Blessing In Disguise

Original | Chapter Eight

(Sierra's POV)

"Class, this is Sierra De La Garza," my science teacher introduces me.

I manage a small wave and an even smaller smile.

"Are you emo like your fatass of a sister? Or do you just throw up whatever you eat?" a girl mockingly questions.

I have a feeling that she's talking about neither Maddie nor Dallas.

"That's enough, Miranda," the teacher scolds without much conviction; she's probably wondering the same thing.

How does everyone here seem to know more about Demi than I do?

Miranda rolls her eyes and watches me as I claim my seat at the back of the room.

The class goes by slowly, as does each one after that. Word gets around rather quickly that I'm not only the new student but that I'm related to both Maddie and Demi. Apparently, that's huge news.

Everyone else is at lunch except for me. I decided to use the time to research what I've been silently wondering for the past three months. I log onto a computer and double-click on the Mozilla Firefox icon.

As it loads, my doubt creeps to the surface. Why am I even doing this in the first place? Isn't it, like, a violation of privacy or something? Everybody has been saying that now is not the time for me to know, but I want to know. They can't keep hiding things from me. I deserve to know!

The browser finally loads, and I inhale a deep breath, trying to banish all the negative, doubting thoughts. I type 'Demi Lovato' into the search box and press the enter key. I try to tell myself that nothing will come up except for maybe a Facebook page or something, but deep down, I think I know that's not all I'll find.

The first link that pops up is a Wikipedia page. I know for a fact that if you're not famous, you don't have a  Wikipedia page. I click on the link and am greeted by a picture of Demi with a caption below it reading 'Lovato at the Fox Upfronts in New York City, May 2013'. That was only a few months ago.

It feels as if I've been slapped in the face. I honestly can't breathe. I'm beyond shocked. I read the entire article over and over word-for-word. My stomach twists, and I have the sudden urge to puke. How could they have lied to my face for almost three months? A feeling of betrayal washes over me.

So for the past three months, I've been living with a celebrity who has been through the same shit that is slowly killing me? Nobody thought to mention that to me? It all makes more sense now!

"Do you have any siblings?" she asked me.

I shook my head no in response.

"Do you?" I questioned.

She nodded with a grin on her face.

"I have two older half-sisters, and we're all really close. Dallas is twenty-five, and Demi is twenty-one. Do you know Demi Lovato?" she randomly asked.

I shook my head no once again. A smirk formed on her lips.

"This should be fun then!" she said in a slight squeal.

I wouldn't have described meeting Demi as fun...

"Is she a fan or something?" Demi questioned her family.

I remember wondering what the hell she meant by a fan, but now it's clear.

Now I know why she sounded so much like the girl on the CDs. It's because she is the girl on the CDs! I know exactly what the 'Stay Strong' tattoo means. I know that she also has one on her shoulder that reads 'now I'm a warrior'. I know that she's the singer behind the lyrics of my favorite song and that the song is titled I Hate You, Don't Leave Me. I know that she cut herself for the first time when she was eleven and went to rehab in 2010 after punching her backup dancer.