2. mirrorball (a taylor swift au)

-chapter seven-

Ellie knew that her Mom was nervous about leaving her while she was at the VMA's... but for the first time since she'd been with Taylor, she wasn't the slightest bit nervous. Andrea and Scott were going to be looking after her - it was so exciting. She'd also noticed how happy her Mom had been lately. Always smiling down at her phone, always excited to go to their support group meetings. Her Mom had been stressed lately, she knew that. But she was smiling a lot more, her shoulders seemed less tense. She'd seen her Mom happy before... but this was more than happiness. It was so much more than that, but Ellie hadn't put her finger on it yet.

She was excited to get to spend time with Taylor's parents again. She missed seeing them weekly on tour. Scott had told her that the two of them would go out and grab dinner! And Ellie was excited at the thought of it. She didn't really get to go out for dinner very often - except to Margot's Dad's restaurant last week. She didn't mind it - but it was exciting to think about.
"Bee?" She heard Taylor calling her name. Taylor had been anxious all day - biting her nails and trying to convince Ellie she wasn't stressed. But Ellie knew she was.
"Yeah?" Ellie called out with a smile as Taylor walked past the doorway before finding her.
"Are you sure you'll be alright?"
Ellie nodded, standing up. It was weird, knowing she'd be here without Taylor, and it brought a lot of emotions and feelings and thoughts back... but she was figuring out that she'd be okay. Those thoughts wouldn't kill her. Or at least, she hoped they wouldn't.
"I'm gonna have the best time ever," she grinned. "But I want you to have the best time ever too," Ellie told her. "Andrea and Scott will look after me... I've really missed them. I'm gonna get to show them all my toys and the chickens and the horses! I've been on my own with them before."
Taylor smiled down at her. "I love you so much, Ellie bee."
"I love you too but you've gotta have a fun night and do fun things! And you've gotta tell Blake and James and Inez and Betty and Evelyn that I say hi!" Ellie giggled. "But most of all... will you promise me you'll have fun?"
Taylor grinned down at her. "Okay, okay. I promise."
"You've gotta take lots of pictures because I wanna see them!"
"I promise I will."
There was a knock on the door, and Ellie scrambled downstairs to greet Taylor's parents.

Taylor was in the car on her way to the venue. She was busy texting Selena - who was no more looking forward to the evening that Taylor was. The two of them were stressed and they'd been talking about it the whole day. Today was day two of being in New York without Ellie. It just reminded her so much of everything that happened at the end of July. When Ellie had been taken away. She was terrified of something happening to Ellie when she wasn't there.
Logically she knew Ellie would be fine and it was only a night - but she'd had nightmares about losing her. About being in a crowded supermarket and losing her. Being in a deserted forest and losing her. Someone tearing her out of her arms. She'd been meaning to go and see a therapist herself about it - because it was becoming a problem that was increasing in its power. It was becoming something she worried about so much that she couldn't sleep, couldn't go anywhere without Ellie.

One thing was for sure, Taylor couldn't wait to get some alcohol.
Her phone pinged as she arrived at the venue, trying to take it all in her stride. This had been what she'd missed with Joe - it had been what she'd craved. But she didn't feel that craving anymore - although, she was the tiniest bit excited to essentially have a night out. She hadn't had one in months - and she couldn't wait to see her friends. She'd had dinner with Blake and Ryan and a few others last night - and for a few hours she'd been able to laugh and have a nice time. But she'd had to go to sleep alone. In a bed alone. With no Ellie beside her.

Alone.

She'd lasted half an hour in that bed before she'd given up and went to sleep on the couch. 

But here she was, hair and makeup done. Ellie had begged her to leave her hair curly - she'd said that she looked so pretty with it curly. So she was wearing the curls, she'd left the straightener at home.