For Him - Shawn Mendes

WHEN he kissed her

SHAWN

16th of October, 2014

"Happy birthday!" I smile, a neatly wrapped present in one hand, a yellow balloon in the other.

Hannah rubs beneath her eyes, a cute yawn escaping her lips as she grins at me. "Thank you, Shawn." She opens an eye, sceptical. "Who let you in?"

I tap the side of my nose twice and plonk myself on the end of her bed, the present in my outstretched hand. The girl in front of me takes the balloon, tying it the corner of her headboard before taking the square box in her small hands. "What is it?" She asks, shaking it.

I shrug, as if I haven't spent the last month begging Dad to let me access my music money. He wants me to save it all for College, but I'm not even sure if I want to go.

Hannah rips the tape from the paper delicately, saving it to one side as a white cardboard box is revealed. Her eyes widen, and her immediate reaction is to push it forward. "This is too much," She gasps, as if the Nikon camera will instantaneously combust around us. To drive the point home, she shakes her head, "Shawn, I can't take this."

"It's just a camera," I smile, crawling on my knees toward her side of the bed, "you only turn 16 once." She looks up at me, eyes all warm and sleepy. She opens the box, holding her new toy with care. I hug my best friend, and it takes everything in me not to crawl into her bed beside her.

"I have something for you too," Hannah's face lights up as stands, her face disappearing under her bed as she pulls out a bag, blue tissue paper spilling from the sides. "This," She laughs, "is two months late. Sorry!"

I laugh, taking it from her. "You didn't have to buy me anything," I stand to hug her, her small body falling perfectly into mine. "Really, Han."

"And you didn't have to get me anything either."

I don't open it, because today is hers.

She takes my hand, leading me downstairs to where her parents, who stand with matching aprons, present her with chocolate chip pancakes.

"Nico called last night," Her dad smiles, "He said he'd call you again tonight."

Hannah nods happily, sitting beside me at her kitchen table as she opens presents from her siblings.

"Would you two like me to take you to school with Noah?" Her mum asks, tying her blonde hair into a bun as she turns to Hannah, "Your father's taking Chloe."

Hannah turns to me, her eyes asking if I'm ready for it. I nod, because I am. I'm getting better at it.

But she shakes her head. "Nah," Looking me in the eye, she bumps the dishwasher closed with her hip. "We'll ride to school."

HANNAH

"You know," Aaliyah said, throwing a piece of popcorn at me, waiting for me to catch it in my mouth, "my brother really likes you."

I threw a piece for her and smiled, "I know. I like him too."

"No," Aaliyah laughed, shaking her head, "I mean, he really likes you. And between me and you," The girl beside me leaned forward, quickly checking down the hall to see if her brother was near before she reduced her voice to a whisper. "I found this letter he wrote to you. It was really gross and lovey-"

"Aaliyah!" The 11 year old froze as Shawn slid into the kitchen. Her eyes widened, fear flashing her face at the possibility of being caught. "Did you eat the last muffin?"

Aaliyah sighed with relief, "Yeah, oops. I did."

Shawn groaned, turning to me, "Can you believe it?"