SCHOOL OF LOVE
A/N: Okay here we go chapter 23! Wow, it amazes me! Sorry it got so long to update! I wanted to do it last week but the site wouldn't let me submit my document. Thanks for the reviews!
slimshadyzlady: Okay, your review made me laugh! The little comments on how Shelby should have tripped Scott with one of her crutches! About Luke & Shelby... um, I guess I see too many tv shows!
Ghostwriter: Thanks girl, I'm really thankful you are still reading the story!
Queen Of Shadows: Thank you for the realiztic comment. Don't you worry about S&S, they're meant to be, even if they take time to realize it (especially Scott, he's rather slow...). I'm glad you like Luke & Shelby though, they find comfort on each other.
RATING: T (just to be sure)
CHARACTERS: Shelby, Alice, Brooke, Wendy, Brian, Jill, Luke, Scott
SUMMARY: AU. Shelby, Wendy, Scott, Brian and the others are all in high school. Walt still exists, but is slightly different in comparison with the show. Elaine happened but is now out of the picture.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the original characters. The others are completely made up, unless my subconscious worked on things I saw on TV or something…
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Three Days Later - Thursday
Alice stopped the car in front of the school and unbuckled her safety belt silently. She looked over at her daughter but this one was watching people through the window, and seemed deep in thoughts. She climbed off the car and walked to the trunk then opened it to take Shelby's schoolbag and crutches. She then walked to Shelby's side, opening the door for her. She handed her the schoolbag first and the teenager put it on her back without any difficulty. It was quite a routine now, everyday the same merry-go-round. She got on her left foot, the one that hadn't any after-effects left and sighed softly. She leaned against her mother and this one helped her with keeping her balance before she handed her the cursed crutches. She knew that she would be able to walk without them from next week on, so that meant she would be in the possibility of going to the Prom… of course, for that she needed a partner; and the only one she wanted with all her heart wasn't available.
"What time must I come to take you back home, honey?" Alice asked her as she turned to close the passenger door. She met her daughter's eyes and this one gave her a small shaking of the head.
"Uh, Luke told me he would bring me back since we have the same periods this afternoon."
"Okay, have a nice day." Alice wished her and Shelby smiled sadly at her. Like a day here, when you have your bestfriend and ex boyfriend mad at you, would be nice…
"You too." Shelby kissed her mother's cheek and Alice got back into the car, ready to leave. She waved at her daughter and started the car. Shelby turned her head as she heard a voice calling her and watched as Brooke walked towards her, kinda out of breath.
"Hey Shelby, you need help with something?" She kindly asked and Shelby looked at her surprised and confused by her behavior. The girl was quite a mystery. She had spent her whole sophomore year to hate her and now was trying to befriend her.
"No, thanks, I think I'll manage." Shelby replied with a small smirk and began walking with her crutches to the school. She needed to go to her locker before her first class.
"So…um, I wanted to talk to you about something." Brooke said slightly hesitant as she watched Shelby looking around.
"Okay?" Shelby only questioned as she met her eyes again.
"You know I'm graduating soon and the ceremony is the day of the Prom." The brunette stated and Shelby nodded, of course she was aware of it, who wasn't in the school? Plus, she supposedly should have gone with Scott…he had asked her a few days before stopping seeing her.
"Yeah, so, why does it concern me?" She asked with a sigh and Brooke pressed her lips together before answering.
"I have that stupid speech to do since I'm class president and head cheerleader."
"And you want help, right?" Shelby guessed quickly. It wasn't like a big surprise. Shelby could write brilliantly, and she had even won an award last year with the writing contest. And Brooke knew it, just like everyone in the school.
"I'd like some, yeah… I mean, only if you have some time to spend on it. I would totally understand if you didn't want…" Brooke rambled and Shelby smiled at the girl's nervousness. It was quite funny to see the determinate, big mouth cheerleader, actually stuttering for some help from a random girl.
"It's fine, okay, I'll help you." Shelby said kindly and Brooke couldn't help but hug her quickly after verifying if there weren't any of her popular friends around.
"Thanks. I better go; Scott's waiting for me in front of the gymnasium."
"Okay."
