He Saved Me

Chp 27

Mia's POV
     We heard Paris and Daddy screaming back and forth from the kitchen. It sounded pretty serious. I've never seen Daddy so mad before. Something was clearly up. I tip toed into the doorway of the dining room to see what was happening. "Mia what are you doing? Don't go in there right now," Prince whispered behind me.
     "I wanna see what's going on," I whispered back. Blanket and Prince both followed behind me, a part of them wanting to see what went down just as much as me. The 3 of us stood slightly in front of the doorway, trying to be as silent as we possibly could be. I saw Daddy slam down a bunch of bags in front of Paris. He was clearly angry about something, but I couldn't tell what it was.
     "I'm waiting Paris," Daddy said as he tapped one foot repeatedly.
     "Ugh! God you won't get it!" Paris yelled. Immediately she started crying. I could only see the back of Daddy's head, so I couldn't tell if her tears softened him.
     "What is there to get Paris? Under no circumstances should you be using drugs!" he yelled. Prince, Blanket, and I gasped at the word drugs. We gasped a little too loud. Daddy and Paris turned our way and glared at us. Daddy looking more angry than ever. "Are those dishes clean?" he asked sternly. All 3 of us nodded our heads no. "Well they better be when I get there," he warned.
     If there's anything I learned about Daddy since meeting him, it's that his warnings were no joke. We took the hint and went back into the kitchen. After washing our plates And utensils, Prince and Blanket decided to go upstairs. I was still interested in what was going on. Blanket noticed me tip toeing back near the dining room. He grabbed my arm midway and stopped me.
     "What are you doing?" he whisper-yelled.
     "I wanna see what they're talking about. Now let go," I replied. Blanket only made his grip tighter around my arm, to stop me from moving.
     "Mia, you're only gonna make Daddy angrier. Just go upstairs," Prince chimed in.
     "Stop telling me what to do," I said getting frustrated.
     "Fine," Blanket said while letting go of my arm. "But if you get in trouble, just remember we warned you," he said. God, sometimes Blanket sounded EXACTLY like Daddy. He even does the same thing with his eyebrows, that Daddy does when he gets serious. I ignored their input and continued to spy on Daddy and Paris.
     "Why are you acting holier than thou right now? You act like I never googled your name. I know all about your drug problems too Dad! So it's okay for you to do it, but not for me?" Paris yelled. My mouth dropped. I had no idea Daddy did drugs. I always learned in school that drugs weren't a good thing. I don't even know why people take it.
     "First of all young lady, you have no idea what you're talking about. I was on medication! You're on street drugs. There's a huge difference! And as far as my past goes, my mistakes don't justify yours," Daddy said defensively. He rubbed his forehead, clearly agitated. "What made you decide that any of this is okay?" he asked.
     "You have no idea how hard it is to be your daughter! Being Michael Jackson's daughter isn't what's hard. It's being the King of Pop's daughter that kills me everyday! No matter what I do with my life, it will NEVER match up to your accomplishments. I will never be enough to the public! I will never be as good as you. The pressure never ends," Paris cried.
     "Paris, you don't have to be like me. You can do whatever you want in this world. You don't have to live up to my legacy. I don't expect or want that from any of you. Whatever it is that you decide to do, you  just have to be the best at it. Work hard and perfect your craft. You have to help people less fortunate than you. THAT'S how you measure greatness. It's what you do for the world with your achievements and power," Daddy said with a softer voice.
     "Don't you get it? I will be compared to you no matter what I do! People either hate me for being too "edgy" or love me for simply being your child. They don't love me, for me," Paris said with a strain in her voice.
     "Baby I get that, but none of that rationalizes the use of drugs. How is using gonna solve your problems? It will still be there when the high wears off. So what are you even getting from it at the end of the day?" Daddy pointed out. Paris wiped her tears as she pouted. "I always taught you and your siblings to stay away from this stuff. It's not good for you. It will eventually be your downfall. Trust me when I say this, it will negate all the hard work you do. People will only label you as a drug addict. Is that what you want Paris?"
     "No," Paris cried. Daddy walked over to where she was sitting and embraced her. He had one hand on the back of her head, like he always does with me. He kissed the top of her head and lifted her chin. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds before speaking up.
     "I love you Paris. You know that right? I love you so much, sometimes I feel like my heart will burst," Daddy said. "But I will not stand for these types of habits. I mean it. Now do you think you can cut these drugs out of your life on your own? Or do you need help? Because I can get you the help you need. Just tell me babygirl," Daddy said gently.
     "I can stop," Paris said while wiping more tears away.
     "Are you sure?" Daddy asked. Paris nodded her head yes, reassuring him. "If that's the case, I will be expecting negative drug tests from you for the next few months," he said. Paris rolled her eyes in disbelief.
     "Are you serious Daddy? Why can't you just trust my word?" Paris asked.
     "Paris, you broke my trust. I trusted you to do the right thing and stay from such things. I love you but until you're clean for a substantial amount of time, I gotta do what I gotta do. Now if you want, I can very easily find a secluded rehab center for you. I assure you, I will find you the best care," he said.
     "Daddy stop. Please don't send me away. I promise I'll do anything to gain your trust. I promise I'll lay off of this stuff," she sobbed. Daddy pulled her into a hug again and wiped away her tears. I saw a few tears escape his eyes as well.
     "I just want you to be healthy and the best version of you babygirl. I love you so much. I don't want to see you hurting yourself. I know the next few months will be difficult, but I know you can do it. I'm always here for you. Come to me when you're hurting. Come to me when you're in pain. Don't turn to drugs Paris," Daddy said with pain in his eyes.
     "I'm really sorry Daddy. Please don't hate me," Paris said before she broke down crying again. Daddy pulled a chair next to hers and sat down. He slowly wiped her tears and caressed her cheeks.
     "I could never hate you sweetheart. You guys are my life. I love you so much babygirl. I'm sorry you've been hurting for so long," Daddy said lovingly. And before Paris could say anything, they were both startled by a squeaky *achoo* from the doorway. Yup. It was me. I just had to sneeze. I got annoyed with myself for that slip up. So much for being sneaky.
     "Mia, how long have you been standing there?" Daddy asked while squinting his eyes.
     "Um not long," I lied.
     "Mia Giselle, you know eavesdropping is rude. You shouldn't be listening to other people's conversations without their permission," Daddy admonished. I stood their quietly, not exactly knowing what to do with myself. I was busted. Ugh I should've listened to Prince and Blanket. "Go get ready for bed. Pick out a book you want to read. I'll be up there soon," he said sternly.
     Not wanting to get in anymore trouble, I did what I was told right away. As I made my way up the stairs, I couldn't stop thinking about everything that I had heard. Paris is doing drugs. And Daddy used to do drugs. That was a lot to digest for me. Paris said she found that out on google. I kind of want to google Daddy now too. But unfortunately, I have no access to it. Daddy never lets me use the computer unless it's for "educational purposes". His words, not mine. Mmm maybe I can ask Daddy for a phone tomorrow?