ShawnMendes entered Wattpad.

134

[A few weeks later]

📍Toronto

[🔔 John Doe wrote you a new message ⤵️]

📲
John Doe
Whats up?

📱
Mandy
Watching some annoying adverts. For real: how much is there to tell about washing powder?!

📲
It's an important item in a functioning household.

📱
But that important?!

📲
I'm happy you're tuning in. Despite the washingpowder-thing.

📱
You excited?

📲
Little bit. Well.
Yes. A lot. I mean yes. I am.
I miss you.

📱
I miss you too.
Though you'll be at home in like ... seven hours?

📲
Yup. Seven hours is right.

📱
I wish we could talk right now.

Mandy
I'm sitting in the apartment on the sofa, watching the tv, waiting for the show to begin. Suddenly my phone rings.
It's Shawn.

I pick up the FaceTime call and Shawn's face appears on screen. His hair's messy and he's holding a cup of coffee in his hands onto the icon of The Ellen Show.

"Oh, hey," I push back a curl, hoping I don't look like I got in touch with electricity lately. I glance at the little mirror on the sideboard.
I do look like I got in touch with electricity.

But Shawn likes my curls (and I like them most of the time, too), so I'm not thinking too much about it. I lift my smartphone a bit. "When I wrote I wish we could talk, I didn't mean like right now. Aren't you busy?!"

Shawn's laughing softly. "Hey."

It only needs this little Hey to make the butterflies dance in my stomach wildly. I clear my throat. "Hey."

We smile at each other.

"So. Actually I'm waiting for my entrance – it's in-," Shawn looks at his watch. "In five minutes. I just thought I'd call through."

"I'm glad you did." I can hear some stage workers running up and down in the background. "Be careful that nobody sees my face."

"I am, I am." Shawn's grinning. "Though nobody would notice – they're very occupied with preparing the show."

"The show – how's the atmosphere?"

"It's good. I wasn't on a lot of Late Night Shows lately, so it feels a bit new, but it's good." Shawn smiles and shrugs a bit awkwardly. "The last time I was here I was twenty-two I mean. That's quite a while."

"That's really quite a while. But you're not twenty-two anymore, so you can deal with all of this in a different way now," I say, knowing what Shawn's occupying.

He runs his fingers through his hair. The stylists will probably shed a tear. "It's making me nervous thinking how many people are watching this. I tend to forget that."

"Then forget it," I suggest. "Maybe just think of how many people you know in person and who like you are watching?"

"That's a good idea. Ally wrote me a few mins ago and wished me luck and Connor did send me some encouraging GIFs, so yeah I like that."

"Good to hear." We grin at each other. Shawn hems. "So, what have you been doing today?"

"I've been studying and making some music. Been writing on a new song. Wrote on our duet. I think I found one or two lyrics we can change so it sounds more round."

"Great to hear. I'd ask you to play it immediately to me – I've got my guitar over here". Shawn holds up his guitar, "but I think I shouldn't sing a duet with you here behind the stage. Then we could also do it on the stage."

I laugh. "Well then better not. Later maybe."

"I'd love to perform with you on stage, not that you misunderstand that," Shawn twinkles. "It'll be fun."

"Nah, I don't know. We'll see." I try to hide my smile but Shawn eventually sees the corners of my mouth lifting a bit.

He looks at his watch again. "So, I think I need to prepare to go on stage now. I'll give you a call when I'm on my way home?"

I nod. "I'm probably waiting up for you."

"There's no need to – you need your sleep."

"Thank's. I think I can deal with some hours less sleep," I say. "But we'll see. At least I'm here and not over half the Atlantic."

"Yeah, that's a little difference," Shawn laughs.

"Good luck, Shawn."

"Thank's. See you later, Jane Doe."

"See you later, too, John Doe."