SCHOOL OF LOVE

A/N: Okay, so this chapter is way longer than the old one. I still hope you enjoy it!

RATING: T (just to be sure)

CHARACTERS: Shelby, Scott, Wendy, Brian, Brooke, Coach Turner

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 ONE

Two Months after the Prologue

Monday

Sixteen year old Shelby Merrick walked quietly into the empty corridor, in search of her bestfriend who she was supposed to join to eat lunch. It was a whole new school year and they weren't having the same classes anymore. She smiled to herself and stopped as a person opened the door from the other side of the corridor. The guy didn't even look up at her and brushed past her, carrying an apparently deep conversation on the phone. She shook her head at his rudeness and continued walking smiling brightly. She noticed her shoes were making an annoying squeak and looked down at the floor, gratefully surprised that it had been cleaned up during the two months holiday. It was something you didn't see often, a clean floor in this school was like a miracle. Vanished were the pellets of dust under the heaters and the footmarks incrusted on the floor. She was even more satisfied when she finally spotted her bestfriend sitting on a table, waiting for her. "Hey Shel, you're just right on time!" Wendy cheerfully exclaimed then smiled big at her bestfriend.

"You know me; I always manage to be punctual. So, how were your first periods?" Shelby asked as she watched her friend climbing down from the table and pulling back her vest on. Wendy smirked at her and pulled her hair in a high ponytail. She passed a hand on her head to see if there were any humps and let out a loud sigh.

"Boring without you to entertain me with your funny notes…and well you see the teachers…just as stupid as the ones we had last year. Oh, in fact, I even have Everson this afternoon…I wonder when he's going to take his retirement." Wendy said with annoyance. That teacher hated her almost as much as she did him.

"Yeah…hey, tell me, how are we going to do with our meal? I mean, they didn't deliver our cards yet?" Shelby asked her as they walked to the building which was a few meters away from the campus.

"Yeah I know. Well, I guess they aren't going to do anything since it's their fault. Anyway, it's always the same with the administration. They're never ready for the D-day." Wendy shrugged, following her friend as she was walking quicker than her. She actually was almost running.

"I hope food won't be too bad today. You won't believe how hungry I am!" Shelby said and at the same moment, her tummy made a funny noise. The two friends giggled a little and Shelby rubbed her hands against each other in an attempt to warm herself.

"I think I can imagine. Could you just slackening your space please? I'm already having a hard time walking with those shoes and that's when I'm only walking." Wendy had decided to wear those hideous shoes with compensating heels against her mother's opinion. Shelby didn't like them very much either. They were orange and she hated that colour. And she thought it was shoes for hookers. And additionally, Wendy was now higher than her and that was very disturbing. She always had been higher than her friend. "I heard they enlarged the dining room while we were on holiday." Wendy informed as the building finally came into view.

"Oh, weren't it because we were too many people last year by any chance?" Shelby ironically asks her bestfriend, zipping up her coat as she felt a light breath hit her bare neck. She wore a nice black top with very thin suspenders and a pair of her old favourite jeans she only let Wendy borrow. She also put sneakers on her feet because she knew Scott liked sportive girls.

"You guessed! Scott told me it was only because we're now opening our doors to the students of Greenwood." Greenwood was the high school with the best reputation of the city. Everybody wanted to go there. Scott had had a chance to go last year, thanks to his good grades and above all his football skills. But he had refused contrary to all expectations, pretending he didn't want to only change for his last year.

"Oh, really? Greenwood…"

"Yeah and apparently some of the guys coming from there look particularly cute." Wendy said with excitation. Shelby smiled a bit but wasn't very interested in any other boys than Scott Barringer.

"I wonder how you would know and I'm sure that's not Scott who told you that." Shelby said, as they reached the large grey building. It looked so different from the thing that had been taking place during the years before.

