More than
Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby Doo or any of the characters
Chapter 2
More than Science
A/N: Velma's thoughts are in italics.
Velma Dinkley was labeled the 'smart one' which she loved. She was glad to have that as her title and lived up to it. She studied science: astrophysics, biology, chemistry, anything she could get her hands on, really. She was the top of the class in both high school and college. She ended up being Valedictorian for both as well. She ended up graduating two years early. She loved science, but there was one thing she loved more than science: Norville 'Shaggy' Rogers.
At first she was embarrassed to even have a crush on him because he was always eating and didn't have any table manners. Not to mention that he was unbelievably immature. Then he started to get more mature, his table manners improved slightly, and they became better friends. That little crush then became love.
She loved that even though he was one of the biggest cowards she'd ever known, that if one of the other members of the gang was captured he'd forget his fear and became one of the bravest people she'd ever known. She loved that he had such a big heart and was so sweet. She loved that he could make friends with just about anyone, and she loved that he loved animals.
She knew things about him that she doubted he knew she knew. She knew that his favorite color was blue, but he never wore it out of respect for Fred always wearing it. She knew that he could write songs and sing really well. Around the campfire and in the back of the Mystery Machine, he didn't sing that well because they were just messing around, but every night when he thought everyone else was asleep he'd sing Scooby a lullaby that he'd written for him to go to sleep to. Apparently Scooby couldn't sleep unless he sang it. Velma always pretended to be asleep so that she could hear it too. She knew the real reason why he became a vegetarian (A/N: Casey Kasem, the voice actor for Shaggy became a vegetarian and insisted that his character do the same.)
He had told the gang that he just needed a change, but she knew the real reason. He had inherited a meat-packing plant from an obscure relative of his. It came with three slaughterhouses. He went to go see it so he could do what he had to, but he saw some of the animals being slaughtered and then packaged into the meat products. He ended up selling the land; he had them tear down both the meat-packing plant and the slaughterhouses after finding the workers other jobs. He never ate meat again. The first few times the gang ate meat after that, he'd have to leave the room and throw up.
Velma followed him one of these times and found out the whole story. He told her that it made him think of the slaughterhouses and all the noises and blood that came with it. She was glad that she hadn't seen it, but sad that he'd had to. She was impressed that he'd thought to find the workers other jobs before having the place torn down. He couldn't sleep that whole week. She knew because she could hear him tossing and turning. She didn't do anything about it then, but she did when it came to Crystal.
Crystal was this girl that Shaggy really liked. She ended up being an alien of all things. Shaggy put on a brave face and it seemed like only a few minutes before both Scooby and Shaggy were back to their old selves again. At night though, she could hear him tossing and turning. She decided that she wasn't going to sit back and do nothing this time around. She went into Shaggy's room and watched movies with him. They'd have popcorn fights and pillow fights. Then she went in there one night and he was sleeping like a baby. Shaggy really was back to his normal self. He did the same thing with her when it came to Ben.
Ben Ravencroft was her favorite author. She had developed a huge crush on him and was so excited to be invited to help him solve a mystery. She had read all of his books at least a dozen times and talked to him in his car on the way up to his place. She solved the mystery as they always did, but this one didn't have a happy ending for her. He used her for his own personal gain and then made fun of her for her interest in him. She was glad he was locked in that book. She acted like nothing happened, like she didn't care one bit. She and the gang performed with the Hex girls and it was fun. She even went so far as to purposefully bore Fred and Daphne with scientific breakthroughs.
When it was all said and done though, she hurt. She was in so much emotional pain that she felt it physically. That night she let herself go over the events again and then she cried. Velma tried to cry quietly, having been the strong, somewhat emotionless one of the group, never letting anything get to her. Shaggy must have heard her because one minute she was crying softly into her pillow and the next she was sobbing into Shaggy's chest.
The next day she pretended like everything was alright again. She stayed home while Fred and Daphne went out and did something. Shaggy had decided not to go either, but she wasn't sure if that was because he really didn't want to go or because he wanted to keep an eye on her. While he was busy preparing something in the kitchen, she gathered up all of her Ben Ravencroft books and took them outside. She could have sold them she supposed, but she felt this would make her feel better. Soon she had a massive fire going and was throwing the books in one by one. Shaggy came over to her and smiling said, "You can't have a bonfire without roasting marshmallows. You dropped one of your fire starters." He handed her another Ben Ravencroft book that must have fallen from her pile, then she, Shaggy, and Scooby Doo all roasted marshmallows. When Fred and Daphne came back there was no sign that a fire had ever been there.
He came in and held her that night as well and for the whole rest of the week. He never said anything, just held her until she stopped crying. She had told him that she was fine after that. She didn't want to become a burden to him no matter how good it felt to be in his arms. It took her about another month to completely get over what happened, but it had another affect on her as well. She could no longer believe that anybody could have an interest in her without an ulterior motive of some kind.
Shaggy wasn't intending to go to college at all, but Velma pointed out that if the gang were to split up for some reason that he'd want to have something to fall back on. He reluctantly agreed that she had a point. He went to the local community college and got his AA degree. He decided that he wanted to go to Culinary Arts school. He became the number one student there impressing the instructor so much that he helped him get his own restaurant. His grand opening was in three months. She was so proud of him. It was a black tie event.
The whole gang was invited. She was excited. Velma had already bought a dress for the event, of course it was orange. She wasn't really planning on doing anything special with hair and makeup. She didn't get off on it as Daphne did.
She had asked Shaggy who he planned to ask to be his date for the grand opening, and he said that he was hoping that she would be. She said yes of course.
(A/N: Daphne and Fred are going to be a little out-of-character and mean for this conversation.)
She was content until she overheard a conversation between Fred and Daphne. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but once she heard her name she was curious. "Shaggy asked Velma to be his date to the grand opening." Daphne began conversationally.
"Of course he did. This way he doesn't have to actually look for someone to go with." Fred said.
"What do you mean Freddy?" Daphne asked curiously.
"I just mean that Velma is an obvious choice for him to pick because it's not like she's gonna get another date. So there's no work involved in him finding a date."
"That's not nice. How do you know she wouldn't get a date?"
"But it's true. Every guy that's shown an interest in her has only liked her for her brain." So I have to be pretty to get a date? Velma thought.
"What about that guy at Little Moose? He thought she was good-looking."
"Daphne, he was psychotic." So only someone who is psychotic can think I'm good-looking?
"What's that supposed to mean?" Daphne asked.
"I just mean that Velma isn't beautiful. Maybe if she didn't always cover herself up so much that you can barely see her and didn't have glasses that take up half her face." So just because I'm modest, I'm ugly?
"I think Velma could be beautiful if she did her hair differently and wore a little makeup. I just wish she'd take a little initiative."
"I don't think Velma could be pretty if she tried. She probably covers herself up like that because she doesn't have a figure at all." Fred said. That was when Velma left. How dare they! I'll show them. They'll be eating their words.
She immediately ran upstairs and got the dress that she'd gotten for the opening. She had some shopping to do.