Mirrorball (Taylor Swift's Sister)

forty one

Charlotte woke up, staring at the blinds as the sunlight filtered theough them. She squinted, letting out a yawn begore looking around the room. Taylor was nowhere in sight. As Charlotte pushed herself up, flickering through her phone screen, Taylor walked in with two bowls of overnight oats topped with strawberries. She set them on the bedside table and leaned down, giving Charlotte a gentle peck on the cheek before sitting down on the bed.

"Hey, did you sleep well?" Taylor asked softly.

"Yeah, kind of," she murmured.

Taylor reached out, her fingers carefully brushing Charlotte's hair aside "How's your neck?" She asked gently but firmly.

"It's sore," Charlotte shrugged, wincing slightly.

Taylor sighed, her brows furrowing "It looks pretty bad, I'm sorry sweetie, you don't deserve this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Charlotte shook her head as she looked down at her sheets. "It's my fault for going to the party anyway."

Taylor's expression hardened slightly as took a deep breath, "Yes, you shouldn't have gone to that party, but you don't deserve anything that happened. None of it is your fault."

Charlotte nodded again as she leaned back against the bedrest, staring into space. Trying to appear as normal as possible so Taylor wouldn't worry. Her hands fidgeted slightly with the blanket. Taylor, meanwhile, was doing the same, hiding her worry and trying to appear as calm as possible.

Taylor interrupted the silence by handing Charlotte a bowl of oats. "Breakfast? I made it after you fell asleep. It used to be your favorite. Try to eat some, please."

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then took the spoon and started eating mechanically. Despite her eating disorder, she wasn't starving herself to the point of refusing food. She still loved food and thought about it all the time. And knowing that Taylor has already found out about it, she couldn't risk being sent to a psych ward.

Taylor handed her the remote with a small smile. "Let's watch something. What would you like to watch? Tree is coming over to discuss what happened yesterday, but we have a few hours before that."

Charlotte flicked through the channels until she finally settled on "Mamma Mia," one of her comfort films. The sisters spent the rest of the morning watching the movie, pretending that everything was fine.

As they watched a movie and comfortable silence, the doorbell rang, breaking the momentary piece. Taylor glanced to the door and then back at Charlotte, who was still staring at the screen.

" oh that's Tree, she's here." Taylor said gently, pausing the movie she turned to Charlotte, "Do you want to stay in the room, or do you want to come with me?"

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, clearly torn. After a moment of hesitation, she looked up at Taylor and said "I'll come with you, I haven't seen Tree in a while."

Taylor nodded, offering a gentle smile. "Okay," she said softly, giving Charlotte's hand a gentle squeeze. She stood up, smoothing down her clothes, and waited for Charlotte to join her. Placing an arm around her sister's shoulders before they walked toward the door together.

As soon as Taylor opened the door, Tree stepped forward and enveloped Charlotte in a warm, reassuring hug. Taylor stood back, her hands clasped together, watching the interaction with a slight smile.

"Charlotte, are you okay? I heard what happened," Tree said, pulling back to look at her with concern. Charlotte forced a small smile and nodded, her eyes briefly meeting Taylor's before looking back at Tree.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking," Charlotte replied softly.

Tree nodded, giving Charlotte's arm a gentle squeeze. "Alright, let's talk," she said, walking with one of her arms around Charlotte's shoulders and the other around her laptop.

They moved to the living room and sat down where Charlotte slowly sank into a chair, her posture slightly tense. Taylor noticed and took a seat beside her, placing a hand on her arm. She leaned in close, speaking softly. "Do you want to stay, or would you prefer to leave the room while we talk?"

Charlotte looked down, fiddling with her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath, then nodded. "Yeah, I'll leave," she said, standing up slowly. Taylor offered her an encouraging smile as she stood as well.

"That's okay. I'll fill her in," Taylor reassured her, giving her a light pat on the back.

As Charlotte left the room, Taylor turned back to Tree, her expression shifting to a more serious one. She sat down on the edge of the couch, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knees. Tree leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, with a concern look on her face.

"Did you ask her about yesterday? How is she?" Tree asked, her voice low and careful.

Taylor sighed, running a hand through her hair and looking down at her lap. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, then looked up at Tree with a weary expression. "Yeah, I asked her, but I didn't push too hatf. She's still really uncomfortable and upset about it," she admitted.

Tree nodded thoughtfully, her brow furrowed. "Have you thought about getting her a therapist? Her circumstances are different from most kids, and it could be good for her to have someone to talk to. Someone she trusts, who's not part of her family," she suggested, leaning back in her chair.

Taylor considered this, her eyes distant as she thought it over. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'll consider it. Let me discuss it with my mom," she said.

Tree offered a smile, reaching out to gently touch Taylor's arm. "Whatever you decide, just know that I'm here to help," she said, her voice warm and sincere.

Taylor nodded, "Thanks, Tree," she said, managing a small smile. "It means a lot.

Taylor sighed, leaning back against the couch. She glanced toward the hallway where Charlotte had disappeared. "I'm really worried about her," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "She's been so distant lately, and she's eating so little. I don't know what to do. She's a really good kid, I don't know why she's been so different lately. I really want to talk to Mom, but I don't want to worry her yet, especially since she's in a different state right now."

"I know it must be hard," Tree said softly. "But it's going to be okay. You're doing your best, and that's all anyone can ask for."

Taylor took a deep breath, nodding slowly. "I just... I want to make sure she's okay, you know? It feels like I'm not doing enough."

Tree gave her a reassuring smile. "You are doing enough, Taylor. You're a great sister. Just be there for her and take things one step at a time."

Taylor bit her lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She exhaled deeply, "Thanks," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "I really needed to hear that."

Tree squeezed her arm gently. "Anytime," she replied.

-
So, I'm back! I've been gone for quite a while, a little too long for my own liking. For that I have to apologise. Anyway, a little life update! I recently went on a cruise for two weeks around Japan, it was absolutely amazing! I also had a perfect summer, a lot of beaches and I spent my 18th birthday with all the people I love. This is a little reminder that things do get better, my eating disorder is still going strong, but I've been doing better mentally, and that's all that matters. Love you all so so much.