never be alone (s.m.)

chapter two

I woke up to the sounds of someone throwing up.

"Oh, gross," I mumbled, getting up to close my door. Recently the boys had been partying a lot more often, and hangovers seemed to be getting worse.

I crawled back into bed and reached for my phone.

11:32 AM

I scrolled through my notifications, most of them unimportant social media updates. My platforms had been growing thanks to my friendship with Shawn. A lot of his fan accounts followed me, but only because I posted him sometimes. My phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

+1 (463) - 3829402 Hi amelia, this is Andrew, Shawn's manager. I would like to meet with you at some point today, if possible. Give me a call when you can.

I added Andrew to my contacts and sat up, stretching. Why did Andrew need to talk with me? I decided that I would call him after I got ready for the day. I opened my closet, looking through my clothes. I decided on a pair of mom jeans from American Eagle and a cheetah-print tank top from Brandy Melville. I grabbed a clean bra and underwear and headed towards my bathroom.

Haley and I both got the only rooms with their own bathrooms connected. "No decent human being should ever have to share a bathroom with you fools," was her argument to the boys when we first moved in. Preston was a neat freak as well, but Shawn and JD constantly left messes all over the house. Pizza crust, drinks, trash, clothes- they did not pick up after themselves.

I turned the shower water on and watched it hit the marble-looking tile. Little plants lined the window I kept open above the shower, and the steam from the bathroom watered them. I took my pajamas off and climbed into the shower, grateful for the warm water.

After my shower, I applied my favorite lotion. I spritzed perfume that matched and put my outfit for the day on.

"Do you know where Haley is?"

I jumped, almost dropping the bottle of facial moisturizer I was about to apply.

"Jesus, Preston. Can you knock?" I scoffed, turning back to the mirror.

"Sorry. She went to get milk from the store an hour ago. I was wondering if she texted," he said, hopping up on the counter next to me.

I rubbed the cream into my face. "She probably just hit traffic. It's cute how worried you are, though."

He blushed. "I'm not worried-worried. I'm just mildly concerned."

I applied some concealer and began blending it into my skin.

"So, you and Shawn?"

I frowned. "Huh?"

"Don't think we don't see you guys all over each other," he said, reaching for a makeup brush to fiddle with.

I smacked his hand away playfully and rolled my eyes. "That's just how he is. You know that."

And he did. Shawn was a huge, huge flirt. Before he started dating Alondra, he would bring home lots of girls. I keep waiting for him to start doing that again, but so far he's been pretty chill.

I finished my makeup after shooing Preston out of my room and headed downstairs.

"Morning," I called over my shoulder to JD, who was still hovering over the toilet.

I ventured into the kitchen where Shawn and Preston sat. There was a fresh bunch of bananas on the counter, and I grabbed one.

"Morning, sunshine," Shawn said, looking up from his phone.