Fake It Till You Make It

Chapter Two

Taylor was sitting on her bed scrolling through her phone while Tree walked in.
"Hey Tay. Ready to go?" Tree asked.
"Yes. But I'm gonna go to the bathroom first. I'll meet you in the car after."
"Ok, meet me in the car."
Just as Tree left the room she ran and threw up four times until there was nothing left. The last two were only water, causing her to be extremely dehydrated. She walked out to the car and Tree and her driver were waiting for her.
"Ready?" Tree asked.
"Mhm." Taylor was extremely anxious and was scared if she talked her voice would shake.
"What's wrong?" Tree noticed her worried behavior, and needed answers.
Taylor ignored her and started shaking her leg and fiddling with her hands.
Tree tried again, "Tay, talk to me."
Taylor looked at her and told her that she was feeling anxious.
"I know you are, why?"
"I don't know. I just constantly feel overwhelmed."
"Ok. Taylor I need you to be completely honest when I ask you this," Taylor nodded, "have you been eating?"
"Yes," Taylor lied, "I have. I'm just anxious."
"Ok. I believe you. Do you want to talk about it after the show?" Tree asked.
"Yes." Taylor knew she wasn't asking, she was telling her.
When they pulled up to the stadium Taylor started to panic a little. Tree noticed and reassured her it was ok. They walked into the building and Taylor went to get dressed. She put on her tights and then put on her bodysuit. She realized it was to lose, but she knew Tree would worry if she told her so she pretended that she ripped a stitch and that was why it was loose. Not because she had been starving herself. Her customer started to adjust it and Tree believed her when she told her why it was loose.
After getting dressed she went over to hair and makeup and Travis poked around the corner. Taylor heard his voice and whipped her head around to see him.
"Taylor!" Her makeup artist yelled.
"What?" Taylor asked.
"I was doing your eyeliner," Her makeup artist said, "now there's a black streak on your face!"
"Oh. Sorry! Can we take a break so I can go say hello to Travis?"
The makeup artist agreed, sensing Taylor had been anxious and needed a small break. She checked her phone for Travis to text her at least five times in the past seven minutes.
Taylor walked over to say 'Hi' to Travis, but when she got there she noticed it wasn't Travis, but a person from her crew. Seeing this, her heart sank. Her heart rate increased and she wasn't sure why she was so much more anxious all of a sudden, she just knew she was. Her breathing started increasing and she was spiraling out of control. She looked around for someone to help but everyone was busy, and nobody around knew how bad her anxiety had been recently. She was freaking out so she walked back to hair and makeup.
"Hi Tay, how was Travi-" her makeup artist's face dropped, "oh my god Taylor what happened?!"
Taylor was unable to speak but she managed to utter out, "T-Tree. I- Tree. Call Tree!"
Her makeup artist quickly rang Tree, "Tree! You need to come to hair and makeup right now. Taylors freaking out."
Tree tried to ask the kind makeup artist what was going on but she didn't know what had happened.
"Taylor? Trees in her way ok?" She tried to calm her down but nothing was working. She needed Tree.
After a few minutes, Tree came running over and Sat down in the chair in front of Taylor. She tried to talk to her to get her to explain but she couldn't focus.
"Taylor, I need you to talk to me ok? What's going on?"
Taylor's brain couldn't put together a full sentence at the moment and all she could get out was, "T-Travis Car Crash. He's Gone."
"Honey, what?" Tree was extremely confused as to what she was talking about and needed her to explain more.
"I'll try." Taylor was visibly shaking and Tree grabbed her hands to try and calm her down and help her focus. "Travis was uh. He was- He was coming to the stadium and then got in a car crash. He's gone! Tree he's gone what do I do?!"
"Taylor. Listen to me. Travis is fine. He didn't get in a car crash. He's on his way over. He texted me thirty seconds ago." Tree was incredibly confused as to who told her that.
After a few minutes, Taylor started to calm down. Travis got to the stadium and Taylor was assured he was Ok.
Once Taylor had calmed down Tree came over and took Taylor into a room with just them.
"What's going on?" Taylor asked tree.
"What do you mean?"
"You." Tree was firm with Taylor, and she wanted answers.
"Nothing?" Taylor lied.
"Tay? We both know that's not true."
"Look," Taylor was nervous she was going to break and tell Tree what's been going on so she tired to get out of the situation, "Im fine. And the show is starting in a little under an hour. I need to go get ready and-"
"Your not leaving until you talk to me," Tree interrupted.
"I already told you. Nothings going on. I'm just a little anxious." Taylor proceeded to lie, hoping Tree would fall for it.
"Taylor, being 'a little anxious' doesn't make you think your boyfriend died. What happened back their?" Tree wasn't falling for it.
"Fine. I've been really anxious lately. Happy?" Taylor said with a snarky tone.
"No. Why would that make me happy?" Tree asked sympathetically.
"Because you wanted answers. I answered your question, now can I go get my makeup finished please?" Taylor wasn't going to break.
"No. Tell me what happened earlier." Tree said. Referring to her break down in makeup.
"Fine. I was getting my makeup done, and I heard Travis's voice, so we took a break and I went to go say 'hi'. When I got over there I noticed it wasn't Travis, and my brain went to the worst possibility. I started thinking that maybe he wasn't here because he got in a car crash. I knew it wasn't true but my brain got confused and you know the rest."
"Tay..." Tree said softly, "That's not normal. Or healthy. Have you been taking your anxiety medication? You meant to have it with your lunch and dinner. Daily."
"Yes, Tree." Taylor had been taking it, she just had also been throwing it up with her food. But she didn't lie.
"Ok. I guess we can talk more about this after the concert. You sure you're good to perform?"
"I'm sure." Taylor wasn't sure. She had been feeling light-headed and shaky the whole day. Probably from not eating.