ShawnMendes entered Wattpad.

92

<< flee away - again >>

"Hi."
Shawn Mendes is standing right in front of me, looking at me as he saw a ghost. Eric behind me is breathing sharply in. I know exactly, what he is thinking, and it doesn't help, that he speaks it out loud. "You know Shawn Mendes?"

"No, I don't", I answer after a few seconds.

Shawn's just looking at me, and I'm getting feeling akward.

"Yes, she does."

Wait, what?!

I stare at him. Eric stares at me. The whole room of people seems to be staring at us.
Shawn hems. "Well. Either way. So you are?"

"Eric. I'm Eric", Eric says hastily, offering Shawn his hand. He's shaking it. "Nice to meet you, Eric. I'm Shawn."

"I know", Eric's nearly stumbling over his words.

Shawn smiles calming. "You're a friend of Mandy?"

Am I the only one hearing that subvokals („a friend or a friend?"). Probably I am.

"Yeah, yeah, I am a friend of her. Actually, we're studying together", Eric seems to try to realize that Shawn Mendes is talking to him. "Uh, what did you say again, where from do you know Mandy?"

Wattpad.
A platform where you write fanfictions.
About people like Shawn Mendes.

Oh my gosh. What if he tells Eric the story with Amy and me, changing roles, and us being in the snowstorm and everything?! My heads feels suddenly very warm.

Shawn's staying cool. "We've met at a concert."

Half true.

"Oh wow." Eric looks at me like: I've got thousands of question and the most important one is: Why the FUCK didn't you tell us that story?!

"Yeah. But it was just at a meet and greet", I say still not knowing what game Shawn's playing. I turn to him, feeling the urge to look at the dancing people behind us. "I didn't think you'd remember me. We didn't talk that much."

"That's right, but sometimes talking isn't necessary to remember someone", Shawn smiles and his eyes twinkle. I can't smile back. "I guess you're right."

Eric's staying silent for a second, than he say's: "I can't believe you know Shawn Mendes, Mandy."

"I don't!"

Eric seems to not have heard me, or he's too occupied with glancing at Shawn. He hems. "I'm really a big fan of your songwriting."

Shawn smiles. "Thank you."

He looks at me again, and for a moment I am unable to move. I don't know, how my legs work and my ability to speak seems to have gotten away, too.

"Uh. Would you mind ... taking a picture with me? It would really mean the world."

It's like he's getting the both of us out of our frozen-statue-thing, and Shawn nods.

I know Shawn hates this kind of attention when he just want's to spend an evening on a party without being asked for things like that. But he also knows how much it would hurt a fan if he would say no.
On the other hand Shawn did also know that it would hurt me, if he'd call me a bitch, so my pity with him keeps within limits right now.
Either way. We're music-business students on a party invited to network and not to make photos with stars.

"Eric", I'm about to start automatically explaining him that I think it is inappropriate to ask someone for things like that when you're at a more or less private label's party but Shawn's interrupting me. "Of course bud."

I stare at him. He acts like I wouldn't and just asks Eric to hold the smartphone in a more proper way to do their selfie.

When they finish posing for several selfies, I'm not finished thinking about what Shawn's actually doing here right now. Why is he so friendly?! What happened to the arrogant person back then in Pickering?! What happened to the "You're really a bitch, Mandy"-Dude?!

"Oh my gosh, hiii", Layla's appearing out of the crowd - her gaze going from Shawn to Eric to me and back to Shawn.

No no no no no.

"Hi, I am Layla", Layla offers Shawn a handshake too - something that is very unusual for her - normally, she's the hug-people-type. But somehow I know that she feels that Shawn doesn't like to hug everybody everytime.

"Nice to meet you", Shawn says politely. "You're a friend of Mandy either?"

"Yes, I am", Layla's beaming. "And it's so cool being friends with her - she's actually one of the most talented songwriters I know - besides you and Ed Sheeran."

"Uh-uh. Is she?" Shawn gives me a quick strange look.

I would like to be somewhere else, playing the piano and forget that I am here, standing besides my new-won friends talking to Shawn about me.
I have the feeling that Layla's still trying to make my imaginary ex-boyfriend jealous with Shawn. Something that could get very awkward if I don't put a hold on this at one point.
I rub my back that hurts again by thinking of how I slipped on the floor and how everybody was looking at me. This evening's getting worse.

"And you're all studying what exactly?" Shawn asks with a smile, and Eric and Layla start to explain him over the loud music what we're learning at the University of London.
He's talking to my friends like he knows them for ages - longer than I do. I observe that chattering and laughing and I still don't understand that Shawn's here and I still don't understand his intentions about being that nice and talking to my friends - after we haven't talked since Pickering.
I can't stand that situation any longer.
"Excuse me guys", I say to Eric and Layla. "I'm gonna search for the toilets. See you later."

I'm not gonna return to the party, but they don't need to know.
I just took some steps when Eric's by my side. "The toilets aren't this way, Mandy."

"I know Eric", I roll my eyes a bit and grin. "I'm leaving, I don't feel so good at the moment. Please don't bother."

"Is it because of your fall on the floor earlier? Are you okay? I mean should someone drive you to the hospital or-" "I'm fine, thank's Eric. I just need a break - some sleep will work wonders, I guess."

He's accepting my answer after a few more or less persuasive assurances that I will drive immediately home and drink a glass of vine ("and no painkillers until the morning! That'd be no good combination.").

I see Layla asking Shawn for some party-pics too, and she's shining out of pure happiness when he says yes. For a second or two Shawn seems to be happy about having made someone that happy.
I take a deep breath and I am already on the turn to the doors when he looks again at me. It's a piercing look. Like a mixture of the 'what does the annoying Wattpad-girl still do here?!' and "Where do you think, you're going?!"
Confusing.
"I really gotta go", I say to Eric. "See you Monday then. Have fun!" I turn around without looking anymore at Shawn and Layla and leave the big crowed room to get my coat. I didn't see Geana anywhere, but I'm sure, that Eric will tell her and Layla, that I left the party, when he sees them the next time. Hopefully, he's still sober enough then.

I just got my coat and my bag and all my stuff, when someone calls my name.