So High School | T. Swift x OC

twenty-two

LAUGH OUT LOUD

But also short chapter so sorry.

Two months had passed since Taylor and Eliot's lives were upended by the accident, meaning one month had passed since Eliot told Taylor to leave him. The European leg of Taylor's tour had begun, and she found herself standing on stages across the western side of the continent, belting out her heartache to crowds that cheered her on, blissfully unaware of the turmoil within her. Her performances were as electric as ever, but those closest to her could see the strain in her eyes, the way her smiles rarely reached her eyes, the slight tremor in her voice during her more emotional songs.

Each night, after the final encore and the deafening applause faded, Taylor retreated to her hotel room, the silence amplifying the void Eliot had left behind. She kept up a brave face for her fans, for her crew, for her family, and for the world, but inside, she was grappling with an ever-growing sense of despair. She would lie in bed, staring at her phone, scrolling through photos and videos of their time together, wondering if the man she loved would ever come back to her.

Eliot, back in Kansas City, had physically recovered. His broken leg had healed, and the splint on his wrist was gone. He had resumed some semblance of his old routine, but his mind remained in shambles. The amnesia still held a firm grip on his memories of the past year, and though his cousins and parents did their best to fill in the gaps, the emotional connection he once had with Taylor felt like a distant echo.

Every day, Eliot went through the motions, trying to piece together his life from the fragments he could recall. He returned to the soccer field, finding solace in the familiar rhythm of the game, but the joy he once felt was muted by the nagging emptiness in his heart. His teammates noticed the change in him, the way he hesitated before making a move, the way his mind seemed to drift even during the most intense moments of the match.

Eliot's family did their best to support him. Kelly and Rod remained steadfast by his side, offering words of encouragement and love. Izzie and Noah continued to share stories and memories, hoping to trigger something within him. But despite their efforts, Eliot's mind remained stubbornly locked in the past, and he struggled to reconcile the life he remembered with the one he had lost.

Taylor's absence weighed heavily on Eliot. He had seen the photos and videos, heard the stories, and even read through the messages they had exchanged. He knew, logically, that Taylor had been a significant part of his life, but the emotional bond that once connected them felt foreign. He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt each time he thought of her, knowing that she was out there, performing night after night with a broken heart, while he struggled to remember her.

As the weeks dragged on, Taylor poured her anguish into her music. Each song became a cathartic release, a way to channel the pain and longing she felt. Her fans could sense the raw emotion in her performances, and they responded with an outpouring of love and support. But no matter how much love she received from the audience, it could never fill the void left by Eliot's absence.

One night, after a particularly gruelling performance in Paris, Taylor found herself standing on the balcony of her hotel room, staring out at the shimmering lights of the city. The Eiffel Tower glowed in the distance, a symbol of romance and hope, but Taylor felt only a deep, aching emptiness. She thought of Eliot, of the life they had begun to build together, and tears welled up in her eyes.

She wondered if he was thinking of her, if he missed her at all, or if she was just a ghost in the periphery of his mind. The uncertainty gnawed at her, and she found herself questioning if he would ever remember their love, if he would ever look at her with the same adoration that had once been so evident in his eyes.