Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shelly gazed out of the window of the quickly-moving car, watching her surroundings go by like a blur.

Honestly, she didn't want to move to a new house; she already had friends in a beautiful rural area.

Now, her family was moving, partly so that her parents could get better jobs, and partly so that she could "finally get a proper education" instead of being homeschooled. But it was in the middle of summer, so school wouldn't begin for a month or so.

She didn't complain about that, but she missed her friends already. Shelly remembered Tisha's heartfelt goodbye with lots of tears, and reminders to keep everything tidy. Tisha had been her closest friend, and she would dearly miss her. 

I mean, at least Shelly could text her? It wasn't the end of their friendship.

Her mind ever wandering, Shelly wondered which school she would go to. From what she could tell, the city was already lovely, with lots of greenery and trees despite also having plenty of houses. She curiously peered out of the car window once again, spotting flowers growing at the side of the roads. 

Maybe I'll pick some later! If I have time, that is… She added.

Shelly didn't keep track of the time, falling into a drowsy slumber. She twitched slightly every time the car hit a bump, meanwhile oblivious to her parents' chatting about the new house. She supposed she had a habit for falling asleep on long car rides.

Shelly only stirred when the car stopped, turning in to a driveway. 

She sat up quickly, shooting a quick glance to the window for the third time, spotting the house. Her family's new house. A smile slowly grew across her face. It looked... beautiful. She began to wonder how big her room would be, and if she had enough space to fit her mini tyrannosaurus rex replica in there.

She really didn't care about her room's size that much, though. Shelly would be just as happy if she got a large room than if she got a room just large enough for a desk and bed.

Shelly hadn't visited the house before now, so it was really her first time.

Taking care to not drop any of her bags filled with miscellaneous items, Shelly opened the car door as soon as it was parked, and hopped out to open the trunk and grab a box labeled 'Shelly's stuff! :)' and another box labeled 'Clothes and other stuff!'

Picking it up with ease, she took the house keys from her pocket (Her father had given them to her beforehand) and raced to the new house's door, opening it with the keys.

Her jaw dropped as she took in the area. It was massive.

Okay, she may have been exaggerating, but the space seemed pretty large to Shelly after spending a couple of hours in that horribly cramped car. It had been exhausting, to say the least.

After staring at the space for a few minutes, Shelly shook her head. 

Alright, Shells! Just... get a grip on things, find your new room, and sort out your stuff. 

Brushing a stray strand of milktea-brown hair out of her eyes, Shelly looked around, trying to figure out where her new room might be. Carefully setting down the items she carried, she turned back to the door and called out to where she knew her parents would be taking the boxes from the car.

"Dad! Do you know which room I'll have?"

The afternoon sun glared in Shelly's eyes as she awaited a reply patiently.

"Up the stairs, second room straight ahead."

Releasing a breath, Shelly closed the door carefully again, then picking up her items and making her way up the stairs before she opened a door.

Her jaw dropped. For the second time that day.

The walls were a perfect shade of beige, and boxes were already stacked at the side. What truly caught her eye was a cheaply made (but charming) table that her parents had bought for her; it was the perfect size to fit her dinosaur replicas on. 

She was gonna have so much fun decorating this space!

Shelly began to set down the boxes she carried, placing them carefully next to some other boxes, which likely contained other furniture and necessities.

She shot a glance out of a window that was just to the left of her bed. The view was gorgeous.

…

Maybe the move wouldn't be so bad, after all?

Chapter Text

It didn't take much to decorate Shelly's room, not at all.

Just a few posters here, a few glow-in-the-dark stars there, and of course her treasured tyrannosaurus rex replica, which sat on that table. She'd arranged a mirror to be just next to her bed, but didn't bother to find a proper place to put her spare clothing.

…Yeah. Maybe she could just do that tomorrow.

Humming a cheerful little song, Shelly tied back her hair with a claw clip before lifting her bedside lamp from a cardboard box, drowning in bubble wrap and newspaper. It was a lovely addition to her room, making it feel like home. Really, she didn't think she couldn't sleep without that lamp. It just added such a calming effect.

