Unexpected - Shawn Mendes

Chapter Eight

S H A W N ' S P O V

I didn't pick up Grace for the next week and a half. With the windows slightly rolled down so the breeze would blow on the hot days, and the radio cranked up I drove by her house.

Robbie and I also haven't been sitting at our old lunch table. Although he was still friends with the girls, he didn't want to leave me by myself. I still wanted to be friends with Grace, I just wanted to give us both time to cool down before we fixed things again.

The wind made my hair into a fluffy mess, but I ignored it. I was going home today, and I wasn't going to be the chicken that goes to a hotel or locks himself in his room to escape the harsh realities; that my dad is an utter asshole. Although that's all I really want to be, I simply cannot continue to carry on that way.

I entered my house. The unwelcoming smell of alcohol, which I had grown to hate over the years, filled my nose. "Hey.. uh dad," I called awkwardly. I could see the shadow of his figure through the doorway, and I had to remind myself to stay strong.

"What?" he snapped from the kitchen. He held an empty beer bottle in his hand, before reaching for a full one from the six pack.

"I just wanted to say I'm home," I say confidently. Although I wanted to be strong and confident, fear still ran throughout my body. I knew what he was capable of, and I went home to it every single day. By this point, I should be used to his behavior but I don't think I would ever adapt to how he treated me and my sister.

"Did I fucking ask you? I'm busy, making money because my kids are never going to get anywhere. I regret ever having the both of you," he yelled. He had always taken things too far, getting angry for no reason and lashing out on people who cared about him. My shoulders slumped, and I turned away to head for my room. But he rushed past me, and I chased after him and he entered my room. He paused for a second, taking a sip of his freshly opened beer, before walking over to my guitar.

He picked it off of the stand, sitting on my bed and strumming it a bit, mocking me. He laughed, "You really thought you'd make it, didn't you? Well, snap out of it. Life fucks us all over, and you aren't going to make it in the music industry. The sooner you realize that, the less you'll get hurt in the future."

Taking one last look at me, he holds the base of the guitar and roughly slams it into the floor. I cringe as my entire life, my passion, breaks before my very eyes. Pieces of the polished wood scatter the floor. He looks at me once again, his eyes watery, and walks to the door of my room, dropping the remains in the process.

I couldn't help the tears rolling down my cheeks, and didn't even realize they were there until he glared at me, "Be a man." He throws his beer bottle at me, although it's not empty, and the glass cuts into my arm. Not to mention, the terrible fucking stench covering my body.

He spits in my direction, mumbling, "Pathetic." as he heads back downstairs. I lock my door.

G R A C E ' S P O V

"Hey! Grace, can you do me a favorite and take this pool net over to Shawn's, I borrowed it earlier and I can't take it back because I have to start dinner," Ryan asks me, shoving the net into my hands. I knew that Ryan was busy, and that it'd save him a trip over to the Mendes household if I went. So I sucked it up, and decided to head over.

I missed Shawn a lot. We weren't really that close yet, but I hated when people were mad at me. I hated making mistakes, and not knowing how to fix them. He had every right to be upset with me, and he deserved an apology.

A yelp was heard, and stomps down a set of wooden stairs. I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering what was going on inside. A few moments later, I brought myself to firmly knock on the door.

"Shawn, get your ass down here and answer it!" A deep, manly voice called. I decided to not jump to conclusions, they had probably just gotten into a simple argument. I had no place in assuming what was happening in his life.

The door opened and a hurt looking Shawn  answered the door. Blood dripped from the cuts in his arms, the sight making me want to pass out. His head was hung low, and I instantly knew there was something wrong.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" I panic, noticing some tear stains under his eyes.

"Erm... You see... I was cooking Ramen and the bowl fell of the shelf when I was reaching for it and it um, landed on my arm," He mumbled, "Oh wait! Isn't my life too perfect for that?" he took  the pool net from me and was about to close the door, but I stopped him. I didn't really believe the story he told me, but didn't push further.

I stopped him from shutting the door with my foot. "Wait. I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry. I miss you a lot and I definitely had no place in assuming things about your personal life," I say sincerely, praying that he'll be able to drop what had happened at lunch.

"It's alright, I know you didn't mean anything by it," he assures me, and I insist on helping him clean up. He leads me inside of his house, and up to his room. A broken beer bottle was spread across his legs, and his guitar completely shattered.

"Shawn?" I say, concerned, "What happened to your guitar?" He was so amazing at what he did, so I was shocked to see the instrument that lead him to so much success shattered on the floor. He had so much talent, I couldn't see how something like this could happen.

"I didn't, me and Aaliyah got in an argument and she got mad and it just happened I guess. I deserved it. I'm not going to make it anywhere anyway," he says shyly. He sounded more nervous than before, running a loose hand through his hair.

"Look at me," I order, "you're going to make it so far. You've already done such amazing things and it's only going to get better, okay? You are so talented, don't let anyone take that away from you."  He half smiled at me, but I knew he was still upset.

He lead me to the bathroom, and informed me where his first aid kit was. I got a wash cloth and ran it under cold water, holding it over his cuts until they stopped bleeding. I applied some of the supplies in the kit onto them to stop them from becoming infected, and wrapped them with medical wrap.

Once he was settled, we cleaned up the remnants of his guitar and the broken bottle. I avoid asking him about it, not wanting to hit a sensitive spot. I had just failed his friendship back and didn't want to jeopardize it again.

"I have a surprise for you. I'll be right back," I said, darting down the steps and out the door. He didn't have much of an opportunity to say goodbye, for I was so excited for what I was about to do.

With some money that I accumulated when I lived in New York, I'd prove to Shawn that I wasn't as selfish as I originally made myself seem. I wouldn't do this for any of my other friends, but Shawn had already meant so much more to me even though we hadn't known each other for that long.

I begged Ryan to drive me to the music store, because I was too young to have my license. He eventually gave in and Jade took over making dinner. Butterflies erupted in my stomach, for I couldn't wait to see the look on Shawn's face when I gave this to him.