After I finished watching a few movies with my friends, I went straight home for dinner.
The first day at school wasn't that bad if I ignore the fact that I was so consciously consumed by someone I used to know, who btw literally gave no shit about my presence. And I, who was so stupid to think that there would be any chance of him recognising me and welcome me with open arms. But hey, that doesn't beat the fact that I just got three new awesome friends today. And a guy(Miles) who warmly welcomes me, even inviting me to his party.
''So, how was school today Liah?'' Dad asks as we sit at the dining table.
''It was great. They're all very nice to me'' I almost unconsciously said it in an ironic tone when Shawn popped up in my head.
''Well that's nice to hear''
''Dad.'' I look up at him. ''Guess who I met today'' I avoided telling him that Shawn was in my class.
''Who honey?'' he lifts up his plate to scrape the rest of the sauce.
''Do you remember Shawn?'' As soon as his name came out of my mouth, he stopped scraping, immediately gave me an unfamiliar look and put the plate down.
''He's not a friend of yours Malliah.'' Dad calls me by my full name. As confused as I was, I could hear his tone of voice was different, especially when he called me by my full name and not Liah.
''I don't understand?'' I was so confused by how an old friend of mine could make my dad's tone raise.
''Shawn is a different boy from when you knew him Malliah. He's not the same ten-year-old boy anymore. Avoid getting into any kind of contact with that boy.'' I've never heard his voice raise like this before. I wonder if the situation was that bad that he'd make me switch school if he knew that Shawn was in my class.
''So what did he do?'' I furiously ask.
''One of my old friends are working for Shawn's parents. Uncle Riley, if you remember him? Half bald, always wearing a rain jacket and a...''
''Yeah I remember him, dad, but what does that have to do with Shawn?'' It was like he was trying to avoid my questions. A moment of silence appears and I couldn't take it. ''Dad, what did he do that was so bad that you can't even answer my questions.''
''I heard he got a girl from his school pregnant a year ago.''
An even worse moment of silence appears, so silent that you could hear the both of us breathing at the same time.
I stopped thinking for a split second and then played that sentence in my head again. A girl from school got pregnant? A year ago... That meant he got a girl pregnant at the age of 17? I couldn't make it fit into my head. That was the last thing I had expected of Shawn.
''And when she refused to abort... Well... A week later, she, unfortunately somehow had a miscarriage.'' The way my dad said 'unfortunately somehow', made me so disappointed to a point I didn't even know existed. I was heartbroken for that girl.
What happened to the ten-year-old goofy boy I once knew? What happened to the boy who wished for his little sister to be treated with respect when he can't even do it himself?
What happened to Shawn Mendes?
