New Beginnings | Shawn Mendes

Chapter One

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived in Toronto Airport. Please remember all baggage and belongings before exiting the plane. We thank you for flying with AirCanada and hope your flight has been pleasant." 

You lean back in your seat while others rush to reach their belongings to exist the plane first. Though, you don't understand why leaving the plane ten seconds earlier is really important to some. 

You tilt your head to each side in attempt to ease the headache you have felt for the past four hours of the flight. When the plane begins to empty out, you stand from your seat and move towards the small aisle. 

Your body feels rather sore and somewhere on the seventeen-hour long flight, you lost most feeling in your feet. 

As you force a breath into your lungs, you feel a small yank in your chest. You have mixed feelings about returning home, returning to a place you used to be happy. 

You feel tears pressing and hurry to distract yourself by reaching for your hand luggage in the small cabinet above your head. 

After waiting for your suitcases, you exit the airport and the Canadian cold hits you instantly. A shiver runs down your spine while you begin to search for your uncle's car in the massive arriving parking lot. A small smile slips across your lips as you think about Tom. 

You haven't seen him in years, but he's always been like a second father to you, at times the only person you feel like seeking advice from. 

You grew up in Toronto where you father was born and later on your family moved to Sweden where your mother is from. 

You have always felt more at home in Canada, but after your father passed away, you don't feel at home in Sweden anymore. To be honest, you don't feel at home anywhere. 

Returning to Canada is your way of maintaining a connection to your father. You don't want to forget him, you don't want to forget where he's from and what he passed on to you. 

And finally, after a year of convincing and negotiating with your mother, you're back in Canada to stay with your uncle while you study at University. 

You're pretty certain your mother knows you're still hurting and that you're beyond thankful she is allowing you to reconnect with the place that connects you with your father. 

"Sorry?" A tall guy says as he taps on your shoulder. You turn your head towards his voice and your jaw drops. "Are you y/n?" 

Your eyes lock on the tall, curly haired guy and you feel the heat raising in your cheeks within the matter of seconds. 

It doesn't take you too long to recognise him, but he's much prettier in real-life than you expected him to be. 

You cannot find the strength to answer his question and therefor, all you do is give him a single nod. His eyes are warm and seem friendly and there's a dusty pink colouring his cheeks. 

You suck in air between your lips as he sends you a small smile and reaches for your bags. You never really believed in love at first sight, but you're beginning to think it might be a thing. 

"I'm sorry." He says with a laughter to your flickering eyes. "I'm Shawn." 

"Mendes, I know." You blur and immediately regret your words. You bite into your tongue when he laughs slightly at your reaction to him. 

"Tom sent us to pick you up. This is Brian, a friend of mine." Shawn explains and points to a red-haired guy standing by a back car. 

"Oh, okay." You stutter and wave back when the red-haired stranger waves towards you.