So...I don't think any other author has done it as bad as I have..Because it's been now 4 years since this story was updated (I feel I deserve to get a medal for being a female jerk). I felt really bad at first,giving up on a story. But I thought that with time, people would realise it had been discontinued and wouldn't even look at it twice. But from time to time, I'd get mail saying someone had followed or favorited. And I couldn't understand. Still can't. I'm really only doing this because Kate Smith1666 asked to have the ending and I think maybe some other people might want it too. As I tried to get the plot back in mind, I realised the ending's in a few chapters, which I will be trying to upload as soon as I can. It's been 4 years and obviously, the writing style isn't the same. I accept all criticism on: 1) The story and writing style 2) The "Gave up on the story but suddenly rewriting it" thing.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Scooby Doo universe.
Also, this chapter's mostly a development of Shaggy and Velma's relationship.
CHAPTER 7 :Le Calme Avant La Tempête
At lunch time, Velma entered the cafeteria, butterflies fluttering madly in her stomach. To her own shame, she had actually touched up in the girls' bathroom before getting here, tucking every single brand of wayward brown hair back in place. She began to loathe the nervousness she felt and wished she could just digest the butterflies in her stomach, already. If only they weren't metaphorical butterflies. Sighing, she began nervously searching around for Shaggy. As her brown eyes passed every face that wasn't Shaggy's handsome one, her own insecurities began to take control of her. What if she had actually heard him wrong and he didn't want to have lunch with her? Or maybe was it that he wanted to have lunch with her, but only not today, but rather tomorrow!? Velma felt that she would hit rock bottom and leave the cafeteria in...3...2...1...
As she turned to leave, her face alight with disappointment, a warm voice she could recognise only too well boomed, and she felt a strong arm drape around her shoulders, steering her in the cafeteria once again. "Hey! Going already?" came Shaggy's voice, quite loudly, to Velma's taste. "I never thought you were one to let people down." Joked Shaggy, a kind smile illuminating his face.
All the while, the short bespectacled girl had said nothing, as she had been busy concentrating on two very important things related to the one Shaggy Rogers. Number 1 was that, Yes! Indeed, she was having lunch with him, today, at this very moment. Number 2 was that she had just made an exquisite discovery; Shaggy Rogers smelt heavenly, like spices and everything awesome in the world. In the distance, Velma could almost hear her grandmother cackling and saying in a toothless grin: "This one's a keeper, girl! If I'd been a few years younger..."
Shaking the image from her head, Velma followed Shaggy and after having laden both of their trays with food, Shaggy ushered his companion to a free table. He was about to sit opposite her, when, in a flash, he came by her side to pull her chair.
Velma's cheeks reddened subtly and she felt it was just a bit ridiculous for high schoolers to do this kind of thing, but somehow, somewhere, she could tell that if she let her lips crack into a smile now, she would be smiling till her cheeks hurt. Opposite her, Shaggy was smiling apologetically, telling her that his mum wouldn't let him live life peacefully if she knew he had almost failed to pull a girl's chair. Velma promised not to tell her any day, and so, they both broke into smiles.
A few minutes into their meal, after Shaggy had stuffed his face with French fries, he began talking.
"So...Isn't Rogers gonna be upset that I stole his friend for lunch?" he asked, half-jokingly, half-seriously.
"He had to skip lunch because of the rehearsal for the big football game in a few weeks, actually. I'm pretty sure Daphne's there, too. Because the cheerleaders need to be there as well, I heard." Informed Velma, and as she did so, she unconsciously sat a little stiffly, almost mimicking the composure of a news presenter.
Noticing this change, Shaggy couldn't help but let out a ripple of laughter, before saying, easily, with a smile:" Hey, relax, are all those preparations for prom stressing you out already?"
"Oh...Ah, no, not at all." Said Velma, in a way which she thought was very stupid. "I'm...quite good at planning stuff. That's how I can actually turn in most of Doneaulieu's work."
"Mind you, she does give loads of those. You'd think we had done her wrong in a previous life or something..." replied Shaggy, thinking crossly about the times he'd had to write: "Je suis un mauvais eleve. Je ne rend pas mes devoirs. Je rendrai mes devoirs a temps a l'avenir." , a thousand times or so, as punishment for not turning in one stupid essay or another on the French revolution.
Velma laughed a little at that and Shaggy couldn't help but think the sound was actually adorable. As if enraptured, Shaggy smiled dumbly at her too, eagerly conversing with her.
After shoving a seemingly impossible amount of French fries in his mouth, and thankfully gulping it all down, Shaggy figured they'd better talk about all that prom preparation they were supposed to be doing, as best friends to Fred and Daphne. After all, he really wanted to do all he could for his Daph'.
"So...Who are you going to prom with?" asked Shaggy innocently. "Okay,wait, WHAT!? What happened to doing all you could for your Daph'!? Where did that question even come from? That is NOT prom preparation talk! That's bordering Will-you-go-to-prom-with-me talk!" thought Shaggy, internally scolding himself as soon as the question slipped past his lips.
If Velma had been drinking her coke at that moment, she would have choked and sprayed it all over Shaggy. So at that moment, she was thanking the lord that she'd only touched her food so far. Really, she was deeply thankful for that. But her embarrassment still showed in another way; indeed, her cheeks were as red as roses could be, and while Shaggy was embarrassed that he had made her embarrassed, he just couldn't help a small smile from gracing his lips. She was so cute.
Chestnut-brown eyes looking down, Velma managed to quietly reply that she didn't have anyone to go with yet.
"Eh, well, let me know if you're still free so we can-" started Shaggy, but as soon as he noticed Velma's almost bulging eyes, he quickly tried to reassure her; "Only as friends, though! You...You see, I too, don't have anyone to go with. I...I'd have gone with Daph', but...you know" He said quickly, though he relaxed near the end of his sentence and smiled almost conspiratorially at her.
At that moment, a sort of warmth made its way through Velma's veins. It wasn't the warmth of a blush...It was just like hot, liquid happiness pumping through her veins, making her smile easily, letting her be more comfortable around the boy who sat opposite her. The very same boy who had just nearly done what people would call "Asking someone out". And the someone happened to be her. Never and when she said never, she meant never, would she have imagined being nearly asked out by Shaggy Rogers that morning when she had come to school. But there she was.
With a true, warm smile, Velma nodded, showing that she understood what he meant perfectly. And with that, they talked about the prom, and the ameliorations they'd make to it, or how rotten it would have been if they had just let the organising committee do it. Shaggy, being as popular as he was, would easily convince the committee to let him bring some improvements to the prom decorations and what not.
Somehow, all the way through their conversation, the two of them laughed about every little thing, finding hilarious whatever the other had said. Both of them noticed that they were being given weird looks, probably because they were such an odd match, but neither of them seemed to care. To Velma's inward pleasure, Shaggy had absolutely no qualms about being seen with her, even going as far as confirming to a curious girl whom Shaggy knew that Velma was his new friend with whom he'd be hanging out much more in days to come.
As lunch ended, both teenagers exited the cafeteria, their plan for making the prom night an unforgettable moment for their friends already laid down. On other notes, Shaggy thought that going to prom with Velma was something he was looking forward to, and found himself wishing that no one would invite her in the days to come; because he realised he wanted to be the one to buy her a corsage that matched the colour of her dress. Boy wasn't he in trouble.
