If wtinessing Bree's claws all over Shawn burned Janette's heart and soul, she'd never let it show. Shawn had always been wary of her girlfriends, so why was he now being overly friendly with them? Especially Bree. That girl had clearly hinted Janette a lot of time how Shawn was exactly her type and how she'd gladly have her if Janette let him go.
Was that it? She let Shawn go? But there was nothing like that between them in the first place!
"Hey, Jane." Shawn's beaming smile brought her back to the present where Janette was sat with Bree and Su Yeon at the cafeteria. She looked up and hated that Shawn was here because of the way Bree's eyes sparkled dangerously at the boy.
"Hey, girls." He said to the others and, much to Janette's dismay and frustration, sat next to Bree with his lunch.
"Hey, Shawny." Bree drawled, grinning at Shawn and offering him a piece of her sandwich.
"Thanks, Bree." Shawn accepted it with the same smile that used to be reserved only for Janette, sending a pang through her heart. He brought it to his mouth to take a bite when Janette stopped him with a yell, startling everyone there.
"I uh- I mean there could be garlic. Don't eat it, Damy. He's allergic!"
Bree rolled her eyes, "I know that, Jane! There's no garlic in it. Shawn, you can have it. I made it."
Shawn nodded and took a bite, immediately beginning a trail of praises. Janette tried to engage in a conversation with Su Yeon to ignore the closeness between Shawn and Bree.
But it wasn't working because all she could focus on was Bree's hand on Shawn's shoulder, sliding to his knee or arm, and how genuinely interested she looked listening to Shawn speaking.
She could actually see Shawn's walls breaking as he let Bree in, enjoying the new attention when it's been only her all this time.
"You okay?" Su Yeon whispered so only she could hear.
Janette had a hard time tearing her gaze away from the pair in front to pay attention to Su Yeon.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She snapped.
Su Yeon shrugged, continuing to eat and not bothering her again. Suddenly Shawn and Bree stood up.
"What's wrong?" Janette asked.
Shawn's lips twitched slightly. "We're going to the library to study. Wanna join?" The hope was painfully palpable in his tone.
Janette debated with her heart, wanting to go but not wanting to indulge his lingering feelings and jeopardize their friendship.
"I'm good, you guys go." She pursed her lips into a thin line.
"Fine. Bye." Bree waved dramatically wiggling her fingers and linked her arm with Shawn's, dragging him away from the table.
Janette stared at their retreating figure with a deep sense of longing, gripping the fork in her hand so tight her knuckles turned white.
"Stop." Janette startled to face the other at the table.
"What?" She frowned.
"Stop pining after him when he's been nothing but an open book, writing out his feelings for you all this time. How can you so easily just let him slip through your fingers?" Su Yeon exasperated.
Janette exhaled longly, unintentionally stabbing on her plate of noodles.
"I dunno what are you talking about. We're just friends, nothing more."
"Arghhh! Jane! Come to your fucking senses before you lose him forever. It's only time he stops running for you and finds happiness with Bree, or someone else." She shook her shoulder.
"Stop it, Su." Janette slapped her hands away and got up off the table. "I don't need anyone telling me what to do or not! Damy's just my friend and that's all! There will nothing be more than that between us, ever!" And she left.
---------
Shawn returned home dejected, his backpack slinging off his shoulder and face drooped.
"I don't think it's working, Ollie." He confided at night, the brothers cooped up in Oliver's room with game controllers in hands but none had any focus on the game.
"Why? Is she not reacting?" Still playing.
"I don't think so. Either she doesn't care or she masks her emotions too well." He sighed.
"How did it go with Bree?" Oliver diverted the topic.
Shawn perked up a little at that, "She's actually nice. I used to be so scared of her throwing herself all over me. But today as we spent a lot of time, got to know each other more, I realized how nice she is. She listens to me and pays attention to me, and I can tell she's actually interested. It's nice to have made a friend outside of home."
"Way to go, bro." Oliver beamed, pausing the game and turning to face his brother. "I mean, see! I told you. Even if our plan doesn't work that way, you now at least have a new friend and maybe you will eventually grow feelings for her and move on from Jane."
Shawn put down the controller, chewing on his lower lip sadly as he felt an empty hole being dug in his chest at the prospect of not having something more with Janette, but if Janette didn't want it, he couldn't force her either.
"I guess." He muttered, still defeated.
"Hey," Oliver squeezed his shoulder. "It's all gonna be okay, Damy. We're here for you. And you're still gonna have her as your friend."
I don't just want to be her friend.
"I guess I should really try to work it out with Bree."
Shawn managed a weak smile, earning a loud pat on the back from the younger.
"That's the spirit!"
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Shawn reached school early the next day and sought Bree out without wasting a moment. Bree was giggling as she let Shawn lead her to the front garden, she kept asking what happened but Shawn insisted on the surprise.
"Okay, now tell me what is it?" Bree asked, her hands still in Shawn's as they stood in the middle of the garden.
Shawn took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly to let the memories with Janette run over his mind one more time, then feeling his heart ache as the rejection reburned it.
When he reopend his eyes, he let a genuine smile take place on his lips as he asked the next question.
"Would you like to go on a date with me?"
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Mᴏʀᴇ Tʜᴀɴ Jᴜsᴛ Fʀɪᴇɴᴅs
General Fiction*Spin-off from More than just on papers* . . Shawn is hopelessly in love with his childhood bestfriend, but believes he could never have her as his own. On the other hand, Janette has always been over-protective of her introverted friend, but never...
