Protecting Taylor

Chapter 26

Tonight Taylor is playing a show in Las Vegas. We arrive at the venue after a short flight compared to the one to Tokyo. Since the next show after this is a couple weeks away we are flying back to New York tonight.
I grabbed a smoothie from the smoothie bar as Taylor walked around the stage. Ed arrived shortly after we did and he was sound checking with Taylor.
Ed had a really lovely voice I thought as he sang Tenerife Sea with Taylor. Their voices were smooth together and it just fit.
"What do you think, Alex?" Ed called.
"Sounds great!" I said.
Ed strummed his guitar and Taylor smiled before singing, "all I knew this morning when I woke is I know something now, know something now I didn't before..." The two sang the song together perfectly.
I clapped for them when they finished.
"Do you know that one?" He asked.
"No."
"We wrote it together. It's called 'Everything Has Changed.'"
"It's beautiful."
"Why thank you!" Taylor said.
We went backstage to hangout until Taylor had to get ready and meet fans.
"I'm going to change and get my hair and makeup done." Taylor said leaving Ed and I on the couch together.
"So, what songs do you know?" Ed asked.
"Umm, I know some of Taylor's. I've heard a few of yours. A few of Selena's...music is kind of new to me." I shrug.
"Do you know this song?" He asked and started strumming his guitar.
"I'm gonna pick up the pieces and build a Lego house. If things go wrong we can knock it down. These words have three meanings, but one things on my mind. It's all for you..."
I listened to the song intently, and realized I did know that song.
"Oh I have heard that song." I say when he finishes."
"Now if I do recall, this one is your favorites you said;he smiled slightly and started playing the strings of his instrument.
"White lips, pale face, breathing in the snowflakes. Burnt tongue, sour taste..."
A grin spreads across my face as he plays the song I've come to adore.
"Come on, sing with me." He nudged.
"I don't sing." I laughed.
"It's easy, it's just like talking, except you have to movie your voice up and down." He laughed.
I laughed slightly.
"I forgot you probably haven't seen Elf." He said.
"What's that?"
"A Christmas movie."
"Oh."
"Really though. Sing with me."
"And they say she's in the class A-Team..." I mumbled along.
"That's not singing that's mumbling." Ed laughed.
"Sorry, I just can't sing."
"You'll be fine! Come on now."
"And they say she's in the class A-Team, stuck in her day dream..."
I sang along softly. Ed stopped singing and continued to strum his guitar.
"Don't stop, keep singing." He encouraged.
"It's too cold outside for angles for fly..." I sang.
He finished the song with me and I heard clapping.
"That was great." A boy with brown hair spoke. He couldn't have been older than 17.
"Hey, Shawn, what's up?" Ed greeted.
"I'm just here to hang out, get a feel for things before I open for her in a few weeks." He said.
"Shawn, this is Alex. Alex, this is Shawn." Shawn extended his hand for me to shake and I gave his hand a quick shake.
"This is Taylor's bodyguard." Ed said.
"That's cool." Shawn said.
"Thanks."
"Taylor is getting ready, but I'm sure she'll be done soon." Ed told him.
"Okay. Mind if I chill with you guys for a bit?" Shawn asked.
"Not at all, man."
He sat down beside me.
"So what's it like to be Taylor Swift's bodyguard?"
"It's nice actually." I said.
"You're what? 16?"
"I'm 15, but I'll be 16 in a few months."
"Really, when's you're birthday?" Ed piped up.
"In November."
"What day though?"
"The 48th."
"Haha, no really?" Ed said.
"That's for me to know and for you not to know."
"You're a piece of work." Ed shook his head and Shawn laughed.
"Have you been working on anything Shawn?" Ed asked.
"A few songs. Just trying to piece them together."
"If you want help give me a shout out."
"Thanks, I appreciate that."
"I'm going to go grab something to eat." Ed said getting up from the couch.
"So you're a singer?" I asked Shawn.
"Yeah, have you heard any of my songs?"
"No, but I don't know a lot of music."
"Oh, how come?"
"I don't know I just never had access to it."
"That's terrible. Everybody loves music I think. I don't know what I would do without it."
"I like Taylor's music."
"Me too." He laughed.
"So how long are you going to be staying with Taylor?"
"I'm not sure. It's not permanent."
"So what will happen when you don't have to be her body guard anymore?"
"I'll go back to base, train, and go on missions again."
"What kinds of missions."
"I can't say." I said vaguely.
"Oh I get it. It's classified." He smiled.
"Yeah, something like that." I laugh.
"What happened to your arm?" He asked motioning towards the cast wrapped around it.
"Oh I broke it on a mission."
"You still go on missions?"
"Yeah, they call me in occasionally."
"How did you break your arm?"
"Hand to hand combat with a guy from the mission. He snapped it."
"Just like a kit kat, huh?"
"A what?"
"Are you American?"
"I just don't know about a lot of things." I said suddenly feeling self conscious and stupid.
