Okay, so we have WingXOtto slash in the fandom, Wing and Raven searches return results, but not a single OttoXShelby? I wouldn't have called this a very controversial pairing, but now I wonder.
JUSTIFIED flames are basically constructive criticism, and that's more than welcome. But if I get flamed for the sole reason that the reader doesn't like the pairing, you will have one VERY peeved author on your hands. You have been warned-don't write anything along the lines of 'otto and shelby wont get together this sucks' unless you want a barrage of angry PMs your way.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own HIVE. If I did, the Wingleby levels would not have been as disappointing as they had been. And I would not have been forced to turn temporary traitor to the ship.
In this story, Wing and Shelby, and Otto and Laura, are just friends.
It was only a matter of time-they would leave HIVE, join the real world, go to college…
Babysit for their neighbour now and then…
Which is how Shelby was spending Tuesday night-looking after 6-almost-7-year-old Cassie while her mother had to rush to an urgent, unexpected meeting.
"Thank you so much, Shelby," she told the blonde, "I couldn't find anyone else on such a short notice…I really appreciate you helping me out like this."
"It was nothing," Shelby said, waving her hand, "Really, my pleasure to help. And your daughter is no trouble at all." In fact, she's a devious, hyperactive freak who seems to be a potential PolFi stream member who's going to dominate the world one day. We get along nicely, really.
Obviously, she wasn't going to say that aloud. Even though she meant it as a compliment, most mothers weren't usually pleased to be told that their daughter is a possible future-villain.
The doorbell rang, and Mrs Nicholson went to open it. Shelby heard a familiar voice say, "Hi, Mrs N, sorry to bother you, but we kind of have a test tomorrow and I think Shelby might have stol-borrowed my notes, and I do need them back to study, so…"
"Oh, no trouble at all, Otto!" Mrs N never had any trouble with Otto, to whom time had been really kind. Really, really kind. Every day after class, Shelby had had to deal with hordes of fangirls asking her if he was single (yes), was he interested in them? (not really) and what was his butt size? (that was usually her cue to run away).
She put a stop to it soon, though. She had her...methods. You don't complete your HIVE education without a few truly villainous streaks.
While she contemplated this, said albino genius leaned against the doorway.
She sighed, "Haven't you memorized everything already?"
He smirked that smirk which really managed to rub her the wrong way. "True, but I'm still not going to let you benefit from my work. Not unless I get something in exchange."
Grumbling darkly and throwing in a few Russian and Japanese swear words she had picked from Raven and Wing respectively, she ungraciously tossed Otto a sheaf of papers.
Of course, she had already decided to just sneak in the office and steal the question paper later. But she did need his notes to find the answers-she didn't plan to spend the whole night flipping through the still-unopened textbook.
Which is why she had already made copies of his notes.
She'd rub that in his face after the test.
Cassie's mother entered the room just as Otto was rearranging the papers.
"You're done?"
He nodded. "Just leaving."
She snorted. "Oh please," she said teasingly, "don't let me stop you from spending quality time with your girlfriend."
"I'm not his girlfriend!"
"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"
Well. His vehemence was slightly insulting. But right now, she was just embarrassed. Too embarrassed to enjoy the way his red face was contrasting with his white hair, even.
That was very embarrassed.
Cassie looked up from her scribbling and eyed them both suspiciously.
"Wait a second," she said slowly, "I thought you and Shelby were friends!"
"Exactly!" Otto declared, "We're ju-"
"Isn't Shelby a girl?"
She blinked. "Of course I am."
"Then you're his girlfriend!"
The blonde froze, mortified, and glanced at Otto. He looked like a cherry with a blob of white whipped cream on it.
"I-he's-it's not like-I'm not-" she glanced at him for inspiration, but he just edged closer towards the door, looking like a tomato wearing a white woolen hat.
Mrs Nicholson grinned, "I'll let you two handle it, I'm really getting late. I'll leave you to deal with this…" Shelby could see where Cassie got her evil streak from. She could have sworn her sweet, kind, trusted, practically-a-second-mother neighbour was shaking with silent laughter as she left.
"Well?" Cassie demanded, glaring at Otto, "Isn't she your friend?"
"Cass, I-"
"If she's not, then you should go!" she stood on the sofa and poked Shelby's now-considerably-tall friend (who looked like a red traffic light topped with cotton) in the chest, "because Shelby's a great friend to have!"
Teach a kid to steal jellybeans from the snack cupboard, form a bond for life.
Otto looked helplessly at them both, "She is my friend," he protested, but he didn't get much further.
"Then she should be your girlfriend!"
Mrs N's laughs weren't quite so silent anymore. Otto glared daggers in the general direction of the doorway.
Shelby took a deep breath. "Cassie, it doesn't really work that way-"
"You're a girl! You're a friend! You're his girlfriend!"
"It's not-"
"Are you his friend?"
"Yes, but-"
"Are you a girl?"
"Of course I am!" she yelped.
"Then there's nothing to it. Shelby's Otto's GIRLFRIEND!"
Otto muttered something about having to study for the test and ran out, completely forgetting to pick up his notes. He was still looking like Santa Claus with the colour scheme reversed (white on the top of the face, red on the bottom). Still chuckling, Cassie's mother closed the door behind him.
Shelby looked at the 6-almost-7-year-old in despair.
"It doesn't work that way, Cass," she tried, "You don't call a girl who is a friend a girlfriend."
"Why not?" the kid demanded, "When does a girl friend become a girlfriend?
When she's free to kiss the boy in question whenever she wants. When he holds her hand as they walk alone. When they regularly engage in tonsil hockey matches. When…
She shook her head. She had no qualms about corrupting the child, but she did have a problem talking about tonsil hockey urges when she and Otto were the topic of discussion.
Instead, she desperately offered, "A girl friend becomes a girlfriend when she's about to marry the boy. Okay?"
Cassie's brow furrowed, "Oh. Ah. I see. I think."
Shelby nearly collapsed in relief. "Great!" she said, positively beaming, "so this discussion is over?"
She shrugged. "I want purple jellybeans," she said, and smiled the sweetest smile you have ever seen, "Do we have purple jellybeans?"
The rest of the evening passed without incident as the 6-almost 7-year-old munched on purple jellybeans while watching Cartoon Network.
Later, when Ms Nicholson had returned and Shelby was about to leave with her friends, Cassie ambled into the doorway.
"So," she said conversationally to Wing, "did you know Shelby's gonna get married to Otto?"
Laura somehow managed to trip over her own feet.
Wing raised an eyebrow, "Really? Who told you that?"
"Shelby, duh."
Otto's jaw dropped open as he turned as red as Laura-again. Wing glanced over at his blonde friend. "She did? Really?"
"Sure. She's his girlfriend, and she told me that a girlfriend is someone who will marry the boy. So Shelby's gonna marry Otto, right? And then she'll make me a bridesmaid."
Shelby all but fainted then and there.
It took them two weeks till they were able to look each other in the eye after that. Cassie made sure of that, sticking her head out of the window and addressing Otto as 'Shelby's boyfriend' every time he passed their house.
The devious little potential PolFi student never told them, but she kept that up even after she had learnt what a girlfriend was. She just thought they were too damn cute together.
In her opinion, she had way more sense than they did.
Something which the now-actually-7-year-old wouldn't stop pointing out after the two eventually got together.
This is actually a point I passionately argued about when I was a kid, before I learned why you can't call girl friends 'girlfriends'. Then I was just mortified.