Wiping a bead of sweat from her face, Shelly looked around then found the window before painstakingly opening it.

Slowly.

…Very slowly.

"Ugh!" Shelly struggled to lift it.

Did this window have a personal argument with her, or what? The air conditioners hadn't even been installed yet, so this was her last resort.

After a minute of fighting with the weight of the window, it opened. 

Ha, take that, you window!

Then, almost immediately, Shelly collapsed on her bed from laughter. She just fought a window. A window. How funny was that?

Holy shit, I need to start acting like a normal human being.

Of course, Shelly wouldn't listen to that thought and never wanted to. She'd just be herself!

She picked up her phone from the small desk next to her bed, glancing at the time.

It was already... eight in the evening? Shelly still (maybe) had to put the pillows on her bed into pillowcases, take a shower, and eat some food. So much to do.

"Okay, Shell," Shelly murmured to herself. "You gotta finish organizing your room and then take care of yourself." Sleep called to her, but there was no way she was gonna fall asleep without eating any food first, or changing out of her stiff clothes.

First things first!

Unwillingly peeling herself off of her cozy bed and over to the box that contained her clothing, Shelly cut the tape with a pair of scissors, before rummaging for some simple clothes.

A white T-shirt, and comfortable shorts, along with various other undergarments. That was just enough.

She grabbed a towel, body wash, and shampoo from another box that she opened. Shelly gave herself a mental reminder to buy more shampoo whenever she and her mom went shopping.

Her clothes and the towel slung over her shoulder, Shelly opened the door to her room, clutching the bottles of soap in her free hand. There was a bathroom across from her room.

She left her bedroom door ajar, before opening the door to the bathroom then closing it behind her.

The warm water raining down on her from the showerhead soothed her mind, washing away her worries. She worked the shampoo through her curly hair.

After about twenty minutes, Shelly stepped out of the bathroom with a new outfit and her old clothes in her right hand. She was too exhausted to care about where she put them, but tossed them in a clothes basket just inside her room. 

Next, she walked (or stumbled) downstairs to where she thought the kitchen was, aiming to find some instant ramen or a frozen dish she could microwave. Shelly rubbed her eyes sleepily.

Her mother was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables before tossing them into a pan with warm oil. The woman did not look up, but instead spoke. 

"How's your room?"

Shelly forced on a non-tired face and spoke cheerfully. "It's awesome! There's plenty of room."

"I'm glad that you enjoy it, then."

A smile found its way onto Shelly's face, despite her exhaustion.

The sizzle of oil and the welcoming scent of a meal being prepared filled the room. Shelly pushed aside a box filled with cooking utensils before idly lounging on a chair. The silence was comforting, except for the sound of vegetables being chopped interrupted the calm.

Her mother spoke. "Let me guess, you were going to get some food?"

Shelly nodded, gripping the edge of her chair to prevent from falling out of it. "Yeah...! I'm kinda hungry, y'know."

"There's a sandwich in the cooler, and some juice. I'm making stir-fry, it'll be ready in thirty minutes or so."

Unwilling to wait, Shelly dragged herself to the cooler at the edge of the kitchen, and picked up a plastic bag with a wrapped ham sandwich inside. And then, she found a juice box. It felt a bit childish, but apple juice in a box had always been her favorite. It comforted her on tiring days, especially today.

Then, she walked back to her room, munching on the ham sandwich contentedly.

In a few minutes, the food had been consumed and apple juice completely demolished.

Shelly was too sleepy to do anything else, and she curled up on her mattress.

Just... a few minutes of rest. It won't hurt.

Her eyelids fluttered shut.

When her eyes opened again, morning light was dimly filtering through her window, which was still open.

Fuck. I slept that long?

Plugging in her phone with a charger that was plugged into the fixture in the wall, Shelly turned it on briefly to check the time.

It was... seven in the morning. She had gotten way more sleep than usual, not that she was complaining.

