isn't it? [taylor swift]

chapter 30

Leia had always hated the month of May. 

Growing up, it had felt like it was a filler month - not quite Spring but also not yet Summer. Georgie always took some offence to this, since May was the month she was born and therefore deemed the entire month her 'birthday month', but Leia paid that little attention.

This year, however, May held a different significance. As Leia stood in her spacious New York apartment, gazing out at the bustling city below, she felt a mix of excitement and trepidation.

It was the last month before she was set to embark on her first ever tour. 

It seemed the entire country was preparing for her tour. Everywhere she turned, she caught snippets of her own voice drifting from car windows and shop doorways, almost as if her own songs were becoming a part of the soundtrack of New York City.  

Georgie had been studying hard, knowing that if she failed her exams then she wouldn't be able to come with Leia on tour. She'd spent the entire month of May with her head in a book, her typical birthday demands absent for the first time in her life. Leia and her parents were surprised by the change in attitude but Leia knew that it would just mean Georgie would appreciate her surprise birthday party at the end of the month more than any other year.

"Mom, I'm telling you, Georgie has no idea," Leia whispered excitedly into the phone, her eyes darting to the door as if her sister might burst in at any moment. "She's been so focused on her studies, I don't think she even remembers her own birthday is coming up."

"And who all is coming to this shindig?" her father's voice chimed in, the familiar delighted lilt warming Leia's heart.

"Do people even call parties that anymore? God, you're so old... but Gigi is definitely coming, of course, since she's decided to plan most of it," Leia continued, her voice a mix of pride and nervousness. "And Camila - you know how close she and Georgie have gotten. A few others too - Shawn, Cara, Selena - are definitely coming."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful, sweetheart," her mother cooed, the excitement in her voice palpable even through the phone. "And what about Taylor? Is she coming too?"

Leia's breath caught in her throat, her fingers tightening around the phone. The mention of Taylor's name sent a flutter through her chest, a mix of anticipation and uncertainty.

They hadn't been on... good terms. They barely had spoken since Leia's first public date with Zaria, and when they did, it spiralled into an argument about her or Joe or the press or the PR relationship. Leia almost preferred it when they were giving each other the silent treatment right now, because then they were at least not arguing. 

"I'm... not sure about Taylor," Leia said, her voice wavering slightly. She quickly changed the subject, her words tumbling out in a rush. "But hey, did I tell you about the new song I'm working on? It's got this amazing bridge that I think-"

Just then, the door to the apartment swung open, and Georgie sauntered in, her arms laden with textbooks and a look of exhaustion etched across her face. Her eyes, however, lit up at the sight of Leia on the phone.

"Who're you talking to?" Georgie asked, dropping her books on the nearby coffee table with a resounding thud.

Leia's eyes widened, and she mouthed 'Mom and Dad' to her sister. Before she could say anything else, her father's voice boomed through the speaker.

"Is that our Georgie? Leia, sweetheart, pass the phone over to your sister. We haven't had a proper chat with her in ages!"

Leia hesitated for a moment, her mind racing to find an excuse, but she knew it was futile. With a resigned sigh, she held out the phone to Georgie, who took it with a puzzled expression.