Never Stop (Shoni)

Chapter Three

"Ugh I keep messing up!"

Leah jumped up from her cat nap frightened by the sudden outburst.

"Jesus Shelby."

"Sorry, I just can't get the chorus down. The pageant is in two weeks and I haven't made any progress." Shelby sat down on the edge of her bed next to her best friend.

"Maybe it's because you're too stressed out." Leah suggested.

"Can you blame me, school starts tomorrow, my pageant is in two weeks and my girlfriend won't even... Ex girlfriend." Shelby stopped mid sentence.

"Come on Shelby, that last one could have been prevented. You need to be honest with her, you just randomly left her completely broken with no context."

Shelby sighed.

"I know I just, my way felt like the better option at the time."

"Sometimes what you think is the better option isnt."

"I know. Did I tell you I saw her at the beach earlier? She was so angry, it was like she was the old Toni again." Shelby got up and started going through her closet anxious to change out of her dress.

"Well let's put it this way, Toni learned control when she met you. You were her anchor in certain moments. She doesn't have that anymore. Her anchor has turned into the spark."

"Yeah I guess you're right."

"I always am." Both the girls laughed.

Leah and Shelby have been friends for about 4 years. They met in eight grade along with Dot, Racheal and Nora. The four girls were inseparable. Once Toni, Fatin and Martha came along freshman year, their friend group was complete.

Leah was the one Shelby trusted most and for that reason Leah is the only one who knows the reason as to why Shelby ended her and Tonis relationship.

"Shelby Dinner is ready, Leah are you staying for dinner, we have plenty?" Shelby's dad asked while wiping his hands.

"Oh no that's okay Mr. Goodkind, my mom is making a big back to school dinner so I should probably get going. Have a good night you guys, Shelby I'll see you tomorrow."

"Cya." With that Leah left, leaving Shelby alone with her family, something she didn't really enjoy these days.

Toni and Shelby started dating early on in their friendship freshman year. For a while they kept their feelings for each other hidden from others, especially Shelby's parents.

Everyone around town knows about the Goodkinds especially since Shelby's dad is a pastor at the towns church. He has always been very against the LGBTQ+ community, he believes that the way people live in that community is a sin and that they need to be fixed.

The night Shelby told her family about her and Toni was a night she'll never forget.

Prayers were instantly thrown her way and she was kicked out of the house for a week because her family 'needed time to come to terms with housing a sinner.'

Their opinions on Toni and the relationship started to soften when they realized that their daughter really was truly happy and well taken care of. They don't agree with it at all but they accepted it as long as it wasn't shown in front of them.

After all, life is short, so you've got to live it.

This took a toll on Toni and hers relationship for quit a while. They felt as if they were both in the closet again hiding who they truly were, some big fights happened over those few months but they ultimately made it through.