September 1, 2024

8:00 AM

You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors

It's the mornin' of your very first day

You say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while

Try and stay out of everybody's way

It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here

For the next four years in this town

Just my luck, my birthday will be the first day of school. First day of freshman year. I'm going to be like Taylor Swift. Take a deep breath and walk through the doors on the morning of my very first day. Right? It's all going to be incredible, Taylor has been listening to Fifteen by Taylor Swift on repeat for who knows how long now.

She always felt it was fate that she and her favorite musical artist shared the same first name. It was a better time than ever to take her advice. Freshman year was a big deal.

An undoubtedly big deal.

Three honors classes. The boys and the drama. Being surrounded by literal adults. Life only got tougher from here.

And when you're 15

Feelin' like there's nothin' to figure out, well

Count to ten, take it in

This is life before you know who you're gonna be

At 15

Wasn't it yesterday that they had been growing plants in their first-grade science class? When they went on the field trip to sing at the Marriott in fourth grade? When they pranked their teachers with mayonnaise cupcakes in sixth?

Back then she was certain she would be a famous actress. What if she couldn't figure out who to be? What if she still didn't know what to do with her life after high school?  How could she take it in with all this pressure, all these new experiences? It would take a second for those four years to slip by as all her elementary and middle school years had.

Taylor could hardly accept the fact that she had finished eighth grade. Those "big kids" were always something that they feared, but now, here they were. Now they were the big kids.

Everything about Madison High seemed overwhelming. Tests, football season, plays, clubs, and managing her schedule. It would all be so new and scary. So many things need to happen in high school, things that can shape the rest of your life.

You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail

And soon enough, you're best friends

Laughin' at the other girls who think they're so cool

We'll be outta here as soon as we can

What if they all got split apart? Taylor had felt that loss before, with Aiden. Yes, they were friends, but their connection now wasn't how it had been years ago. She didn't want to admit it but she missed those simpler times. The times when it had been her, Aiden, and Faith joking about who made the best (or worst) drawing. They always had those little arguments. They played games during indoor recess and were so excited to see each other outside of school or during the summer.

She doubted it would ever be the same.

Taylor couldn't handle the thought of losing all her friends. They had shaped her, and what happened wasn't entirely in her control. What if someone moved? What if they made new friends and left her behind in the dust?

And then you're on your very first date and he's got a car

And you're feelin' like flyin'

And your mama's waitin' up

And you're thinkin' he's the one

And you're dancin' 'round your room when the night ends

When the night ends

Love like that sounded magical. There was no other suitable word. Something that you could only experience once at this age, but no matter how much Taylor wanted it, she feared the love simultaneously.

Even though Jason had broken her, people had time to mature. Some high school relationships ended in happy marriages.

If Taylor could have a fraction of that, it would be like everything she had ever seen about love.

From sappy romance novels to sappier movies, even if it was fake, emotion like that had to exist somewhere.

This could be her chance to find it.

In your life you'll do things greater than

Dating the boy on the football team

I didn't know it at 15

If only Taylor had learned that lesson earlier.

And Abigail gave everything she had

To a boy who changed his mind

And we both cried

Jason had broken her heart and made her realize things about boys that no textbook could have told her.

Boys are inappropriate little monkeys, especially at her age. You could try so hard, but they would still break you.

With Taylor and Abigail, their bond grew stronger as they helped each other through this time. What if it wouldn't be the same with Taylor and the buddys club?

What if they abandoned me for getting into another horrible relationship? What if I dated someone they despised? It's sisters over misters, always. But, what if I betray that and lose everyone? It would be everything I feared but worse.

I've found time can heal most anything

And you just might find who you're supposed to be

I didn't know who I was supposed to be

At 15

This was one of Taylor's favorite parts of the song. When Taylor Swift turned and addressed the camera. It almost felt as if she was addressing the viewer like she was getting advice from Taylor Swift.

It did make her feel better, a little, but it couldn't erase all those feelings of dread that would come with tomorrow.

Take a deep breath, girl

Take a deep breath as you walk through the doors

It was the fifteenth anniversary of the music video the year Taylor turned fifteen. Maybe it would be a good sign.

That's what she hoped.

---⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚۰˚☽˚⤹⋆⸙͎۪۫｡˚---

buddys club

Taylor: I ain't ready for high school guys

Faith: I am

Taylor: Good for you, Faith

I can't believe that we're already here

Faith: Me neither

I can't believe they let me out of the hospital after three days

Taylor: I can't believe you're still normal

Faith: Me neither

Who else is ready

Kaleigh: Literally no one

Faith: Sad

I have all my supplies and stuff in a bag

And a new binder

My old binder fell apart

Kaleigh: Ah, the good old duct tape binder

Faith: The duct tape wasn't enough

    Even though Taylor was happy to see her friends joking around, she knew that she wasn't kidding when she stated that she wasn't ready for high school. She decided to try to nap off her emotions.

    Taylor's bed was a rich brown color and designs were carved into the head and footrests. The top of the headrest was flat so she placed her phone there, set it to silent, and tucked herself in.

_

    Taylor was awoken by a loud vibration coming from above her. Sleepily groping around, she saw that messages were coming through her phone, but because it had been placed on her bed, the vibrations were going through the entire bed.

buddys club

Kaleigh: What the freak guys

Check the news right now

Faith: I see it

It's so messed up

Kaleigh: And the similarities so far are eerily similar to the boy a few weeks ago

Faith: I know...

Adeline: We just booted it up on my computer

Willow: It happened so close to Madison as well

Kaleigh: Well, they caught the guy earlier

Faith: It can't be the same person

Adeline: It's scary nonetheless

Faith: That's for sure

Kaleigh: But the Mystic River does run through Madison

Willow: That's really far-fetched

Faith: There are so many points where she could have been murdered and thrown into the river

It's not like she's been torn to shreds

And the guy who did it here got thrown into jail

Kaleigh: We don't know that

What if he had an accomplice?

What if they caught the wrong guy, and this is the next serial killer case?

Adeline: Kaleigh, please stop being so pessimistic

Faith: Yeah, everything is already scary enough considering what happened to the boy

I don't want to think that another murder could have happened in Madison

Willow: An area close to Madison is already scary enough

Kaleigh: Sorry guys

    Taylor's face paled as she read those messages. Another murder. The second murder in less than two weeks in Middlesex County.

QOTC: What do you think the connections (if any) are between the two murder cases?