Bad Reputation - Shawn Mendes

18 - Afraid

Eleanor.

Shawn sings Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars to me and i can't help but fall for him even more. Not only is he such a sweet guy, he's also really talented. He stops singing after the chorus and walks up to me. He sits down right beside me and holds my hands which made me have goosebumps, the good kind. "Eleanor Carter, I've never felt this crazy about someone like you. And I just want to let you know how beautiful and amazing you are. Would you have the honour to be my girlfriend?" He asks while staring deeply into my eyes, and meaning every single word he says.

As much as i like Shawn, it didn't feel right for us to be together. I brace myself for what I'm about to say and let go of his hands. "I-i can't." I stammer and i see his eyes soften. "Why not?" He asks. "Because you don't know everything about me." "Then tell me everything Elle." He insist and i shake my head. "It's not that easy." "I promise I won't judge." He says while shifting closer to me. I take a deep breathe to prepare myself, he deserved to know the truth. "I don't have the best reputation in high school." I start off and i see Shawn putting down his guitar to focus on me. "My ex best friend started a rumour that i was trying to steal her boyfriend, and no matter how hard i tried to deny them, nobody believed me. And since then, girls hated me and guys would always try to get with me." I spill to him and he gives me a reassuring hug. "It's okay Elle, i believe you." He tells me and i start crying into his shoulder. There's just something about Shawn that makes me feel so comforted, and I'm so glad that i can finally be 100% transparent to him.

I pull out of the hug and wipe my tears away with my fingers. "Sorry i keep crying on you like this." I apologise. "It's okay, just remember I'm always here for you." He tells me and i can't help but feel better. "And about what you asked, can i think about it?" I ask because i truly want him in my life but i need time to think and make sure I'm making the right decision. "Yeah, give me an answer when you're ready." He says and i nod. "Goodnight Shawn." I say while standing up. "Goodnight Elle." He replies. I walk out of his room and back to the guest room and lay down in bed. I had a hard time falling asleep before this and now it's even harder because of my thoughts. But I eventually fall asleep after tossing and turning.

———

I wake up and see that it's a little past 8am. I get out of bed, tie my hair up and head to the bathroom to wash up. Once i was done, i headed downstairs to see Mrs Mendes in the kitchen scrambling to get breakfast ready. "Good morning Mrs Mendes, may i help?" I ask politely. "Yes please, can you grab the whisk from the drawer?" She instructs and i follow. "And please call me Karen." She adds and i smile. "Here you go Karen." I say while passing her the whisk and she thanks me.

We bake muffins and made scrambled eggs while talking about college. At first i was nervous because I remember the first day i met her and she told Aaliyah to be careful of me, so i was worried to leave a bad impression. But kindness really runs in the blood, as Karen was super caring and understanding. She also complimented me about my skills in the kitchen and complained that none of her kids could cook which made me laugh. I told her that i often cook at home for me and my dad and she was impressed.

After we were done plating the dishes onto the counter table, Aaliyah walks in and greets us. "Morning! The food smells so good." She grabs a fork and sits down on the counter before digging in. A few minutes later their dad comes in and starts eating as well. As we were about done eating, Shawn finally comes in and sits down with the rest of us. "I love your muffins mom." He says. "Elle helped me." She smiles while looking at me. "Wow its amazing" He compliments before taking another bite. Once we were all done eating, we changed out of our pyjamas and headed over to my house. It was my first time bringing people over and i was super nervous.

"Turn to your left and its the third house on the left." I tell Shawn as he drives. We pull up to my house and i knock on the door before opening. My dad walks towards the door and immediately hugs me. "I've missed you pumpkin." "I miss you too Dad." I then introduced my friends to my dad and it wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be. "Dad, this is Elle and Shawn. Guys, this is my dad." My dad then shakes both of their hands and gestures them to sit down on the couch while he then sits on the recliner. "So how do you guys know my Elle." My dad asks. "Elle is my roommate, and this is my brother." Aaliyah replies sweetly. "What do you guys study?" He asks and i mentally face palm myself because of how many questions he's asking. "My major's English." Aaliyah says. "And I'm not in college." Shawn adds and my dad gives him a questioning look. "What do you do then?" My dad asks. "I'm a singer. Do you know Shawn Mendes?" Shawn asks and my dad shakes his head and i can't help but laugh. Like father like daughter. "He's Shawn Mendes, a famous singer Dad." I tell him and he nods. "I see. Elle, why don't you show them around?" My dad suggests and i nod.

I show them around the house which is not as big as theirs. After the tour, I let them chill in the living room while i talk to my dad. We talk and catch up with each other about our lives even though we talk every weekend. He's always been my biggest supporter and i miss him so much. We then join Aaliyah and Shawn in the living room and decided to order in since my dad's not a big fan of cooking. We didn't do anything much that day except spend time with each other talking and eating, which i enjoyed very much.

We only had 1 guest room so Aaliyah is going to sleep with me while Shawn sleeps in the guest room. Everyone says goodnights before heading into our own rooms. "Did you have a good sleep last night?" Aaliyah asks as she's changing into her pyjamas. "It was alright." I reply. "I heard you guys singing last night, so cute." She says and my heart stops. "Yo-you did?" I ask and she nods excitedly. "You like my brother right?" She asks and i feel heat creeping up to my cheeks. "How did you know?" I ask. "It's so obvious." She tells me while laying down on the bed. "You have my support to date him, I've never seen him happier with anyone else." She adds. "Thanks but i don't know if i should date him." I honestly say. "He's a good guy." She says and i agree.

I like Shawn a lot and I'm glad that he accepts me for who i am despite my past but there's something in me that makes me feel like i don't deserve his love. And I'm also scared at how fast I'm falling for him, everything just feels so unreal.