Mirrorball (Taylor Swift's Sister)

twenty

"Do you need some help?" Taylor asked, comfortably perched on my bed, legs crossed, her phone in hand. She chuckled as she observed me on the floor surrounded by an open suitcase and a chaotic display of clothes, I was deep in the throes of deciding what to bring for the two-month stay.

"Tay, it's two months; I need to bring as much as I can," I replied, folding my tank tops and attempting to squeeze them into the already overloaded suitcase. Despite my efforts, it was already bursting with clothes, makeup, and essentials.

"Ugh," I groaned, struggling to fit in the remaining pieces of clothing.

"Char, you need to understand you're going to New York, not the middle of the desert. Plus, you can get more clothes in New York; they have the same stores as they do here," she teased, laughing.

It was winter break, and fortunately,  I had managed to secure a month off from school. After countless attempts at convincing my parents, they finally agreed to let me go to New York with Taylor. It was a bit surprising given their usual protectiveness, especially because I'm the youngest and Taylor's sister. Nonetheless, I was beyond excited. I had always loved Taylor's New York home. It was cozy, and I had my own room filled with everything I loved.

"Okay, look, let me help you," Taylor offered as she gracefully made her way over to the floor, settling down beside me. She began lifting the crammed clothes from my suitcase.

"You have two colors of the same top, and they're black and dark grey. They literally look the same. Choose one and let the other go," she suggested. Taylor, being inherently practical and incredibly organized, couldn't resist intervening when faced with my messy suitcase and improperly folded clothes, so of course she had to help, considering the fact that my suitcase looked like a garbage disposal.

"But they're both so pretty," I groaned.

"They look the same," she insisted.

"Tay, you must be colorblind," I teased, deciding on the black one.

"Okay, good. Now, we just have to get rid of some more because, to be completely honest, I don't think you'll be able to close this up," she chuckled.

After hours of debating over various colors and jeans, Taylor and I finally managed to slim down my clothes selection by half. Despite that, my suitcase was just right. It was very last minute of me, considering my flight was tomorrow. If Taylor wasn't here to help, I don't know how I would've survived this clothing crisis.

"So, what do you want to do when you first arrive in New York? You haven't been there since last April, so that must be so exciting for you!" Taylor asked with great enthusiasm.

"Well, I missed Calista a whole lot, so I definitely have to meet her. And I would love it if I could visit your recording studio again! It was so much fun last time, watching you record your songs," I said. Taylor had to go back to New York early to record her last-minute vault tracks for her 'Reputation (Taylor's Version).' It would be a perfect time to visit, especially since I hadn't gotten the chance to listen to it yet.

"Yeah, you can definitely come with! I need your opinions as well since I'm really debating between the songs on RepTV. And ask Calista if she'd want to sleepover! I miss hanging out with her!" Taylor added. Calista and I have always been close; she went to my middle school before moving to New York. She's always been one of my closest friends. I love her deeply, and I've always enjoyed hanging out with her, and apparently, Taylor does too.

"And guess what? I managed to snag us tickets to 'The Nutcracker'! I know it's been in your bucket list since forever, but Mom's always been so strict about public events in enclosed spaces. Well, she won't be there, so we can deal with her later. Keep it secret for now," Taylor announced, and I couldn't contain my joy.

'The Nutcracker' had been a long-standing wish, and although I enjoyed it as a child, Mom's increasing strictness about theaters meant I hadn't seen it in years. This would be the first time in a very long time.

"Thank you so much, Taylor. You have no idea how much I appreciate this," I said, wrapping her in a hug, which she warmly accepted. "Okay, now go to bed, my love. We have a very long flight tomorrow."

It was almost midnight, and it dawned on me that I had lost track of time amidst the packing and picking. So Taylor's mention of bedtime made me realize just how tired I was.

"Alright, night, Tay," I said as she left the room, gently closing the door and blowing a kiss. Tomorrow promised to be extremely hectic, but I couldn't wait, especially because I was heading to New York. No matter how many times I've been, it would always feel like a dream

Omg happy new year to you all! First chapter of 2024 guys! As the new year has finally approached, I hope all of you, my lovely readers will have the best year, you guys have no idea how much I appreciate you, and I really hope that all of you, including some of you guys who struggle with eating would finally find some sort of way to recover. I'm trying to, so I hope you guys do too. Love you all so so much, and may 2924 be the best year for you all <3