Handwritten (Shawn Mendes Fanfiction)

Chapter Five

Aubrey

Shawn ended up taking me to this quaint restaurant that wasn't to far from the instrument store. We both had walked there together and it hadn't been a long walk.

We had to wait ten minutes for a table. I was a bit surprised by that, I assumed that since he was who he was he would be served right away, but no. We waited like everyone else and I personally liked that. He probably did too.

Eventually we were seated at a table close to the back of the restaurant. I looked around the cozy environment as I sat myself in a seat that was directly in front of where Shawn was sitting. The lights were dimmed, giving the atmosphere that cozy feel, and there was a fireplace towards the front of the restaurant, illuminated with fire.

We were left with menus as our waitress went to go collect our drinks. Shawn removed the hood from his head, making it easier to see his face. He wore a black stud on each earlobe.
"Have you ever been here before?" He asked as he opened his menu. He looked up at me waiting for my reply.
"No, I can't say that I have." I replied. Shawn nodded his head.
"My family and I come here once and a while." Shawn said. He continued.
"We still try to go out to places like restaurants, even though it's getting harder to do that without being recognized.".
"That must suck." I mumbled, feeling a bit of hurt for him. Shawn shrugged.
"It's what comes with being an artist." He replied making eye contact with me once again. I smiled and he smiled back before we both looked down at our menus.

"Make sure to get whatever you would like," Shawn said, "it's on me.".
"Oh, you don't have to do that." I replied. Shawn shook his head.
"Don't worry about it." He said. I smiled gratefully.
"Thank you." I said before looking back at my menu that made my taste buds water.

Once our drinks were brought to us and we were done ordering, the waitress left us alone once again. It was quiet for a minute or two as Shawn and I took sips from our drinks or looked around the room. Shawn was the first to speak up though.
"So, all I know about you is that your name is Aubrey, that you work at an instrument shop, and that you are an incredible song writer." Shawn chuckled as did I.
"Tell me about yourself." He said with a smile.
"What is there to tell?" I chuckled before continuing.
"I just turned seventeen a few weeks ago, I don't actually go to school I've been taking online courses ever since tenth grade, and it's just me and my Mom because my Dad died in a car accident when I was three." I said. Shawn was all smiles until I had brought up my Dad. I figured that would have happened since that happens every time I tell someone.

"What about you?!" I asked, changing the mood. It looked as if Shawn snapped out of the state he was in and his smile returned.
"Well," he started, "I am currently sixteen, I will be seventeen in August, I too take online courses because of my job, and... I don't know what else to say." He chuckled. I laughed and took a sip from my iced tea in front of me.
"Why don't you go to school like most kids?" Shawn asked before taking a sip from the glass in front of him.
"I feel I'm a better learner if I work on my own. Plus I can do the work whenever it's best for me, this way I can still go to work and stuff during the day." I replied. I shrugged before continuing.
"I don't know, it just works for me." I said.

Before I spoke up to ask Shawn a question I looked around the room. I was wondering if there was anybody staring at us, surely at least one person recognized him by now. I looked back at Shaw.
"What's it like being an artist?" I asked.
"It's awesome, there are so many things I get to do that a lot of people dream they could. Though there are times where it can get very stressful." He replied.
"How so?" I asked just before I took another sip from my drink.
"Well," Shawn sighed, "there is a lot of pressure that comes with this career. There's pressure being in the public eye, pressure when it comes to making the music, and it's hard when you are hardly ever home.". I felt bad I had asked him to further explain because now he wore a saddened expression on his face. This was probably why I had no friends.

I sighed before looking behind me once again, wondering if there were any eyes watching us this time. Still nothing.
"Why do you keep looking back?" Shawn chuckled. I turned back to face him and smiled when I saw the smile on his face.
"I was just curious to see if anyone was staring at us." I replied.
"They're going to start staring if you keep looking back." Shawn laughed making me laugh too.
"That is true." I chuckled, mentally telling myself I wouldn't look back again.

The food eventually came, and as we ate we continued to talk. We talked about anything that came to mind. Shawn was great company. He was funny and cute. I enjoyed spending time with him. After we ate Shawn seemed a bit different. I could feel his foot tapping underneath the table through the floorboards. He looked as if he was in deep thought, biting his lip occasionally.
"Are you okay?" I asked him, grabbing his attention.
"Huh?" He asked. I smiled before replying.
"You seem like you have a lot on your mind all of a sudden. Are you alright?" I asked.

Shawn sat up straighter in his chair, rested his arms on the table, and sighed.
"I knew that you could tell I was distracted." Shawn said. He sighed once again before continuing.
"Listen Aubrey, I wanted to hang out with you today because I had something to ask you.". I became curious, wondering what this question was. A smile formed on my face. Shawn ran his fingers through his hair and slightly pulled at the ends of it. He sighed, resting his arms back on the table and then looked straight back at me.
"Do you remember when I was telling you about the pressure that comes along with being an artist?" He didn't even let me nod, he just continued to talk.
"Well, I'm under a lot of pressure right now from the music business, and if I can't do what they ask of me then I'll be removed from the label." Shawn said, worry evident in his eyes. I furrowed my eyebrows, slightly confused about what he was trying to tell me.
"What are they pressuring you about?" I asked. Shawn sighed, a hint of embarrassment displayed on his face.
"Writing an album. I haven't been able to write anything good ever since writing my EP." Shawn said.

Shawn ran his fingers through his hair once again before speaking up.
"You know what Aubrey, what I'm really trying to say is," he said looking me straight in the eyes, "will you help me write my album?".

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