Curious?

CHAPTER TWO

    If you've lived in Toronto long enough, you know that you will run into Shawn Mendes eventually, and once you've seen him, you see him everywhere. Turning a street corner, in line at the coffee shop, at a nearby table in a restaurant, coming out of the gym, he's everywhere! And he seems like a regular guy, but then everyone is all over him to take pictures and kiss his ass, and that takes away from how gorgeous he is. What? Did you think I couldn't also acknowledge that he is absolutely stunning? I might not like the guy so much, but I'm not blind! I just think that, of all the places he could go tonight, he had to crash the party I'm at and would rather leave.

    I grab my wine bottle by the neck and try to take a swig, but I remember it's empty. I roll my eyes, and the girl next to me offers me a hit of her joint. On any other night, I would have, but I'm ready to leave, so I politely decline and get up to go and find Emily.

    I spot her across the room and dart towards her, trying to avoid any and all eye contact, which makes me bump into someone.
"Fuck! I'm sorry," I apologize as I look back.
"No worries, man," Shawn Mendes says to me, flashing his beautiful smile.
    I fake a smile — not very well — and keep walking towards Em. I tug at her arm and finally get her attention.
"Are you about ready to go? Hopefully Irish Exit style?" I ask her.
"Adam, are you not having fun?"
"Em. This is the same shit every time. And I don't know... I guess I'm all faked out for tonight."
"Fine, I won't slip away like a thief in the night, though. Let me go around and say goodbye. Wait for me in the bedroom, no one's gonna bother you there," she winks at me.

    She knows me so well! I make my way to the bedroom and make sure there's no one before going in. There's a night light on, and I choose not to turn on the main light not to attract anyone else. I sit on the bed, pull out my phone, and realize I barely have enough battery to call a cab, so I put it back in my pocket. I take a look around the room. I don't really know the girl that lives here, and she must've known people would snoop because she hid away everything that could help me know more about her. That, or her personality is non-existent. I'm staring out the window when I hear the door open slowly. I face whoever is about to crash my safe haven when I make out the silhouette in a second.

"Uhm, can I help you?" I say as the door closes.
"Damn!" Shawn breathes out, surprised. "I didn't know anyone was in here, sorry. Hey! Didn't I bump into you earlier?" he asks like he recognizes me.
"I think I bumped into you, but yeah," I dryly answer.
    Shawn chuckles, apparently finding my abruptness amusing.
"And why are you hiding out all alone in here?" he asks, intent on keeping this conversation going.
"Just waiting for my friend. We're on our way out, and she still has to say her goodbyes," I say, trying to give as little details as possible.
"And you don't?" Shawn asks, trying to understand why I wouldn't go with her.
"No."

    The silence that follows makes me realize I'm being rude for no reason, I don't even know the guy...
"I just- She has a lot more friends at these things than I do. I've never really been one to thrive in these... exclusive? events," I continue as I sit on the bed.
    Shawn understands I've decided to give this conversation a chance, and he makes himself comfortable as well.
"Yeah, I feel you," Shawn replies.
    I can't hold in my laugh and I snicker audibly. He joins me in laughter.
"I'm serious though!" he says, his smile lighting up his face in the darkness. "I still feel out of place almost everywhere. People will say I'm still grounded... I just never adjusted to fame, I guess."

    The way he said the word fame was different. It contained almost as much despite as my eye roll did when I first saw Shawn walk into the apartment.
"Oh, so you're going to tell me you don't enjoy making music for a living?" I ask, back on the hate train.
"No! Don't get me wrong. I'm living the dream! But a lot of things come with that dream, things no one could have prepared me for... That's all."

    I take a moment to think about it, and I realize that maybe I've been a bit too quick to judge. While I'm annoyed to see him everywhere, getting everyone's attention and veneration, he's trying to live a normal life while dealing with that first-hand. No off days. I try to change the subject.
"So, why are you in here, Shawn Mendes?"
"Oh please, don't use my full name!" he says, bringing his hand to his face. "I just needed a second to myself. Relax my selfie muscles."
    He's now massaging his cheeks with both hands, and I can only smile to hold back a laugh.
"You're telling me these people are still not used to seeing you? They're still asking for selfies?"
"Oh man, it never stops! And if it's not a selfie, it's someone's Instagram story, it's a video, a song request. It's them telling me about the first time they heard my new single, or how I made it into their workout mix. It's..." he looks down, "a lot of smiling."
    He looks up as me suddenly, right after saying that last sentence.
"I don't want to appear ungrateful! But sometimes I just want to have a normal conversation. One where I'm not the centre of attention."
"One where you don't get your ass kissed," I mumble under my breath.
"Yes! Exactly," he answers.
    I guess he heard me. I feel my cheeks get flushed and thank myself for not turning on the big light. We're interrupted by Emily entering the room.
"Adam! Let's g- Oh!" she stops herself, surprised by Shawn. "Hi Shawn. Am I crashing?"
"Hi... Amy? No, not at all, I was just chatting with Adam, apparently."
    He stretches out a hand to shake, and I realize I never introduced myself, as it didn't occur to me that I knew his name but he didn't know mine. I shake his hand and smile, then look up at Emily.
"You're ready to go, Amy?"
"Ha ha," she replies, unamused. "It's Emily, sorry," she says in Shawn's direction.
"Oh! No, I should be sorry. Emily," he repeats.
"Alright, let's go!" I interject, still in a hurry to make it home to my bed.
"Before you go," Shawn starts, and Emily and I both look towards him. "Adam, it was refreshing chatting with you. Could I- Would you give me your number, maybe?"
    I am stunned. What did I say that made him want to talk again? I was anything but nice and friendly.
"I guess..." I reply, looking at Emily, puzzled, while she looks back at me, speechless. "It's 647-555-8732."
    I watch in silence as Shawn punches the number into his phone, and I see him smile as I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket.
"I'll talk to you later, apparently," I laugh off as I walk away, leaving Shawn Mendes alone in the dark, my contact info still lighting up his face.

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