The whole Grammy evening would have got a little boring had Taylor not been in front of me. Everyone else in the room was looking bored, and uninterested in the acts performing, but Taylor was dancing her socks off. for every award, she was on her feet clapping, and for ever act performing she was there on her feet dancing. When Lorde came on, who is an amazing 17 year old singer, Tay was the only one standing dancing. She looked like she wanted to be here, and was having a great time. I saw Lorde look over to her at the end, and smile at Taylor with thanks, as Taylor didnt realise how much younger singers looked up to her sucess. Then Imagine Dragons, and they even said in a speech "When you look out at the audience and see Miss Taylor Swift dancing, you know you are doing something right!" to which Taylor grinned at. Halfway through the evening, they stopped for an interval. Tay turned around and grinned at me
"ED!"
"TAY!! i've missed you!" i replied
"I've missed you too!! How is your tour going?"
"Its been fantastic! Infact, i'm playing Madison Square Garden next month!"
"I heard!" Tay replied excitedly "Infact i heard its sold out too!"
"Yep! somehow!"
"Because you are an amazing singer!" taylor replied, but then her smile dropped slightly.
"Whats wrong Tay?" I asked
"I didnt get a ticket. You said you would send me one, and you didnt" she said sadly
"You didn't get a ticket because i havent sent one. I wanted to give it to you in person." I replied grinning. "I have reserved you the best seat of the arena. Infact, its a stool on the stage! Tay, will you please come and sing with me?"
"You want me to come and sing at your concert at madison square garden?!" Taylor replied excitedly
"Yes!"
"Of course i will come" Taylor answered "Why do you want me there though?"
"Because most of my american fans are because of you, and your invitation for me to open your red tour, which was the bestest experience ever, and i want to thank you and your fans for having me." i replied seriously.
"Ed! there is no need to thank me! thank you for coming with me and being my friend!" Taylor said, smiling. Then she looked over as Scott, her manager was signalling for her to go and get ready for her performance. She grabbed my hand and dragged by through the crowd backstage.
I sighed, and let my self be dragged through the crowd. When we reached backstage, Taylor kept hold of my hand, and led me to her room, telling me about how somehow Lorde had ended up being her manager earlier today. Only Taylor would do something like that! I smiled and laughed more than i had in ages as we walked down the never ending corridor. It was like being back on the red tour.
The Red Tour flew past. To begin with, it was hard for me. Few of Taylors fans knew any of my songs, other than the A Team, and Taylor has such close connections with her band members, i almost felt like i was intruding, but after the first few shows, things picked up. The band accepted me with open arms, and we became amazing friends. They saw how close friends me and Taylor were, and realised i was just as normal as any of them; Fame doesnt really bother me. And as for Taylors fans... They were a storm. Taylor showed me her twitter feed after one show, and it was breathtaking.
It kind of looked a little like this:
@Swiftie4everrr OMG TAYLOR YOUR SHOW WAS BREATHTAKING AS NORMAL! AND YOUR SUPPORT GUY IS AWESOMLY GOOD!
@lovinhimwasRED why have i never heard him before, Ed is such a good singer!
@everythinghaschanged13 Everything has changed should win every duet award ever. You were both amazing last night!
@LegoHouSE13 THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING ME TO SUCH GREAT MUSIC ARTSISTS TAY!
@justswiftin07 GIVE ME LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
@all_to_wellll SWIFTIES, HEY! CHECK OUT ED SHEERAN! HE IS A LOVAVBLE GINGER DORK WITH ONE HELL OF A VOICE.
To say i was surprised was an understatement. My album sales in the USA doubled within a week. From that Day on, i realized 3 things
1. I could crack America
2. Supporting Taylor was one of the best decisions i had ever made.
3. Never underestimate the power of the swifties
The tour continued to be a rollercoaster, but most days, we were going up. Every night after the show, i would find Taylor, and we would go down to club red, where nearly as many fans wanted pictures of me, as they did with Taylor. Afterwards, we would head back to either a hotel, or the tour bus we shared, and either way, we would end up in one room, sharing the bed or couch watching Friends Re Runs, Random movies, or Law and Order till late into the night. Most of the time, we would fall asleep watching it, and i would wake up in the middle of the night, the Tv still on, and Taylor curled against me in her Squirrel Pyjamas. If we were in a hotel, i would get up and go to my own room, but i wouldnt bother on the bus. I could easily sneak back into my room on the bus in the morning, without anyone seeing, but anyone could be in the corridor if i walked out of Taylors room in the morning in my pyjamas, and they could get the wrong idea. Taylor didn't seem to mind with the arrangements anyway.
During the day, we would get normally breakfast together at a nearby cafe, or we would pick up a coffee from starbucks, and then spend the morning messing about round the cities we visited, or at the stadiums. Afternoons called for Sound checks, and preparations, and we would often spend an hour or so jamming in the tour bus to pass by rainy days.
Days off called for spontaneous day trips. Disneyland with the Band; Picnics; Stand up surfing at a nearby beach. Whatever Taylor felt like. Some days we went separate ways, to radio interviews, and tv shows. But normally we spent the spare time together. For her last 2 tours, Taylor had had Liz and Caitlin with her, and together ive been told they were an inseparable bundle of trouble, but this time Liz wasn't there, and Caitlin spend more time with the other band members, so alot of the time it was just Me and Taylor. Grant and Amos, Taylors tour "older brothers" were lovely guys, but extremely intimidating and scary! They didn't want there little sister to be hurt, and even though we weren't dating, i was interrogated several times as to what we had been doing, and what they would do to me if i hurt her. I knew they were only teasing; Amos has never been serious in his life; but it was a little scary!
