Coma Therapy

Sitting with another interviewer this time without the audience Arianna smiled. She loved her fans but these one on one interviews were her favorite.

“How are you today?” The interviewer asked handing her a bottle of water.

“Good,” Arianna replied.

“You’re on tours with Liars Hate Liars, how’s that going?”

“The singer, Dan, he’s my best friend. The other guys are awesome too. It’s going great,” she said looking off to the side to see the band. They all waved happily.

“What’s it like being away from your family?”

“I talk to them every night so it’s not too hard,” Arianna explained. “And my dad is bringing out my mom and little brother next week. I’m super excited about that.”

“Are you a momma’s girl or a daddy’s girl?”

“I’m definitely a Daddy’s girl,” she laughed.

“Your album talks mostly about your drug addiction and getting back on the straight away, how hard was that for you to write?”

“While I was in rehab I started writing and when I finally got home that’s really all I did,” she said. She didn’t mind talking about her addiction but sometimes she wished the interview could be a bit more on the lighthearted side.

“What made you decide to go to rehab?”

“My dad. I was at the end of my rope. We had a fight and I just ended up on my uncles couch crying my eyes out. He came over and gave me an ultimatum. Get clean or be kicked out.”

Nodding the interviewer took a sip of her own water. “How was rehab for you?”

“The first week was absolute hell. My insides didn’t want anything to do with me. It was hell,” she said shuddering. “Imagine having the flu but fifty times worse.”

“One more question before I let you go, if you could give someone advice about getting clean and going to rehab, what would it be?”

“If you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready,” she spoke softly.

Thanking her for her time Arianna made her way over to the small group minus Dan. Giving them all hugs she yawned loudly. She really just wanted to crawl back into bed and hide under the covers.

Going into the green room she was given she found Dan sitting on the couch with his head between his hands.

“What’s up?” she asked plopping down next to him.

Picking his head up he pulled her to him and gave her a hug. What he was about to say was going to shatter her world. Holding her arms he searched her eyes for a minute; she would never be ready for this moment.

“What is it Dan?” she asked seeing how distraught he is.

“Ari,” he whispered his voice cracking. “Your mom called.”

“Okay?” she asked not following him.

Taking a deep breath he bit his lip. “Your dad, he had a heart attack last night, he,” Dan paused and shook his head. He couldn’t finish.

“He what Dan? He what?” Starting to freak out she got up off the couch and started pacing the room. “Dan just tell me,” she shouted pulling at her hair.

“He didn’t make it,” he barely whispered it.

Staring at him for a moment Arianna shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. He was healthy goddamn it! Dropping to the floor she curled into a ball and cried. How could she live without him? He was her rock, he was her dad, he wasn’t suppose to die.

Crouching next to her Dan tried rubbing her back but she pushed him away. “No,” she shouted picking her head up. Tears streamed down her face with no intention of stopping. “This can’t be happening,” she said her voice breaking. “This can’t be happening!”

Hanging his head Dan couldn’t say anything. It was happening. And there was nothing they could do to change it.

Taking her phone off the small coffee table she quickly found her Uncles number and pressed send. She needed to hear it from someone that was over there. No matter how much she wanted it to be a lie.

“Ari,” Johnny whispered his own voice full of tears. “I’m so sorry Ari.”

Screaming Ari threw her phone across the room and shrank back down to the floor. This was going to ruin her.

And Dan just watched sadly as she sobbed. Would she survive this? Would she stay strong and clean?

“Daddy,” Ari cried clutching her necklace in her hand. “I need you. Please.” But no amount of begging would alter the turn of events. Nothing would be the same.

A few hours later as they sat on Ari’s tour bus quietly discussing what they should do. Ari needed her family, what was left of it. And who knew how well she would be able to hold up every night.

Sitting in the back with her Dan let her cuddle into his side. There were no words to speak. There was just pain and the underlying craving for her liquid gold.