Shelly sat up, sensing the cool breeze that flowed through the window. It carried the scent of summer rain, and grass. She guessed that it had rained while she had still been asleep. 

She didn't feel hungry, for some reason. She also couldn't just go back to sleep.

So, she settled on the next best thing: going for a walk. Shelly wanted to also pick some of the beautiful wildflowers she'd seen at the side of the road. It was a good way to begin her day.

The relaxing space was beginning to grow on her, even if the occasional sound of a car on the road or a lawn mower starting up disturbed that peace.

Chapter Text

Slipping out of the house quiety after leaving a note that stated she had gone for a walk, Shelly held her phone in one hand with a small backpack slung over her shoulder. It contained some crackers in case she became hungry, and some iced tea in a bottle.

She took in the view around her, eyes widening from awe. It was even prettier outside, when the morning sun had just risen, and dew painted the grass. Studying her surroundings, she spotted a patch of those wildflowers she had thought about picking. For the sake of keeping a trace of a warmth reminder of her old home.

Dandelions and red clovers had been quite common where she used to live, along with other beautiful species of wildflowers. 

Damn, I'm already getting used to all this. She didn't mind it, though.

Shelly lifted her eyes up to the trees above her, spotting a red squirrel jumping from one oak tree to another.

Life was amazing right now. (Was she going to jinx that? Maybe? I don't know)

Bending down to pluck a wild dandelion in her yard, she slipped it into her brown hair, just above her ear. Smiling to no one, she pulled out her phone and took a photo to show Tisha later. Shelly could already predict what Tisha would reply.

Without a second thought, she picked another handful of dandelions, wishing she had a ribbon to tie them with, and dropped them in her backpack.

Standing back up, Shelly decided to walk over to the sidewalk and survey the line of houses across the street. There were trees... in almost every yard.

Well, I guess I know why this place is called Gardenview.

In addition to the houses, further down the street were multiple shops. Cars were going up and down the streets, but it all seemed like background noise to Shelly.

Shelly took the water bottle out of her backpack and took a sip as she walked down the sidewalk, mainly looking for a park. Her thumb hovered over the screen of her phone, looking at a map.

From what the girl could tell, the nearest park was a half of a mile away. Okay, she could do this...

Tossing her water bottle back in her backpack, she followed the directions stated on her phone, passing multiple houses or buildings. Shelly's eyes lingered on a pretty flower shop, plant boxes in the windows. She had a main interest in fossils, yet she also enjoyed flowers. What was there not to like about flowers?

She made it to the park, eyes lighting up at the large area with walking paths.

This... this is perfect!

Shelly sat down on a bench, chilling as she munched on some crackers and watched videos on her phone. The summer air was crisp and held a trace of warmth which would surely grow as the day went on.

She looked up as she heard voices coming from several feet away.

"Dandicus, give me my phone back."

"No thanks!"

A black-haired girl in a casual outfit was chasing after a dude with blonde hair and rainbow-colored streaks in it, obviously dyed. 

Shelly didn't know whether or not it would be rude to step in, but she dropped her backpack on the bench and chased after the boy, snatching the phone from his grasp and handing it back to the girl.

The girl stared at Shelly curiously. "I don't know you, but thanks for that. Dandicus over here was being a total ass."

The boy made a choked noise. "Girl, it's Dandy. Please don't use my real name. I beg you."

Shelly chose to ignore the boy's statement. "Uh, you're welcome!" Shelly stepped back slightly, fidgeting with a loose thread on her shirt.

"Name's Vee, by the way." Vee smiled, standing in a relaxed position. "My friend over there is Dandicus."

"For the last time..." Dandy coughed.

"Shut up." Vee glared at Dandy.

"Nice to meet you two, I suppose!" Shelly grinned. "I'm Shelly, just moved here yesterday."

"Ah, so that's why I haven't seen you around," Dandy snapped his fingers. "Welcome to this place called Gardenview! I assume you'll be going to the high school around here?"

