Rise To Stardom

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The thrill of last night was short-lived. Panic surged through my veins and the idea of not having this second job added more fuel to it. "But I didn't know that she was lying to me! I really thought my dad was hurt!"

My job was hanging by a thread and I was saying anything I could to pull it back up. Aubrey was seconds away from becoming a victim of my wrath. I told her that there was no way I could do it. Not without getting in trouble with my boss. She and dad told me it would be fine. The sterm voice Mrs. Baker used when she told me I was fired served as evidence that it was definitely not fine.

"I swear on my life, I would never lie to ever get out of doing work. That goes against what I believe in. Please, Mrs. Baker, please," I pleaded with desperation dripping from my wavering voice.

"Please don't fire me. I'll do anything. I'll work more hours to make up for it." My eyesight was increasingly blurry as more tears pooled up.

"I'm sorry, Emory. But I can't tolerate lying. I'm gonna have to let you go."

"No! Please, I'm begging-"

The line went dead. How a video of me singing at the club went viral, I had no idea. Aubrey only sent it to dad and I couldn't fathom the possibility that she later posted it on social media behind my back. She would never do that to me. I knew that for a fact.

As soon as I took my phone off airplane mode and off silent, it blew up with Instagram notifications saying that strangers wanted to follow me. I received DMs from people I hadn't had contact with since high school.

Family members whom I only hear from once a year were messaging me, asking why I would even be at a club, let alone singing on stage. Even mom sent me a message.

Of all the times she had free time to scroll through her socials, I had to go viral. My heart was beating hard inside my throat - fast. I forgot how to breathe as my breaths were staggered and shaky. The realization dawned on me.

I was having a panic attack.

I wouldn't be able to help mom pay for dad's medical bills. My salary at the restaurant alone wouldn't nearly be enough. Of course mom didn't necessarily need my help. She was successful with her business and would easily pay it on her own.

However, I failed them. Miserably. It was my job as their daughter to help, but I failed. My symptoms intensified; my heart was on the fritz, my lungs were fighting for oxygen and there was an ache in my chest that wouldn't go away.

I had a plan I thought would work. I had my two jobs, I was getting paid twenty dollars an hour at the restaurant and I was working all the time. There was barely any time to breathe. Speaking of breathing, I inhaled through my nose. I held it in for seven seconds and exhaled for eight, a strategy I saw on TV once after a character suffered a similar attack.

Maybe this was fixable. I could find a much better second job. One that paid better and one that I would even enjoy more. That was possible, right? It wasn't often that people had jobs they loved, but it happened to some.

Why couldn't I be one of those people? Perhaps God had other plans for me and my career. My phone began ringing. I closed my eyes. It was probably a family member upgrading from texting to calling about the video.

That was the last thing I needed. I risked a glance only to find out it was Aubrey. I snatched the phone from my nightstand and answered.

"You're famous! Ems, you just became famous overnight! That's insane!"

"Did you post it anywhere?" I knew the answer. I just needed to hear her say the words before I blew up.

"What?" She asked more out of shock.