Truth be told

Chapter 16

Before I knew it, it was fall and the start of my first semester at college. I was going to a music college not far from Las Vegas.
As proficient as I was in piano, drums, and guitar, I wanted to broaden my skills even more.
I wanted to learn about writing music. That was my dream. To write for some of the biggest singers. Brendon was helping me to understand the process, too. I have tried to encourage him to do the song writing full time and quit teaching. Writing music is his passion. Brendon shoots me down straightaway when I suggest it. He says we need steady income because I am at college. I still work at Ray's Records, but my shifts vary, depending on my college classes. I haven't got my full schedule yet. It's freshman orientation first.
We are put into groups of 4, and a college senior takes us around campus.
Me and another girl really hit it off. Her name was Amelia. She preferred Mia, though. She had come here from Conneticut. She was the youngest of 5. She had an older brother and 3 older sisters. Her brother was a neurosurgeon up at Seattle. One of her other sisters was an OBGYN in New York City.
She asked what it was like being an only child. I said it was nice, with the fact that I had a fantastic bond with my mother.
Kaylin had gone to college to study law. She wanted to be a prosecution lawyer. Caitlin was local like me. She was at art school. Sarah had travelled the furthest. She was on the east coast. She was studying performing arts. Sarah wanted to be on Broadway. I looked forward to the day I would go and watch her in that show.
So that's what life is like now. Our group still has the chat going, so we all know what's going on with each other.

One day, I was at home trying to write some lyrics down. I needed to write something simple. A life experience. I was stuck. Brendon was at work, teaching class at another high school. This was a permanent position rather than a sub one. I was getting frustrated that my creative juices wouldn't flow. I wondered if listening to some songs would help to inspire me.
"Alexa, play my chill playlist." First song was from Harry Styles. I listened to how the lyrics were placed and the meanings behind them or what I thought they were. After that song finished, Ed Sheeran came on. This was quite easy to decipher. So I had some inspiration, listening to 2 different artists' approaches to song writing.
This did actually help, and I started to write some ideas down, and the lyrics were starting to come. I wasn't putting them in any order yet, but I liked what was happening. I got so engrossed in what I was doing that I didn't even realise the time until Brendon came home.
"Hi Beebo." I said.
"Hi Lizzie. How's your day been?"He asked.
"Quite productive," I smiled. "When you get settled, I would like to show you what I have."
"Sure, babe. Let me just get changed." He kissed me and went into the bedroom.
I got up and got a drink for myself.
My phone rang. It was my mother.
"Hi Mom." I said, smiling into the phone. I heard a sob down the line. "Mom?" Then the line went dead. "MOM???MOMMY???"I shouted down the phone. Brendon rushed out of the bedroom.
"Lizzie, what's wrong?" I explained the phone call. "Ok, let's go over there."
We got into Brendons' car and went over to my Mom's house. As we parked up, I got out and ran up the driveway. The front door was wide open. There was glass all over the place.
"Mom?" I called out. "MOM?"
"Carolyn?" Brendon called out. I went upstairs. The house was a mess. Furniture was upturned. There were smashed ornaments and pictures off the walls. I called out for my mother again. I heard a groan and movement, which sounded like broken glass. I turned and moved towards the noise. I walked into my old bedroom, and I saw my mother lay down on her front, her face turned away from me. Mom's phone was next to her.
"Mom." I said softly. I knelt down next to her. I checked for a pulse. It was there, but barely. "Brendon?" I called out. I heard him come up the stairs. He entered the room. "Baby, can you call 911?" Brendon got his phone out and dialled.
Mom moved a little bit. "Liz?" She mumbled.
"Mom! Yea, it's me!" I said.
"You should.....go." She said.
"What? No, Mom. You need to go to the hospital."
"He will come back. He will kill you."
"Carolyn, you need medical assistance. You are seriously injured. You could have internal bleeding." Brendon said.
"No. I need to protect the baby. Liz, you need to go."
We heard sirens. Then there was the sound of broken glass being stepped on. Brendon told me to stay with my mother.
Brendon went downstairs. I heard muffled talking. Brendon came back upstairs.
"It's Aaron." I gulped, and I was prepared to protect my mother.
"No, Lizzie. Your mother, she stabbed him." Brendon explained. I gasped and put a hand over my mouth.