Travel // Shawn Mendes

thirty-one

Although the ride from my hotel to my house was lengthy, it felt like no time had passed at all when we pulled into the driveway. Shawn continues to tell me about a rather traumatizing hotel story as we get out of his Jeep, and stops when the doorknob of my house begins to turn.

The boy beside me gives me wide eyes, biting his lower lip, and I give him a questioning look. Was he seriously nervous to meet my mom?

Okay, to be honest, I was a bit nervous too. But not for the same reasons as him. I just wondered what my mom's reaction would be when she saw one of my favorite singers standing next to me.

It didn't take long to find out. My mom took one look at Shawn, and then another at me, and just stood still.

"Hi Mom. This is my friend, Shawn," I say, almost stressing on the word friend so that she didn't embarrass me any further than I knew she would already.

Shawn extends his arm out, a bright and award-winning smile on his face, and my mom shakes his hand after snapping out of her state of shock.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Carter," he greets, and my mom shakes her head.

"Did Nora pay you? Because that money is for college," she warns me, and my cheeks burn.

"Mom!"

"Nora didn't pay me anything," Shawn laughs, "but I did hear there would be cookies. And she came to drop off some stuff." He points at my suitcase.

"You do owe me some cookies, Mom," I tell her innocently, and she gives me a 'you asked for this' look. I regret everything instantly.

"Come in! Nora, bring the suitcase to your room and just unpack it there. Shawn, it was nice to meet you," she says, and gestures towards the stairs.

Shawn and I both take off our shoes and leave them by the door, and only as  I begin my walk up the stairs do I realize what my mom's done.

I have only two posters in my room. One of fetus One Direction, and the other of Shawn Mendes.

This was my mother's revenge.

Before I open the door to my room, I pause and turn to look at Shawn.

"Don't even open your mouth," I caution, and he looks at me, confused.

"Wh-" he starts, and he realizes what I'm talking about the moment I open the door.

"Nora!" He gushes, making fun of me, and I put my palms over my ears.

"Shut up, I don't want to hear it," I say, beyond embarrassed.

"Actually, I love this poster. It's a very flattering angle," he observes, and I don't answer, pretending to be extremely busy unpacking.

Most of the stuff was clothing that I knew I wouldn't need for the rest of my trip. I left all the stuff I actually wanted back in Jen's tourbus, and I was just unpacking things I knew would do nothing but take up space the rest of the trip.

Plus, there are some souvenirs and gifts here, the gifts for my parents. But if my mom does anything else to humiliate me, I might not be able to give them to her.