Knox

At first, the only thing I noticed was the obnoxious beeping coming from my right side. It was in a pitch just high enough to make my head ache so much worse than it already was but I didn't have the energy to do anything about it as I forced my eyes open. 

The next thing I noticed were the white walls all around me and the IV stuck into my arm. I closed my eyes and sighed as I sank back into the bed. 

I was never going to hear the end of this. My fingers itched for my phone. I could see the headlines now: America's Golden Boy in Hospital after Overdose, Childhood Stars, and Where They Are Now; the last one will surprise you, Wholesome Child Star Turned Drag Addict. 

I knew I should avoid the media right now but god I needed to know. 

The only thing that kept me from moving towards the phone resting on the nightstand was muffled whispers coming from behind a rather thin curtain. I could only see vague shapes but I knew who three of them were easily. Mom was standing beside Dad, her arms crossed and I could almost see the disappointed look on her face. Dad had a hand on her shoulder, seemingly trying to calm her down but I knew the same disappointment was on his face. Tony, my manager, was standing between them and two other shapes I didn't know. One was a shorter woman and the other was a tall man. I couldn't see much past the sheet but neither of them looked all that impressed with the conversation. 

"He needs professional help," the woman all but seethed. 

"And would he not get that if he went with you," Tony asked, his voice full of that charm that made people want to do anything he asked. 

"We are not a rehab," she spat. "If he needs a place to go after his program we will gladly open our doors to him but we are not qualified to help him through this."

"Rehab is too public," Mom said softly. "The second word got out he was being admitted he would never find work again. We've been told your camp is, discreet."

"You'd risk his well-being over the public knowing where he was," the man asked, his voice all but trembling with rage. 

"He needs to be properly detoxed, monitored, and supported in ways we are not equipt to handle," the woman said, forcing her voice to be come out calm. 

"He's been out for a week, the drugs are out of his system," Tony said with a wave of his hand. 

I selfishly felt better knowing that. I could hardly believe a week had gone by while I was out but I was thankful I didn't have to be awake for the detox. I've had several in the past, none of which were professional. They mostly happened after a wrap party or tour when I had gone a bit too hard and would see my parents in a few days. Tony would keep me locked up in whatever hotel room we were staying in, refusing to let me leave as I shivered and writhed in pain on the bed. They were absolute hell and I was beyond glad that I was able to skip the experience this time though it did explain the weakness that covered me like a blanket. 

"He'll be sent home today with prescriptions meant to ease the addiction while he gets sober," Tony continued. "Just make sure he takes the meds and set him up with one of those therapists you've been whining about and when he's all better we'll come pick him up. He's been wanting to take some time off for a while now anyway."

"This is not some kind of vacation," the woman seethed. "The kids we take in are headed for jail if we send them away. I will not take a bed from them just because you are too proud to send him where he needs to go."

"Is he not being charged with possession," my dad asked, his voice far too calm for the situation at hand. The other man paused for a minute before sighing. 

"He is but any judge would allow him to go to rehab rather than jail considering it's his first offense."

"A case like that would be too public," Mom said. "He needs a place to lay low for a while. He's America's child for Christ's sake! He'll be blacklisted from every job he tries to take after all this is over!" I cringed at the name. I had never wanted that. The money was nice I guess but the press and fans ruined the fun of it all. I had more money than I knew what to do with but god forbid I try and use it to catch a movie or go to the mall. 

"What if we made a deal," Tony said just as the other woman was about to speak. "We'll pay for his care, obviously, and make a rather handsome donation to cover plenty of other things I'm sure those government grants aren't enough to pay for." The woman paused at that and I could picture the smile that covered Tony's face. "We'll pay for his and other's care, all you have to do is hide him away for a while and let him get over this little speed bump."

"There would be conditions," the woman said after a while and the man turned to face her. 

"You can't seriously be considering this," he scoffed but she ignored him. 

"You will sign his guardianship over to us, if an emergency happened it would be faster for us to give the call rather than wait to get in contact with you."

"That's, reasonable I suppose," Mom said through clenched teeth. 

"And as his guardians, we would have the right to send him to rehab if we think we are not providing for him properly," the woman continued. 

"Fine," Mom scoffed. 

"I also want to speak to him with a trusted therapist. If that therapist doesn't think camp will do him any good, we will refuse him and he is yours to take home after he is discharged." Mom went to open her mouth but Tony beat her to it. 

"I feel like all of this is fair," he said cooly before turning to my mom. "It's better than a scandal isn't it? And there is no harm in a simple conversation."

"How fast can that therapist get here," Mom asked after a while, and even through the curtain I could see the woman's shoulders relax a bit. 

"Within the hour," she promised. 

"Then get him here," was all my mother said as she turned and walked out the door. 

What were they even talking about? How many people knew about that night? It had to have gone at least decently public for my parents to get involved. Tony would have handled the detox on his own like always unless something else happened. 

"We'll need to wait until he wakes up," the woman said softly. 

"He's already awake," Tony said, a smirk evident in his voice as he turned to look at me through the curtain. "Kid can't sleep through rain let alone people talking."

"I'm going to go make a call then," the woman said before following my mother. The other man and my dad went with her but Tony waited until they were all out in the hall before pulling back the thin sheet. 

He looked the way he always did. His brown hair was neatly piled on top of his head, sunglasses pushed back into his hairline, his skin as tan as always, dressed like he was ready to escort me down a red carpet. He smiled at me but it didn't reach his blue eyes. 

"You really did it this time," he said softly as he sat down on the edge of the bed. 

"Tell me," I sighed, leaning farther into the bed. 

"OD'ed at some random frat house last Saturday after the tour wrapped up. Cops got to you before I could and brought you here, called your parents, and charged you with possession. I tried to get you out of it. Why didn't you come tell me you needed to take the edge off? Do you have any idea how much trouble we're both in right now?"

"Just tell me the headlines."

"As of now, no headlines. Everyone thinks we're back home safe and sound in Cali but I don't know how long that will last. Depending on how your little chat goes, I'll tell everyone you're enjoying some time off to discuss different career paths. You'll be out in a year, just long enough to ramp up anticipation and we'll pick up right where we left off." I didn't bother trying to hide my disappointment. 

I didn't want to pick up. I wanted to be dropped and forgotten about. I wanted to fade into the back of everyone's minds until I became 'that one guy who played that one kid on that one tv show a while back'. 

"Get me out of it," I begged, not caring to hide the desperation in my voice. Tony had heard all of what I was about to ask more times than he probably cared to. He had heard the pain in my voice plenty and seen the hatred I carried for this life. Still, he only smiled. 

"Oh come on, you've been asking for a break and I just got you one. At least try and act excited."

"To quit," I corrected, forcing a glare that I so rarely used. "I've been asking to quit for a while now. This is not the same."

"You'll feel differently after you come back from the break," he waved off as he stood from the bed. "I've been pushing you too hard, that's on me. Enjoy the break and I'll see you in a few months."

"Where am I even going," I asked as he slipped through the curtain. I didn't get an answer. Story of my fucking life.