"Of course not! He doesn't even know about Ben and me." Wendy sheepishly said, and Shelby smiled at her comment. Ben was one of the Barringer's neighbours. Wendy had hooked up with him several times during the summer while Scott had left to play football championships in all the country. Scott didn't know about it and Wendy hadn't dared to tell him because she knew he wouldn't have a good reaction. Ben was older than Wendy of two years and was well more experienced. They had made love together, and it had been Wendy's first time.

"Well, he better not find out or you'll be sequestered in your room for the rest of our life." Shelby said with a hint of seriousness. Scott was known by everyone to be over protective towards his two sisters. And even if Harmony was only 14, he was already keeping a close watch on her. Luckily, when Scott was taking it too far, Martin and Susan knew how to calm him. After all, it was their job and not him to take care and raise their children.

"The only two persons who know about my summer are Daisy and you. Ben isn't stupid, he wouldn't tell him. Me neither. Daisy doesn't even talk to Scott. And you would not either, right?"

"You can trust me. I don't even know why I would tell him…heck, I don't even know if I'm going to talk to him again after what happened this summer." Shelby sadly said. The only thing she wanted was his apologies for his behaviour and yet nothing had come out of his irresistible mouth.

"Yep, I still wonder what happened with him…I mean, I know you two are close and that he considers you like his third sister but he had never acted this way towards the other boyfriends you had." Wendy confusedly said, trying to find out why her brother had gotten so angry when knowing Shelby had a boyfriend. He had completely destroyed Shelby and the guy's relationship.

"Maybe he just didn't like him?" Shelby suggested with a small smile, not really convinced about it.

"Or maybe he likes you?" The brown haired girl proposed, thinking it looked more like jealousy that protectiveness.

"Wendy! He's your brother for god's sake. And I know him since I'm five!" Shelby exclaimed with a look of disgust. Though, the feeling of having Scott's arms around her had never brought recoil to her. In fact she had dreamed of it thousands and thousands times. But she would never admit it out loud.

"Well, I want you to promise me something: if he ever asks you about going out or anything, you refuse."

"Of course." Shelby replied like it was evident.

"I mean it. He isn't the type of guy a girl like you should frequent. I love him and he's my brother but I know him well enough to know his intentions with girls are only physical." Wendy explained, biting her bottom lip softly. She didn't like bringing a bad image of her brother but when it came to her bestfriend's happiness… The two girls stopped in front of the entrance, looking up at the board where the menu was written.

"You mean he only wants girls for sex?" Shelby asked a bit disappointed. She knew Wendy wouldn't say something like this without having good reasons.

"You got it, girl." Wendy only answered before she opened the door and found herself in front of her own brother. The world was small, very small.

"Hey bro." Wendy greeted the tall blonde guy then stepped aside for Shelby to do the same.

"Di, I didn't know you were eating at this hour today." Scott said, calling her by her pet's name that was only reserved to her family. Even Shelby didn't have that privilege.

"How would you? I only got my timetable this morning, moron." She insulted him with a small smirk and shook her head amused.

"Yeah right…how stupid of me." Scott teasingly smirked back at his sister then moved forward to let some people enter as they were blocking the entrance. That's when he noticed Shelby standing behind his sister. "Hi Shelby." He tentatively tried, knowing she was still mad at him about their 'disagreement' of the summer. He apprehensively smiled at her hoping she wouldn't ignore him.

"Scott." Shelby coldly nodded then took her meal tray and walked into the line, waiting for her turn to be served. She left Wendy talking with her brother alone.

"She's still angry, isn't she?" Scott winced a bit, as he questioned his little sister.

"Of course she is. God Scott, you didn't even try to apology to her. How do you think it makes her feel?" Wendy questioned him, throwing her hands in the air in annoyance.

"I don't know…" He answered her, slightly puzzled by her excessive behaviour. It wasn't that big of deal, after all…

"She's very sad of not talking to you anymore." Wendy said, calming down a little.

"She is?" Scott answered with surprise. He didn't think Shelby would care so much about their relationship.

"Of course, she likes you, even though you are a jerk most of the time." She teased him and he slightly hit her on the arm. She rubbed it, her eyes scowling playfully at him.

