Fireworks 3 and 4

Chapter Thirty-Nine

    Publicity is the name of the game when you were solidifying your spot among the greatest names in the entertainment industry - but there was a point when the publicity became too much. Once upon a time, it had excited Mia to hear her name being spoken on the radio or on entertainment news, but these days she avoided any media source that could potentially cover the Mia and Drake story.

    Everyone felt the need to put in their two cents. Celebrities she'd never held conversations with before were sending her personal messages on Instagram, asking her if she was going back to Drake. "Community dick" was a phrase that was thrown around a lot. But then again, those were words she'd had to endure throughout the duration of their relationship.

    Drake's comment section on Instagram was so messy that he changed the settings so that only those he followed could comment. His own fans were criticizing his actions and the tone he'd taken with his reported baby's mother. His own fans were criticizing the woman he'd impregnated. That poor woman was dragged for filth, just because she didn't fit a certain standard of beauty in the public's eyes. Regardless of that fact, her responses to people always held a solid measure of respect that Mia found herself admiring.

    Mia's comment section was so messy that she rarely opened the Instagram application. Drake fans were in her comments asking if she was going to take Drake back. Some actually demanded that she take him back. "I know he did you dirty," wrote one fan, "but can't you see that he's miserable without you? I'm seriously worried for his health at this point. If you care about him, you should take him back." Others championed her for holding her ground. "People want you to forgive Drake because he's Drake. If he was just some random dude, people wouldn't be telling you to take him back. So just do what feels right. Don't listen to these people. They're just too busy stanning to see the situation for what it is."

    Comments about the situation were Drake dominated her comment sections. It was always her wish that her social media pages focus solely on her art, but that was a pipe dream with the media circus evolving around her. Despite her frustration and anguish, though, her streaming numbers were up. Drama kept your name and face in the press and at the forefront of people's minds when they were trying to decide what they wanted to listen to.

    The entire experience felt surreal. Mia remembered first meeting Drake, and him telling her that dating him would come with a price. Everyone wanted a piece of him and if she chose to associate herself with him, that would result in everyone wanting a piece of her. That was the sweet Drake, the helpful and guiding Drake. It was hard to imagine him taking on the tone he had with a woman he'd chosen to sleep with.

    "Break for five!" a short, dark-haired director called out, adjusting the wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

    Mia turned away from the video camera and exhaled. Her assistant was right by her side, offering water and her phone. She had a few dry text messages from Oliver relaying streaming numbers, and more upbeat messages from Future the Prince. Fans were tagging her in photos taken of Drake in a shopping center in Calabasas. He was out and about and everyone seemed to celebrate that he was getting back to his old self.

    As if he knew she was scrolling through Instagram, a notification informed her that Drake had posted a photo. It was a cryptic photo of his back as he was seated at a studio soundboard. He was back in the studio, but because his own fans couldn't cheer him on in his comment section, they all migrated to Mia's comment section. Several fans commented that they were waiting on "Mia's Interlude."

    The costume stylist buzzed around Mia, making adjustments to the shimmery tank and tailored shorts she was wearing. The hair stylist nitpicked with a few stray strands of hair as Mia checked her private messages.