Anna Lovato

Chapter One

DEMI'S POV

I am not looking forward to today; two public appearances and one two-hour long interview in a day, with everything kicking off at 7am, just doesn't sound too great to me. I rubbed the tiredness out of my eyes and stared around my bedroom, awaiting my 5:30am alarm clock. The house was really quiet, but then again it is around 5:25am. I think mom and dad spent the night out, I didn't hear them come in. Maybe they stayed out or they've just suddenly got really good at creeping in past midnight, probably the latter - they've had lots of experience.

I licked my teeth just as the alarm clock rung out, telling me it was 5:30am precisely. Great, it's too early. I hit the snooze button on my rather quirky alarm clock and rolled my eyes. All I could hear now was Anna rushing down the hallway. I slowly got out of bed and drew my silk dressing gown around me, dramatically groaning. 

"What are you doing?" I looked at Anna whilst pushing her bedroom door open.

She was sat up in bed, despite her little adventure down the hall, both hands scrunched up and furiously scrubbing at her eyes.

"Hey, you'll make them real raw! I heard you wondering the hallway just a second ago, why?"

"You woke me up, Dems, so I went to see where mommy and daddy are. Mommy didn't come in last night, daddy didn't either," she pulled a sad face and I simply rolled my eyes.

I don't have time to investigate, it's nearing 5:45am and I still haven't got ready.

"I'm sorry, baby. Look, I'll drop you off to school on my way to work. Be ready by six-thirty, you think you can do that?" She slowly nodded at me and as I left the room, I could hear her leave her bed to get dressed. Looks like I'll be playing mother today.

It's weird - talking to Anna this much. Because she's only 9, we don't really talk and I'm usually held up with work to have special 'sister' days out with her. It makes me feel really guilty but it's hard to balance everything. If you're wondering why someone in their early twenties lives with their parents... I don't, I just have been home recently because my latest appearances are only a 15 minute drive from my parents' home. I live on the Texan border, in a nice little four bedroom house. It used to have a pool in the backyard but I filled that in to make room for some chickens, not that this is at all relevant.

It was now around 6:30am, I was dressed and all ready. Of course, I didn't really have to bother that much, I would have hair stylists and makeup artists at the venues but I just wanted to look presentable before I got there.

I looked at myself in my dresser mirror and forced a smile. I kept practising many different smiles until my alarm rang out once again. It was now 6:45am and Anna was meant to be ready fifteen minutes ago. I have fifteen minutes to drive her to school and make my way to this really posh, upper class hotel. I can't remember the name of it.

I cleared my throat. "Anna! Are you ready? Get your stuff and be in the car as soon as possible. We have fifteen minutes!" I could hear the shuffle of feet slowly go down the stairs and knew for a fact she just can't tell time and was hoping I'd help her out.

I left my bedroom, went down the staircase and was greeted by a rather wet-faced Anna.

"What's wrong, baby girl? Actually, tell me on the way, we're going to be late." Anna just sniffled at me and went out the front door. I followed behind her.

"So, what is up then?" Anna just looked at me; she never really talks to me anyway so I'm not surprised me asking about her life comes as quite a shock.

"Mommy and daddy aren't in bed, they didn't come home!" She stuck out her bottom lip.

"Baby, don't worry. I'm sure they stayed at Michelle's, they have before," I shrugged it off and pulled up outside Anna's elementary school.

She quickly hurried out and lazily waved back at me, more focused on hurrying into lesson. Right - my mom job of the day done, well kind of, depending if they decide to pick her up at 3pm or if I'm mommy Demi (or Demetria if Anna really wants to pull my chain) all day. My phone rang. Embarrassingly, my ringtone is Neon Lights, but we'll get onto my vanity later (or will we?).

"Hello? Yes, um. This is her speaking," my heart sunk. I wasn't quite sure why the police department were calling me. What they said next hit me hard. Without even a second passing, my eyes filled with tears and then, all of a sudden, I dropped the phone. I don't know why, I didn't have butter fingers, I was holding it pretty tightly.

I picked up the phone again, wiping my runny nose on the back of my hand. My voice trembled. "You have the wrong person, they were at Michelle's! That c-c-can't be them, it can't! It really fucking can't!" I blubbered down the phone, absolutely broken.

I couldn't quite make out what was said next. Kids and their parents were staring at me. I was sat in my car right in front of an elementary school, hysterically crying and yelling into my cell, so I can understand why people were staring. But I didn't care. I just heard from the local police department that my mom and dad were involved in a car crash. A fatal car crash. 

Multiple thoughts ran through my head.

How was I going to tell Anna? Who would look after Anna? Do I attend my interview and public appearances or do I call them off last minute? Will they understand? Should I tell anyone? Do I tell her they've gone on holiday or will she find out through the tabloids?

After a few minutes of thinking and calming down, still sat in my car in front of Anna's elementary, I worked out what would happen. I would calm down, clear my face of any signs that I was crying, pick Anna up from elementary and take her back to our parents. Then, I would collect her belongings and take her to mine. What happens after that I shall decide when it comes to it. But for now, it looks like my mommy Demi role might be a bit more permanent than I first thought.