"Tell her I'm sorry then." He pleadingly demanded her, as he wasn't really good for apologies and didn't want to. He was still sure to be right about Lex. This guy only wanted the sex, and that was why he had broken up with Shelby after Scott had warned him he better stayed correct with her.

"Why don't you do it yourself? I'm not your personal slave." She retorted, placing a glass and cutlery on her tray. Scott did the same and followed her; still pondering about the reasons why he had reacted the way he had when he had first learned that Shelby had a boyfriend.

"Very nice sis. Hey, did you get your pass for the canteen?" He wondered, as he finally realized he didn't have his canteen card yet.

"No." Wendy said, then took a look at the first courses and took a crisp salad.

"How are they going to make us pay then?" He asked again, taking fish fritters for first course.

"How would I know? I don't work here in case you haven't noticed. I suppose they're just going to take our names like last year." She answered rather harshly. Scott took a step back, a little taken aback by her cold tone. He glared at her with a 'what's wrong with you?' look and watched as she titled her head in direction of Brooke, Scott's ex girlfriend. Scott turned his head back to his sister and ignored the girl.

"You're probably right. What are you taking? Chicken or that meat which looks like nothing I ever saw?"

"None of this…I'll take vegetables please." Wendy said to a waiter. Scott followed and took a bit of all of what was proposed: Chicken, beans, pastas and catsup.

"Well, I better go, my friends are waiting." Scott said as they passed the cashier. He gave his name and walked to the table where the senior football players were gathered together. They made room for him, and he sat, looking past his table and noticing where Wendy, Shelby and their friends were sitting. Shelby looked up at the same time and their eyes met for a second, before she looked away embarrassed that she had been caught staring.

"Hey man, what's up with your sister's bestfriend?" Brian asked sitting in front of him and turning to look at the picnic table where Wendy, Shelby, Goth girl and others were sitting after their last period. They would have to go to practice soon but were enjoying the last bits of sunshine outside. He offered the girls a small smile and Wendy giggled a little, nudging Shelby in the ribs. He read 'shut up' on Shelby's lips and turned back to look at his bestfriend when he heard him answer his question.

"What? What are you talking about?" Scott asked, slightly taken aback.

"I don't know, you just seem like you're…I don't know…maybe regretting what you did last summer." Brian suggested only receiving a cold glare from him. If looks could kill…then he's be six feet under for sure.

"What are you talking about?"

"Shelby, Lex, the whole 'don't go out with him' and all the jealousy growing inside of you." Brian explained with a knowing smile and Scott just shook his head his eyes wide open by his friend's statements.

"I wasn't jealous at all, believe me." He answered with a confident look. But Brian didn't buy it. He had been with him all summer and could tell their relationship was beyond friendship. Scott had been so depressed and hot-tempered when he had known that Shelby had a boyfriend…

"Really? So what, only slightly over protective?" Brian asked then laughed at the face Scott made. They both heard commotion and saw Wendy, Shelby and some of the others made their way inside. Brian noticed Scott's eyes linger on Shelby and smiled to himself.

"Just being a good friend she could rely on." Scott answered after a small pause.

"Right." Brian said sarcastically and let out a small laugh.

"You think this is funny?" Scott asked slightly mad at him.

"Look, I know you like her a lot, and I think it's pretty cool. I could hook up with Wendy and we'll go on double dates…" He suggested joking, and even if he thought it wasn't a bad idea, he wasn't going to tell his friend. He didn't want to end like Daniel, Wendy's last boyfriend…

"Really funny."

"I know, I know… Why don't you admit you find her attractive and move on? You're just the stubborn guy I know…or is it dread?" Brian teased him and he showed him a little as they got up.

"No, I'm not a coward okay? Besides, if I don't say a thing, it's because I know I don't deserve a girl like her."

"C'mon, it's so obvious you two are both attracted to each other. And I personally think you'd make a cute couple." Brian added and Scott just laughed at him, narrowing his eyes at the same time.

