Author's note: I'm currently writing up another story that I've adopted, and that will go up soon. In the meantime, I had this idea for a St. Corcoran story floating around in my head. I'm not sure about it though so, if anyone has any ideas, I'm so open for them! Enjoy =) Oh, and yes, the title is inspired by Next To Normal. So sue me and my theatre nerd-iness.

Make Up Your Mind

Make up your mind, this is clarity

Clarity that you did not have before

Shelby Corcoran walked briskly down the hall; a stern, very annoyed look on her face. She couldn't believe that had just happened. Of all the biggest possible mistakes, of her self-destructive choices, this should not have been one of them. Her black heels hit the linoleum floor with more force than normal. Finally reaching a door, her name plastered on the front, she rustled around in her purse for the keys to open it.

Down the hall from where she had arrived, a young man was rushing after, calling her name.

Shelby ignored him as she finally found the small keys and their attached chain. Triumphantly, she shoved it into the keyhole and turned. Just as she was about to push the door open, a hand grasped her forearm and she glowered.

"Don't just run away. We need to talk," Jesse said pleadingly.

"Let go of my arm," Shelby replied, a grave tone to her voice.

"You cannot pretend that didn't just happen!"

"My imagination can do whatever the hell it wants."

"Your imagination needs to get with the program, because we just kissed and that's not something we're just about to forget."

Shelby struggled against his grip, still trying to open her office door. "Goddammit, Jesse! Let go of me!" And he did. Knowing not to argue against that tone.

She finally opened it and tried to rush inside before he could follow but to no avail and he slipped in quickly before she could do or say anything to the contrary. With an exasperated sigh, she moved towards her desk and sat down. Not actually having any reason to have come in here besides hide from the barely legal teenage boy, Shelby pretended to look in the drawers of her mahogany desk for some non-existant object. Just hoping he would disappear or spontaneously combust.

Instead, he stood in front of her, arms akimbo. Jesse was nothing if not resilient.

After a few moments of silence, praying he had left; Shelby raised her head from 'looking through the drawer's and peered back above the desk slowly. No luck as her green eyes met his blue ones and a smirk spread across his thin lips.

Sighing loudly, she gave up, "What do you want?"

"To talk."

"You know, I think I'm coming down with something," she said gravely, then pretended to cough a little. "I think I should save my voice just in case."

Jesse narrowed his eyes. "Stop avoiding. You always avoid."

"Yeah, my mom says the exact same thing. What do you think it means? I put my bet on childhood trauma; that's always a winner."

"Shelby!"

She stared back at him unphased.

"We kissed. Romantically. That's a big freaking deal!"

"I see it this way. My last talk with Rachel left me emotionally distraught. I felt like a puppy who just had her bone taken away. And you decided to console me, and then..." She paused for dramatic effect, "you took advantage of me."

Jesse, jaw slack, stared at her in disbelief. He had done nothing of the sort and she knew it. "And now you're shifting the blame. You can't keep running away from your problems."

"Honey, right now, my only problem is you. Oh, and I forgot to TiVo Desperate Housewives tonight. Damn. Well, I guess I better rush home and do that," she said with an affirmative nod and stood up. Shelby picked up her bag, propped it onto her shoulder and headed towards the door she had entered just a few minutes ago.

But he stopped her dead.

Jesse had grabbed either side of her upper arms, holding her to directly facing him. She looked ready to kill. "I'm not going to te-" He stopped her mid-sentence, pulled her in and captured her lips with his.

"What the hell is your problem?" she exclaimed, pushing him forcefully away from her and he stumbled backward.

"Don't tell me you didn't feel something."

"Get off your high fucking horse, kiddo," she told him, eyes full of fire-driven anger. "You are half, more than halfmy age."

"So...?"

"So? SO? Are you insane?"

"No, I'm not."

"I'm trying to get over deciding to practically abandon my daughter, and you want to throw this crap on me?"

"I just-"

"Well, you have another thing coming! Because I will-"

"Shelby-"

"-not stand for this! I know that you think that-"

"Shelby-"

"-you are God's gift to women. Well, newsflash! Not this woman, mister!"

"Shelby, will you shut up for one second?"

She stopped her rant, breathing heavily.

"Okay, thank you," he said gratefully. "I'm not trying to pull one over on you. I'm going to go home now, and tomorrow if you want to forget any of this happened then fine. But stop denying everything you feel about yourself, your life, Rachel, even me. Grow up and face your emotions like everyone else."

He let go of his grip on her arms, turned around and left, shutting the door quietly behind him. Jesse knew how patronizing he sounded, and also knew how much she hated that, but someone needed to knock some sense into her. And there weren't too many people around to do that for her.

Shelby stood stunned for a few seconds, staring at the spot he had been moments ago. With a sudden pang of exhaustion flowing through her, Shelby moved back behind her desk and plopped down onto the cushioned chair.

Fuck. He was right. She felt something.

Author's note: So? How is it? Please review! I'm not sure if I'll continue or leave it. Depends on your comments and my muse 3 If I do continue, there will probably be a heavy Shelby/Rachel storyline. I enjoy the mother/daughter dynamic quite a bit.