"So I see you today after class, or during lunch?" Brooke asked and Shelby smiled at her precipitation…she still had at least two weeks to be ready…so where was the rush?
"Um…" Shelby started then paused for a second, thinking of her proposition. "But what about Scott? Won't he be mad if he knows that we're spending time together?"
"I don't give a damn about what Scott will think of it…I kinda have him wrapped around my finger anyway." She answered sarcastically and both girls laughed a little. "Seriously Shelby, don't worry about what happened between you two, I'll make things better between you two, just let me some time to work." Brooke said and Shelby furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"W-what? You mean?" Shelby stuttered and Brooke laughed a little at her confused face.
"I know Scott is with me just to enrage you. Believe me when I say he's not as tender in private as he is when he knows you're watching." Brooke admitted and Shelby closed her eyes for a few milliseconds, thinking she was having a hallucination.
"I don't understand…I thought you liked him?"
"I thought that too… but I took notice I was only in love with his good looks." She said then walked away when she noticed some of her cheerleaders' friends waiting for her.
Wendy leaned against the exterior wall of the school, watching Shelby talking with Brooke Johnson, head cheerleader, class president and Scott's girlfriend. She had always thought that her bestfriend, wait ex-bestfriend, didn't like the girl and wasn't envious at all. That she wasn't that dumb to befriend with the girl that had stolen her own boyfriend. The girl might be mental… Now, she was slightly wondering if it was true. The two seemed particularly cozy and she wondered when that was coming from. Maybe Shelby was trying to get to Scott by using the girl, but again, she didn't believe that twisted version. She felt a weight on her shoulder and looked away from the scene in front of her eyes and looked up at Brian. "Hey baby." She said softly and Brian kissed her forehead gently, and then gazed deeply into her eyes. She kind of avoided his glance and looked around to see if Luke wasn't somewhere around. She let out a breath and looked up at her current boyfriend.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, just fine. You walk me to class?"
"Sure, c'mon." He offered his hand and she took it, biting her lip hesitantly. They began walking to the building and walked past Shelby as they reached the lockers. "Maybe you should try to talk to her?" Brian suggested softly and Wendy rolled her eyes, not believing what she was hearing.
"Are you serious? She almost treated me of slut; I'm not talking before she apologizes to me. And to you too, come to think of it." She said harshly then opened her locker dryly, folding inside like a mad woman.
"Calm down Wendy, I was just suggesting."
"I know you were, but I'm really mad right now…all she does is judging people. Sometimes, she'd better look at herself in a mirror."
"Okay…"
"And besides, you don't now everything about the story, so just don't mind of that business." She said looking up at him. She turned when she heard a sound of a loud laugh and was surprised when she saw her ex boyfriend Luke, with her ex bestfriend Shelby, smiling together. She couldn't believe Shelby would go that low! She knew about her feelings for Luke! How could she steal him from her? And saying she was still hesitating and almost regretting her decision about giving a second chance to Brian… Luke seemed particularly fine with their breakup apparently, uh?
"Looks like they're rather fine with each other…don't you think they'd make a cute couple?" Jill asked from behind and Brian nodded at her, thinking it wouldn't be a big deal. Wendy narrowed her eyes at both of them and stormed out of the corridor, very mad. Jill shrugged at Brian and patted his shoulder. The poor guy, if he knew in what shit he had gotten back… Jill walked over to Shelby and Luke and smiled warmly at them. "Hey you two!" She greeted them and Shelby smiled at her before leaning and kissing her cheeks. Luke only offered her a small smile.
"Hey Jill…what's up?"
"I think Wendy took pretty bad the sight of you two chatting together."
"What did you think? That we both would be miserable without her?" Luke said kind of harshly and Shelby approved with a nod. Jill just shrugged, thinking that they were right but not wanting to take any side, she didn't say anything.
Jess awoke to the sound of a chain saw switched on and rolled over, to check her alarm clock. It was way past noon and here she was still sleeping and feeling so weak! She pulled on a dressing gown and tied it around her waist. She knew her step father was here to 'keep an eye on her' but she was a little afraid of staying alone with the pervert. On the other hand, she was really thirsty and didn't feel any better. She walked into the living room still in her pajamas to find a sleeping Walt laying on the sofa and the TV still on. She switched it off and shook his shoulder a little to wake him.
