Hidden Truths

 Being a singer in America was difficult, being a singer with no original songs was worse. Abbey hated her job, always had. The job wasn't even the worst part, the interviewers and fans were.

This was the third time this week Abbey had received hate mail. It wasn't too bad. She could handle it, but it always brought back old memories. Like when her bother Mathew died.
Mathew was her adopted brother. For some reason, all of her "fans" thought they were a couple, despite the many times she said that they were family. He did hang around with her a lot, however, so she could see how they may have gotten confused.

He didn't hang around her because he didn't have anything to do or anything like that. No, he had a job repairing equipment at schools and fairgrounds. He got paid pretty well too, almost as much as she did in fact. No, he hung around with her to help ease her anxiety.
She'd had anxiety for as long as she could remember. Sometimes it didn't matter, and she just forgot about it completely. Other times it was all she was, it consumed her completely.

It was always worse when fans got involved. Recently that was all the time. After Mathew’s death, she was swamped with interviews. None of them was enjoyable. They all asked the same questions, and she gave them all the same answers. That is until the tenth interview came around.

"Abigale the Nightingale everyone!" No one clapped as Abbey walked onto the stage, they never had. “Alright, Abbey how are you enjoying your career in music? Do you have any plans for the future? Any songs you'd like to announce to the public? How devastated are you by your boyfriend Mathew's death?"

The onslaught of emotions that raced through her at that moment was both sudden and overwhelming. She lost her breath as sorrow, grief, and finally, rage all raced through her. She could feel the second her resolve snapped, like a rope inside of her was suddenly cut and released a terrible monster from inside her.

"You want to know how I'm enjoying my career? Simple, I'm not. I hate this stupid job, and more importantly, I hate all of you emotionless husks of people, and for the last time, Mathew was my brother, not my boyfriend!” With that Abbey leapt up, running off the stage back towards the curb where she hailed a cab.

After her outburst, there was predictably hundreds of articles and headlines about her. They almost all said the same thing, calling her a "fraud, fake liar" but most shockingly, "murderer". They all said it with such venom in their tones and profound hate in their eyes. She almost cried seeing them, but she didn't. She didn't because those weren't the only headlines and articles she found.

There were a few articles written by someone simply named "Ash", all from Canada. Unlike all the other article these ones weren't hateful or harsh, nor did they accuse her of any crimes. These ones wished her luck and took guesses at what job she would go for now she was out of the music industry.

It was her kindness that spurred Abbey into action, she packed her bags and booked a flight to Canada. After making a few phone calls she managed to get in contact with Ash. Soon after contacting Ash she found out that she also did interviews but hers targeted a completely different audience. Instead of trying to attract middle-aged people like most American places did, her target audience was people who often felt alienated, everyone from people who were gay to people like herself who suffered from anxiety.

Of course, after finding all this out Abbey set a date for an interview with Ash. The week leading up to that interview flew by, and before Abbey could second guess herself she found herself with only an hour to get ready and leave. At first, she panicked, "what am I going to wear?" Then she saw it, her favourite dress and overcoat. Nothing fancy, but also far from shabby. She smiled to herself, slipping the clothes on and running out the door.

"Today we have with us Abigale, a former cover artist from America. So Abbey, would you mind telling us what you're doing here in Canada? Does it have anything to do with your new career?"

Abbey held her breath, this was the moment she had been waiting for, she could finally be what she wanted to be. She smiled, "yes Ash, I am here for my new career. In fact, I will be moving here permanently as of tomorrow. As of this moment, I will no longer be a singer, I am now a fashion designer. Creating things as simple as what I am wearing now, to the most eloquent wedding gowns this side of the world."
It was hard being a singer in America, but it wasn't hard being a fashion designer in Canada.