sparks; gracie abrams

chapter thirteen- what keeps you up at night

After working around each other's busy schedules, Taylor and Ember finally found themselves in Electric Lady Studios together. The younger girl was still slightly intimidated at the idea of working with the great prowess that was Taylor Swift, the older was down to earth and they fell into a wonderful flow. Taylor had divulged her next album concept of 'what keeps you up at night' and they had been bouncing ideas for the better part of an hour when Ember went quiet, staring at her notebook.

Taylor noticed the shift in Ember's demeanor and gently placed her guitar down. "Dollar for your thoughts?" The younger girl looked up with confusion written on her face. "Isn't it supposed to be a penny?" "I figure your thoughts are worth a little more than that," Taylor says lightheartedly. Ember took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on her guitar, debating her next words. "Do you remember when you asked why I play left-handed?" Ember said decidedly. Taylor nodded, a little confused, but waiting for her to continue. "I'm right handed." Ember said, not quite knowing how to go on. A small smile graced Taylor's face, "I caught that when you were writing the first time we met actually." There was a pause until Ember found her words. "My brother, Egan, was left-handed. He taught me how to play on his guitar, and I could never figure out how to switch."

Ember's voice trembled slightly as she continued, "We moved to Maine when I was like 15, just him and I. Our parents were... not good. Egan was their favorite, and he shielded me from the worst of it, but it was hard. So when he had the opportunity, he left and took me with him." She paused, memories flooding back. "Egan had a job in marine conservation, and we built a life in Maine. But all I wanted to do was go to New York and start doing music. I was being selfish, and Egan wanted me to wait, to be patient. We had a fight, I said I was going alone, and he yelled at me." Taylor was listening intently as Ember took a breath. "I think his biggest fear was being like them," Ember said, referring to her parents. "So he agreed to go with me. Left the stability he had worked so hard to make for us." Her voice cracked as she tried to keep her emotions under control, "On the way to New York, there was a drunk driver and — Egan shielded me in the crash. He died, and I survived. It's like... he gave his life for mine." "I'm so sorry, Ember," Taylor whispered sincerely. "I don't ever talk about it, it's hard y'know?" Taylor nods in agreement, "I appreciate you telling me. He sounds like a wonderful person and I can tell he means the world to you." Ember nods, composing herself.

"The point of explaining that, I have this song that I think would work really well, and I can't imagine releasing it myself, but if you maybe want to look at it?" Taylor takes the notebook Ember hands her, reading the top of the page out loud. "You're on your own kid." The younger girl scrunches her nose, "Yeah, it's a working title." Taylor read over the mostly formed verses, humming the tune based on the chords hastily scribbled in the margins. The bridge and the clear pain Ember had put into the words made Taylor's heart hurt for her. "Wow, this is really-" She pauses, trying to find the words. "You have such an amazing ability to convey emotions but open them for a wider relation, it's such a rare ability. This is great." There was a sort of cathartic release Ember felt after the compliments and her face broke into a grateful smile. "That means so much coming from you, honestly. But yeah, you can workshop it however you'd like."

Taylor nodded, reading through the lyrics again, already forming the vision for the finished product. "And you really don't want to keep it for your album? Do you want to feature at least?" Ember shook her head, "I really can't imagine singing it myself, and I talked to my manager, I'm allowed to write for other people, I think it works well with the concept but y'know if you- if you don't want it, that's fine too." She trailed off and looked down, realizing she was rambling. Taylor had a soft smile on her face, "Honestly, I think it might be perfect for the album, I know Jack will have plenty of ideas for production. I really appreciate you sharing it with me." Ember gives her a gentle smile. The making of the song became a therapeutic collaboration of the lonely experiences of them both. Ember poured her heart into each line, and Taylor was able to help shape the raw emotions, adding in her own experiences with being alone in a room full of people.

