Don't Wake Me Up - Shawn Mendes

PART TWENTY SIX

 The rest of the week went by smoothly. The article was from a local dish site so it didn't go viral or anything. I was able to go back to my usual occupation, and so did Shawn. I had drinks with colleagues on Thursday, so I got in late, and Friday was a night out with my friends, so I haven't seen Shawn in a few days. As I wake up on Saturday and see Shawn's text — "Pick you up around 4, okay?" — I am reminded that today is the day I meet his family. I should be fine, right? But all the good things Shawn said to them about me are still in my head, and now I feel like I have an impossible reputation to live up to. I shoot a text to the group chat to get some help:

"Guys! I'm meeting Shawn's family tonight, and I'm super nervous but first of all, I don't know what to wear!! PLEASE HELP," I send with a gif of a red siren.

Xavier is the first to reply:

"Wear something cute!" Immediately followed by:

"Me : unhelpful."

Well, at least he realized it!

"Thanks Xav! Is a dress too much? Or should I just wear a nice shirt? But what if they all dress up and I look too casual?"

Mateo is awake, and asks me:

"Are you all going to a restaurant?"

"No, Shawn said he's driving me to their house."

"Oh okay, well in that case no matter what you wear should be fine! It's not like you'd stand out in a crowd," Mateo continues. I guess he's right. But I need real suggestions.

"@Abby ??? Where are you, girl?" I send, tagging her to increase the chances she sees this sooner rather than later.

"Hey guys! Wait, let me go back up and read," Abby replies almost immediately.

"Okay! Uhm Alice, do you remember that light grey dress? It's casual, but cute, so I think it would work either way! Do something cute with your hair to show a bit of effort, and you'll look all put together!"

Awesome, that's the kind of advice I need! But I should've known asking two guys about my wardrobe wouldn't result in anything.

"Thanks! I can wear my dark tights, and cute hoop earrings! YES I'M DOING IT! But now, how do I stop being so nervous? Mateo, how did it go when you met Thom's parents?"

I mean, it's one thing to have the outfit, I still need to relax if I want to be the funny, witty, smart, and confident person Shawn described.

"It was fine, but mostly because I didn't have to stress about it, he didn't know his mom would be home when we got there, so it was an accident!" Mateo replies.

"Yeah, that's not helping me!!" I reply.

"Well, see it that way: if you don't get in your head, if you stop overthinking it, you'll go in there poised and yourself! And you'll do just fine."

I hate it when he's right.

"'Get out of your head, you're in your head!' I feel like I'm a Queen on RPDR. But that is good advice, thanks Mateo! I'm going now, getting ready! Chao."

"YAAASSS HENNY you got this!" Mateo replies, as my true drag-mom.

"I wanna see your outfit!" Abby says.

"Tell us how it went!" is the last text Xav sends before I lock my phone and hop in the shower.

It's 3:40pm, I have been ready for too long now, just waiting for Shawn to tell me he's downstairs. My makeup is in natural colours, with a bit of highlighter, my lips are perfectly glossy, and my hair is curled, but tied in a half pony. My mom always said she liked my hair away from my face, and I'm hoping Karen will think the same. I've been pacing around my apartment, making sure I have everything ready to go, when my phone dings. Shawn is downstairs! I grab my coat, my purse, and my hostess gift. I make my way down, and get in the car.

"3:50? You're early!" I tell Shawn.

"Yeah, but if I know you, you've had your shoes on, ready to leave for a good half hour already," he replies.

"Touché..." I say as I smile and lean in for a quick kiss.

We get on the road and drive to Shawn's house in the suburbs of Toronto. At the exit, I realize this looks familiar, and I say:

"Oh my gosh, Shawn! That's the exit I took to take us back home when we took that long drive last week!"

"Yeah, it is! For a moment when you were driving, I thought you knew, or something."

"No, I had no idea! So this is where you grew up, eh?"

"Yeah! This is the movie theatre I went to with my friends," he says as he points out a building with a big popcorn light up sign.

We're a bit in advance, so we take a quick tour of the city, where Shawn shows me his high school, the arena where he had hockey practice, the outside rink — now melted — in the park where he'd play with friends, the street his first girlfriend lived on. And we finally get to his house. I feel my heart sink, and I guess my face didn't hide it because Shawn looks at me, and reassuringly tells me I have nothing to be worried about.

"I know! But its still a big deal to me." I take a deep breath. "Okay, let's go!"