Vee chuckled. "Don't mind Dandy over there, he likes asking questions a lot."

Yeah, I could tell.

Shelly nodded. "I think so...!"

Dandy crossed his arms. "Good luck then. With the emotional damage and chaos!"

Okay, is it really that bad?

Almost as if she could tell what Shelly was thinking from the expression on her face, Vee stepped in. "Don't worry, it's not too chaotic. Unless you count the annoying bitches."

Oh...! Yeah, Shelly didn't know how to feel about that. 

"Uhm... okay?" Shelly grinned awkwardly. "Well, I gotta go get breakfast now, goodbye!"

After Shelly ran off to the bench to collect her belongings, Vee gave Dandy a side eye. "Wow, nice way to make the newbie uncomfortable."

"I didn't do that, you did!"

"Well, whatever."

Chapter Text

After Shelly got home, she collapsed on her bed again, too lazy to get breakfast. That had been... such a strange interaction. Very odd.

Vee seemed nice, and Dandy was slightly tolerable. But Shelly wouldn't trust them until she actually became close to them.

First thing she thought about doing was talking to Tisha about everything that had happened, and to update her on the move.

So, Shelly snatched her phone from her nightstand (which was already cluttered with other items) and opened her calls, clicking on a saved number.

It rang once, then twice, before it answered. Shelly sat back against a pillow as she raised the phone to her ear.

"Shelly?" The sound of Tisha's voice through the phone was slightly glitchy.

"Tisha! Hello!" Shelly had on a cheerful tone.

"Hi, Shells!" Tisha's voice was also cheerful. "How was the move?

"It's been great so far! How's everything going back there?"

"That's good, and everything's just chill. A bit boring without you here, though. Been keeping your new room tidy?"

"Uhh, uhm..." Shelly grinned nervously, even though she knew Tisha couldn't possibly see her face right now. (Unless she was like, stalking her, and at her window or something. But Tisha was miles away, and her window was definitely empty, no stalkers behind it.) "About that...!"

"Shelly. Go get your room organized right now."

"Girl, I've been here for one day, I'm more worried about my mental health than if my room's clean."

"Keeping your room clean is good for your mental-"

Shelly interrupted her hastily, knowing Tisha wouldn't mind. "Anyways! A lot of weird stuff happened since the move, and I met a girl called Vee. And this weird annoying dude who she called Dandy."

"Vee?" Tisha's tone changed quickly. "Haven't heard from her in a long time, huh."

"You know her?" Shelly questioned curiously, before she could stop herself.

"Mm, yeah. Used to be my friend a few years ago, she disappeared off of the face of the earth. Didn't really like her anyways, but..." Shelly could hear Tisha let out a sigh. "Still hurts that she just dropped me and everyone else. And she would always joke about my cleaning."

"Yeah, I understand." She had already realized that Tisha didn't want to go further on the topic. "I got some pretty photos of the new house, I'll text you them later. For now, I gotta go get breakfast. Talk to you later?"

"Talk to you later, Shells!"

Shelly said goodbye quickly before hanging up the phone with a small smile, depositing her phone back on her nightstand.

She decided to think about something else and maybe get some breakfast, and possibly go down to a store to buy some snacks.

Mhm! That's what she could do. 

Shelly sat up, her brown curls bouncing messily. Grabbing her phone again, she opened her door and ran downstairs.

It scared her how much she was used to this house already. Memories flashed in her mind. They were memories of that small garden in the yard of her old house, the familiar sycamore trees, and a winding stream with some willows. And there was even open field, some lengths away, along with several other houses nearby. (With nearby, she meant less than a mile away.)

Now all that was in the past.

Shelly checked to make sure she had some cash in her wallet, before running out of the door again. 

The air had grown slightly warmer since she had last gone out, the sun already peeking out from behind a couple of trees in the east.

There was a small grocery store near the park, which Shelly knew (from common sense) had food and other stuff. Hopefully she could find some bubble tea. Brown sugar bubble tea was absolutely her favorite!

