I

I start to evaluate things like why don't I feel a connection with them......why do I spend so little time with everyone, when I finally come out of my thoughts I see Jamal and Hakeem looking at me and I get up and walk over to the psychiatrist

"Hey ummm how do I find a therapist or another psychiatrist to see for a referral" I say causing Andre to look up, I look at him and we share a look of understanding with each other

"Well Um you'll need to talk to your parents to sign papers, we can give you our card so you can come back to us and we can get you a therapist and we can set up an appointment" He says and I nod and thank him as he hands me the card and the papers that are needed and we head out

"Why you ask for a therapist man" Hakeem says but I don't respond as I start zoning out

——————-

I listen as my father as he and Vernon talk, this guys tried to pull some shit to get Empire for Andre....no wonder he said that shit about taking over if Luscious was not able too

I walk in as Vernon is looking over thing, I walk over to my father as he looks up finally and smiles

"Hey Shelby" He says cheerfully, I put the therapy form down in front of him with no words spoken causing his smile to drop and he looks at it

"What's this about" He says before looking back at me with a confused look

"It's a therapy form....since I'm 17 I can't do therapy without your permission so sign it" I say with no emotion

"No" He says and I scoff and shake my head

"What do you mean no....if I'm gon be at 100% for this company ima need my head to be right and right now it's not...actually it never has been" I say irritatedly

"I will not have another one of my children suffering like this" He says as he pushes the paper away

"Well you will if you don't sign that, I have my own shit to get over and some that you caused by not being there so sign it" I say pushing the paper towards him

"Wow Luscious, you gon let her talk to you like a bitch" Vernon says causing me to look at him

"Says the bitch that wants everything we got....see I don't let him treat me no type of way unlike you so mind ya fuckin business and sit in ya seat bitch" I say looking at Vernon who goes to get up  up my father pushes him back down

"You lost yo damn mind.....don't you ever step to my daughter like that.......give me this damn form" Luscious says to Vernon before picking up the form and putting his signature down

I take the paper from him and smile just like him

"Nice doin business with ya" I say sarcastically before leaving

No one's POV

"She gon be a problem" Vernon says as he watches Shelby leave and adjusts his suit jacket

"She's not......she's gonna be the solution" Luscious says looking towards the door as well before getting back to the paperwork he's got

A/n lmao Shelby really be puttin his ass in his place and I love it, best part is that he can't say shit😂😂

Enjoy :)