Hollywood's Bleeding

001

Click click click

The silence would have swallowed aspen if it weren't for the sharp clicking of her therapist's heels on the white tile. Her rehab program was finally done, though those three months felt like years in the hospital-like facility. Thankfully her manager worked out a deal with the producers of her newest movie to tell the tabloids that filming was taking a bit longer than usual, the new release date for the film? Tonight. With a movie premiere the night of her release and a cast reunion at the end of the week, the girl was filled with nerves. But she was better now. She had to be. They were releasing her for a reason... right?

"Aspen?"

The voice drew her from her thoughts, "hm?"
"You have all of your things?"

"Uh, yeah, everything's here." aspen said giving her therapist a weak smile, or maybe ex-therapist was a better way to put it considering she worked for the rehab facility.

"I hope you know no matter what you can always call me. Recovery is hard, especially in your line of work. Even though we worked out your support system outside of the program, I am still here if you need to talk." the woman assured kindly.

"I know Dr. Sanderson, thank you... for everything." the girl spoke, letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Of course, dear, just remember, you're stronger than you think."

Out of impulse Aspen immediately hugged the woman, shocked at first Dr. Sanderson eased into it, knowing Aspen saw her as a motherly figure during her time there.

"Now go out there and be amazing, there's a handsome young man waiting to bring you home." the doctor said before giving her a light pat on the shoulder as they separated before buzzing her pass card to let Aspen to the front desk area.

The dark-haired girl took a deep breath before pushing the big steel door open, hoping to see her boyfriend Dakota on the other side, but we all know what they say about hope. Instead, past the steel door stood her curly-haired best friend Ethan, a close second but she hadn't seen Dakota in months. The two boys were basically the only people who knew she was in rehab beside her parents and manager.

Noticing the smile drop from the girl's face Ethan let out a chuckle, "woah there, try not to be too excited to see me, pen." he joked lightly.

Aspen shook her head as she signed release papers with the front desk, "you know I'm always glad to see you E, I was just expecting Kota."

"He had a last-minute contract meeting for a movie he's supposed to shoot, but rest assured my little scream queen, he will be there tonight to escort you to your premiere," he assured as she approached him, swinging a lanky arm around her shoulder and giving her a quick kiss to the head. "Now come on squirt, we gotta get you to your fitting, t-minus 6 hours to your reintroduction to society."

"Being thrown right back to the wolves... can't wait." Aspen groaned as they exited the building and headed for his car.

Sliding into the passenger seat of Ethan's car, Aspen ripped open the plastic bag of everything she was admitted with and pulled out her phone powering it up. Thousands of notifications started popping up she could barely keep up.

"I knew I should have deleted everything off my phone before I went in, this is exactly what I didn't want," she muttered to herself before opening Instagram and posting a selfie of herself and Ethan in the car with the caption 'surprise you can't get rid of me that easily'. Although posting something didn't help the incessant notifications she was receiving it was part of what her manager asked of her upon her release from rehab. That and, to not spread her whereabouts around to anyone to avoid any bad publicity right before a new movie. The ride from the hospital to her house was about an hour so she decided to take a nap in the car so she would at least have a shred of energy for tonight's festivities. Ethan didn't mind much, he just blasted some music and enjoyed the drive.

It wasn't long before Ethan pulled into the girl's gated community, giving her a quick whack on the shoulder as he drove through the winding roads to wake her up, "up and at 'em sleeping beauty".

Aspen eyes opened slowly just as they were pulling into the driveway, "gross" she groaned at the sight of her large home.

"Gross? Dude you better take that shit back, I live in a tiny ass apartment. Besides your gremlin of a dog misses you so you better get out of the car." Ethan bugged her as he parked the car.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" she laughed as she opened the passenger door, when the boy made no move to get out as well she leaned back into the car. "Nu-uh if I have to go in there to like ten people waiting to dress me up like a doll I need emotional support so get your ass out of this car." before he could protest she slammed the door shut. Ethan groaned, Aspen used to make him sit through her getting ready all the time and he found it mind-numbingly boring, however being the amazing best friend he was he turned the car off and begrudgingly followed the small girl into her house.

Entering the home he closed the door behind him and was pulled to the kitchen with the girl where her hair and makeup team was set up. Immediately everyone's attention was on them and her whole team and assistant surrounded her with welcoming smiles and hugs.

Essentially being ignored Ethan moved to sit at the large marble island in the center of the kitchen right beside where Aspen would be sitting in mere moments to have her hair and makeup started.

"Wait a second, as much as I'm glad to see you all where's Goblin?" the girl asked as she sat in her seat, referring to her 3-year-old Doberman.

"He's at the groomers" Ethan piped up as he pulled out his phone to scroll mindlessly through twitter as Aspen got all pretty and shit for tonight.

"He wanted to be all pretty for when mom got home," Aspen's assistant Claire added appearing with a vape pen for Aspen to hit while she got ready.

"Claire I love you," Aspen squeaked as her eyes caught sight of the vape.

"Pen seriously?" Ethan groaned at the sight of the nicotine placed in the girls' hand.

"E seriously?" she retorted, leaving it at that since not even her team knew she was in rehab the past three months. Everyone close to her thought she was out of the country filming her movie just like the general public did.

"Whatever," Ethan said rolling his eyes. Yeah, sure she wasn't in rehab for nicotine but still, wasn't it a bad move?

Aspen rolled her eyes as well in response to his attitude taking a pull of her vape as her chin was guided to face her makeup artist. The dark-haired girl merely took her phone back out to go on social media as her face was pampered and then covered in the latest beauty products. Then her hair was tugged at until it was all styled before getting rushed up to her room where a rack of possible outfits was hung.

Tonight was going to be a long night.