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5. Chase Your Dreams, Whether I'm Here Or Not
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his emotions were an open book when he was teaching guitar lessons to the girl whose significant other just died in a car crash. he knew how she felt to lose someone you love so dearly, you feel as though you never truly got to say goodbye because they were ripped from you so brutally and abruptly. their lessons aren't even lessons, most of the time it takes her twenty minutes to learn a new song on her guitar, then they talk or vent for the other forty minutes to her lesson.

"how are you today, shawn?" she asked him, truly wondering about how her friend is doing and how he is coping.

"honesty?"

"always honest," she said, knowing he trusted her completely.

"better than yesterday, but i'm still broken, alicia, and i don't want to feel like this forever," he admitted to the petite girl sitting on the bench across from him. he had his arms draped over his guitar while her's was perked up against the wall.

"you won't feel like this forever, neither will i. there will be a day when we will both be happy and have someone to hold, but we're still grieving, we're still not over them and that's okay."

he nodded and looked her dead in the eyes, "i was thinking about everything," he trailed off.

"what about it?"

"well, for one, i can't work in a music shoppe forever. you and i both know that, but i definitely want to work somewhere where i can be around music, maybe even sing on stage because that is what i'm passionate about," he paused to graze over her reaction before continuing, "have you ever heard of the website, youtube?"

she nodded, gesturing for him to continue, "there's these amazing singers who have been found from posting covers on youtube, maybe that's what i need to do. i have to work hard, maybe that's how my big break will be found. i just want a record deal, i want to release music to the public, i want to be on the radio, i want to perform at the times square on New years, but i can't do that if i'm never found."

"you're right, people have been signed from record labels finding their channels."

"my own music could be heard, my own songs could help other people through what they're dealing with," he began strumming the chords of a new song he wrote called Never Be Alone, "it's just a dream i've always wanted," he confessed before bellowing the lyrics to his new song which caught her off guard.

she closed her eyes, listening to his graceful voice and the way it sounded so perfect. the lyrics he wrote were sweet and endearing, she knows he will succeed with his dream if he tries hard enough. she thinks he will be found by record labels, they would be stupid not to sign him.

"what's your dream? the life goal you want to achieve before you die?" he asked her, genuinely curious for what she has to say.

"my life goal? i don't really have one other than happiness. i just want myself and others around me to be happy, i want to put smiles on their faces and be the reason they're having a great day. making people happy is what i was made for, i want to fulfill it."

"that's an amazing goal to set for yourself, way more genuine than mine."

she smiled and locked eye contact with him, "what triggered this sudden burst of wanting to accomplish your life goals? you've never really talked about it before, or really cared enough about them."

he shrugged, "i remembered that i actually needed to chase my dreams, whether she's here or not," he replied, replaying the image of the list tacked up on his wall. he has all the time in the world to grief, but not if he isn't happy with his job and what he does for a living.

Things To Remember ♡ Shawn MendesWhere stories live. Discover now