Hm, maybe she'd also grab some food for her mom to cook. Shelly made up her mind and decided that she'd figure it out on the way there, as she slipped out of the yard through the open gate.

Chapter Text

You were clever, knew when to deliver your lines

And make it seem like you weren't that bright

Shelly hummed softly as she reached for a soda from a vending machine just outside the grocery store. Music blasted from a pair of earbuds she'd put in last minute. Everything else was background audio.

You were better, in every way by design

You were too good for a man's confine

Receiving her change (A couple of dollars) from the vending machine, Shelly stepped back, song still playing through her earbuds.

How come we never even dated?

But I still find myself thinking of you daily

Shelly enjoyed that song, more than she would like to admit. It just... resonated with her soul. If you get what I mean. That song lived rent-free in her brain.

Why do you always leave me aching?

When you were never mine for the taking

On Shelly's left shoulder was a bag of groceries she had bought, and on her right shoulder was her backpack. She held the brightly colored can of soda clenched in one hand, as she opened it with the other.

The summer air had grown even warmer, and a bead of sweat trickled down Shelly's face. Oh, how she hated summer. But, she supposed, she would get used to it. Eventually...!

Walking down the sidewalk, she sipped from her soda. Unfortunately for her, she didn't watch where she was stepping, and almost stumbled onto the road. Shelly flinched back when she realized what she had just done.

Thank goodness that there were no cars just now.

As she proceeded to walk down the sidewalk, Shelly took off her earbuds and shoved them ungracefully into her pocket, vowing to keep a better eye on where she was going.

It took a hot minute to realize she didn't know where she was going.

Shelly dropped her bag of groceries, opening her backpack and taking out her phone. Battery was at 3%. She silently cursed herself for forgetting to turn it off a few hours before.

Maybe she had just enough battery on it to find her location, and she could work from there.

But her phone blinked off before she could even try.

Letting out a groan, Shelly shoved her phone back into her backpack and picked up her bag of groceries. "Fuck it, man..."

"You lost or something?"

Shelly whirled around. Great, last thing I need is a disgusting man hitting on me.

It was a dude who looked oddly similar to Dandy, that boy she had seen with Vee just hours ago. Shelly let out a sigh and decided to just risk it. "Yeah. Kinda. I just moved here yesterday, and my phone died so I can't find a map."

"What does your house look like? -Or are there any familiar places you know, and I can take you there, and you can figure it out."

Shelly stared at him, trying to figure out whether or not this dude meant any harm.

He stepped back, raising his hands. "Calm down, girl. I'm not hitting on you, I'm gay. Very homosexual, thank you very much."

Shelly relaxed, but not visibly, while attempting to hold back her laughter "Okay, then. And uh- do you know of any parks nearby? I can make it back home from there."

"Yeah. That park with the giant statue of Delilah Keen which is oddly disgusting because of the fact SHE ordered it put in there?"

"Wait, what? A statue of the mayor? Put into the park by herself?" Shelly snorted. "That's terrifying."

"Yeah. Anyways, I'll just take you to that park. It's about the only park around here, anyways."

"The only park in this entire city?"

"Eh, kinda. I don't know."

The dude started walking off, and Shelly took that as a cue to follow him. She stayed a few feet away, though, staying cautious.

"Name's Sprout, by the way. I take it you've met my brother, Dandy?"

Shelly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Magic. Nah, he told me."

"Uhh, okay then!"

It was just silence for the rest of the walk, until they arrived at the park. 

"Here it is." The boy turned around. "Don't get lost again. Okay, bye."

Rude. Shelly snorted, before she turned to where she knew she had first entered the park that morning.

Chapter Text

Shelly stared around apprehensively as she entered the large high school. Oh. That wasn't what I was expecting.

It looked very clean-kept, with the occasional education poster on the white walls. Lockers lined every wall of this section of the hallway, and it was oddly quiet for this time. But then, Shelly thought, maybe this wasn't one of the more frequented hallways?

