forever and always - taylor swift

13

"Ella!" Daisy gasped, horrified.

"Oh, come on, you practically wrote sonnets about her in your notes."

"I did not!" Daisy protested, but the table was already roaring with laughter.

An hour passed, the restaurant alive with the hum of conversation and clinking dishes. Daisy glanced at her phone again, a knot forming in her stomach. Still no word from Taylor. She tried to keep her focus on the group, but her mind kept wandering.

Ella, noticing her distraction, leaned in. "Hey, wasn't there someone you were bringing? Who is it?"

Daisy froze, struggling to come up with an answer. Just as she opened her mouth, the restaurant door flung open.

The sound of hurried footsteps caught everyone's attention, and Daisy's heart skipped as she saw Taylor stepping in, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on her. Daisy waved, her smile breaking into a grin as Taylor made her way over.

Before Taylor reached the table, Ella's eyes widened in shock. "Wait... the person you were bringing is Taylor Swift?!"

The group erupted into whispers and muffled squeals, causing Daisy to shush them frantically. "Act normal! Please!"

But the excitement was hard to contain. By the time Taylor arrived at their table, the group was positively buzzing.

"Sorry I'm late," Taylor said, her tone apologetic but warm as she took the empty seat beside Daisy. "Got caught up at work."

"No worries," Daisy replied, her smile softening. "Glad you made it."

Taylor smiled back, her presence calming Daisy's earlier nerves.

The conversation resumed, though now Taylor was the center of much of it. Daisy's friends couldn't help but ask questions, though they tried their best to play it cool. Taylor, ever charming, answered gracefully, even managing to turn the attention back to Daisy when the teasing stories of her high school antics resumed.

"Remember that time Daisy tried to sneak out of gym class by faking a sprained ankle, but then tripped in front of the entire class when she got caught?" Ella recounted, laughing so hard she could barely finish the story.

Daisy groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I was trying to avoid the dodgeball game! Those kids were ruthless."

Another friend chimed in, "Or when you accidentally walked into the teacher's lounge thinking it was the art room, and instead of walking out, you just stood there pretending you belonged?"

Taylor chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "That sounds very on-brand for you," she teased, leaning slightly closer to Daisy.

"Oh, please," Daisy muttered, her cheeks flushed. "That was an honest mistake!"

Ella grinned wickedly. "Oh, oh! And what about the time you got caught stealing all the brownies from the bake sale and tried to bribe the prefect with one of them?"

Taylor burst out laughing, her hand covering her mouth. "Okay, that one's my favorite."

"They were really good brownies!" Daisy protested, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her embarrassment.

The stories continued, each one eliciting more laughter from Taylor and the group. But as the conversation carried on, Daisy suddenly stiffened. Under the table, Taylor's hand had slid beneath the hem of her dress, her fingers brushing lightly against Daisy's bare thigh.

Daisy choked on her drink, quickly covering her mouth with her napkin. Her friends paused, concern flashing across their faces. "You okay, Daze?" Ella asked.