Taking On A New Challenge (Graylor)

Decisions on School

Well this is another filler chapter as there is a large event coming but there has to be a bit of a story before. I hope you are all enjoying this as much as i'm enjoying writing it. However some of this chapter i'm not sure about so please comment and let me know what you think about it. The school's in this chapter are real schools though the features which i write about that exist with the schools are all fiction as they don't actually exist at the school but i needed them to for this story Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Chapter 9

Taylor POV

You wouldn’t’ think that it had been a week since Mary had tried ice cream for the first time but it has been. Over the past week I’ve introduced her to the different families of my band to which she’s met many different children but she’s still the oldest. It’s weird to think that she knows almost everyone now but the fact that she feels comfortable around them is great. We’d been to look at schools for her yesterday and we did a couple of the private schools today. Being 13 she will be going into 8th grade this year and she’s excited to start it and make new friends or at least I think she is. Being the celebrity status I have I do worry about how she is going to be affected by the things which she can and can’t do but I don't want to that to hold her back or for me to hold her back in anyway. This is why if she really wants to go to a public school then I’ll send her but I do wish that she would consider going to one of the private schools which we looked at or even let me home-school her. I can’t force her to do anything and I never would but I still wish she’d have a serious think about where she wants to go as she’s not going without a body guard. I know how frequent school shootings are and she would be an easy target for anyone who wanted to hurt me.

“You do realise that you’re going to have to go to school with a bodyguard right?” I asked serving up dinner whilst Mary laid the table for her and I.
“Why? No-one else in my year would have one” She complained grabbing glasses for the table.
“But no-one else in your year lives with me now do they? I know how many school shootings there are these days and you being part of my life makes you an easy target. To get to me all they would have to do is hurt you”
“How am I meant to fit in if I have this big, bulky guy following me almost anywhere I go- sitting with me in class” Mary asked and I knew that all she wanted was to fit in no matter which school she went to. That was her main reasoning for not having a body guard around but I wasn’t going to have it.
“He doesn’t have to sit with you in class, you can tell him where he is to stand either inside the classroom or just outside the door. I just want to know that you’re safe. It wouldn’t be as much of a problem if you were to go to a private school as they have higher security with security guards on site and your body guard would only have to be around not with you constantly” I say trying to plead with Mary to go to a private school rather than a public one as I think that they are better quality and I would feel safer- plus there wouldn’t be as much hassle for missing school as there are children who attend those schools who travel all over the world with their parents.

“Tay, I want to have a normal schooling life and I don’t want to cost you the earth to do it. I want to go to a public school with classmates and teachers like they have at West End Middle School” She tries to plead her case and I’m touched by the fact she doesn’t want to cost me heaps of money.
“I think you should go to Brentwood” I say as Brentwood was the last school which we’d seen today and I really liked everything about it but she obviously didn’t agree.
“Tay, do you want a snob and spoilt daughter or a worldlier one?” She asked trying to get me to pick how I want her to grow up by using the choice of schools.
“Think of it this way, if you go to Brentwood then it’ll be easy for you to come to New York with me next month and when we go travelling round the world. But if you go to West End then you’ll need to be at school a lot more and they aren’t so keen on people missing school which means you’d miss out on coming to New York next month. Did you want me to cancel the things which I’ve planned for when we’re there next month? Brentwood has a lot of students who are often called away with their parents so they have a Skype system where you have to check in with your teacher every couple of days to make sure you understand the work which allows you to travel the world with me but West End doesn’t” I gave her the ultimatum and I seriously hoped that she would pick Brentwood as I wanted to be able to take her on adventures round the world and for her to do the things which I’ve planned for us next month.
“Alright you win, because I want to experience the world and travel with you I’ll go to Brentwood. I did really like their drama room and dance studio” She smiled and we continued to have dinner.