I worked on my X album throughout the tour and on several occasions, Taylor would join me on trips to the studio, to offer her advice. She heard every song on the album straight after it was written, and i had feedback on every one. My album was coming along nicely; i had several pop songs i had done with Pharell, and several classic "ED" songs; the romantic acoustic love songs, but i still feel like i was missing a perfect love song. It would come eventually. Taylor had also been attempting to start on her next album, which, observing by the few songs she had written already was going complete pop. I loved it. It was deep meaningful pop, rather than lame-less beated music pop. Pop crossed with country song writing pop. Taylor pop.
We had such fun on the red tour. I couldnt wait for the European dates which were coming soon!
"Remember scooting down the corridors?" Taylor said interrupting my thoughts. I could tell immediately she had been thinking about the tour, like i had. We had bought scooters and spent the whole afternoon one day scooting round the entire arena, on stage and down the long corridors. The staff got a tad annoyed, but i don't think they minded much. We don't get much chances just to let loose!
"Yeah, that was fun" I replied smiling at the memory. We reached Taylors dressing room, and she opened the door letting me in, before pushing me into a comfy chair in the corner. She disappeared into a separate room to get dressed into her performance attire, and left me sat there, thinking. Song ideas started running through my mind as i sat there. I was trying to write a song about how amazing the red tour was, but it wasn't going to plan.
Taylor came out before any real ideas came, so i stood up and helped her do up the back of her dress. Sharing a tour bus, it was hard to not walk in accidentally on one another dressing, and we had both done such several times, and it became a habit i would do the back up for whatever dress Taylor was wearing.
She turned around at me, her face asking for my opinion. She had her hair down, and had changed into a floating white dress, with hanging shoulder straps.
"Beautiful" i said truthfully, as she blushed. Taylor hated compliments. "You are going to be amazing tonight, and the fans are going to go wild when they realize your playing all to well. They love it, and it is such a brilliantly written sad song"
"Thanks Eddie, i hope so".
------------------TAYLORS POV------------------
i walked out of the dressing room, and turned around so ed could do the back up before turning back and asking for his opinion.
"Beautiful" he said truthfully, and i blushed. i hated compliments. "You are going to be amazing tonight, and the fans are going to go wild when they realize your playing all to well. They love it, and it is such a brilliantly written sad song" he said. I smiled weakly before replying
"Thanks Eddie i hope so". i was playing All too Well, as a surprise for my fans; they loved it, and it was a beautiful song, even if it still hurt.
We walked out of the dressing room and headed towards the stage. It was like the red tour all over again; me and him walking down empty corridors to a stage and an audience full of people who adore you. i missed the red tour. i missed being with my best buddy daily. As we reached the stage, i pulled him into a big hug before he headed off back into the audience and i prepared to go on.
The lights went down, and a hush settled over the audience, followed by a roar of screams as they realized who was next. I walked onto the stage and took my place at the piano, and the audience fell quiet and i began to sing
"I walked through the door with you
The air was cold, but something 'bout it felt like home somehow
And I left my scarf there at your sister's house
And you've still got it in your drawer even now
Oh your sweet disposition and my wide eyed gaze
We're singing in the car getting lost upstate
Autumn leaves falling down like pieces into place
And I can picture it after all these days
And I know it's long gone, and that magic's not here no more
And I might be okay, but I'm not fine at all
Cause here we are again on that little town street
You almost ran the red cause you were looking over me
Wind in my hair I was there I remember it all too well
Photo album on the counter
Your cheeks were turning red
You used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin size bed
And your mother's telling stories 'bout you on the t-ball team
You tell me about your past thinking your future was me
And I know it's long gone, and there was nothing else I could do
And I forget about you long enough to forget why I needed to
Cause here we are again in the middle of the night
We're dancing round the kitchen in the refrigerator light
Down the stairs I was there I remember it all too well" i felt tears begin to spring in my eyes, but i held them back, and just let my emotions take control of my performance.
"And maybe we got lost in translation
Maybe I asked for too much
But maybe this thing was a masterpiece
Till you tore it all up
Running scared, I was there I remember it all too well
And you call me up again just to break me like a promise
So casually cruel in the name of being honest
I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here
Cause I remember it all all all
too well" I put so much emotion into the last verse, that i was breathless, and decided to sing the next verse slower
"Time won't fly it's like I'm paralyzed by it
I'd like to be my old self again
But i'm still trying to find it
After plaid shirt days and nights when you made me your own
Now you mail back my things and I walk home alone
But you keep my old scarf from that very first week
Cause it reminds you of innocence and it smells like me
You can't get rid of it,
cause you remember it all too well
Cause here we are again and I loved you so
Back before you lost the one real thing you've ever known
It was rare, I was there, I remember it all too well
Wind in my hair you were there you remember it all
Down the stairs you were there you remember it all
It was rare, I was there I remember it all too well"
By the end my voice had crept back up into full emotion, and i had lost myself in the performance. I finished and turned my head towards the arena. Everyone stood up, tears in their eyes and began clapping. I saw Ed in the corner of my eye clapping, a strange look in his eye. I gave a small smile. Standing up, i left the stage, and got changed into my silver dress again, before sneaking back into the audience. Ed placed his hand on my shoulder as i sat down, and gently squeezed it reassuringly before placing it back on his lap.
---------------------
Eds POV
I had never heard her pour so much emotion into a song. That was twice as good as the actual recording on the album, and 4 times as better than her performances of it on the Red Tour. She was so much happier on the red tour than she had appeared since the end of the speak now era, but with this performance i was afraid she had lost some happiness, and was creeping back into the broken place i had helped rescue her from during the red tour... I hope not.