The aesthetic of New York in 2014 carried a kind of controlled shine, as if the city had learned how to pose for the cameras without completely losing its cynicism. It was a time when fame no longer screamed—it slid.

There was a constant feeling of living in the now, but with archival awareness. As if everyone knew those years would be remembered. Fame wasn’t just about being seen, but about being interpreted. New York, in 2014, didn’t sleep—it posed.

And the three of you were the living image of that era. Taylor, Karlie, and you were roommates. Taylor was about to release her album 1989, Karlie appeared on every runway, and your face covered the streets. You were supposed to be just “roomies,” and at first glance, you were.

Taylor had a new boyfriend every week, Karlie talked to a few guys but never anything serious, and you? You chose to stay on the sidelines—because all of you knew that, in the end, every date with a man was a cover for the truth. That even though the world seemed to be at the height of social movements, the three of you were still terrified of the truth. At least Taylor and Karlie were.

Still, you lived together in Taylor’s penthouse in the West Village. The days were fun, but the nights even more so, because what everyone believed was a friendship (and what you yourselves tried to believe) was something far more complicated than that… Karlie knew Taylor liked you, but… the problem was that Karlie was quite attracted to you too… you where oblivious , or just choose not to see it. So, sometimes, situations where both of them tried to get your attention, or where jealousy took over, could rule the house…

Like now. You and Karlie were lying next to each other on the floor. Karlie was drunk on wine, and you were too—or maybe on something else. A vinyl record filled the empty space as you redecorated the apartment while Taylor was at the studio, pushing the furniture aside to make room to dance and rest. A small disco ball spun in the middle of the room, splashing color across the living room while the scent and smoke of a lavender incense filled the air, the two of you laughing.

Taylor finally walked into the penthouse, completely taken aback by the scene, a feeling in her stomach like she’d just been kicked there. You and Karlie were very close—far too close for her liking…