Meeting Shawn Mendes

First impressions

I have been standing in this queue to see Shawn Mendes for about two hours now. But I don't care. He is my idol and music is the only thing I seem to be remotely good at.
    Last year, Shawn released that he would be doing a series of meet and greets across the country and this was one of them. We are standing in the cold November streets of London, with Shawn standing in a small wooden booth at the front of the long, winding line. I am about 20 people from the front and am getting my first proper look at him.
     Damn. I whisper under my breath. Those magazine covers and interviews on TV do not do him justice. He is beautiful. His dark hair is a little scruffy and shrouds his youthful face. He has an olivey complexion which seems to compliment the colour of his signature black tee spectacularly.
       My mum, who is queuing beside me also seems to want an eyeful of the handsome teen.
"I can see why you like him so much" she teases.
"Mum! No! I like him because he is a talented musician" I respond, getting defensive. 
"He is young enough to be my son!" She jokes, a little too loudly.
      People in front of us in the queue turn and give my mum disapproving looks.
      Five people remaining. Five people until I finally get to meet my idol, Shawn Mendes.
      The sky has begun to spit rain drops at us and I haven't anything to protect me from it. My mum has come prepared and pulls out a bright green pack-a-mac from her bag. I roll my eyes at her.
"Mum, you don't need that. It's only spitting, it's not proper rain" I say, hoping she will put the embarrassing clothing article back into the depths of her bag so no one sees it.
    One person left. I am just a few metres away from Shawn now. He looks up from signing someone's phone case. Our eyes connect. It was like a strange other-worldly void had been created between us. Inquisitively, he cocks his head, like a dog. I stifle a small laugh. He looks so cute like that.
     I look down at my feet and the void is broken. When I look back up, he seems enthralled in conversation again.
     It feels like a lifetime before the obsessive fan girls in front of us leave. Shawn actually has to prompt them to leave.
"Girls, it's been great, but I have to be fair to all of the other people who have come to meet me" he says, earnestly.
"Oh. We love you so much Shawn!! We have your poster on our bedroom wall and we kiss it at night!!!" the girls say, seeming to attempt to confirm their commitment as fans.
"That's... great" says Shawn slowly, unconvincingly. He must get people saying this like this to him all the time, but I guess he is not fully used to it yet. He is still very young.
   The girls eventually saunter away, waggling their buns abnormally as they did, trying to get Shawn's attention no doubt. However they were unsuccessful.
     I had made it to the front of the queue.
"Hi, I'm Shawn" he says. I laugh at how down to earth he is. Obviously he is Shawn, this entire meet and greet is only for him. He seems a little nervous.
"I'm Ava" I say and smile at him. He reciprocates.
"So, Ava, where are you from?"
"Alderney" I respond. He looks at me, confused. I laugh. "Don't worry Im used to that reaction. Even people who live in the U.K. don't even know it exists. It's a tiny island in the English-French channel" I tell him. "But I live in London while I'm at school".
"That sounds amazing, is there no school in Alderney?" he asks, sounding genuinely interested.
"No, not for what I want to study" I say, hoping he doesn't ask what I know he will ask next.
"What do you want to study?"
"Music. But I'm not sure what I want to do after yet" I respond, honestly.
"You don't have to know what you want to do yet" he says.
    My mum suddenly joins the conversation. "Ava is an incredible singer" she flatters me. I feel myself redden. Mum! Sshhh" I scold.
"I thought you might be" Shawn smiles. "You have a beautiful soft speaking voice"
"Really?" I am surprised. He is just so nice. If he wasn't so famous, he would definitely be my type.
      But I shouldn't even be thinking about that. I have sworn off boys until I finish my education.
      Shawn glances back at the queue. "I'm sorry Ava, I have to finish the meet and greet. It has been so lovely talking to you. Would you like me to sign anything?"
      I shake my head. "Meeting you is enough" I say. He insists and takes my avocado phone case, scribbling onto it.
     He smiles at it when he has finished.  "I like your phone case" he says and smiles at me.
      As I walk away, I notice he still has his eyes on me. When I get back to my student apartment, I make the sofa bed for my mum. She is staying a night with me in my London apartment before she flies back to Alderney tomorrow. My room mate, Gigi, will be back from her trip tomorrow.
       I get ready for bed and put some music on my phone. I am just singing along to Shawn Mendes' "Believe", when I realise I haven't even looked at my new and improved phone case. I turn my phone over.
         But instead of a signature on the back, there is a number. A phone number. Shawn Mendes wants me to call him.