"No, I mean are you from America? You sound American."
"I grew up in Seattle for a few years, then on a training base since then."
"How old were you when you joined the..."
"Napa?" I supplied.
"Yeah, that."
"I was 9 when they took me in."
"Took you in from what?"
"You know, for someone I just meet you sure ask a lot of personal questions."
"Sorry, it's just that you're so interesting."
He bit his lip nervously.
"It's not a bad interesting." He said quickly.
I raised an eyebrow.
"It's a good interesting, I like you. Not like, like you like you. We just met that would be crazy I just-"
"It's fine. You didn't offend me. Taylor's brother comes up with questions about me that I don't even know the answer to." I laughed.
He blushed looking down with a smile.
"You're a cool girl." He nods.
"I try."
His smile widened.
"Um, maybe we can exchange numbers. I could suggest some music for you to listen to, or if you just want to like talk."
"I don't use my phone for personal stuff." I said.
"Oh. Is there another way? Do you have social media?"
"What?"
"You know, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat..."
"No..."
"MySpace?" He laughed.
"No, I don't even know what those are."
"Oh, you can post pictures and updates on your life and look at what your friends are doing. It's a good way to stay connected with friends."
"I don't have friends and I'm not allowed to keep in contact with people outside of my job."
"Well, I'm your friend, and Taylor seems to like you really well and so does Ed."
"It doesn't matter, but thanks."
"Why is your job so tough on you?"
"Well, I'm not going to share with the world top secret things, which is all my job is. So, what's the point?"
"That's true. So there's no way I can get a hold of you?"
"No, sorry, but if I'm still here when you start opening for Taylor we can see each other then."
"Yeah." He said disappointed.
"Hey, Shawn, I'm glad you could make it." Taylor said coming out in a crop top and skirt.
They hugged and Shawn said he was happy to be here.
"Where did Ed go?" She asked me.
"He went to get food like 20 mins ago and never came back."
She laughed, "he's probably chatting someone's ear off."
"I've got to get to the meet n greet, feel free to look around." Taylor told Shawn.
We left him in the lounge area and Taylor and I were escorted to a room where the meet and greet was held.
"Hey guys!" Taylor said as the room erupted with cheers and some people even started crying.
Taylor greeted everyone individually as she greeted every person in the line. I stood close by, but not too close that I was in the way. All the people in line seemed harmless, there were a lot of young girls, some of which were dressed in crazy outfits.
Taylor hugged everyone and spoke so sincerely to them. It was no wonder why she was as famous as she was. I just can't bring myself to understand why anybody would want to hurt someone like her. Maybe, because she's a powerful female and the world is terrified of powerful women.
When the last person left Taylor gathered all the letters and gifts that the fans had brought for her and we headed back to her dressing room.
"So you met Shawn." Taylor said with a small smile.
"Yeah, he's nice."
"Do you think he's cute?"
"I don't know, I don't really think about it. My brains not really wired to admire guys when I'm surrounded by them in a professional setting all the time."
"Well, Shawn is a sweet kid. Maybe you guys could hang out sometime. It would be good for you to hang out with someone around your age."
"Taylor, I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to protect you."
"I know, but it wouldn't kill you to have friends."
"I told him he would see me around at shows. He wanted my number, but I can't give it out."
"He likes you." She said excitedly.
"I don't know. He just thinks I'm interesting."
"Alex, you have so much to learn." She laughed.
"About boys? I don't need to learn anything. I shouldn't get attached anyways."
"I know, but you guys don't have to be in a relationship or anything. You could just be friends."
"Maybe, but I don't know."
"Just give him a chance to be your friend."
"We'll see." I shrug.
Taylor went into the bathroom and came out in her shimmery skirt and sparky jacket.
A knock came on the door.
"Miss swift, show time in 5."
"That's my cue. Be careful out there." She said.
"You too. I would hate to have to send anyone to the hospital."
She laughed before heading towards the lift and getting her ear piece and microphone situated.
I headed out onto the floor where fans were waiting anxiously.
"Oh my god. Look!" A group of girls shrieked pointing at me.
I waved awkwardly.
Everybody else stared screaming to me to try to get pictures or talk about Taylor, and some even asked to meet Taylor.
I just ignored them, because I don't want my picture taken even though they all were taking pictures of me anyways. Andrea came up to me.
"Hey, honey. Ready for the show?" She asked wrapping an arm around me. The fans went crazy at the sight of Taylor's mom. She had the passes to meet Taylor after all.
"Oh yeah. Have you been giving out passes yet?"
"Not yet, I'm waiting for the show to start."
"Oh, well be careful." I said.
"You too." She said hugging me.
She wandered off causing fans to scream for her.
Their screams stopped as the lights went out, but only for a split second as everybody started to scream because they knew Taylor was about to come out.
A city appeared on the big screen and the music for Welcome To New York began to play. The dancers started marching onto the stage and suddenly Taylor walked up the steps and the crowed screamed even louder.
"Welcome to New York!"