So High School

So High School (pt2)

A/N I lovee this one be prepared for a long one

TW

Taylor climbed out the car, looking up towards the school. She smoothed down her pleated skirt as she grabbed her bag, pulling her jumper over her hands. The air was cold, nipping at her as she made her way up the drive. There were students everywhere, shouting their greetings eachother and just messing around.

She took a deep breath as she walked through the door. The morning of her very first day had officially begun. She just about managed to find her way to reception, fighting through all the crowds of students.

She stepped into the room, her eyes scanning over the chairs at one wall before falling on the woman behind the desk.
"Hi, how can I help you?" She smiled, her face bright.
"Hi, um, I'm Taylor, Taylor Swift. I was told to come here- I'm new?" Taylor told the receptionist nervously.
"Ah Taylor!" The woman exclaimed happily. "I'm Mrs Baker, I'll just grab your timetable and then I can take you to your form room!" Taylor nodded, standing awkwardly to the side as the woman rifled through a massive like of paper.

"Got it!" she smiled, stepping out from behind the desk and handing it to Taylor. "Off we go then!" The pair set off, the receptionist chatting happily to Taylor as they went. The corridors were empty as everyone had gone to their form rooms.

Travis had never thought he'd see Taylor again. But as she stepped through that door, her books clutched to her chest, something inside of him shifted. She greeted the teacher and then went to sit as the other end of the room, listening silently. But Travis couldn't help but marvel at her beauty, gaze at her from across the room.

It wasn’t until they were assigned as lab partners in biology that Travis truly began to see the layers of Taylor. They were forced to work together, but she hardly spoke. She answered his questions with short, clipped responses, focusing on the task at hand.

At first, Travis thought she was just awkward. But then, over time, he realized it wasn’t awkwardness—it was pain. She was closed off, guarded, and though she tried to hide it, there was a weariness in her eyes, like she had been fighting battles no one knew about.

That night on the street seemed like a lifetime ago, when they first met. Neither of them had spoken about it, both of them pretending like it never happened.

One afternoon, Travis found himself walking over to her table, a nervous knot in his stomach. He hadn’t intended to do it, but once his feet started moving, they didn’t stop.

“Hey,” he said, awkwardly shoving his hands into his pockets. “Mind if I sit here?” Taylor looked up, her wide blue eyes briefly meeting his before she nodded, offering a small, polite smile.
“Sure,” she said softly.

And just like that, a new chapter of their lives began.

Over the next few weeks, Taylor and Travis found themselves spending more time together. It wasn’t intentional, at least not on the surface. Their group projects seemed to always pair them up, and they were often found together in the hallways or the cafeteria, talking about whatever homework they needed to finish or the latest gossip from their classes.

Yet, something unspoken hung in the air when they were together. Neither of them could quite figure out what it was, but it was always there, like a soft hum in the background. The way their eyes would meet, only to quickly look away, or how their conversations would shift whenever the topic came too close to something personal. Neither was brave enough to cross that line.

Taylor found herself thinking about him more than she ever wanted to admit. When she was with him, the world felt a little brighter, like maybe high school didn’t have to be the painful, lonely place it often felt like. Travis had a way of making her feel like she wasn’t just another face in the crowd. He made her feel like she mattered.