"How gay of you…why don't you just mind of your own business and let me live my life as I want?" He asked and Brian shrugged, following him inside the building.

"Okay, that was just an opinion, no need to be on the defensive like this."

"Why don't we go to practice? It's almost time anyway." Scott proposed, trying to change the topic.

"K. Hey, look who's coming right in front…the lovely Brooke Johnson escorted by her crowd." Brian muttered and Scott swore under his breath annoyingly.

"Hey Scotty, hey Livingston." Brooke greeted with a cheerful smile. Scott forced a smile while Brian just rolled his eyes at her antics. He hated her and it was above all physical. He didn't know why, he just couldn't talk to her. He detested her not only because of her looks…actually her attitude was even worse.

"Brooke, what a great surprise! How was your summer?" Scott played and Brian cursed 'slut' under his breath. Brooke heard him and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fine, slightly boring without you but well, I was so dying to see you again! How was your football camp? I heard you only came here to spend some weekends with your family?" Brooke asked as if she was interested at all. Scott leaned against the wall and noticed a new girl in her crowd. She was particularly cute and could be the one to push Shelby out of his mind, even if it was for a short time… She had long wavy blond hair and hazel brown eyes. There was probably something about her and he would find out what.

"Yeah, I did. And the camp was great and we had fun, didn't we Brian?"

"Oh yeah, very much fun indeed." Brian answered then left to drop his books in his locker. He was so thankful to have escaped from the freaky girls that he began chuckling to himself.

"That's great. I hope to see you again." He heard Brooke say before she grabbed her things, ready to leave for cheerleading practice.

"Okay, bye." Scott replied, with a fake smile.

"Not bye, soon." She added, placing a hand on his chest. Scott rolled his eyes at her and she pulled her hand away from his body.

"That's it." Scott muttered then turned and caught up with Brian. "Brian, you are an ass."

"Sorry, what did you just say?"

"You heard. Look, I know you don't like her…"

"As you do…"

"Okay, it's not a reason to let me deal ALONE with her and her slutty friends." He complained and Brian laughed, holding the gymnasium door for him.

"Sorry, I just can't help myself. Everytime I see them, I want to spit in their pretty too much made up faces. Imagine when I hear their voices…" Brian started then stopped when they found themselves in front of their coach. "Hey coach, what's up?" Brian innocently said as he well known the coach Turner had just heard them talking about his cheerleaders.

"Leave and go change Livingston. Barringer, we have to talk." He ordered with a loud voice.

"I'll see you…or maybe not, Scott." Brian grinned then left to change in the locker room just as did the other guys.

"What's up coach? Did I do something wrong?" Scott asked and the coach smiled at him. They both stood right beside the door and the coach patted his shoulder.

"What do you plan on doing not this but next Saturday?"

"I really have no idea. I mean, I don't succeed in planning a date a day before, imagine two weeks from now. Why?" He asked as his interest began interested by the coach question.

"The coach from USC Trojans Football is coming up next Saturday and I wanted to know if you were interested."

"Whoa…I…don't know?" Scott replied with a big surprise. He wasn't even sure he wanted to continue football next year at the university and he was already offered opportunities. That was too much.

"What do you plan on doing next year?" The coach asked and Scott shrugged.

"See, that's the problem…I don't have any idea." He replied with a sigh.

"You should come to play in front of him then. It's not like you have something to lose, right?"

"You think?"

"Barringer, you're the best football player I ever got to coach. I think it's one of the big chances of your life."

"Okay, I'll be there then." Scott doubtfully answered and the coach slapped his back happily. Scott smiled back and ran to the locker room where all the guys were changing. "Hey guys."

"No dead?" Brian asked and Scott ran a hand in his hair, and then let out a small laugh.

"The coach from USC is coming here next Saturday and the coach wants us to play against Greenwood's team in front of him." He announced and the guys cheered. Brian frowned as he noticed Scott wasn't acting really happily. He decided he would talk about it to him later.

Please R&R.