the best day [taylor swift's sister]

four; nightmares

Quinn gasped as she sat up, sweat dripping off her forehead, her body trembling, and her chest pounding. She would often wake up from a nightmare where she would re-witness her best friend die, the moment the monitor stopped beeping. No one knew about her nightmares as her parents and brother were heavy sleepers and wouldn't know if she woke up in the night. Tears puddled her eyes as she tried to regulate her breathing and stop herself from going into a panic attack. She rocked back and forth in the bed, her hands tightly gripping the blanket. After minutes of failed attempts, Quinn tiptoes out of the room, her tiny frame shaking with each step she took.

"Quinn?"

The girl turned around and looked up the steps to see Taylor standing there in a huge hoodie with her bangs all over the place. Taylor walked over to Quinn and helped her back up the stairs and led Quinn into her room while Quinn tripped over herself as her breathing got louder and shakier. Taylor took off the Eras Tour hoodie she was wearing and put it on Quinn, just like she did twelve years ago. Taylor gently grabbed Quinn's arms and guided her to the bed, gently pulling the girl into her embrace.

"Deep breaths," Taylor said, exaggerating her breathing hoping Quinn would follow.

"I can't," Quinn said, in between sobs.

"Yes you can, you can, just follow my breathing," Taylor reassured.

Taylor rubbed the girl's back until she stopped shaking and finally started to fall asleep again. She looked at Quinn who was struggling to keep her eyes open but she tried to fight the drowsiness. Taylor gently drew circles on the girl's arm with one hand and played with the girl's hair with the other one. Unable to fight the exhaustion, Quinn drifted off to sleep in her sister's arms. Taylor finally relaxed and pulled her sister closer, also falling asleep again.

Quinn woke up in a different room than the one that Taylor had shown her the day before. She looked round to see two guitars on the floor, a couple papers scattered all around the carpet, and photos and posters covering the wall. The bathroom door opened and Quinn looked over to see Taylor standing there in a bra and shorts, who was putting her toothbrush away. She gives the girl a smile and waves her hand, walking out of the bathroom and to the bed.

"Hey, honey, did you sleep okay?" Taylor asked.

"I still don't like you," Quinn says, storming out of Taylor's room and into "her" bedroom.

After Quinn brushed her teeth, brushed her hair, and put on a little bit of makeup, she walked down the stairs to see everyone sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"Hey, buddy," Austin greeted, as Quinn walked down the stairs.

Quinn sat down in the chair next to her mother and laid her head down on Andrea's shoulder. She grabbed three pieces of bacon and set them down on her plate but Selena put a piece of toast on her plate too. She glared at Selena who motioned for her to eat it all. Quinn rolled her eyes and started to slowly munch on the crispy bacon as she listened to her family talk. Quinn stole glances at Taylor who wasn't looking at her at all engulfed in a conversation with Austin, which was the exact opposite from the day before.

"I was thinking we could all go out for dinner tonight, Tree suggested it, she wanted to meet you guys again cause it's been a while," Taylor suggested.

"I think that's a great idea," Andrea said.

"I'll book a reservation at La Boucherie for seven and I'll tell Tree too," Taylor says.

"You should invite your boyfriend, Travis I think, I'd like to meet him," Scott said, in a surprisingly calm tone.

"I don't know," Taylor hesitates.

"It would be nice to meet the guy you're dating," Andrea adds.

"You'll scare him!" Taylor exclaimed.

"No I won't," Scott said, with a small smile.

"You scared Joe so much that he didn't want to visit you for a year!" Taylor said.

"Dad? Scary? He's a huge teddy bear," Austin added, teasingly.

"I promise I'll make sure he makes Travis feel welcome, just bring him along," Andrea promised.

"Fine, okay, I'll ask him to join," Taylor agrees.

"Quinn, are you okay with meeting my boyfriend?" Taylor asks, trying to talk to her sister.

Quinn just shrugs her shoulders and looks back down at her phone, practically ignoring her sister. Andrea grabbed the phone and put it in her pocket while telling Quinn, "Respond to your sister properly, Quinn."

Quinn rolls her eyes but verbally responds to Taylor, "Sure, I guess."

"Cut out the attitude, Quinn, now!" Andrea whispered in her daughter's ear.

Quinn stayed silent the rest of breakfast, shifting her head onto Selena's shoulder instead, only eating two pieces of bacon which slightly worried Taylor but she didn't want to start scrutinizing her sister a day after meeting her again, especially when her sister didn't like her. Selena had to meet up with her managers and would meet them at the restaurant at seven; Austin was going to meet up with his friend for the evening while Andrea and Scott decided to explore the city and spend some time together. With everyone gone, it "accidentally" left Taylor and Quinn for a couple hours together.

"I'm gonna be upstairs, do whatever," Quinn said once everyone had left, trying to walk upstairs.

"No, you're gonna sit down and we're gonna talk," Taylor argued back.

"You don't get to tell me what to do!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Quinn, sit," Taylor said, pointing at the couch.

Quinn walked back down the stairs which she was halfway up already and took a seat on the couch Taylor had pointed at. Taylor walked over and sat down next to her, grabbing her hands and putting it into hers, before letting out a shaky breath.