Everything Has Changed

Independence Day

July 4th 2023
Watch Hill, Rhode Island

It was officially Hot Girl Single Summer Time.

Taylor had decided to no longer to spend her time moping around. Being sad wouldn't bring Joe back. He wasn't dead, but her part in her life was dead: gone and buried. More than three months past in the grave. She had texted her girlfriends to ask if any of them fancied a fun filled Fourth of July party at her Holiday House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Of course they had all replied: Yes was the overwhelming answer!

The morning of the fourth had come, and sunlight was bleeding its way through the pale net curtains. She glanced over at her alarm clock, the time being almost 8:30am. Taylor stretched and yawned, deciding against going back to sleep again. She had a busy day ahead of her.

She showered and did her makeup before moving towards her closet in search of an outfit to wear. She had chosen to keep her hair natural that day, the heat would only turn it frizzy and crazy if she had attempted to tame it in anyway this morning. And part of being single again was learning to love yourself for who you are again. Not the love you at your worst kind of scenario. She had learnt from experience that someone who loves you at your worst won't necessarily love you at your best. Sometimes your worst times is what made you their best time.

She set her eyes upon a light blue summer dress. It had to be that one. It felt patriotic enough for a Fourth of July party and celebration but also appropriate for the occasion of celebrating hot girl summer. It should enough cleavage to feel sexy again, but modest enough to leave some things to the imagination. She could do without a scathing text message from her mother when these photos got out. She knew there would paparazzi there today, despite it being a private property. They didn't care. They never did and never will. It just comes as part of the package deal of the job she had chosen. Tree had been aware that this party was going on, despite it being slightly last minute.com. She, for once in a while, had agreed with Taylor that it was a good idea. With all of the speculation that Joe had a new woman and a cheating scandal, not forgetting the obsession with Taylor's imaginary relationship rebound with Matty Healy, she could do with some press showing her being herself again. Happy and care free once more.

By early afternoon, guests began arriving. Among them were her friends Gigi Hadid, Ashley Avingone, Selena Gomez and the HAIM sisters.

The day and night consisted only of fun, laughter and games. And drinking, lots of drinking. Surprisingly, there had been hardly any paparazzi around the property which had shocked Taylor but she wasn't complaining. And of course with drinking, comes the awkward, slightly drunk questions.

"So Tay, did you and Matty ever, you know?" Selena asked, winking in a way Taylor knew all too well. She knew that Selena was asking what all of them had been thinking: had Taylor and Matty hooked up earlier this year?

"No. God no. Why is everyone asking me that." Taylor replied, burying her head in her hands in embarrassment. She had been friends with Matty before, and all of the 1975 who had so graciously invited her to perform with them in London back in February just after her and Joe had broken up, unbeknownst to the rest of the world.

"Its what the whole world thought!" Gigi laughed, taking a sip of wine from the tall glass in her hand.. They had been playing a few card games but had given up when Selena decided to bring up a juicy topic of conversation.

"Ugh, don't people have more important things to worry about than my sex life?" Taylor questioned, making the whole circle of girl cackle.

"Clearly not!" Ashley piped up and they all cheered to that, clinking their wine glasses together in unison before continuing to gossip about each and every part of each others lives. Things finally felt like they were going back to normal. This was what it had been like in 2014, when she had been writing 1989, documenting her bold move to New York City and her decision to be single for a while. Nobody tells you how fun and freeing being single is. People are so quick to jump on the bandwagon of

The right guy is out there waiting for you

Mr Right is just around the corner

Aww but aren't you lonely without a man in your life?

What are you going to do with yourself with no one to write songs about?

She couldn't win. None of them could. That was their life, and it was saddening.

Everyone had stayed over that night, a true girls sleepover and for the first in what felt like forever, she went to sleep smiling. Floating off into a dreamlike state, truly happy. She had posted some fun videos and pictures of the fun they had had, turning off her phone notifications and choosing to wait until the morning to see what the world decided to think of her today. It was as easy as flipping a coin: do we hate her or do we love her.

God, it is so great being a woman.

And somewhere over 1,000 miles away, a guy had also fallen asleep with a smile on his face. Travis Kelce had been sat scrolling on his phone late at night which he knew she shouldn't be doing seeing as he had meetings the next day, but that was an issue for tomorrow morning. Tonight he only had one thing on his mind: the beautiful, smiling blonde woman who had popped up on his instagram page. It had been on some random girls instagram page and so he clicked on the tagged people. His jaw dropped. The girl who he had been almost drooling over had been THE Taylor Swift. The Taylor Swift who had a concert in his city in 3 days time. Travis had always admired Taylor's music and her ability to turn simple emotions and heartfelt ideas into pure art and poetry. She was of course beautiful as well, but being in different spheres of work, he never saw her. She was never on his TikTok, and he could only assume he wasn't very likely to be on hers. She didn't seem like the type to be fawning over him on TikTok. She was much to important, plus didn't she have a boyfriend.

A quick google search confirmed she didn't and that she was in fact single. Thats crazy, he thought. How could somebody so beautiful and talented be single? Well their loss. And in the moment Travis realised something. Maybe it wasn't just Taylor's music and work ethic that he admired. Maybe it was her?

He texted his best friend Patrick Mahomes, who he played with on the team, to see if he still had that spare ticket to the Taylor Swift concert coming up. As if the gods were shining down upon him, Pat quickly replied in the affirmative, questioning why. Travis replied stating there was no reason, but just wanted to tag along to see what all the fuss was about. He quite enjoyed her music so it would be fun to see her live. It is true. The last time she had come to Kansas City had been back in 2018 and he hadn't gotten the chance to see her then. He wasn't as big of a fan of her work as he is now and plus he had been with Kayla at that time, and Kayla had been clear that she did not like Taylor Swift. It wasn't particularly that she didn't like Taylor's music. It was that she didn't really like her. It was something now that Travis couldn't understand. How could anyone not like her?

He rolled over in bed, knowing he had to get some rest before tomorrows meetings hit. He was excited about the prospect of meeting the women he had fallen for, and maybe, just maybe give her the friendship bracelet he was planning on making her with a very special number spelled out on it.....