Grant POV
A new album requires a photo shoot to which I knew that Taylor would go and take Mary with her but I wasn’t expecting to be invited. However both Lulu and I were invited to this one with how close that Mary and Lulu have grown- they have a sister like relationship now which is really sweet. Taylor had to go early so she could get ready for the first location but Mary didn’t want to go when she wouldn’t know anyone there so I’d invited her to go with us later. Taylor had dropped her off before heading out but promised she would thank us properly later which had me curious as to what she was planning.
“So which school are you going to Mary? Have you and Taylor decided?” I asked as we set off towards the country venue that Taylor had texted me about as to where the shoot was.
“Well I wanted to go to West End but Taylor wants me to go to Brentwood and there was better chance of me being able to travel with her if I go to Brentwood. I also wouldn’t have to have a bodyguard with me 24/7 whilst at school which is why from next week I’ll be a Brentwood girl” Mary explained and whilst I didn’t entirely understand why Taylor was so insistent on Mary going to a private school. I knew that she only had the best intentions in mind for Mary and I would support that no matter what.
“Why don’t you come school with me?” Lulu asked which made me smile as I don’t think Lulu quite understood that Mary was six years older than her. Still it was kind of cute how Lulu wanted to go and show her friends the ‘cool older friend’ which she’d made over the summer.
“Mary has to go to Middle school rather than elementary school like you Lu, She’s going into 8th Grade” I explained which I could see how Lulu was thinking everything through but I knew there would be more questions about it.
“But I’m nearly 8” Lulu said
“No no, 8th Grade is for people who are my age and I’m 13” Mary explained, I knew she would be better at explaining it in terms which Lulu would understand. I needed to concentrate on how exactly to get to the car park which had been set up near where we were meeting Taylor. It wasn’t going to be easy that was for sure.

20 minutes later, I found my way in a pulled up alongside Taylor’s car and I waited for the girls to get out the car so I could lock it before we went to find Taylor. I knew most of her team here because they’ve either come on tour with us or been in other album photo shoots which we were involved in.  Although I couldn’t remember any of their names as I wasn’t very good with names or at least with people who aren’t family and I don’t see regularly.
G: We’re here, where you at? I texted but I wasn’t sure if Taylor was around her phone and would be able to respond to the text if she was busy. I spotted her trailer as it was the only one on site  and I didn’t think that anyone else would need a trailer like Taylor did with all her outfit changes. I lead the girls over to the trailer and knock on the door to see if Taylor was in there.
“Can I help you?” a voice said from behind me. I turned round to see an auburn haired woman wearing glasses looking at me.
“We’re looking for Taylor” Lulu said
“This is a private shoot and I don’t know how you got in here but she’s not available to sign autographs for you. So please leave before I call security” she said
“But she asked us to come here, I’m her daughter” Mary said though this was oe of the times which I wished she had stayed the quiet girl which I’d met last week . This wasn’t the time for us to be getting involved in an argument and I knew that Taylor wouldn’t want me to be getting Mary kicked off site as she has the most right to be here.
“Nice Try, Taylor doesn’t have a daughter and she doesn’t need to be disturbed by a couple of die hard fans and their dad. Goodbye now” The lady said and I was amazed that she thought we were all related as I wasn’t even the biological father of Lulu let alone Mary.
“MARY? GRANT?” A voice shouted and I knew that this was either going to be Taylor or someone else who knew Mary. We turned round to see Andrea standing there smiling at us.
“Andrea! I’m Taylor’s daughter aren’t I?” Mary asked before running over and giving Andrea a big hug. I knew Lulu felt a little awkward as she didn’t have a close bond with Andrea or at least not as close as it would appear Mary is.
“Maria, this is Taylor’s daughter Mary, her guitarist Grant and his daughter Lulu. They are on the list your holding! Hey guys, we were wondering when you were going to get here. Taylor’s been asking when you’d get here” Andrea smiled before leading us down a path to where Taylor was probably on a site posing for the photo's.