Taylor Swift's concert tours are always a big deal, and as the most luxurious main venue in New York, the MetLife Stadium was no exception.
MetLife Stadium is the shared home field of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets. Before the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles opened, it was the only shared home field in the NFL. With a capacity of 82,500, it was once the largest stadium among the NFL's 32 teams. Now, it's been taken over by Taylor Swift for her concert. Though 82,500 sounds like a lot, Claire heard that tickets for this show were oversold—partly because he was set to perform as a guest!
As the show's finale act, Claire followed Delia closely, looking a bit dazed. Meanwhile, Delia was buzzing with excitement, acting as his guide and pointing out every little detail about MetLife Stadium.
"Tch, did you secretly sell the Manchester United tickets I gave you? Turns out you're a football fan!" Claire teased.
Delia's smug grin instantly turned into a pout, like a kid waiting for a scolding. "Haha, am I that petty?" Claire laughed, pretending he wasn't annoyed, but still reached out to mess up Delia's carefully tied ponytail. She grumbled under her breath as she watched him walk away.
At the stage's lift platform, Claire tried to keep his expression calm, forcing himself to relax. He'd performed at a music festival before, but at Lyme Valley Music Festival, he stayed in the shadows of the backdrop. People heard his voice, but few saw him, leading some tabloids to brand him the "lip-syncing mister."
As Taylor Swift wrapped up her performance of "Unstoppable", her breathless voice echoed through the speakers: "I hope my songs give you the coziest holiday vibes, but can I take a quick break first?"
She stood on stage, soaking in the roars and cheers from every corner of the stadium.
"Taylor, I love you!"
"Encore! Encore!"
Some diehard fans even tried rushing the stage, but the venue's tight security held them back. "Hey, you better love me right!" Taylor said playfully. "I've been singing nonstop, and my good friend's been waiting backstage for a while." She shot a mischievous glance at the lift platform behind her, hinting at something.
The moment she spoke, the crowd—especially the female fans—erupted, drowning out the regular Taylor fans with screams of:
"Claire!"
"Claire, we love you!"
"Claire, I'll have your babies!"
As Taylor stalled, the chants for Claire grew louder and more unified across the stadium.
Delia, looking up at Claire on the lift, shouted, "Sounds like the fans are getting impatient! Don't blow through all your songs at once, mister!"
But Claire didn't hear her. His earpiece crackled with a voice: "Get ready, Mr. Claire. The lift's about to go!"
The platform jolted, and Taylor, holding her mic, bellowed, "Welcome my favorite guy, Manchester United's substitute player, Claire Lee!!!"
The crowd's cheers hit a fever pitch as the opening beats of "The Nights" kicked in. It seemed like Claire always opened with this song—it's one of the two tracks that truly define him. The other, "One Day", didn't fit the vibe tonight, and while "Something Just Like This" was a hit, it still needed time to cement itself as Claire's song.
What made "The Nights" special was how it got everyone—tens of thousands—singing along in perfect rhythm. As Claire rose fully onto the stage, Taylor unexpectedly grabbed his hand. This wasn't in the rehearsals, but Claire went with it, walking with her to the front of the stage. When the chorus hit, Taylor harmonized with him, her skills elevating the performance. Together, they nailed it.
"That was awesome!" Taylor said.
"Thanks, but your harmonies carried it," Claire replied humbly.
The two chatted casually on stage, oblivious to the crowd, while fans went wild. The big screen behind them zoomed in on tearful fans. "Whoa, look who I see!" Taylor gasped, pointing into the crowd at Shia LaBeouf, feigning surprise.
Shia, playing along, waved at them with mock-reddened eyes. Claire nearly rolled his eyes—this was all scripted. If he didn't know better, he might've fallen for Shia's act.
Shia was promoting his upcoming movie "Eagle Eye", and this stunt was part of the hype. Claire, realizing he was in on it too, let it slide.
