Chasing Shadows (Jaylor Fanfiction)

That's What Friends Are For

June 15th, 2024
One Week Later
Taylor Swift's Point of View
Dear diary,
It's been what? 10 years since I wrote an entry. Last place I left off was when I was pregnant with Juliet. It was the day after I got married and I decided it was time to live my life and I didn't need to document it. Now, I don't have a whole lot of a life to live so might as well document my pure boredom.
Right now I'm getting my dose of chemo for the week and I thought writing could help pass the time. Life is beginning to improve, as dark as cancer is getting, it's letting me see the light in my life. I have a new best friend and the cutest kitten in the world. Still not sure if I should tell Piper who I am. I'm still confused on how she doesn't know.
The other day she was telling me about how she wants to be a kindergarten teacher. She was in college when her mom got cancer so she dropped out to take care of her, then she got cancer. I care about this girl, I want the best for her. I want her to be okay.

         -Taylor <3

I close my diary and set it in my purse. My life has been getting very boring and I'm turning back to writing.

"Writing in your diary? What are you, 12?" Piper says with a giggle.

"I used to keep diaries growing up. Thought it could be fun to get back into it."

"I kept a diary from 11-14. Then my older sister read it and I burned all of them."

"You have a sister?" I ask.

"Yeah but we don't talk anymore. We both grew up watching our dad die and then our mom. We just never had the chance to be sisters. We just remind each other about our parents so we don't see each other."

"Does she know about your cancer?"

She pauses and sighs. "No."

"You should tell her."

"Sasha doesn't need to know. I'll be okay."

"It's a lot easier to do this with family."

"I don't want to bother her. I mean, I'm friends with her on Facebook. I think that's enough."

I giggle slightly as a couple of nurses walk in. "Okay, the two of you are done for the day." One of them says.

The nurses unhook us from the treatment and we both pack ourselves up. We both begin to leave the hospital but outside the worst imaginable thing has occurred. The dreaded paparazzi. The flashing lights, the loud shouts, the screaming to get my attention. I immediately start to sprint to the car and see Piper basically standing in the middle of the road as the lights stun her. I grab her hand and drag her to the car. I get into the drivers side and she hops in the front seat.

"Go, go, go!" I yell at her.

"What's happening!?" She asks me.

"Just drive and I'll explain!"

She sighs and starts the car. She quickly drives away, losing the paparazzi. I take a deep breath and collect myself together.

"Ivy, what the hell was that?" Piper asks as we drive down the road.

"Okay, don't hate me, I've been lying to you like a lot."

"What? Why?"

"My name is Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift, like the singer."

"You're bluffing." She says in disbelief.

"It's true!" I try to convince her but I'm not sure how.

"If you're Taylor Swift, then name one of her songs!" It's a little bit of a stupid question but I accept it I guess.

"Blank space?" I randomly list off one of my many songs to her.

"That's on me, I set the bar too low."

"How did you not know?! I sit next to you twice a week for 8 hours and we go out all the time!"

"I'm blind!"

"YOU'RE BLIND AND DRIVING?!" I scream at her and clench onto my seatbelt.

"ONLY PARTIALLY BLIND!"

"YOU'RE BLIND AND DRIVING?!" I repeat.

"PARTIALLY!!! NOT ALL THE WAY!"

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I didn't think it was important. I have brain cancer and there's a giant tumor pressing on my optic nerve. My vision is shitty but I can see enough to manage."

"But blind enough to where you couldn't recognize you were friends with Taylor Swift."

"See, now you're getting it."

"That was ridicule! Pull over and let me drive."

"I've seen enough interviews about you talking about your driving record. I'm not letting you kill me."

"How much do you know about me?" I ask.

"A decent amount. I like Taylor Swift!"

"Thank you?"

"Hey, can I say you're my cancer companion or something?" She asks

"Sure?"

"Yes! Taylor Swift is my cancer friend." She says with a little dance.

"Okay, bigger problems, the paparazzi has pictures of me leaving the hospital!"

"Let's just go to your probably super cool mansion and figure it out."

I sigh with a small laugh. "Fine, you can come to my house." I honestly can't believe she's not going to question me more.

"WOOOO!"

• • •

Piper and I both sit on the couch and she looks completely amazed, looking around the house.

"Woah. You have so much stuff."

"I have a lot of money."

"Maybe you should post that you have cancer before the paparazzi figures it out themselves and leaks photos."

"Yeah, you're right."

She pauses for a moment and looks at me. "Taylor?"

"Yes, you can be in the post."

"YAY!"

"Come here." I grab onto her shoulder and hug her tight. With both smile and I snap a selfie. I go onto Instagram and write a short caption.

Hello all my sweet fans. This is my friend Piper and as she says, cancer companion! I was diagnosed with lung cancer a couple months ago and have been trying my best to hide it but it's inevitable. The doctors are doing all they can to take care of me, not dying on you guys yet. Anyways, thought all you wonderful people should know.

-Taylor

I hit post and the comments and likes start to roll in. Most are very nice and supportive...others not so much. The inevitable comments that are supposedly happy I'm dying. It's okay though because I want to live and that's all I need.

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Author's Note:
This chapter made me laugh hehe. I'M ONLY PARTIALLY BLIND!

Look at me updating like a pro 😎

Song: That's what friends are for-Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, and Dionne Warwick

-Brooke