"Hey baby…sorry, I just dozed off. Do you need anything?"
"Yeah, my throat hurts me and I feel like I still have a temperature." She only said, sitting on the armchair at his left. She had been sick for most of the week and it didn't seem to go better. Alice had called the doctor on Monday but she was still in the same state. Apparently it was only the flu but strangely, the medicine wasn't doing any effect. Walt got up and walked to her, oblivious to the fear present in her eyes as he put his hand on her forehead to check the heat.
"You're definitively fever. Maybe we should call Dr Sloane again?" He suggested and she nodded, letting out a breath as he walked away from her to get the phone. She leaned her head against the back of the seat and closed her eyes as the lights were hurting her eyes. She felt like crap. She didn't hear Walt coming back, only felt his hand touching hers and her eyes shot open. She pulled away and the man looked at her startled. "What is it honey?"
"Just…do not…touch me." She ordered and he smiled a little, had she forgotten that he got immune a few months ago?
"C'mon, you know I'm vaccinated against the flu baby."
"I could careless if you were infected by a virus Walt." She spat and Walt took a step back not understanding why she was acting that harsh towards him.
"What is it Jess?"
"I know Walt; I know everything about your little perverseness." She almost shouted with a vehemence such as Walt almost feared the icy look she sent him. She was beyond any anger, she was enraged.
"Jess…let me explain to you…" He begged her, taking a step ahead. She backed against the wall, shaking with fury.
"I don't want to hear it! Just…do not talk to me again because I can't stand you and your fake smile!" She said then ran out of the room, looking her bedroom door after she closed it. She couldn't believe she had finally let it out… It had relieved her to know that now he knew that she was aware of his crimes.
Scott sat alone at a picnic table at lunch waiting for his girlfriend to show up. They were supposed to have a tête-à-tête and he didn't like being lonely while he could have eaten with his friends guys. The only reason was that when he was alone, the only thoughts in his mind were of Shelby and Elaine. Of course, they weren't sitting in the same category, even if both of them had hurt him badly. Elaine had never brought comfort and love to him, Shelby had. He looked up when he heard a cheerful voice speaking loudly and was particularly astonished when he saw Brooke talking and laughing with Shelby. He couldn't just believe his eyes. When did the two form a friendship? They didn't even know each other properly… Brooke surprised him with a small hello kiss and sat in front of him, and Shelby just avoided his dazed gaze as she stood up.
"Why don't you sit right here, Shelby?" Brooke offered nicely and Shelby replied with a shake of the head. Scott glared at her giving her his "your so dead" look.
"Uh, no thanks." She stuttered looking everywhere but at Scott as this one looked at her intensely. "I better go."
"Why not?" Brooke insisted and all Scott wanted was to tell her to shut the hell up. But he decided against, just waiting for Shelby's answer. Brooke really didn't see she was causing just more damage than there already was. Imagine the funny lunch it would be with a tension like this one filling in the air.
"I eat with a friend today. So, when do we meet?" What friend? Scott thought to himself, frowning without realizing. Daisy was ill and Jill was eating with Wendy and his ex bestfriend Brian.
"What about in half an hour, in front of the library?"
"Ok, fine, see you." Shelby answered quietly and looked up, meeting her ex-boyfriend eyes. She was on the verge of crying but knew how to hold back her tears. Scott noticed her eyes watering and was slightly becoming mad…and not at Shelby but at Brooke. Why the hell had she brought her to their table and what was that thing between them? All he wanted to do right now was to apologize to Shelby, take her in his arms and tell her everything would be alright. But his pride got the upper hand and he slightly narrowed his eyes at her. She broke the gaze almost immediately after and walked away, towards another table where a guy was already sat at. Scott scrutinized the scene with great interest and was deeply confused when he saw the guy was no other than Luke, Wendy's ex. What were the two doing together? Scott felt his chest tightened with jealousy and turned his head when he felt Brooke's eyes on him.
"What was that?" He harshly asked the brown haired girl who just shook her head.
