Stronger (Shawn Mendes FanFic)

Chapter 1

Marie P.O.V.

"Seriously Marie?! I just cleaned up this kitchen 20 minutes ago! Get your ass down here and clean this up, my flight leaves in 2 hours so me and your father left you money for food and whatever. Please try to keep this house clean?"

So much for taking a nap...

"I'll be there in a sec..." I remove my guitar and my sheet music off my bed, clearing a space for me to make my exit. I make my way to the stairs, when I suddenly trip and fall down at least 8 of our 20 stairs. Why do we have so many stairs? I don't even know... I looked back to see what I tripped over... And... Nothing. I tripped over nothing.

I return to the kitchen to where I was cleaning 20 minutes ago, and realized I had forgot to clean up the flour that I accidentally spilled all over the floor. Yep, clumsy me.

I start to clean up my mess when I heard the doorbell ring and realized that no one out of my family was going to answer it, so I ran to the door. When I open it, I see Jim, my parents cab driver. I welcome him in and yell for my parents.

"MOM! DAD! YOUR RIDE IS HERE!" I yell, annoyed of how huge this house is and how loud I have to yell for anyone to hear me.

"MARIE! INSIDE VOICES!" She yells back. Not only does she think it's okay to be hypocritical. But she treats me like a child.

I see my dad enter the foyer with a huge grin on his face, obviously excited to leave this place... I don't blame him.

"Hello Jeff, it's nice to see you again. My suitcases are over by the fireplace, I'll be ready in 5 minutes." My dad says, catching Jim's attention at his name mistake, again...

"Yes sir, and it's Jim, sir." Jim says, obviously tired of his job.

Not too soon after, my mom comes running down the stairs, putting in her earrings as she tries to get down the stairs in her 4 inch high heels. I'd be amused if she tripped...

She makes her way over and gives me an awkward "I've got to go now" hug and tells me there is pizza coming at 7 and money is on the counter. She tells me to lock all doors and to stay away from strangers, not to answer the door if you don't know them, etc. Everything she used to tell me when I was 6...

I wave them off as they drive away for a week and a half long business trip. Home alone at last. My three older brothers would usually be here, but they left for college last year.

I make my way upstairs and take a quick shower so I can make my way to Central Park. I only live 4 blocks away from the entrance, so I go there pretty often. After I'm done showering, I brush my long wavy dirty blonde hair and put it into a French braid. I do minimal makeup, just so I can look somewhat presentable. I put on some light washed shorts and one of my brothers red Stanford sweatshirts. I put on my red Vans, and a black bandana.

I grab my guitar and some blank sheets of paper and a pencil and put them all in my guitar case. I strap my guitar case on and grab my penny board. I make my way towards the kitchen grabbing a granola bar for lunch and a house key so I can get in. I walk outside and feel the cool autumn breeze against my face and the smell of fresh rain on the grass. I start heading toward the park in my penny board and it was quite peaceful.

I get to the park after almost being run over about 7 times, but that's average in New York City. I walk over to my favorite bench underneath a shady oak tree and pull out my guitar. I strap on my guitar and tune it. I then pull out my blank pieces of paper and pencil and start writing out lyrics. (Definition of lyrics: words that pop up into my emotional, confused, and troubled mind)

All was going well, and I was matching chords perfectly with my lyrics, until I heard very annoying music coming from my left. I look over to see two teenage boys ... Dancing.. I think.. To the song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. There seemed to be a camera filming this action, and I was very confused. I look around to see that everyone in this section of the park is watching these two "dancing" to the song. I guess public humiliation is there thing.... It certainly isn't mine.

Flashback

I grabbed my guitar and headed toward the front of the stage. I was currently in 7th grade about to perform Amazing Grace for my small private school. I was so nervous my stomach could drop to the floor. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. It was so uncomfortable that out of reflex I strummed a chord, the wrong chord. I started playing my guitar but my voice was extremely shaky and my hands were shaking.

I couldn't speak a single word. I couldn't play a single chord right.

I ended up just playing guitar without thinking what I was doing.

I couldn't take it... I was weak... I gave in.

I ran off the stage and ran past my awful music director. She always knew I couldn't do it. She always knew I had stage fright. I ran out of the auditorium, hearing fits of laughter behind me.

I promised to myself that day while I was crying into my hands with my knees pulled in, sitting by my locker in the corner of the school building, that I would never go on stage again.

Flashback Ends

I was snapped back into reality when I heard faint footsteps behind me. Here I thought I was going to sit in peace...

I decided to ignore the incoming footsteps and go back to strumming my guitar, chord after chord. I was really starting to get into the beat, enjoying every note played, running through the lyrics in my mind. Forgetting all the world around me, feeling like the only person in the park, until...

"That sounds really good." Said an unfamiliar voice. Well, my vibe is killed, so why not talk to strangers? Rebel against my mothers rules why not?

"Thanks" I simply say and look up to find yet another teenage boy standing directly in front of me. Brown hair, brown eyes, wearing a blue sweatshirt with brown khakis and blue vans. Looks pretty good if you ask me! Wait... What am I thinking? I have to be stronger than myself.. Stronger than the feelings inside of me.

"How long have you played?" Said the unfamiliar voice. "Since 2nd grade, I think. It's as long as I can remember." I look back at my guitar, slightly beaten from slight temper tantrums I've had. That, and I play it way too often than I should. I don't know what I would do without it to be honest.

"That's really cool. Mind If I..." He trails off pointing to the guitar. "Um.. Sure, why not." He picks up the guitar and plays one chord, slowly and then all at once. He grins slightly, taking pleasure of the sound that it made. He starts to play some more, then leads into more intense notes. His eyes are closed and he gets into the music, sort of how I do. So I close my eyes and just go with it. He plays a whole song before finishing. I open my eyes to find him already staring. It made me feel uncomfortable, but then again you could say I had butterflies in my stomach. No, stop feeling. Be stronger, don't let your feelings get to you and poison your mind. Don't let...

"The name's Shawn Mendes"