Depression's End, Young Love's Start

Chapter 2

The first thing that loaded was a photo of Brandon and me from a dinner we'd had.

I was fully clear in the shot, but Brandon only showed as a blurry side profile.

The comments were flooded with people begging the paparazzi to post a clear shot of his face.

Before I could even process what I was seeing, Brandon pulled out his phone and made a call.

His expression went stone cold. "Pull this from the trending list. And tell that pap to destroy the negatives."

He took care of the whole thing in minutes.

Brandon didn't wait for me to say a word. He stood up, grabbed a couple of pieces of clothing, and left just like that.

The house went quiet again.

A hollow feeling settled heavily in my chest.

I'd never admit it out loud, but for a split second, I'd actually wanted to ask Brandon if we could just go public.

I tapped the photo to look closer, and that was when I noticed something off.

My heart sank instantly.

From our outfits, I could tell this had been a totally private day out. The only person we'd seen that day was my elder sister, Eleanor Morrow.

I called her right away, my voice tight with frustration. "Eleanor, did you leak that photo?"

Eleanor sounded totally unapologetic. "Yeah, so what? You wouldn't invest in my idea, so I had to find a way to make a little cash on my own."

My chest tightened. A thousand things I wanted to say shrank down to one line. "Eleanor, I told you that investment scheme is a scam..."

Eleanor hung up straight in my face.

My fingertips went cold.

I squeezed my eyes shut, then pulled out my meds and took a few more pills.

*****

A week later, my first concert finally arrived.

Inside the massive arena, the lights went down. A thin white fog slowly spread across the stage.

The next second, a spotlight slammed down on the center of the stage. A powerful, clear voice rang out, cutting straight through every person in the crowd.

I rose up on the platform lift in a blue dress, and the crowd screamed like crazy.

It had been three years. The queen was back.

A whole list of celebrities sat in the front VIP section.

Brandon, Fernando, Darnell—all of them were there.

I didn't waste time with small talk. Everything I wanted to say was in my music.

I poured every part of myself into every single song.

Darnell, who always wore his heart on his sleeve, had red, watery eyes.

Even Fernando stopped slouching and paying half attention. He was fully focused now.

He couldn't help it. His pulse followed every move the woman on stage made.

"Abigail the stage goddess" wasn't just some fancy nickname. It was the truth.

For three whole hours, I wrapped the entire crowd in a bright, perfect dream.

But the second I got backstage, I collapsed right on the floor.

Everyone panicked. "Hurry! Get Ms. Morrow some oxygen!"

The sudden emergency meant all the celebrities who'd planned to stop by had to leave early.

Half an hour later, I was curled up alone in the corner of the green room couch.

The door swung open.

I forced my eyes open. It was Brandon, holding a bouquet of flowers.

I didn't want him to worry. I pushed myself up and gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine, just really tired. I'll feel better after a little rest."

Brandon walked over and handed me the flowers. "Congrats. The show was great."

I smiled and reached for his hand. "I was so nervous going out there. I was scared I'd mess up a note, or that people would think I wasn't as good as I used to be..."

Brandon listened without saying a word.

I had no idea how much of it he actually heard.

I caught on, and my smile froze. "Let's go get dinner later, okay? I ordered your favorite, lobster mac and cheese..."

Brandon cut me off calmly. "I can't make the after-party. I've got work. Take care of yourself."

He had come and gone so fast that it almost felt like I'd imagined him.

I watched his back walk away, and a sharp ache twisted in my chest.

I couldn't remember when it had started. He was always rushing in and out like this now.

Back in the day, he'd been the first one backstage after every single show. He'd pull me into a tight hug right away.

In the empty green room, a cold, lonely feeling I'd never felt before washed over me.

I wrapped my arms around myself, my knuckles white from how tight I was holding on.

My concert blew up, landing on seven or eight different trending spots at once.

That same night, I got a call from my mom, Fiona Morrow. I hadn't seen her in a whole year.

Fiona said, "Abigail, your concert was a hit, huh? That means you've got money again, right? Send me some. I can barely afford to eat here in Alden City..."

I could hear noise in the background—shouting about bets, card reveals, all the usual casino chaos.

"Are you at the casino again?" I asked.

Before she could answer, I looked down, my voice cold and steady. "I told you. I won't send you any more money until you quit gambling."

I hung up right after that and blocked her number.

I had three days off after the first show.

I packed some homemade snacks and got on a flight to Haloway City.

When I got to the film set, Brandon was still shooting scenes.

I kept a low profile, hat and mask on, and waited quietly off to the side.

Finally, the director said, "Cut!" I started to step forward, but someone ran over to Brandon faster than I could.

It was Gloria Upshaw, the female lead of the film.

Gloria held out her cup to Brandon. "I just got this iced coffee. This stupid heat is unbearable."

Brandon's assistant, Harry Fisk, laughed. "Hey, you're stealing my job here."