"Nothing, I was just wondering if things would be okay with you if I worked with Shelby for my speech." She almost asked and knew his decision wouldn't be positive.
"Why didn't you ask me about it? I could have provided some good help, even better."
"Shelby won the award at the writing contest last year, honey. So sorry to tell you but really, I doubt you're better than her."
"C'mon, you don't want to feel like you're reading a literature masterpiece when you do your speech! It just wouldn't seem like you at all."
"What that's supposed to mean Scott?"
"Just that people know you aren't good at writing or anything academic by the way. You should do something that looks like you. You know it doesn't fit you to appear serious and all smart." He blurted out before even realizing his words had to hurt.
"Wait a minute Scott; you think I'm stupid or what?"
"I didn't say that." He mumbled, thinking she was taking his remark a little too far that he intended to. All he wanted was that she'd realize that working with Shelby wasn't really needful for her speech to be powerful.
"But you implied it!" She shouted and Scott cringed as she made a small show of herself, knowing she was overreacting. "You know what? I want every person of my family and my friends to be proud of me when I do that speech and about that matter of reflecting my personality, do not worry." She said angrily and got up on her feet, taking her schoolbag and throwing it over her shoulder. "I'm gonna finish eating with my friends." She added, emphasizing the last two words dryly. She then left not even letting him the time to argue or apologize. She knew he wouldn't, it wasn't his way of acting, he was just too proud. Scott looked around and noticed some people were observing them. He just shook his head and got up as well, and threw his food in the garbage before walking to the parking lot. Since he had some time before him, he was going to take a quick visit to his mother. He really needed some good advice on how to act in the society of girls… He didn't want to hurt or be cold with Brooke; he just didn't know how to act around her. She was always so cheerful and nice that he was annoying. And this new friendship with Shelby was just strange.
Luke watched her from afar, as she stood in the bench probably waiting for Brian to show up. She looked like lost in her thoughts but sad also. There was that look in her eyes that told him she didn't want what she had even if she had asked for. He noticed she didn't even have her nails made, and her curls weren't done properly. She had always been the one to take care of her appearance, even if it was sometimes overly. Wasn't she supposed to be the one happy to be in love and being loved back? She had broken things with him because Brian was better than him, right? So why looking like she regrets her decision? "She looks lonely." He stated out loud and Shelby followed his gaze through the window. She couldn't believe that after everything that he had gone through with Wendy, he would still look at her with adoration in the eyes.
"No Luke, she doesn't. C'mon, you promised you wouldn't do that to yourself." She almost whined and couldn't help but felt the same about Scott. The two had made a pact. They would prevent themselves from being hurt again by those two people and would move on. Let's say it was easier to tell than acting upon it. She buckled her safety belt and watched him closely.
"I'm sorry; I just can't get over the breakup. It's really unfair." He sighed sadly and she nodded, as she perfectly knew it was true. He tore his eyes away from her and looked at the girl sitting next to him, looking at him expectantly. Wendy had made him believe that she was feeling the same about their relationship and…poof the other guy kisses her and she decides she'd be better off with him. It was really immature and low and worthless.
"I know." She said then patted his leg trying to provide him some comfort. He smiled at her a small smile and started the car, hitting on the petal gas.
"I'm sure she's not happy with him, she can't be. What do you think?" He asked unsure and she swallowed a little before answering evasively.
"I think you should stop thinking about her. This isn't good for you and she doesn't deserve it." Neither of them deserves it…, she thought as Scott came into her mind.
"Okay." He let out a sigh and kept his eyes fixed on the road. "So what do you wanna talk about?" He asked as the vision of the school disappeared from the mirror view. Shelby bit her bottom lip softly. There were so many things they could talk about…except the subjects that touched from close or afar Scott or Wendy.
"I dunno…" She shrugged and forced herself to stop reflecting on her feelings towards Wendy or Scott.
"What about your newfound friendship with the great Brooke Johnson? I would have never seen it coming." He inquired and she smiled as she could discern some jeering in his voice.
"We're not friends. We're just acquaintance. She's being nice with me because she needs my help with her speech for graduation day." She simply answered and he nodded doubtfully.