As the evening unfolded, Taylor and Ember continued their collaborative work, the atmosphere of the studio filled with music as the two artists blended their styles and stories. Taylor offered input for subtle changes to the chord progressions, which was able to enhance the emotional impact of Ember's lyrics. Meanwhile, Ember opened up more about her brother, sharing anecdotes and memories that added layers to the song's narrative. Amidst the production work, Taylor couldn't help but admire Ember's resilience and strength. She saw a reflection of herself in the younger artist—both driven by a passion for music and fueled by personal experiences. Time seemed to move around the room, neither of them noticing as they continued working. The focus was broken when Taylor's phone buzzed with a reminder. She glanced at the screen and realized how late it had become. Her security had sent her a message letting her know that paparazzi had set up outside, somehow getting the information she was in the studio despite her incognito entrance. She bit her lip, wondering how the younger artist would feel about it. Ember paused her writing, noticing Taylor's distraction, but not wanting to invade the older's privacy. Glancing at her own phone, Ember looked at the time that indicated hours had passed since their studio time was technically up and she was going to be late for dinner with Gracie. "I've actually got to head out, I didn't realize it had gotten so late. I really liked working with you today, I love the concept for your album," Ember said, putting her cherished guitar in its case and gathering her things. It was still light outside and the perfect weather to walk home and feed Spoon before heading to Gracie's apartment.

"I just got a message from my security, they said there's paps outside, in the front and back. I'm really sorry, I don't know how they found out I was in the studio, but they're probably going to get pictures of you too." Taylor said nervously, watching Ember for her reaction. Ember's brow furrowed, thinking about how to leave without anyone following her home. Surely they wouldn't know who she was so they wouldn't care where she was going. In the pause that Ember took to think, Taylor's guilt only built. "I'm really sorry, I didn't think this would happen today," The younger girl snapped out of her thoughts, shaking her head. "No, it's not your fault at all, I'm just thinking they probably won't follow me home because they don't know who I am, it's not a big deal. I just don't want my address out there, y'know?"

Taylor felt a sense of relief wash over her as Ember reassured her. "Thank you for understanding," Taylor said sincerely. "I can give you a ride somewhere nearby, just in case. I don't want them harassing you, you probably shouldn't walk on your own tonight." Ember bit her lip pensively, before nodding. "That would be great, thanks." They gathered their belongings and headed towards the studio's exit, careful to avoid any windows that might expose them to the lurking paparazzi. As they stepped out into the hallway, Taylor texted her security the plan, asking them to make sure no one touched or even came near Ember. Usually adept at handling the spotlight, Taylor couldn't help but feel a tinge of guilt for unintentionally dragging Ember into the chaos of paparazzi attention. Ember, on the other hand, felt surprisingly calm. They stepped out into the flashing lights, Ember behind Taylor, flanked by her security guards. Ember kept her head down, not used to the blinding flash and just letting the tall guard in front of her lead her to the car. There were shouted words and questions at the pair but both ignored them, getting into the waiting car quickly.

As they drove away, Ember let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "You were lying about those lights being blinding," The younger quipped, trying to ease Taylor's guilt. A soft laugh left Taylor, "Yeah, that doesn't change." There's a pause before Taylor apologizes for the situation again. Ember brushes off her apologies lightly, "Really, it's okay. Thanks for giving me a ride, it saved me the walk." Taylor smiled, grateful that she was understanding despite never dealing with it before. "Anytime. Where should we drop you off?" After giving the driver the address, the rest of the drive was uneventful as they watched the sun set behind the city. Soon enough, Taylor's driver pulled over to the small café only a few blocks from Ember's house. Gathering her stuff, Ember thanked the driver, getting out of the car. "Be careful getting back, we should definitely do this again," Taylor said. "Definitely. Have a good night!" Ember said with a smile. Waving, she watched the car drive off and turned to start walking the rest of the way to her apartment. 

author's note: sorry for the wait, uni is uni-ing! i had a hard time writing the second half of the chapter so i apologize if it's not the best quality. i've been writing a lot of the next few chapters and i'm not sure y'all are ready for it! it was only fitting for chapter 13 to be taylor-centric! please vote and comment, i love them all. 

see you next time,

ella