"I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches, I almost said to you"- Taylor's Sister

Part 5

Sophia boarded the private jet against her will, seething with anger. This was worse than living with her aunt and uncle, worse than anything she had imagined. The plush seats, the sleek interior, the luxury that surrounded her—it all felt like a mockery of what her life had become.

She hadn't seen Taylor in person for six months, and even that had been brief—a day or two, in between concerts and media appearances. Now, she was being forced into her sister's world, like she had no choice in the matter. She sat across from her parents, her fists clenched in her lap.

"Can I at least have my phone back?" she asked, her voice sharp. "I didn't get to say goodbye to any of my friends. And what about school?"

Her father, Scott, shot her a look. "You really want to ask for your phone back right now?" He raised an eyebrow, making it clear that wasn't happening.

Her mom, Andrea, stepped in, her voice calm but firm. "As for school, summer break is starting in a week or two. After that, you'll be doing online schooling until the tour's over."

Sophia's rage flared. "Are you serious? First, I had to live with those shitty people who treated me more like an animal in a cage rather than a person, then they invade my privacy, and now I'm forced to give up my whole life to go live in some fancy penthouse and act like everything's fine, like I love this."

Her father's patience snapped. "Sophia, you had your chances. You snuck out. Be a little more grateful that you're coming with us instead of being sent to some boarding school, away from all your friends and family."

"That would be better," Sophia muttered under her breath.

"I didn't ask for this," she said louder this time, her eyes narrowing.

Her mother's expression softened for a moment but quickly hardened again. "We didn't either! Be grateful, kiddo. A lot of teenage girls would love to be living on the road, touring around the world."

Sophia's chest tightened. "It's not like I asked for this life! I couldn't care less about the expensive gifts or the big productions. I just wanted a normal life. But no, I can't even have that without someone yelling at me."

The Jet was the only sense of noise the whole rest of the flight. Occasionally Sophia would glance at her mom but look away quickly each time to avoid a conversation.