So High School

You drew stars around my scars (pt1)

A/N they are famous in this but I kinda forgot they were part way through so ignore that :) also joe would never do any of this and I'm not saying he would it's just for a story

TW

It had been almost a year since Travis and Taylor broke up. Not on bad terms though; they could feel the love dying between them, and Taylor they couldn't save it. However, unbeknownst to the other, the pair both missed eachother. They hadn't kept in contact after they split, but both followed eachothers careers and successes. with Travis winning another super bowl and Taylor releasing her final two rerecordings, they were both on the top in their different careers.

However Travis noticed something others wouldn't. Something that only he noticed, back from when Taylor was his best friend. The love of his life.

She was going out far less, only ever to awards shows. Every time she was spotted out She was in long sleeves, her legs covered too. From the few paparazzi photos Travis and seen, he noticed the light in her eyes gone. Her smile was far from real, her movements stiff and robotic. To say he was concerned was an understatement, however he couldnt exactly reach out. She was probably seeing someone else at this point; society had their many speculations and predictions on the matter. 

Travis had just arrived at a charity event- he was invited through one of his friends. As he stepped into the room he noticed that most of the people were actors, and so it was unlikely he'd know anyone. He spent the first hour or so meeting new people, chatting to them about football and their careers. After a couple of hours he decided he needed the toilet, having drunken one too many beers.

As he exited the bathroom he walked straight into someone, sending them stumbling back.
"I'm so sorry-" he started, reaching up to steady the woman. His eyes met hers and his stomach dropped, his heart leaping.
"Taylor! Hi!" He exclaimed, his face breaking out into a smile.
"Hey" she smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Travis's eyes trailed their way down her body, taking in her full appearance.

She was wearing an ankle length dress with long sleeves, which he found pretty peculiar. She had told him herself that she didn't like long sleeve dressed; she didn't like the look. However, even with most of her body covered, Travis could still make our her figure. Smaller, significantly skinner than when he had last seen her, and that worried him. Her skin was paler, more sickly, her cheekbones more prominent than ever. Her once bright blue eyes were dull, lifeless.

"Taylor..." He started, his voice filled with concern. Suddenly a man came up behind the pair, grabbing Taylor's arm roughly and pulling her towards him.
"Baby, what are you-" Joe started, his breath catching in his throat and his gaze hardening when he met Travis's eyes.
"Why are you taking to him?" He growled to Taylor, his voice low. His nails dug deeper into Taylor's arm, making her flinch.
"I don't know, I'm sorry" Taylor apologised, her voice small.
"Taylor? You... You're back with him?" Travis felt sick to his stomach, but it wasn't because Taylor was with someone else. It was because she was with him.

Taylor had confined in him before, telling him about everything Joe did to her. The abuse, physical and mental, the assault. The ways he had knocked her down time and time again, reaching the point where she had tried to end her life. Travis had done everything he could to help her heal, and it had worked, mostly. She was comfortable in her body again, able to love Travis freely. But, that was before.

"We're going" Joe snapped, pulling Taylor towards him.
"Wait, Taylor-" Travis called out, but Joe yanked her away. He pulled her to the exit, stumbling behind him. She looked back to Travis once more, her expression lost.

Travis watched them go, unable to do anything. He could go after them, yes, but he was afraid of what Joe would do to Taylor if he did. He couldn't call the cops; he had no proof against him, just what Taylor had said those many years ago. He stood there helplessly, praying that she would be okay, praying that she would get free.

The next time he saw her was a couple of weeks later at a coffee shop. Her head down, a cap pulled over her eyes and a face mask on. She had a red scarf around her neck, which confused Travis because it wasn't that cold outside. She was sitting at a table by the window, a coffee on the table in front of her.

Travis quickly ordered his and then made his way over, stopping next to her.
"Hey" he said, and Taylor's head shot up.
"Um, hey" she replied, sounding unsure.
"Can I sit?" Travis asked, gesturing towards the empty chair.
"I should, um, actually be getting home, sorry" Taylor stood up quickly, picking up the bag by her feet.
"Let me walk you home" Travis smiled.
"I don't know if..." She glanced down at her phone in her hand, tapping the screen.
"Fuck" She muttered when she saw seven missed calls from Joe. Her confused face immediately turned to fear as she called him back, swiftly exiting the shop.

Travis followed her out, standing next to her on the side of the street.
"Hey babe" Taylor greeted, her voice practically shaking. Travis couldn't hear the other end of the call, but from Taylor's facial expressions he could see that it was bad.
"I know, I'm sorry..... I'm coming back now..... I stopped to get coffee..... I know...... Sorry..... No, I swear..... Okay...... Sorry...... Love you" and with that she hung up the call, her expression immediately sad. She stuffed it in her pocket, about to leave when she noticed Travis standing there.

"Why are you still here?" She asked, not in a rude way.
"I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Taylor, I'm-" Travis was cut off when a massive gust of wind blew past them, wrenching the scarf from around Taylor's neck. She gasped, reaching up to grab it but missed. Travis bent down and picked it up, holding it out for Taylor to take. And that was when he noticed it, a sight that made him churn in anger.

Bruises around her neck, blue. Distinct handprints, still fresh. Someone had tried to choke her.

"Why are you still with him?" Travis whispered as Taylor took the scarf, quickly wrapping it back around her neck.
"I love him, we're... In love" she sounded unsure, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly. She turned on her heel, and was about to leave when Travis grabbed her arm gently.
"Hey, Taylor. I'm always here, okay? If you need me, just call" she didn't say anything, just pulled herself out of his grasp and scurried off down the street.

That night Travis lay in bed wide awake, worrying about Taylor. Was she okay? Was he hurting her? Would she actually call him, ask for help?

As if answering his question his phone on the nightstand buzzed with an incoming call. He sat up quickly, grabbing it and pressing 'accept' without even reading the caller ID.

"Trav?" Came the quiet voice from the other end.
"I'm here Tay, what's wrong?" Her breaths came in quiet pants, her voice shaky. Travis could tell she had been crying, and she was terrified.
"Travis, he's going to kill me" she sobbed. "He's going to kill me, I'm scared"
"Hey, I'm coming, where were you right now?" Travis leapt out of bed, grabbing his keys and rushing out the door.
"I'm in my music room, the doors locked. He doesn't know where I am. Travis, he's drunk, he's going to kill me" Travis's heart broke at the sound of her voice, the fear etched into her words.
"Im coming, deep breaths and keep quiet, okay? " Taylor nodded, even though Travis couldn't see her.

He pulled up outside her house less than five minutes later. He leapt out the car and rushed up to the front door, seeing that it was already open. He turned for the stairs, and was halfway up when he heard the most pain-filled scream, a scream he knew all too well.

A/N dying from a headache I need help

Anyways I got my maths test back today and I got 40% 😭 (most people got about 70%) and I have a German test tomorrow ugh