For Worse or For Better (Shawn Mendes)

Pick You Up At Seven?

I just got this crazy feeling. I've been making someone wait for me.
-Shawn Mendes

I swing my feet, the bench rocking back and forth.

"Shawn?" I ask, still breathless.

"Yea?" He responds, looking up at the bright blue sky.

"I don't hate you."

He laughs. "I can tell. I'm sorry, Sky, forget everything I said. I was wrong about everything."

I catch his eye and smile slightly. "Well, almost everything." I say, running my fingers up and down his palm.

His hand closes around mine and our fingers automatically interlock. "How did this happen?" He asks, looking down at our hands.

He laughs and it's amazing. The sound of his full body laugh, echoing throughout the entire neighborhood.

The whole world.

It's the best sound I've ever heard. And I want to hear it forever. I want it to be my alarm clock, what I wake up to. I want it to be my cheer-up and my feel better.

I want it to be my everything.

"Shawn?" I ask again.

"Yea?" He repeats.

"I think it happened because it was meant to happen."

"That was so deep," he says through laughter.

"I don't even know what I just said."

We both shift on the bench, moving closer so our shoulders touch just slightly.

"Sky, do you wanna go to dinner and a movie on Friday?" Shawn asks abruptly.

I smirk to myself. "Only if you won't be a jerk."

"I make no promises." He pauses. "So then I'll pick you up at seven?"

I grin at him. "On the dot."

*****

I put on a cute outfit consisting of a white shirt, a flowered skirt and vans, straighten my hair and then pull it into a French braid that flows over my right shoulder.

I sit on the porch with Zac, waiting.

"You know I don't approve of this guy, right?" Zac says slowly, his hands clasped around his knees.

"And you know I really don't care, right?" I ask, smiling politely at him.

But he doesn't laugh. He just sighs and says, "Yea, I know."

I slide over so I'm sitting right next to Zac and put a hand on his arm. "Zac, if I didn't totally trust this boy, I wouldn't be going out with him. You know I make good decisions. I know this boy likes me for real. I have faith in him."

Zac slowly smiles. "Okay, Skylar, if you really feel that way, then I'll approve of him. But only because I believe that you can make good decisions about boys. I mean, look at Miles. He's a great kid."

"See?" I point out. "I always make good decisions."

Zac nods. "Have fun, be safe, eleven o'clock curfew."

"Mhm, whatever you say boss."

Zac stumbles to his feet, and walks inside. The screen door bounces shut and I hear him call from inside.

"Don't you dare be out a minute later!"

I laugh to myself as a car pulls up and Shawn hops out.

He's wearing a nice, hoodless gray sweatshirt and khakis.

He looks handsome, especially for someone who pretends to be a major idiot.

He sure dresses nicely for a jerk.

"Hey, jerk." I say, walking toward him.

"Hey, feisty." He says, nudging me with his elbow.

I smack him and he tickles my stomach. "Where're we going?" I ask through a fit of giggles.

He opens my door for me and I hop in.

"You'll see," he answers, turning on the car and pulling away.

*****

"Can I take the blindfold off now?"

Shawn laughs a little, the beautiful sound echoing wherever we were. "Just be patient."

"Don't hit me into anything." I warn him, grasping his hand tighter.

"I would never purposely hurt you." He whispers. And somehow, I know he's not talking about banging me into a wall.

"Here we are." He grabs the blindfold and rips it off my head.

I'm immediately blinded by the bright sun, and my hand instinctively goes up to shield my eyes.

When my eyes adjust, I see we are in the middle of a completely empty park. There's a hill covered in bright green grass to my right, which runs right into a huge field, covered in flowers and trees here and there. To my left, there's a circular lake, crystal clear blue, with lily pads scattered on the surface and flower petals floating with the soft breeze.

Wisps of my hair fly around me, and I tuck them behind my ears.

I look to Shawn, who pulls a picnic basket out from behind the nearest tree and spreads a blanket on the ground. "Care to sit?"

"Shawn," I breath, "this is...amazing. This is beautiful, Shawn."

Shawn shrugs modestly. "The least I can do. I mean, I had to repay you for keeping my secret somehow."

I laugh and crawl next to him, sitting crisscross on the blanket.

"What first?" He asks, revealing perfectly made wraps, fruit, slices of apple pie, and iced tea.

I smirk. "How about a little of everything?"

Shawn stops what he's doing and turns to look me in the eye. "I knew there was more than one reason that I liked you so much."

And this time, it's me who leans in, pressing my lips to his ever so slightly, feeling his hand slide to my hip.

"Shawn?" I whisper, my lips inches from his.

"Yea?" He asks, his eyes still closed.

"Let's not eat quite yet."

Shawn's mouth twitches into a smile and his eyes stayed squeezed shut. "I think I can live with that."

He closes the space between us, his mouth connecting with mine.

It's a forceful kiss, as if he needs it.

As if he's been waiting for it.

And I realize he's been waiting since that night in the car.

For me to kiss him.

For me to lean in.

To show that I want this too. And I know that I do.