Shia, now on stage, slung an arm around Claire like an old pal. "Hey, my lifesaver! How's it going? Heard you got a raw deal at Manchester United?"
The crowd exploded, especially the female fans, shouting about the unfairness Claire faced. Taylor leaned in, eager for gossip, but Claire, looking guilty, bowed deeply to the audience. "Wayne Rooney and I are tight. If he didn't have to school Chelsea today, he'd be here cheering me on. His girlfriend's a fan of mine—how could we have beef?"
"Whoa, then why'd you vanish from the Premier League roster? Some shady backroom deal?" Shia pressed, acting shocked. Taylor chimed in, "I heard Sir Alex Ferguson kicked you out for being a player off the field."
"Some tabloids just can't stand a good story," Claire shot back, pulling a student ID from his jacket pocket. "I'm just a student now—I'm only 19!"
The big screen flashed his ID, and the crowd—especially the female fans—lost it, screaming, "So hot!"
Claire blushed, but Taylor teased, "What a cute little guy!"
Shia added, "You two are about the same age, right? Why don't you—"
"Get outta here!" Claire playfully shoved Shia.
Shia pretended to stumble, and Claire, dodging behind Taylor, quipped, "I heard you trained hard for your new movie. Don't try faking a fall to mess with me!"
"Hah!" Shia sprang back up, earning gasps from the crowd. "Good thing I didn't fall, or I'd be toast!"
The trio's banter turned Claire's negative press and Shia's movie promo into a seamless act. This was 2007—when the internet was just taking off, and these tricks worked like a charm on fans.
"Claire, I heard your next song's for a girl. Is it for me?" Taylor asked, sparking boos from the crowd. Shia, feigning shock, stared at Claire.
"It's just a random spark of inspiration," Claire said vaguely. "I won't say who it's for."
Shia, catching on, rushed backstage, grabbed a sign reading "Transformers", and held it up to jog the crowd's memory. Claire, blushing, ignored it.
As the opening notes of "That Girl" played, Taylor and Shia slipped offstage. The crowd melted into the song:
There's a girl, but I let her get away
It's all my fault 'cause pride got in the way
And I'd be lying if I said I was okay
About that girl, the one I let get away
Claire didn't stick around to soak in New York's glitz. Fleeing the city's rabid reporters, he jetted back to Hawaii, crashing into bed despite morning classes.
But his song stirred trouble for Megan Fox and Du Juan, who were attending a French Luxury Goods Exhibition sponsored by Louis Vuitton. Normally, Du Juan's status wouldn't have landed her an invite, but Claire's influence—and the British Royal Foundation's backing—catapulted her fame. Megan, riding the global success of Transformers, was also invited as a newly minted star. The event was a star-studded affair, with Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlize Theron, and more—all repping luxury brands. Megan scored an Armani underwear deal, while Du Juan, thanks to Claire, landed a Burberry endorsement in China.
On the red carpet, stars showcased their sponsored products. Things were tame until Gisele Bündchen walked by, and reporters lost it, shouting, "Du Juan's here!"
Gisele glanced back, startled, but after a whisper from her agent, she muttered, "Another poor soul."
Du Juan, unfazed by the swarming reporters, walked the carpet with poise, ignoring their questions:
"Du Juan, did you and Claire break up?"
"What's your relationship with Claire?"
"Is 'That Girl' about you?"
Her face darkened as she entered the venue. Gisele, waiting at the door, offered, "Don't let it get to you. I don't know what's between you and that footballer, but show your rival some class."
Du Juan followed Gisele's gaze to Megan Fox, who was chatting with her agent. As if on cue, Megan glanced over. When their eyes met, Du Juan, surprisingly, waved at her.
Gisele flinched. Du Juan whispered, "Is that me declaring war?"
"If a rogue reporter caught that, yeah," Gisele replied.
read my new story
Marvel FRIEZA DBZ
NBA Grind to NBA King