Hearts of trouble (under development)

Lose him or lose his heart

At school, the tension is palpable. Lily walks into the hallway with Nate by her side, the two of them laughing softly about something he just said. Shawn stands by his locker, leaning against it with his arms crossed, his jaw clenched as he watches them. His eyes flicker between Nate and Lily, his emotions a mix of hurt and jealousy.

Cory and Topanga are nearby, exchanging worried looks. Cory leans over to whisper, "This is going to get messy."

Topanga nods, sighing. "We need to figure out how to fix this before it blows up."

As Lily approaches her locker, she notices Shawn's intense gaze on her. She hesitates for a moment, her smile faltering, but Nate gives her a reassuring nudge.

"Don't let him get to you," Nate says quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Shawn notices the gesture and scoffs loudly, making sure they hear. "Well, isn't this cozy?" he says bitterly, slamming his locker shut.

Lily tenses but doesn't respond right away. Instead, she takes a deep breath, determined to stay calm. "Shawn, I'm not in the mood for this," she says, turning to him.

"Not in the mood?" Shawn snaps, stepping closer. "You didn't seem to have a problem flaunting this yesterday." He gestures between her and Nate, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Shawn, stop it," Lily says, her voice firm but calm. "You don't get to act like this. Not after everything."

"Oh, so now I'm the bad guy?" Shawn retorts, his voice rising. "You locked me out, Lily. You shut me out, and now-" He stops himself, shaking his head in frustration.

Cory steps in, placing a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Hey, man, take a breath. This isn't the time or place."

"Stay out of it, Cory," Shawn snaps, shrugging him off.

"Shawn," Lily says sharply, her voice breaking slightly. "You're the one who pushed me away. You did that, not me."

Shawn looks at her, his expression softening for a brief moment before the anger returns. "You're right. I pushed you away. But don't pretend you didn't run straight to him."

With that, Shawn storms off, leaving everyone in awkward silence. Nate steps closer to Lily, placing a protective arm around her.

"You okay?" he asks gently.

Lily nods, though her eyes are brimming with unshed tears. "Yeah, I'm fine," she says quietly, though deep down, she knows the situation is far from over.

The next day, Lily walks into school feeling emotionally drained. She avoids looking for Shawn in the hallways, instead focusing on Nate, who meets her at her locker with his usual bright smile.

"Morning," Nate says, leaning casually against the locker beside hers. "Ready for another fun-filled day?"

Lily forces a small smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Nate notices her distant expression. "Hey," he says softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You okay? If you need to talk, I'm here."

Lily hesitates but shakes her head. "I'm fine. Let's just get to class."

In class, Cory notices Lily's distracted mood and scribbles a quick note on a piece of paper, passing it to her when the teacher isn't looking.

Are you okay?

Lily reads the note and glances at Cory, who gives her a concerned look. She quickly writes back, I'll be fine. Just dealing with stuff.

Cory doesn't push further but makes a mental note to check on her later.

At lunch, Lily and Nate sit together, laughing about something silly Nate says. For a moment, Lily feels like she can breathe again. But across the cafeteria, Shawn sits with Angela and Topanga, his eyes fixed on Lily and Nate.

"He's staring again," Angela mutters, nudging Shawn.

"I'm not staring," Shawn snaps, turning his attention to his tray.

"You're literally boring a hole into her with your eyes," Topanga says, raising an eyebrow. "If you're so hung up on her, maybe you should actually do something about it instead of sulking."

Shawn groans, running a hand through his hair. "I tried apologizing, okay? She said she needed time."

"And you're giving her space by glaring at her across the room?" Angela points out.

Shawn sighs, slumping in his seat. "I don't know what else to do. She seems happy with Nate. Maybe I should just... let it go."

Topanga and Angela exchange a look but say nothing, letting Shawn stew in his thoughts.

After school, Lily is at her locker when Shawn approaches, his hands stuffed in his pockets. She freezes for a moment, not sure what to expect.

"Hey," Shawn says quietly, his voice softer than usual.

"Hi," Lily replies, her tone guarded.

"I just... wanted to check on you," he says, avoiding her gaze. "I know things have been weird between us, and I don't want to make it worse."

Lily closes her locker, turning to face him. "I'm okay, Shawn. But I meant what I said-I need time."

Shawn nods, stepping back. "I get it. Take all the time you need." He hesitates before adding, "You deserve to be happy, Lily. With or without me."

Lily watches him walk away, her emotions a tangled mess.

That evening, Lily is sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone when she gets a text from Nate.

Nate: "Pizza and a movie at my place? You need a break."

Lily smiles faintly, typing back a quick reply. Lily: "Sounds perfect. Be there in 20."

As she grabs her coat, her mind drifts back to Shawn's words earlier. She shakes her head, pushing the thought away. For now, she just wants to focus on being with someone who makes her feel good.

Meanwhile, at the apartment, Shawn sits on the couch, staring at his phone. He debates texting Lily but stops himself, knowing he needs to respect her space. Jack and Eric walk in, glancing at him.

"You look like you lost a fight with a truck," Jack says, tossing his keys on the counter.

"Not far off," Shawn mutters.

Eric flops onto the couch beside him. "You're brooding. That's never good. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Shawn says quickly, but Jack and Eric exchange knowing looks.

"Let me guess," Jack says. "It's about Lily."

Shawn glares at him but doesn't deny it.

Eric claps a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "Don't worry, buddy. If it's meant to be, it'll work out. Just give it time."

Shawn leans back, his head resting against the couch. "Time. Right."

But deep down, he wonders if he's already run out of it.