"Nice, isn't it?" Vee chuckled, as she shoved Shelly playfully.

"Hm-? Oh, yeah! It is!" Shelly shoved Vee back. "Ha, take that!"

"Will you two be quiet?" Sprout had the lead, and Dandy was walking just behind him.

"He's looking for his boyfriend," Vee whispered comically into Shelly's ear.

"I am not- HE'S NOT-" Sprout fumed.

"Shush, Seedly. He's not your boyfriend yet, at least."

"Oh my fucking gosh, Vee." If looks could kill, Vee would be dead by now. Shelly was glad that Sprout's glare wasn't directed toward her. "I swear to.. to... I will murder you with my own hands if you speak another word."

Vee just rolled her eyes. "Sure, Seedly. You'd die if you had to hurt anyone. Anyone other than Shrimpo maybe, I guess."

Instead of paying attention to the exchange, Shelly just fidgeted nervously with one of her backpack's straps, looking around anxiously. 

Just to prove Vee's statements only minutes ago, as soon as a dark brown-haired boy with pastel hairclips came into view from another segment of the hallway, and Sprout went running in his direction, yelling his name or something. Shelly wasn't focusing enough to listen, but the sound of joy was unmistakable.

"Pfft, told ya." Vee giggled. "He's so gay for him."

Shelly rolled her eyes. "You're sounding like an anime fangirl." She then began laughing her ass off as well. She could not help it.

I know I've changed a lot since when I first moved here. But, hell with it, might as well embrace it. Shelly was still laughing, before noticing Vee stopped laughing.

"Uh, Shelly?"

"Mhm?" Shelly tilted her head. 

"School starts in like, five fucking minutes."

"Oh, shit!" Shelly brought to mind her locker number that she'd memorized, and scanned the lockers until she found it.

Nevermind, it wasn't her locker. Shelly backed up, and remembered the actual locker number she owned, darting to it, and then remembering she didn't really have anything she needed to put in it. Or take out of it, for that matter.

"Shelly! Follow me. We have a few of the same first classes."

Shelly dejectedly slammed her locker shut and followed the other dark-haired girl.

Her first class had been everything but draining. (Heck, what was she kidding? It had been draining!) Shelly limped along with Vee on the way to the next class.

"I'm beginning to regret agreeing on being sent to a public school." Shelly complained halfheartedly.

"Don't worry, I already regret not skipping school."

Shelly's head shot up, all lack of energy forgotten. "Isn't that- Won't you get in trouble?"

Vee shrugged. "Sure, of course I do! But I only skip school when I really need it, don't worry. Veronica doesn't really seem to mind. But Mr. Walton definitely does mind."

Shelly's expression looked blank for a second. "Oh. Wait, who's Veronica?"

"Veronica Hurley?" When Shelly nodded, Vee continued. "She's the algebra teacher, and she's really nice. I'm friends with her, I guess."

"Oh...?" Shelly smiled. "Are there any other nice teachers?"

"Eh? Kinda? I mean, Mr. Russo is nice and he's the social studies teacher, but he's more like an Astro kinda dude. Ms. Mendez on the other hand, you'd probably like her. She has an interest in archaeology, and I know you like facts about paleontology."

"That's nice, then! Any other nice teachers? And what classes do they have?"

Vee thought for a second while still walking. "Well, we just left english class with Sam, so they're definitely out, although they do help in the cafeteria sometimes, and their food is to die for. Compared to everything else here that's called food. Oh, there's Mr. Reed! He likes... teaching physical education. He's okay, but..." She visibly cringed.

Shelly recoiled slightly. "Oh, yeah.."

Five minutes had gone by, and they had almost arrived to the next class, yet Shelly wasn't ready to leave the conversation. Not just yet, at least.

"So, uh, I didn't realize you were the kind of person to talk a lot." Shelly smiled slightly.

"I talk only when there's nothing else worth doing."

"Damn, that's fair."

...

I think it's safe to say that nothing else of importance happened for the remainder of the walk to class.