treat you better ☔︎ s.m

Chapter One

Treat You Better
Chapter One
♂︎

"I know I can treat you better, than he can, and any girl like you deserves a gentleman." I frown a little. "Tell me why are you wasting time, on all your wasted crying, when you should be with me instead."

I'm always asked the same thing: who's Treat You Better about? No matter how many times I play it off and say that it's not about anyone specific, I know that I'm just lying to myself. The song has many different meanings in it; many meanings to many people. It could be about anything; from abusive relationships to cheating. The real reason why I made the song, however, was because it is about a girl that I know from back home.

A girl that has a spell on me, one that makes me do whatever is asked. A girl that is in a relationship has no idea that her best friend likes her more than just friends. She's so oblivious to everything happening around her, happening in her own relationship. If only she would believe the things I and her friends are telling her, then maybe things would be different. Except she doesn't believe the things told to her, so maybe the song helps her and makes her realize all of the things going on around her. But maybe that's me asking for too much out of her.

"Are you ready, Mr. Mendes?" I look at the chauffeur and nod my head. He takes my bags before opening the door for me. I slide into the back of the car as he shuts the door. I look down at my buzzing phone before staring at the text.

➤ Mom

The Williams' are here and Mia has no clue that you're on your way

Just seeing her name makes me smile. God, I sound like a hopeless romantic. How can a girl have this much affect on me?

⚯

The drive back to my parent's house was anything but exciting, but the instant the car stopped I was nervous to walk into the house. Maybe it's because Mia's inside or because I haven't been home in so many months. Either way, I was nervous as hell and it made my heart pound.

I thank the driver as I take the bags in my hands and walk toward the front door. I knock three times before the door is opened and my little sister is wrapping her arms around me. I instantly drop the bags and wrap my arms around her as well. When we let go, her hands grab my bags and she's pushing me into the living room.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Her voice made everyone's eyes go from watching the television to staring at me with large eyes and grins.

My mom is the first to get to me, and her lips touch my forehead before her arms wrap around my body. Next is my dad and then Mia's mom, and then finally the girl herself. When her arms meet my neck, I melt at her touch. I bury my face into the crook of her neck and wish that I could freeze time and stay like this forever.

"We have so much to catch up on," she tells me with a grin. "You're going to get all of the drama told to you in one night."

We tell our families goodnight before the inner child in us came out and we raced toward my bedroom. She jumps onto my bed as I shut the door and join her. She types away on her phone before locking it and putting her gaze on me.

"So," I say and add, "tell me all of the drama."

"No, no, I want to hear about the tour first." The smile on her face, the way her eyes light up; they make me crazy.

"Not much, really, just a bunch of shows being put on." She rolls her eyes.

"Come on," she replies, "you met so many celebrities! You're living my dream."

Without hesitation I reply, "I will take you anywhere; you just have to say go and we go."

"Shawn, you know I can't do that," she says and looks down at her hands as they play with the hem of her sweatshirt.

"Why not?" She just shakes her head at the question. "No, tell me why not."

She releases a sigh before looking up at the ceiling, avoiding direct eye contact with me. "You know why."

"What? Ben?" She continues to look away from me. "Mia, don't let some guy - yes, I said it: some guy - tell you what you should and shouldn't do with your life. If he doesn't like what your dreams are then he doesn't deserve you or what you'd do to turn those dreams into real life."

"I know Shawn, but-" I interrupt her before she says anything else, and maybe that wasn't a good idea but I couldn't care less.

"No. No 'buts.' There's no reason why someone should have this much control on a person."

A tear leaves her eye and I go to wipe it away but she wipes them away herself. I see her yawn before laying down on the bed. I throw a blanket at her and she covers herself with it.

"I'm sorry for anything that I do," her small voice speaks in the silence.

"What do you mean?" I ask, looking at her as if she's crazy. "You haven't done anything wrong."

She just shakes her head before closing her eyes and making me wonder what's going on in that little head of hers. I sigh and look away for a second before looking back and seeing her already asleep. The sight makes me smile before I turn the light off and swipe a piece of her hair from her face before leaving the room and to the living room.

I find my mom sitting on the couch, reading something on her phone, as she looks up. "Hm, is little Mia asleep?" I laugh and nod my head. "Woo! I nailed it. Her parents left a bit ago; they assumed she'd spend the night, which they were right on."

She kisses me on the forehead before tossing the blanket she was using at me. "Goodnight sweetheart." I lay down on the couch and start to think.

So much has changed since I was last home. I'm not sure if anything will ever be the same anymore.

But the last thing I really think about is; dang, I didn't get to hear any of the drama.

[Made June 26, 2016 - Rewritten June 3, 2018]