[Present time.]
Mandy
"Aaliyah, I really don't know, if this is a good idea", I try to protest while she's looking extremly decided. "It is, trust me, it is."
Honestly, she sounds more as she does have to conceit herself. But okay for all I care. Maybe this is the only chance to pursuit Shawn from the truth.
We're located in the high tower of the records studio. Yes, it is the same building in front of I let Amy excit the car to continue this whole lies-and-truth-thing. In another situation I would have loved to be in here. - I mean it is just one of my greatest dreams coming true - being in the center of creativity, possibly meeting great songwriters and talking to them. And as far as I can see, this building is full of great songwriters. Island Records really has so many amazing songwriters under contract.
Earlier, Aaliyah just walked by the doorkeeper and grinned at the woman of the entrance. "Hey Shaila. We're visiting Shawn. Do you know, where he is at the moment?"
"I think, he said something about meeting Andrew and then being for an hour or so in the studio. But I don't know if he's still there."
"Why shouldn't he?"
"He's got a visitor." Shalia smiled. "A girl."
Aaliyah and I looked at each other and said unisono: "A girl?" I don't know, those voice sounded more alarmed. Shalia seemed kinda irritated. "Yeah. Well a young woman. Very pretty. I don't know her name, it was my collague giving her the visitor-access-card. Do you know her?"
"Well until you don't tell us a name, I'm not sure", Aaliyah said, but she and I knew absolutely for sure, that it was Amy who was with Shawn right now. Aaliyah hemmed. "Eh, we're a bit under time-pressure. We will just walk right upstairs. This is Mandy by the way", she introduced me while already walking towards the doors to the stairs. "Nice meeting you Mandy", Shalia said and I answered: "Nice meeting you, too Shalia!" Then I followed Aaliyah a bit hastily. I could see, that Aaliyah was stressed by the way she looked several times on her smartphone while walking. "C'mon Shawn, pick up the phone, pick up the phone", she murmured, while opening the door with one hand. I looked myself at my phone. My mother had written me a message to remind me, that I should congrat my uncle to his birthday. I answered her really fast, that I would call him later, when I registered that Aaliyah stopped walking. I looked up. I needed some seconds to realize that we were standing in front of an elevator.
You know these fancy, glassy elevators? The ones, that are constructed nearly only out of glass? Those ones, which have nice piano music in it and which have a bright mirror on every side that does not consists out of glass? You know these elevators, yeah?
This elevator was not one of them.
This elevator was a small – a very small – elevator with silver shimmering walls – no mirroir – and a red carped in it.
I hate red carpet. Not in general, but it does all remind me too much of celebreties passing by the photographs smiling their teethpaste-smile and looking way to much perfect. I don't know, but maybe you understand what I mean. And even if it would have been a blue carpet, nothing would have changed. Why? Oh. Easy. I hate elevators. I really hate them. Give me a 9th floor apartment – and I'll take the stairs. Give me a 12th floor lecture-room – I'll take the stairs.
"What's going on Mandy?" Aaliyah looked at me waiting for me to enter the elevator, too. She had already pushed the button upstairs. 17th floor. Shit.
I breathed in and I breathed out. I looked for the stairs. There were none of them visible, and to be honest: it would have been ridicculus walking seventeen floors up. I tried for a smile and then entered the elevator. Please, please, please make that thing being faster than it look like. Damn, I thought, this was a modern label! A fancy building! Apparently, it was only the outside and the entrance. This thing came right out the hell.
"Are you okay?" Aaliyah looked at me again, frowning a bit concerned. I nod staying silent. This was all too much: The nervosity to meet Shawn again and to talk to him about all of that, revealing, what was going on, hoping, he would listen to me, meeting Amy my now former bestfriend, knowing, that she was destroying my reputation at the moment, especially online on Wattpad.
"You're nervous?" Aaliyah asked and I nod. She decided, to stay quiet the rest of the way, and I was really thankful for that.
The elevator was surprisingly faster than I expected and so now we are standing right in front of the door of the studio in which Shawn usually produces his new songs. It's a door of a row of doors at this hallway, and I have the feeling, that this is something big. I mean good possible, that there, right behind one of those doors, someone produces the next big "Stitches" or "It'll be okay". Crazy.
Aaliyah nocks on the door. "Come in!"
We follow the voices invitation although my stomach now is more rebellious than ever.
It endures 'round twenty seconds, than Shawn realizes who's standing in front of him. He and Amy are apparently on the jump, cause they both have got their coats on, and Shawn stopped right in the movement of putting himself a coat on. It's a nice coat by the way: red and orange and yellow – very christmas-wise. Amys mouth's standing open. Apparently she didn't think about me showing up and having the chance to talk with Shawn again as a realistic option.
For a second, Shawn just looks at me kinda frustrated kinda extremly irritated. Maybe angry, too. I don't know. I can't say, what this look means. For sure nothing good. My chances to get through the wall Amy build up between him and I are getting low and lower.
"Aaliyah, I don't understand", Shawn says now. "I thought, we'd speak about that and concluded our convo by stating that this was no more a topic."
He says it not angry, but I can see how his cheeks-muscles are getting visible. His look goes again to me and back to his sister. He waits for her answer and honestly, I do so, too. I don't know, what excactly Aalyahs plan is, I just know, that I for myself don't have any plan anymore from the moment Shalia told us, that Amy was gonna be there, too.
"Look, you can do whatever you want. But Mandy and I are getting friends – and you can't determine with who I'm becoming friends with."
"Well, she's surely not a friend for noone", Amy says obviously finding her voice again. She takes a step closer to Shawn telling everybody "That's my boy". I wanna throw up right now.
Aaliyah looks at Amy as she wants to say: "Girl, we'll never be friends as nice as you may be acting to my brother." Then she smiles at Shawn: "Hey, I understand, you may be uncomfortable with the whole situation, but Mandy and I were just passing by and I thought, I could ask you for a ride home. It's snowing again outside."
I hem. I didn't say anything since we've entered the room, and now everybodys looking at me. "I don't need a ride home, just in case you were thinking about something like that. You know I have this train booked, I gotta catch. Somebody I know just brought me in the situation, where I had some problems with a car, and where I had to stand 'round about three hours in the cold and moreover, I had to argue with a guy who really didn't get, how cold it is when you have no functioning heater in the car. But at least, it's a pretty pink car, and for some people, that's all that matters. So: I'm fine. I prefere reliable... ways."
Good Mandy, good talk. Now, they're all starring at you. Great. Did I see there a little frowning in Shawn's face? A little movement in the corner of this mouth? I don't know. Maybe. Nevertheless, now, he's looking serious and denying as before.
***
🗒️✍🏻
❤️🩹
I've got a train I've gotta catch
I've got a heard that could get damaged
I've got a soul that you've scratched
I've got a handful of pain
I could throw you in the face
But I don't, cuz I've gotta catch a train
and I'm not entering this senseless race
🎶
Yeah everything of this will leave scars
But better some of them
then bein' outside without a coat
Yeah, when you can see the snow fallin'
🎶
I feel the cold
And I know, that when I'm getting old
I'm gonna tell my grandkids
How I met this dude
Who wrote all of these hits
🎶
❤️🩹
————————
AN: AHHHHH, Shawn's back in here!!! ❤️✨
! The lyrics in this chapter belong to me!