Strings | s.m (✔️)

Chapter Eight

I wake up to a room that wasn't mine, and for a second I almost scream, until I remember everything that happened before I slept.

"Welcome back, sleepyhead." I hear, and turn my head to face none other than Shawn Mendes.

This is where I decided whether I wanted to be his friend again, forget the past, or continue to be a complete drama queen and ignore him. So right before I opened my mouth and spoke, I had a battle in my head.

"Thanks, loser." I say playfully, and we both smile at the same time as I sit and he throws clothes on me.

"Here, go change. You're going to catch a cold if you stay in those clothes any longer, and I remembered right after you fell asleep." I grasp the clothes in my arms and notice that it was a hoodie and sweatpants, that belonged to Shawn.

When I get back from the bathroom and into my dry clothes, Shawn is sitting on the bed just waiting, and right as I sit down next to him, I know there's going to be a talk I would much rather avoid.

"Hey, so about everything. We kind of have a really messed up past, and if you don't mind I kinda want to clear everything up."

I shrug, acting as if this wasn't a big deal. "Um, sure. What do you wanna talk about?"

"Well first off, about what you said. How I left you and you had to become a new person. I swear I didn't mean to break our friendship, I didn't even know I did until I took out my headphones and you weren't walking with me to school one day. I felt terrible. And when I found your birthday card I couldn't even face you. I'm so sorry, I'm an idiot." Shawn spit out, as if they were in his mouth for so long and he finally had the chance to get rid of them.

"Um, yeah. It's fine, no hard feelings." I say, unsure of why I couldn't mask my feelings and stop acting like, well like me.

"And wait, you kept the birthday card?" I ask, pointing to his desk. Shawn's cheeks turn a light pink color and he finally makes eye contact with me, shrugging.

"To remind myself of what I lost." He says, almost in a whisper. For a second we just sit there, staring at each other, before he gives me a shy smile and sticks out his hand.

"Friends?" He asks.

"Friends don't shake each other's hands." I give him a cold look, and he looks taken back. He slowly starts to drop his hand and I see a frown form, Shawn looking disappointed as ever.

"Ugh, come here you dumby." I say, and throw my arms over him, hugging him once again. He doesn't hug me back instantly, but after half a second his arms are around me and we're hugging like nothing every happened between us. When we pull away we're both smiling widely.

"So, Shawn Mendes, we have a lot of catching up to do, don't you think?"

_________

"No way." Shawn says, his mouth forming a big 'O'.

"Oh yeah." I say, nodding my head, "I never even got in trouble, because no one knew it was me. The best part was that the principle's door had 'Buy One Direction's music if you value your life' carved into it for at least four months."

"I can't believe you did that!" He tells me, and I shrug.

"I always take up a dare, especially if it's a fun one." I smile, glad I was catching up and telling all these stories with Shawn. Before Shawn can tell another one of his stories, I hear a knock on the door, Aaliyah entering right after.

"Mom #2 wants you home. And she called you but you never answered." I nod and get up, as Aaliyah walks out and continues her FaceTime call with some kid from her school.

"Bye Shawn, I'll talk to you later, since we still have a whole lot of catching up left to do." Smiling, I get up from his bed and give him a peace sign before walking out and going towards my home.

Right when I get home, I feel a buzz in my pocket, and almost gasp when I see what text I got.

Super Hot And Cool Guy
Hi

I reply back, asking who it was, and before I got my answer I already knew the five letter name that would be sent back to me.

Super Hot And Cool Guy
Shawn, who else?

Bella Stone
I thought you were my boyfriend for a second.

Super Hot And Cool Guy
You have a boyfriend???

Bella Stone
Um yeah, why?

I don't get a response for a few minutes, and I start to think Shawn went to sleep before I get yet another buzz from my phone.

Super Hot And Cool Guy
Well I thought we were catching up. Boyfriends are something you would talk about. If I had a girlfriend I would talk about her before anything else.

Bella Stone
I guess I forgot. Anyways I'm changing your contact name back to Shawn.

Shawn
Wait, who is it? Shawn wants to know.

Bella Stone
And Bella thinks it's weird when you talk about yourself in third person.

Shawn
*Ari

Bella Stone
K whatever

Shawn
Who are you dating?

Why was he still hooked up about this. Oh well, guess I had to pull the joke early.

Bella Stone
Don't get your panties in a twist. He's sweet, kind, caring, and his name is jOHN CENA

Shawn
I hate you

Bella Stone
No you don't. Goodnight Shawn ;)

I set my phone down and walk over to my keyboard, not wanting to go downstairs and actually play on the piano, because I'm pretty much just lazy. I start to play some random chords before I decide that I wanted to write a song, but didn't know which of the two chords to play it to. I quickly make up a few lyrics and play both of them before staring at my piano and mentally voting for which one was better.

I hear a buzz and pick up my phone to see a text from Shawn.

Shawn
Both are good, but I like the second one better. Btw, your window is open :)

Well, that isn't embarrassing at all. Instead of sending blushing emojis to Shawn, I text 'well will you look at that. :)" and shut my phone off, close my window, and hop into bed, hitting the lights before I lay down.

Only then, before I drift off to sleep, do I realize I'm still wearing Shawn's clothes.

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A/N

WINTER BREAK IS HEEERRREEE