Perfectly Ordinary // Shawn Mendes

the boy in my bedroom

claudia

I'm dreaming of a field of flowers and I'm looking for something. Suddenly, the flowers turn to quicksand, and my body begins sinking deep down.

I'm screaming, but there's no sound. But suddenly there's a sound, and my eyes shoot open.

There's a shadow in my bedroom.

I sit up in bed so quickly that my head almost hits my headboard. I try to yell for my mom or dad, but my throat is so dry that the words won't come out.

My eyes finally adjust to the darkness, and I feel my heart pulsing adrenaline through my veins. The shadow isn't a man, but a boy. I squint, and I see his face.

The boy with the guitar. Only he doesn't have his guitar. He looks more scared than I do.

"What are you doing here?!" I ask, my voice weak and trembling.

Shawn looks like he is going to cry. He steps backward, knocking over my music stand.

"Claudia, honey, are you alright?" I hear my mother yell from across the hall, and I look back at the boy.

There's pure and utter fear plastered onto his face. His eyes are filled to the brim with sadness, and it looks as if he is about to start bawling. One word escapes his lips, so soft it's barely a whisper.

Please.

"Yeah, mom, I'm fine," I say, my voice still shaky.

I stand up and tiptoe to the boy, examining him before determining what I should do. I realize he's clutching my wallet in his hands, and when he sees my eyes lock on it, he instantly drops it to the ground.

I take his arm, tugging him towards the balcony. His hand is soft, but freezing cold, and his cheeks are flushed. I wonder if he'd been outside for a while. He didn't even have a jacket.

Before reaching the balcony door, I grab my sweater off of my desk chair, and reach for another jacket on my coat rack. Then, we step outside into the freezing autumn night.

I close the balcony door quietly, and look to make sure my parents bedroom window is closed.

"What the hell are you doing in my bedroom, and what the hell were you doing with my wallet?" I erupt, my voice still shaky with fear and grogginess. I pull on my sweater, shivering. I slowly hand him the jacket, which he instantly puts on himself.

"C-Claudia, I-I'm so s-sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. I j-just--" his voice is shakier than mine and I could see tears in his eyes. He turns away from me, hiding his face.

I think about before, when I saw him on the street. His guitar was old, it had many scratches and dents. His cheeks weren't only flushed, but they had specks of dirt and grime. His clothes looked old. He was playing for money because he needed it.

"Shawn," I say softly, placing my hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. It's okay."

Before turning around, I can tell he's wiping tears off of his face.

"M-My mom is sick. S-She's really sick, and my dad says she's going to die. We can't pay for the hospital bills, so my dad wanted me to get some money, h-helping him out with his job. B-but I suck at it. I'm useless, so I ran a-away. W-when I saw the one hundred dollars you just gave me so easily, I j-just figured..." He says, his weak voice trailing off.

My heart aches for this boy, even though I don't know him at all. He looks so hurt, so broken.

"You should have told me, Shawn. I could have helped you."

He looks up at me, his milk chocolate brown eyes locking with mine.

"Y-you don't seem like the kinda girl who'd help a guy like me."

What is that supposed to mean? Just because my parents have money, he thought I wouldn't help him? Bullshit.

I feel anger begin to bubble inside me.

"What would make you think that?"

"I-I don't k-know," he mutters, looking away at the sky which is filled with stars.

I eye him up and down. "So, Shawn Mendes, I'll tell you what."

He turns back to me.

"I don't have many friends, you see, but you seem like the kinda guy who I would be friends with. There's nobody quite like you around here."

He gives me a strange look.

"I would like you to do two things for me, understand? Number one. I want you to go home and give your father this," I say before quickly running inside and grabbing the wallet.

I pull out two-hundred dollars. I have been working at different small jobs and babysitting for years now. I never use the money, though. I figure Shawn needs it more.

His eyes widen. "Claudia, I can't take this. I really can't take any more money of yours--"

"Let me finish. Number two. I would like you to come back, as much as you like, and play me a song. It doesn't matter what song, but you have to sing it too."

He looks confused. I giggle.

"It's an exchange. I give you the money to help your family, and you sing for me. Sound good?"

"A-are you sure? I r-really shouldn't take your money," Shawn stutters.

"I'm positive. You better come back," I smirk, and his cheeks flush harder.

"I will. I promise."

And with that, the awkward boy climbs off of my balcony, grabs his guitar, and walks off into the night.