It Started With a Song [Shawn Mendes]

8

(Summer's POV)

I woke up the morning after the party with bruises and red marks all over my body. The bruises on my hips made it hurt a little to walk and there was a painful red bruise on my face where he had slapped me. That day I had to go home, and when I got there, my mom started asking so many questions I couldn't keep up. She hugged me and kissed me, and I started to cry again. She made me rest the rest of the day, but I was fine with that, because resting meant ice cream and movies. I also convinced her to let Isabel come over, so we could "rest" together. Sunday was basically the same, except my mom and Isabel's mom took us to the mall. I tried to cover up the bruise on my face but it was kind of impossible. I ended up just having to wear my hair down to cover my face as much as possible. It made me pretty self-conscious. But at least Shawn or any of the other older kids weren't at the mall. That would have been bad. Monday went pretty well too. Whenever somebody asked me how I got the bruise, I just said "accident on Friday", and they didn't ask anymore questions. I got back into my normal routine and everything seemed the same as when I had started school. Including Shawn not even knowing I existed. He seemed to have completely forgotten about the party, and me. Though, I mean, I should have expected it. He's a popular senior, I'm a nothing junior. The only reason he helped me the other night was because he was a good person, and he wasn't just going to stand there watching that guy hurt me. He's not like that. And that's exactly my problem, it made me like him even more. 

     I walked into my kitchen after school, and tried to hold it together till I got upstairs.

     "Honey, what's wrong?" My mom could tell that I was upset, she always could. But of course, I couldn't tell her what was bothering me. I just couldn't.

     "Oh, nothing Mom," I tried to smile. Apparently it was good enough for her because she turned back around to her cooking. I sat down at the table, trying to block out the tv show my sister and brother (twins) were watching in the other room, and ate a snack. After that I silently took my stuff upstairs, without my family noticing. That's how it usually went. My mom didn't pay that much attention to me, but I tried not to blame her because she was a single mom with three kids. I just tried to help as much as I could. Life had been a lot harder since my dad died; my mom has to work more, along with taking care of us, and herself. Sometimes I wished we could just go back in time to when I was in elementary school, my siblings were cute laughing babies, my dad was still alive, and drama just meant someone not getting a turn on the swing. 

     Tuesday and Wednesday went by basically the same as Monday, except that when I got home on Wednesday I was in a good mood. School was cancelled tomorrow because of the heat! My mom and siblings weren't home yet so I turned my music on in the kitchen, and started my homework. I loved days like this, when the whole world seemed to be singing with you. About 20 minutes after I got home, I heard my mom's car pull in the driveway. She opened the door and started to rush around, occasionally pulling out her phone, to check something. I could tell she was stressed and not in a good mood. I didn't say anything and she left the room. I went back to my work. A few minutes later though my mom came in and said: "Summer, you should turn off your music, your sister's guitar teacher is here."

     "Guitar teacher?" I asked, not looking up from my computer.

     "Yeah, I didn't tell you I was getting her lessons?"

     "No," I looked up, and almost choked on my grapes. "Shawn?" I glared at my mom.

     "Hey Summer," he smiled one of his beautiful smiles. So he did remember me. 

     "Oh, so you two do know each other. Good!" my mom looked at both of us smiling. Then I realized my music was still blasting from the speaker, I fumbled with my phone to turn it off and then picked up my stuff. 

     "I'll be upstairs. In my room. Doing my homework." 

     "Okay, well Shawn will be here until 5."

     "Okay!" I ran past them and up the stairs, not looking at Shawn. 

(Shawn's POV)

     I looked after Summer as she ran upstairs. I did know that I was teaching her sister, but not until yesterday. I mean, what was I supposed to do, go up to her and say "Oh, hey, just wanted to let you know that I'm teaching your sister guitar, and I didn't want you to feel all awkward again." But I did feel kind of bad when I saw her face as she saw me. She looked mostly surprised, but there was also a little pain in her forced smile. I wondered why, why did she get so nervous and upset around me? Did I do something horrible that I didn't know about? Well, after she went upstairs, I didn't see her again until the next day at school. And then it was Friday and I was supposed to give her sister another lesson, except that this time I was babysitting her while Summer was at her friends and her mom was out. She couldn't ignore me then.