Be My First 3 - Tying Ends

4. What's So Funny?

About an hour later, me and Shawn decided to start walking towards downtown Los Angeles. I always have so much fun with this boy, I wish we could spend more time together.

"So, how's life?" Shawn asked, taking his hands in his pockets.

I sighed with a slight smile. "It's actually been good." I shrugged. "What about you? I know that you're gaining fans like crazy."

He smiled. "It's been great. I love performing and meeting all these people that I look up to. I love my fans." He nodded. "I truly believe I have the best ones out there."

I raised my eyebrow. "I don't know, I think mine are pretty great."

He laughed. "You're so competitive."

"Just sometimes." I winked.

When we were approaching the middle of the city, there was a huge crowd snapping pictures and screaming. I couldn't see what was in the middle.

"What's that?" Shawn pointed ahead.

"I have no idea. Let's check it out." I suggested. We began walking towards them until we were being engulfed into the crowd.

"JUSTIN!" A girl screamed right by me. I'm pretty sure she almost broke my eardrum.

I got on my tiptoes and looked in the middle of the crowd. Justin was in there, signing autographs and taking pictures with people.

"It's Justin!" I said. Shawn laughed.

"PAIGE HOLLAND!!" A girl screamed. Everyone turned their attention to me and Shawn. There was so much screaming.

"Let's get to Justin!" Shawn grabbed my hand and made his way through the crowd. We finally reached Justin.

"Hey guys!" He laughed. "What's going on?!"

"Just taking a scroll, casually running into our friend." I giggled.

"What's up Shawn!" Justin said. They both greeted each other.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm trying to get to Miami, but I wanted to stop and eat first. I thought I'd be lucky and nobody would recognize me. I've been here for like an hour and a half." He shrugged.

"How do you plan on getting out?" Shawn asked.

"I don't know." Justin laughed. "Funny running into you guys. Where's Jack?"

"In a meeting. I've been hanging out with Shawn. His plane leaves in a while."

We basically had to yell our conversation to hear one another. The girls literally never stopped screaming. Especially now. All around, people were asking me and Shawn for pictures, so we accepted. The crowd was only getting bigger.

We got as many pictures as we could before the police started asking people to clear the sidewalk; people were starting to flood into the road. Justin called an Uber and we eventually left. It was hard. But we did it.

"Wow. You literally can't go anywhere." I said to Justin.

He nodded. "Sometimes I can get away with it and nobody will notice, but sometimes I run into a large group of girls and stop to talk for a second and it just builds from there."

"So where are we going?" The driver asked.

"Where do you guys want to go?" Justin asked.

Shawn and I both shrugged.

"We can go eat somewhere. I don't care where." I suggested.

"Can you take us to Kneads?" Justin asked the driver. "You know where that is?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "I know where." He drove off.

When we arrived at the restaurant, my phone vibrated with a call from an unknown number.

"You guys can go in, I'm going to take this call." I pointed at my phone. They both nodded and walked inside.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi." I heard her familiar voice.

"Ava, hi. Where are you? Are you okay? I'm still so confused.. And worried."

"I'm in Omaha.. I'd like to talk to you soon, not over the phone."

"Are you at home?"

"Yeah.. I am. It's rough. When everyone accepts that you died, they aren't all so happy when you come back. It hurts."

"Hold up for me. I'll come to Omaha soon. Okay?"

"Okay.. How are you? What's going on?"

"Not much.. I'm at lunch with a few friends." I sighed. I didn't say Shawn and Justin because I felt bad.

"I'm glad you're doing okay.. I'm sorry for everything." She said.

"I'm still confused out of my mind.." I said.

"I get that. I have a lot to explain when you come down here. Oh- I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye."

"Oh, bye."

That was a little abrupt. I stared at my phone for a moment. I felt like I was just talking to a complete stranger. I guess she is a complete stranger..

When I walked in, I joined Shawn and Justin at a table in the back of the restaurant.

"Hey." They both said at the same time. They also both stood up when I got to the table. I smiled and sat down.

"Hi." I grinned at the both of them.

I could see Justin trying not to laugh. I then looked at Shawn, who was doing the same exact thing.

"What?!" I looked at them.

"Nothing." Shawn shook his head.

"Really, what? Do I have something on me?"

"No." Justin laughed.

"What?!" I begged.

"It's really not even that funny, I don't know why we're laughing." Shawn chuckled.

I was about to keep asking, but the waiter came up to us.

"What can I get for you guys?" He asked.

We all ordered our drinks and food. I think this might be me and Justin's favorite restaurant, I don't know about Shawn.

When the waiter left, I asked again.

"Really, what was so funny?" I raised my eyebrows.

"We'll tell you later." Justin said, sipping his water.

I decided to give up. They better tell me.