Travel // Shawn Mendes

eighteen

"It had to be the sexiest accent I've ever heard. His voice was just so- mmm."

"Okay girl, breathe in. So after he got you a drink, what happened next?"

"I texted you while he was getting our drinks, right? So after, we spoke- and he was the man of my dreams. I mean, nothing but heart eyes to this guy. And so then we're taking our drinks out back, and even though one of the girls there recognized me and asked for a picture, he was leading the way! Who am I to stop the captain of the ship?

"So there's this big ass tree just minding it's own business, and we walk to it. He takes a sip of his drink and gets all close, and th-"

"Wait, Jen. I love you so much, but I don't need the details. I think I get the picture." I interrupt my best friend, putting my mouth close to my phone that was on Annalise's dresser so that she could hear me.

I was currently getting ready for my night out, and since Jen's stories were always the best, I put the phone on speaker and began my look while listening to her talk about the British hottie she had met at a party. According to Shawn, he would be here in the next five minutes, so I had only a bit of downtime, since all that was left to do was my hair. (Yes, I was actually trying. Sue me.)

"No, just listen! So he leans into my ear and is like, 'you're not like any girl I've ever met before.' and I froze up. Like, sorry, what? You've known me for an hour, what's that supposed to mean?" Jen starts off, and although I couldn't see her, I knew her well enough to picture the look on her face. Her entire face scrunched up, as if she had just bitten something beyond sour on accident and couldn't stand the taste of it.

I take a chunk of my bland and unbelievably thick brown hair to straighten it, before dropping the straightener to grab the heat protection spray I always seemed to forget to apply until it was too late.

"So I give him one of my bad bitch smiles- the same one I gave to Gavin at that junior party, remember?- and I'm all like, 'really?' and I obviously gave him the wrong idea, because homeboy seriously gets me against the tree. Now, I may or may not have been a little tipsy, but I was sober enough to know where this was going. And like I said before, people recognized me! I took pictures! I may be an idiot, but I'm not stupid, Nora. Those girls were going to be recording!

"This, of course, hit me way too late, but better late than never! So I laugh and grab his arms and I'm telling him that I've got to go, when this guy actually holds me to the tree. Instantly, my radar is up, I'm thinking of every move I've ever seen on The Three Ninjas, and I try to get him off of me again, but with a lil force this time." By now, I've stopped straightening my hair, and I'm eyeing my phone in suspense, waiting for Jen to get on with what happened next.

"He's all like, 'what's wrong babe?' and I'm rethinking every little bit of admiration I had towards him. I think about yelling, but that would cause a scene, and I'm pretty sure my manager wouldn't approve. Thankfully, I didn't have to. The guy is off of me in a split second."

"He just dropped you? Out of nowhere?" I ask, skeptical. I believed every one of Jen's stories- she wasn't the kind to lie about her life when it was already as exciting as can be- but something just wasn't adding up here.

"This is the cherry on top of the story! So I'm rubbing my wrists, when all of a sudden tall, dark and handsome is standing in front of me. If I thought that creep was cute at the beginning, this guy was next level gorgeous. So I'm acting like an idiot, once again, and I'm like thank you so much! He asks if I'm okay, with a sexy ass accent, of course, and if we fast forward past the getting to know each other, I got his number and we're going out!"

What a roller coaster. I grasp my hair straightener and finish up, responding to Jen's story.

"Okay, so if one of your fans recorded you, you need to tell this as a story time and clear everybody's heads before any ideas settle in. Second, what the fuck? That's insane, Jen. And last, this is so unfair. All my friends are getting dates with foreign guys." I jokingly complain.