Chapter 166

"Andrea, hurry up! We'll be late if we don't leave soon!"

An eleven-year-old girl, dragging a backpack far too large for her frame, jumped up and down at the hotel room door, urging her mother.

"Hold on, sweetheart, we won't be late. But remember, you need to call me 'Mom,' and as a lady, you should always be polite!"

"Okay, Mom, dear Mom! The taxi's here, can you hurry up with your makeup?"

Two minutes later, the taxi they called was waiting at the curb outside the hotel.

The girl quickly ran, dragging her oversized backpack behind her.

"Taylor, slow down!" Andrea called out, her voice filled with concern. She was carrying her own small purse, chasing after her daughter, nearly tripping over her own feet.

"Damn it, Taylor, what are you packing?" As they climbed into the taxi, Andrea glanced at her daughter's stuffed backpack in surprise.

"Hold on, Mom! I'll explain in a sec." Taylor said casually before turning to the driver, "We're going to Times Square, please hurry."

"No need to rush. Safety first," Andrea reminded, her tone a bit more serious.

Taylor shot her mother an annoyed look. Andrea could tell her daughter was getting impatient, so she smiled, trying to calm her down, "Don't worry, we'll be fine. I promise."

Andrea eyed the contents of the backpack with growing concern, "What exactly are you carrying in here?"

"Nothing!" Taylor replied, but Andrea wasn't convinced.

"Really? Let me take a look." Andrea reached into the backpack and began to rummage through it.

"'Martin 1.0,' 'Martin 2.0,' posters and DVDs of A Match Made in Heaven, The Sixth Sense, The Island, Hide and Seek... Oh my god, are you seriously bringing all these to a book signing?"

"I also brought the books. They're in the bottom," Taylor said, looking up at her mother with a hint of pride.

"Really?" Andrea's eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh my god, you've got every book Martin's released since 1998? No wonder it's so heavy!" She shook her head, speechless. "Taylor, is this really necessary?"

"Of course! It's Martin!" Taylor shrugged nonchalantly. "These are all his works. I'm going to get them signed by him! And, Mom, don't you like Twilight too?"

"So I brought Twilight," Andrea sighed, pressing her forehead in resignation.

"Are you going to the Martin Meyers book signing in Times Square?" The taxi driver suddenly spoke up.

"You know Martin too?" Taylor asked, her eyes lighting up.

She couldn't believe that an unknown taxi driver was familiar with her idol.

"Of course! How could anyone in America not know him by now? He's an icon!" the driver replied, chuckling.

"I love his performances in The Sixth Sense and Hide and Seek. And his music? Unstoppable is incredible. My wife loves Baby and That Girl, and my son is a huge fan of Harry Potter..."

"Wow, your whole family likes Martin? Then why didn't you go to his signing?" Taylor asked, excited yet curious.

"Because I've got to make a living, little one. Gotta support the whole family," the driver explained with a friendly smile.

"That's okay! If you want Martin's autograph too, just leave me your number, and I'll help you out," Taylor offered eagerly.

"Ah, no need for that. But I've got some bad news... I drove by Times Square about half an hour ago, and the line was already miles long. There must be thousands of people there by now. You might be wasting your time."

"No... how could this happen?" Taylor's smile faded instantly, and frustration clouded her face.

Andrea was equally stunned, "But we're already an hour ahead of schedule!"

"I knew it! It's all your fault, Mom!" Taylor's face twisted in irritation as she complained, slapping her backpack dramatically. "I told you, we should've been here early this morning! It's Martin! Don't you know how popular he is? And why do you take so long to do your makeup?! Time's been wasted!"

"Calm down, Taylor. Where's your lady-like composure?" Andrea scolded, trying to stay composed.

The taxi driver, clearly feeling a bit awkward, added, "Maybe Martin will extend the signing time for the fans."

"Yeah, he'll definitely do that. Martin's a good guy. He wouldn't disappoint his fans!" Taylor perked up again, her earlier frustration forgotten.

When the taxi finally pulled up to the destination, Andrea and Taylor got out. The taxi driver stuck his head out of the window and wished them luck, "Good luck! I hope you get your wish today!"

"Thanks!" Andrea called back politely, while Taylor's eyes were already scanning the crowds in the direction of Times Square. There were so many people that the head of the line was impossible to spot. It wasn't even 10:00 AM yet, and the autograph session wasn't until 11:00, but thousands had already gathered.

Most of them appeared to be teenagers between eleven and eighteen, but there were also many adults in the mix. Some even had their entire families with them.

"Oh my god, there are so many people!" Andrea said, feeling overwhelmed.

Taylor refused to be discouraged, "Don't even think about giving up. I'm getting Martin's autograph today, Mom. We promised, and who knows when he'll do another signing. You know Martin doesn't do them often."

"Okay, okay," Andrea sighed, "I'll walk until my legs break."

"Come on, Mom! We need to get in line fast, before it gets longer!" Taylor urged.

They joined the end of the massive line. Andrea looked at the sea of people ahead of them, her heart sinking.

But Taylor, full of energy and determination, reassured her, "Don't worry, Mom. We're going to make it. If we get to see him, Martin won't let us down. He never does!"

"Yes, Martin never disappoints his fans," a girl around Taylor's age in front of them turned around and said.

"Wow, you're so cool!" Taylor couldn't help but admire the girl's smoky eye makeup and punk-style black clothes.

Andrea looked at the girl cautiously, worried she might not be a good influence.

The girl didn't seem to notice and continued chatting with Taylor. As the conversation deepened, Andrea was surprised by the girl's insight into music. Her talent and knowledge rivaled that of her own daughter.

"By the way," the girl said, turning to Taylor, "I still don't know your name."

"Ah, I'm Taylor Swift. I'm from Pennsylvania, nice to meet you!" Taylor replied.

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Avril Lavigne. I'm from Canada." The girl grinned widely.

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