Run (A Shawn Mendes Fan-fic)

Chapter Five: A Roadtrip

Dear Diary,

This entry will be short, I just want you to know that I think Shawn is a good guy. Honestly, he's the first guy I've met with a good head on his shoulders. Most girls can say that if all fails, they can always trust their dad or more importantly their whole family but I don't have a dad in my life, I don't have anyone actually, that's why meeting Shawn has been such a breath of fresh air. Now, goodbye for now, Shawn's coming back with some snacks because we've been stopped at a gas station for a bit.

Love,

A girl thankful for Shawn,

Skylar

I quickly put the small scrap of paper away from sight and tuck my handy pen in the cup holder.

The conversations between Shawn and I have been pretty light and happy. We haven't talked about anything else that's serious except for the fact that I should stay with him for awhile while he travels around the world because he gets a bit lonely on tour, even though we both know the real reason I'm coming is the fact that he pities me and is trying to keep a promise that he stupidly made. But for some reason Shawn's pity isn't the same, I'm almost okay with it, at least for now.

So far, he's kept me smiling with a laugh here and there, and if he can do that then I don't care if he's doing it because he pities me.

"Hey, Sky, a little help here?" I almost laugh out loud when I notice Shawn is actually struggling to get in the limo because of his height and the fact that he's carrying like 4 shopping bags.

"Okay, I have a couple things to say," I giggle, "First, yes, I will help you," I tell him while I grab the bags off his arms and start to search through them, "Second, I thought you said you were getting some snacks, not a meal, and third, since when are we on nickname basis?"

He shrugs as he sits in the limo, "I thought about it in the store, if you're going to be on the road with me, then we have to be best friends! Best friends give each other nicknames. Also, do you know how much I eat? This is nothing! But of course you can only eat like a single chip since you're so tiny and all," he laughs. Oh, he did not just go there.

"Huh?" I huff, in my lowest voice possible, "you talking to me? You the shrimp here! I mean do you see these guns?" I position my arm so I can show off my small but significant biceps. Shawn explodes into laughter and small butterflies just erupt in my stomach. I guess I never thought I was funny but if he's laughing at me right now, humor must come natural to me, or he laughs at literally everything.

"Skylar, I don't know what I'm going to do with you," he chuckles, wiping at his damp eyes from his laughter, "I just really hope that you stay a lot longer than you wanted to, I mean who else is going to have me laughing when I miss my family?" I frown because he starts to look a bit sad at the end.

I have a bit of trouble understanding what he's going through because I don't have any family to miss anymore but I do know what it feels like to be without someone who was always there. It's like one day they're there, and then the next day they're not, it happens so fast you have no time to process, then suddenly it hits you.

I scoot over to him and wrap my arms around his torso, "Don't worry Shawnie," I say, "as long as you keep me company, the favor will be returned."

"Shawnie? No, no, that isn't going to work for me," he laughs.

"My bad Shawnie, oh! I did it again! How about Shawniqua?" I ask, sacastically.

"I don't think you get the point of nicknames," he sasses.

"Whatever you say, Shawnie!" I sing, squeezing him tighter.

"You can let go whenever you want to Skylarado, you're only suffacating me a little bit," he laughs, partly panting.

"Shawnita! Have a bit of respect!" I shun, using my best teacher voice, "I'm the one wearing a thin cover up! I'm cold! I need you to keep me warm!"

"Oh! That reminds me! I actually have something for you!" I stare at him as he twists behind the seat and grabs something in the back, once he returns I see that he's holding a HUGE sweatshirt that says 'Shawn Mendes' across the chest and underneath 'Toronto-Ontario'

I cheer, grabbing it and slipping it over myself, completely dismissing the fact that Shawn is so famous that he actually has his own merchandise. "Thank you, Shawn! It's so warm!"

"Your welcome," he laughs but his smile quickly disappears when his eyes focus on my hand, "Hey, what happened to your hand?" he asks, picking it up and softly turning it over a couple times.

I immediately break eye contact and try to remove my hand from his light hold, "It's just a bit swollen, no big deal, it doesn't even hurt," I lie.

"Um, Skylar, there's like dried blood crusted over your knuckles, is this from earlier today when you fought that guy?" he asks, in a quiet, soothing tone, he obviously knows this area is very senstitive for me, he definitely knows I'm a runner and that if he steps farther than I like, I'm out of here.

"Yes," I answer shortly, refusing to look at him.

"You know, Skylar, you did the right thing and I know right now you might have your doubts, but protecting yourself is the only thing you can ever do in a situation like that. You don't have to be ashamed that you protected yourself when it's human instinct."

"You're right, but it still feels strange that I did that. I hurt another human, I injured him, even when his brother tried to hurt me I didn't-," I pause remembering that Shawn didn't know that part yet, the part where after I walked in on my sister falling to the ground with a knife stuck in her stomach that was put there by the very man who I put in jail, he came after me. The police showed up in time to save my life, but not my sister.

"Skylar?" Shawn speaks, grabbing my attention away from the flashing images of Cassandra's dead body on the ground.

"It doesn't matter," I say, shaking my head as if I'm shaking away my haunting thoughts, "I'm a new Skylar Woods, I don't have to worry about that anymore because I'm safe when I'm with you. All I need to focus on is having fun and finding happiness and light through the darkness."

"You won't always be able to escape your problems you know, it's all going to catch up to you sooner or later."

"I do know that," I tell him, "but right now I want to at least find something that makes me happy so when my problems catch up to me, I have something to live for."