Trapped

50

SHAWNS POV

I rush into zara's apartment and straight into my room, looking under my mattress and shit seeing if I can find some money to go somewhere and use a damn computer to skype with this guy, I need to see if he's legit before I get my hopes up.

"are you okay?" Zara asks when she sees me scattering around like I'm on drugs.

"Yeah, fine. Have you got a laptop or something? with a webcam?" I ask her.

"Yeah... Why?"

"I just really need it, can I borrow it?" I explain.

"Yeah sure... are you okay? you're acting really... frantic..."

"Yeah... I just need to skype someone. urgently."

"Who?" She asks and I immediately think to lie.

"My girlfriend, from back home. Yeah things are... starting to get better." I scratch the back of my neck. "So the laptop... can I borrow it please? and have some privacy?" I don't want her listening to my conversation and knowing her she really fucking would.

"Yeah that's fine... I'm going out soon anyway, the laptops in the living room." She says and I rush to get it.

If this pans out for me i'll be so overwhelmed I won't even know how to react. I just have to get on skype with this guy, make sure it's not a scam so I can go down to LA. But before all that I get to go back to Ella, and let her know i'm a better person and see if she'll accept me back, if she still wants me.

I hear the front door slam indicating that Zara has gone, fucking finally. I sit up on my bed and create a skype profile before finding this man, the screen rings or whatever and I get anxious. It rings for a while and it actually terrifies me that he won't pick up, suddenly the sign says 'connecting' and Mat answers with a smile on his face.

"Hey kid, I knew you wouldn't be able to resist." He chuckles, he's wearing a white button down shirt and has sunglasses on even though he's inside.

He shows me around the building, let's me talk to the producers, the writers, the sound tech people, even the cleaners. He takes me outside the building too, just to prove to me he's actually inside a record label, he shows me the security as he walks back in, and everything else I need to see. He talks to me for a while, just about what's been going in my life, I don't know him so obviously I don't tell him much.

"Do we have a deal? will you at least come down here?" He asks and I know my answer.

"Fuck yeah I will. I just need to see someone first so I can't leave straight away."

"Hey that's totally cool, bring whoever you want, your mom your dad your girlfriend your dog if you want to, all expenses paid, just give me a call when you're ready." He says.

"I don't have a phone." I say and he looks shocked.

"We'll work on that too... just bell me a line on skype whenever you want to come down here and I'll get you on the next flight out, promise." He tells me and I feel like I can't breathe.

"Yeah I will, again, thanks so much for this opportunity."

"No problem kid, you remind me a lot of myself when I was your age, except I was much more of an asshole." He laughs.

"I am an asshole, just not to you." I chuckle.

We talk more for a while before I tell him that I really have to go. He's a nice guy, seems a little... weird, like how he's always smiling and talking how he is, as if he's trying to hide something. Oh well, he's about to make my life mean something and I am forever grateful for that.

I pack the little shit that I have into a bag and throw my guitar over my shoulder, I can't wait to see Ella's beautiful face and tell her how much I love her, and see how excited she is to come with me to LA, although she's probably been a hundred times, it's just nice that I can finally take her somewhere.

I get on a bus to Ella's, anticipation runs through my whole body, i've never been so fucking excited.

I run to her house and her mom and dads cars are in the driveway, are they back? God this cant be happening, they'll never let me take Ella to LA, they'll never even accept me and Ella. I wonder if she's told them about us? or is she too ashamed, too scared of what they'll say?

I make an Aaron move and begin to climb up her house to the balcony, her curtains are closed, great. I knock lightly on the window then duck down, the last thing I need is her dad hearing me first and opening the curtains, I knock again when no one answers and I hear the door unblock but she doesn't search to see who it is.

"I'm guessing you saw my parents cars in the driveway? So the balcony thing is back on." She giggles, her back facing me as I climb through, she must think I'm someone else. "Aaron, did you hear me?" She says and turns around, her face is filled with pure shock when she looks at me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She seems angry, raging actually, i thought she would be happy to see me.

She's as beautiful as the day I left her, her skin looks clearer, her hair natural and falling down her shoulders, she's in an oversized tshirt and shorts and the sight of her is driving me crazy.

"I'm back." I say, dropping my bag and guitar to the floor, not knowing what else to say. She rolls her eyes and lays on her bed beginning to text, what the hell?

"Why aren't you happy to see me?" I question and she looks offended.

"Are you kidding me? You left me for the second time, you left me alone and if that wasn't bad enough, you came back, slept with me then left before I even woke up! You're a piece of shit, I needed you here with me and you left me. Twice."

"I only left you in the middle of the night because I didn't want to wake up with you and explain why I still had to go... You know I still had to go."

"No, I don't know. and there's only so many times I can say the same thing to you Shawn, I gave you everything but it still wasn't good enough for you, you still wanted to leave and find something better than what I could give you." With her it's like talking to a fucking brick wall.

"That's not what I did. The life you gave me was perfect and I'd live this way for the rest of my life if I could. But i won't sponge off you for the rest of my life, how do you expect us to be together if I have no money, no life, not even a place to live? Your parents wouldn't have let me live here, you know I had to at least find my own place." I say and she looks as if she's finally understanding what I mean.

"Anyway I didn't come to argue, I'm here because I have news." I say and sit next to her on her bed and she scoots over a little, ouch...

"What?"

"I've been recognised! I mean I was just busking and this man said I had talent and I skyped him and he wants to fly me to LA, to talk with his producers and stuff. I mean I could get signed. And obviously you're coming with me." I tell her but she doesn't look as excited as I assumed.

"So? What do you think?" I urge her to say something.

"I... I am happy and proud of you. But I'm not going anywhere with you Shawn." She tells me and I feel like she's stabbed me in the chest.