unfinished echoes - taylor swift

05

A few weeks later, Daisy was scrolling through her phone when she saw the news—SZA's music video for "Kill Bill" had been nominated for Video of the Year at the VMAs. She couldn't help but smile, a thrill of pride lighting up her chest. This wasn't just another role; this video felt like a statement, an opportunity to tap into something raw, and now it was getting the recognition it deserved.

As she kept scrolling, another name caught her eye, stopping her mid-swipe—Taylor. Taylor's "Anti-Hero" was nominated too. Daisy blinked, her pulse quickening. Of course Taylor would be up for the same award, she thought wryly. It was the kind of twisted irony that seemed to follow them. Her mind drifted, unbidden, to the memory of seeing Taylor at Sabrina's party, the fleeting moment on the balcony, and that almost-touch between them. She shook her head, focusing back on the present. This wasn't about Taylor. This was about her and SZA's work.

Just then, her phone pinged with a new message. She glanced down and saw SZA's name on the screen.

"Hey Daisy!! Just heard the news—VMAs!!! Since you're the star of the vid, you gotta come with me!!"

Daisy's heart skipped, and she couldn't help but grin at SZA's enthusiasm. After a moment, she texted back:

"Let's do it!! That sounds like a blast. Thank you for asking me!"

The reply came almost immediately: "Yessss it's going to be iconic. Let's make an entrance, yeah?"

Daisy could practically feel SZA's energy radiating through the screen. She thought about the VMAs—her first time attending as a nominee, alongside someone whose music she admired, and whose video she'd poured herself into. It was exhilarating.

Across town, Taylor sat in her dressing room, preparing for another show on her tour. Her phone buzzed with a notification about the VMAs nominations, and she clicked on the link with a casual curiosity. "Anti-Hero" had landed a nomination for Video of the Year—no surprise there, but she felt a flicker of satisfaction nonetheless. Her team would be thrilled. As she skimmed the rest of the nominations, her gaze snagged on another title. "Kill Bill" by SZA.

Taylor's heart stuttered, and she frowned slightly. She knew Daisy had been cast in that video—knew it had made waves and sparked conversation. Seeing it listed beside her own video stirred something uncomfortable, a mix of pride for her own work and an uninvited awareness of Daisy's success.

She leaned back in her chair, biting her lip. Daisy was probably ecstatic. Taylor could imagine her bright-eyed reaction, the quiet thrill that Daisy always got when her work was appreciated. That familiar twinge crept into Taylor's chest, a feeling that hovered between jealousy and longing, even though she knew it was irrational. Their paths were bound to cross, but something about this felt closer, more inevitable, as if the universe insisted on placing Daisy squarely within her orbit.

She told herself to be happy for her own success, for the nomination, but as she thought of Daisy walking that red carpet alongside SZA, her heart sank a little. Taylor brushed off the feeling, focusing on the here and now, her upcoming show, the tour that filled every day with purpose.

But as she tucked her phone away and turned back to her makeup mirror, a small voice in her mind whispered that the past, no matter how deeply she buried it, was never quite finished with her.

-

The day of the VMAs arrived with all its chaotic energy, and Daisy was in her hotel suite, surrounded by a team of stylists, makeup artists, and hairdressers who were putting together her look. As her hairstylist carefully curled a section of her hair, Daisy, scrolling on Twitter from her burner account, spotted a headline that made her freeze.