Your Song (Shawn Mendes)

Chapter 1

Shawn ran a hand through his hair after getting off the phone with Andrew. They were desperate. In a little more than a week, they had to be in Scotland performing for a sold out crowd to start the Illuminate World Tour and they didn't have a guitarist! He didn't hate Zubin. He had gotten a major offer and he couldn't turn it down but he couldn't have chosen a worse time. Shawn groaned when he heard his phone go off. He really didn't want to deal with Andrew again. He smiled though when he saw his sister's name on the screen.

He quickly answered. "Hey Liyah." He greeted. "What's up?"

"Shawn, come down to the high school!" She said frantically.

He raised an eyebrow. "What? Why?"

"I think I just found the solution to your problems!" She squealed. "Just get here quick! I'll meet you at the front!" Without another word, she hung up the phone. Shawn furrowed his eyebrows in confusion but after almost 14 years of living with Aaliyah, he learned to just take things as they came to him.

He quickly grabbed his keys and sent his mom a text to tell her where he was before getting to the high school. Just like she had said, Aaliyah was waiting for him at the front. The minute he parked the car and got out, she had grabbed his hand and began dragging him into the school. "Took you long enough." She commented. "Now come on!"

"Liyah, what's going on?" He questioned as they went through the hallways. 

She explained, still leading him, "Okay, so one of my older friends started taking the music class here and they have a new volunteer TA for the class. She's about a year younger than you, just graduated last year and she is who you're looking for!"

"What?" Shawn raised an eyebrow.

Aaliyah stopped at the door to the music classroom and pointed to the partially opened door. "Look." She whispered. They both looked into the window of the classroom to find it empty except for one person. 

She had to be the most beautiful girl Shawn had ever seen. Messy curls in a black to silver ombre style fell over her shoulders to her waist, making her dark eyes appear darker and her porcelain skin appear lighter. She wore a black and white plaid button up tank top with black leggings and no shoes, though there was a pair of black Chuck Taylors near where she was sitting. It was like looking at a star from the silent film era, beautiful in black and white. His eyes widened as the girl pulled out a classical violin and perched it on her lap before typing something into her laptop.

She stood, positioning the violin as a gorgeous piano spilled from her laptop. Shawn's jaw dropped and Aaliyah smirked when the girl lifted the bow and started to play.

She let out a breath as the final note fell from her instrument and her posture relaxed. Aaliyah couldn't stop herself and pulled Shawn into the room. The girl let out a small scream and tightened her grip on the violin, whipping around to face the two of them. She took a sharp breath when her dark eyes connected with Shawn's brown ones.

"Y-you're Shawn Mendes." She stuttered quietly.

"Yes he is, and I'm Aaliyah, his sister." Aaliyah butted in. "One of my friends is taking the class and she sent me a video of you. My brother could really use your help."

"What would he need with me?" She asked.

"You were absolutely incredible on the violin," He told the girl, making a blush creep up on her cheeks. He smiled at the effect he had on her. He turned to his sister. "But Liyah, we need a guitarist. Not a violinist."

Aaliyah rolled her eyes and groaned. "I know that! She plays the guitar too!" Shawn looked at the girl in shock. She ducked her head, avoiding his gaze. "I think my friend said she plays 4 different instruments!"

"Five, actually." She corrected quietly. Shawn's eyes widened. The girl cleared her throat and put the violin carefully back in its case. "Piano, guitar, drums, violin, and bass." She gestured to her laptop. "If you heard the song, that was me on the piano and drums." 

"That... is incredible." Shawn finally managed to say. Her blush darkened and she turned to pack her things away. He gently took her arm but pulled away when she flinched at the contact. "Sorry." She nodded in acceptance. "But would you mind showing me a bit of your guitar skills? Aaliyah is right, I could really use your help."

She swallowed thickly but nodded. "Acoustic or electric?" She asked quietly.

"Whichever you have right now." He answered, again stunned by the fact that this girl could be so talented. Aaliyah smirked and nudged him, obviously noticing his attention on the girl. He rolled his eyes and gently elbowed her.

The girl, he still didn't know her name, pulled out a black fender electric guitar from a case. She plugged it into a nearby amp and was about to start when Aaliyah shouted out, "Wait!" She rushed over to the girl and whispered something in her ear. "Do you know it?"

The girl nodded and Aaliyah smiled, going back to Shawn. The girl took a deep breath and started playing a song Shawn knew all too well. She started rocking out the guitar part of There's Nothing Holding Me Back with perfect ease as if she'd done it a hundred times. It was as if she was in her own world, just her and the music. The song ended and Shawn's jaw was on the floor. The girl blushed and started to pack away the guitar.

"That was..." He stopped and picked up his sister in a hug, spinning her around. The girl smiled at the two siblings. "Thank you, Liyah! You might have just saved my tour!" The girl looked at him with questioning eyes. He turned to her and held out his hand. "As you know I'm Shawn Mendes."

She cautiously took his hand to shake it. "Maria Peters." She responded.

Maria. He repeated in his head. It suited her. "I told you she was good!" Aaliyah boasted but Shawn kept his attention on Maria.

"Look, you will probably still have to perform for my manager and my band to get their approval but since I already know they will say yes," Maria raised an eyebrow, wondering where he was going with this. "Would you like to come on tour with me as a lead guitarist?"

"T-tour? With you?" She asked, in slight shock. "When would I start?"

"Well... you would have to start almost immediately as we have the first show next week in Scotland," Shawn answered sheepishly. "I know it's short notice but..."

"I'll do it." She answered. He blinked in shock. "I still will have to get my moms' opinions but... I'll do it. I'll go on tour with you."