"Yeah okay, but don't you feel it a bit strange though? The girl's never been nice with you before, from what I've heard."
"People change." She suggested and he could easily tell she was really thinking what she was saying. Why the hell did she have to hurt herself even more by working with the new girlfriend of her ex, whom she was still deeply attached to? Was it some kind of punishment?
"Right." Luke smirked at her naivety and stopped when they reached the traffic lights. "C'mon, don't you find it a little queer?"
"No, I think it just took her two years to realize I wasn't her enemy." Luke only shrugged but couldn't help but being suspicious about the whole situation his friend was in. Befriending with the new girlfriend of her ex wasn't what he would call very smart. Shelby switched on the radio and hit upon one of her favorite songs of Coldplay, The Scientist. Silence hung down in the car as they both concentrated themselves on the lyrics of the song.
Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry,
You don't know how lovely you are,
I had to find you, tell you I need ya,
And tell you I set you apart,
Tell me your secrets, and ask me your questions,
Oh lets go back to the start,
Running in circles, coming in tails,
Heads on a science apart,
Shelby closed her eyes for a second, keeping her tears away from Luke as they passed Susan's bookshop. It had to hurt. Shelby hadn't set foot in the shop again since Scott's and hers spilt up. She found it quite inappropriate since she had been the one responsible of that drama. If she had told someone about Wendy's pregnancy, maybe things wouldn't have been the same… she tended to think they would have been better, but who knew really?
Nobody said it was easy,
It's such a shame for us to part,
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be this hard,
Oh take me back to the start
Luke knew what Shelby was thinking about, it was like evident: Scott, Wendy, the only ones that had always taken a big part in her life and counted like nobody else except her family. He knew their ties were strong even if it wasn't obvious right now. Before becoming friends with Wendy and Shelby, as he was watching them from afar, he had always noticed of how they seemed just comfortable with each other. They knew everything about each other and that were too many small secrets and lies that had destroyed that trust.
I was just guessing at numbers and figures,
Pulling the puzzles apart,
Questions of science, science and progress,
Do not speak as loud as my heart,
And tell me you love me, come back and haunt me,
Oh and I rush to the start,
Running in circles, chasing tails,
Coming back as we are
Luke looked over at her again. He wondered how she could be in love with a jackass like Scott Barringer. He didn't know him much but he perfectly knew he certainly didn't deserve her attention, and even less her affection. How come so many girls were attracted to him when all he got was a bad attitude and swinging moods? How come his own father was almost idolizing the guy only because he had some skills in football? Was the world spinning madly on?
Nobody said it was easy,
Oh it's such a shame for us to part,
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be so hard,
I'm going back to the start
Shelby finally stopped daydreaming when she realized they had almost reached her house. The song had ended a while before but she couldn't help but refusing to believe Wendy and hers friendship was over, just as Scott and she were. It couldn't be…you can't throw away a lifetime of friendship in a few days even with valuable reasons. She had seen Wendy at school today while this one had avoided her and she knew that if she wasn't hurt by their 'separation', she'd be able to look at her in the eye. "Thanks for the ride home Luke." She mumbled quietly and he nodded, taking her hand in his and stroking it softly. She didn't why, but she felt weird at that second. She looked into his eyes and noticed the desperation in his eyes. She didn't want to leave him like this. "You wanna come inside for a few?"
"No, I better go back home. My mom's waiting for me; I have to drive her to the mall." He explained and she nodded, unbuckling her belt, their fingers now laced together. She placed a kiss on his cheek for moral support and hugged him tightly.
"Thanks for being a great friend Luke." She almost whispered and pulled back a little to look at him in the eye. "I really appreciate your support." She finished with a tiny smile. She noticed he wasn't smiling back but gazing at her lips as she talked. He inched his lips closer to hers and since she didn't want to be blunt with him, or hurt his feelings, she only stood where she was, closing her eyes in anticipation. She was hoping inside that he would realize that what he was about to do was wrong…
Loved that part? Then review please! It only takes 30 seconds of your time and it'd make me really happy.
Ch.24: Shelby's not so happy birthday, hey! She gets a special present, Repercussions of the 'kiss' between S&L, Wendy cheating on Brian again , Some S&S…