Speak Now & Surprises [Hunter Hayes fanfic]

Chapter 20

“Slow down girls, slow down.” Andrea kindly ordered, laughing at the girls running down the hall to the T-Party. Austin had come out to film them all.

“What’s this for then, your high school documentary?” I joked. Austin was in his final year of high school and was studying photography and media studies. He also supplied many of the photographs for Taylor’s Fearless tour book and other merchandise.

“It’s backstage footage actually, and will probably appear in a music video or a vlog or something.” He replied smoothly. I poked my tongue out at the camera.

“Who’s he? Who’s he?” A young girl whispered repeatedly in my ear.

“Hey guys, this is Austin. Taylor’s younger brother.” I introduced him to the T-Party gang. The teenage girls I mentioned earlier recognized him at once, and immediately demanded a photograph each with him. Wow, life must be good for that eighteen year old kid.

I hadn’t seen the T-Party room yet, but I sure was excited. I hoped it wasn’t in a room similar to the bleak white-washed hallway we were walking down now. Then the music began.

“Is that, ‘Superman’?” somebody stuttered from the throng that was now pelting around the corner. I shot a worried look at Andrea – what if the T-Party room wasn’t ready yet. She just shook her head and smiled at me. Austin had already run down the hallway after them.

Once I’d rounded the corner I saw the reason for the lack of urgency: they were blocked by a set of portable metal gates. I looked further down the hallway, and there it was.

The wooden door was held open by an ornate wrought iron miniature artist’s easel, reading ‘T-PARTY’ on faded white ceramic tiles. Surrounding it were two purple themed ornate vases and a ‘Welcome’ sign beneath. Propped up behind the ‘T-PARTY’ sign on the artist’s easel was a miniature picture from a photo shoot, depicting Taylor sat on a picnic blanket sipping tea and blowing bubbles. The entire thing was less than thirty centimetres tall.

“Okay guys, listen up.” Andrea hollered above the screams. I clapped my hands, barely assisting her.

“When we get in the room it will be empty. There’s some pizza, Taylor baked some cookies earlier, sofas, pictures... I think we even threw a ping pong table in there this year.” She told them, grinning from ear to ear. She really loved being Taylor’s mom, but who wouldn’t? The group squealed at the thought of eating cookies baked by Taylor’s own hands.

“Alright, I guess we’re ready.” She announced and pulled the metal gates to the side. The crowd surged through with such eager and passion I was afraid the beaded curtain that hung in place of the door would fall down.

Then it was just Andrea, Austin and I. The other two had seen the T-Party room many times during the Fearless tour, but I had not... was it my imagination or could I smell a beautiful perfume emitting from the room, mingled with the pizza and cookies?

“Smells like Wonderstruck.” Andrea commented as she strode through the beaded curtain and into what I can only describe as a fairytale grotto.

The regular laminate flooring of the venue had been covered by mismatching rugs, some were quilted, and some were ornate while many were floral. Two teal cushy sofas stacked with beautifully beaded cushions welcomed me as did the light beech wood coffee table that perched next to it, hosting a burning candle the colour of spilled petrol, surrounded by tiny matching tea lights. Two potted trees decorated the two opposing sides of this seemingly circular room, appearing to dance in the dim lighting of the flickering candle flame. Twin clear Pyrex cases held the sparkly silver dress that Taylor wore during the Fearless tour, another her Koa guitar with pearl inlay. Next to them was a painted white wooden table proposing the options of margarita pizza on one mismatched plate (presumably from Goodlettsville’s antiques mall) and a plate of home baked chocolate chip cookies. A sticky note was secured underneath the plate. I worked it free.