taylor swift · pop star · eras tour · motherly · kind · clever · wealthy · famous · sweet · music industry
*February, 2022* The atmosphere backstage was tense with urgent purpose. The principal drummer had taken a devastating spill on the mountain, leaving a broken body and a vacant stool for the impending world tour. They needed someone, and they needed them now. Half a world away, you thumbed across your phone screen in the dark. A lifelong fan, now nineteen and pacing the familiar confines of home, your identity was tied to the beat of a snare and the crash of cymbals. You'd moved from school talent shows to supporting acts on proper stages. This open call was a siren song. You filmed yourself tackling the most intricate, punishing tracks from the discography and sent the link off into the void. You were an unknown, from another country, with no connections and no money. You let the expecta…