The Secret Life // A Shawn Hunter fanfic

Fifty-Four ➵ Both

Jasmine
Before I knew, Shawn's mom allowed me to come inside her motel room.
"Come on, sit down. You're welcome here." She persisted with a smile, but I shook my head no.
"It's fine." I spoke softly, trying to form a smile as well.
"Oh look at you, you starting your junior year and you're just so gorgeous." She complimented me, gaining a hold of my two hands. Her eyes twinkled like the alone stars in the surpassed glittering sky. For some reason, they assembled a resemblance to the past unaccompanied life she embarked on for herself. I could tell, as I studied her dignified and expression.
I didn't say much, as it was hard for me to mention the past. To unravel the thoughts I shared between Shawn and his father, to patch up this happy family again. Except, I wouldn't be there.
"So, do you still live with Shawn? How are you two? You guys have been dating for two years, I can't-"
"Shawn and I broke up, Mrs. Hunter." I interrupted her, glancing down at my feet. I didn't want her to think the reason we broke up was because of her. Which it wasn't.
"Oh... well I'm sorry about that." She peered down at the carpeted floor below her feet, silent like me.
"But we are still friends so." I reassured her, not wanting to leave it at an upset pace. This was supposed to turn out cheerful for them, and maybe even me too.
"That's good. You know, I understand if I broke you guys up. Just tell me."
"No, you didn't! Honest. It's because, you see, I went to New York. I've been gone for the past year, attending a school where I can learn singing lessons to achieve better. And oh gosh, I'm rambling." I realized, ranting. Yet she was still okay with it. She was like some sort of therapist; I could vent to her about anything, and she solemnly understood every powerful situation I went through.
"No, I like it when you do. You always tell a good story, and like always: I help. I advise. I cook. I clean. I listen. I love. But you see Jas, I left because I wasn't good at those. I was beginning to define us as an unsettled family, without really knowing each other. That's why I left." She whispered, a tear streaming down her cheek. Wiping it, she sighed and just tried to be happy the best she could.
"But Shawn misses you. Although I don't live with him anymore, I miss seeing your presence there too! Why can't you come back? There's time to learn from those lessons." I informed her, but she simply shook her head no.
"I can't."
"Why?"
"What if I come to a family, where everything is the same? What if we can't fix our problems? If I come home, it won't be resolved automatically and pretend it never happened. It was a part of our life." She murmured. Her eyes fixated with mine, exchanging a saddened glance with me.
"I'm sure you will. I can help you, whatever it may need. As a matter of fact, if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have had a family." I reminded her, which caught her attention. She focused on me, studying me for a second.
"Really?"
"It was your choice to adopt me. Yeah Shawn suggested it, but you added the chance of finally having a mother figure. You are like my second mom, I hope you know that." I spoke, causing her to form a sly smile. She appeared satisfied after I stated that.
"Well I'm glad I helped you out of your hole. I'm glad I, in a way, adopted you and took care of you as the daughter I never had. I appreciate the fact you're trying to help out, but I think it's best if I stay here. I know it is." She insisted.
"Please come back?" I choked out, wishing she could change her mind. She rested a palm on my cheek, stroking it to calm me down.
"I can't." She whispered.
We sat here for a moment, another awkward silence striking us like thundered lightning.
"I should be going then."
I stood up from the bed and got a hold of the door, opening it until I was paused.
"Jasmine." She caught my attention. Fidgeting her fingers and drifting into a trance for a moment, she gained back her words.
"Tell Shawn and Chet I love them dearly for me." She pleaded. I nodded my head in response, then speaking my few last words to her.
"Reconsider it, please."
:::
I made it back to the trailer successfully and was interrogated by the two with many questions I expected them to ask me originally.
"What she say? How does she look? If she ever coming back?" His father demanded.
"She says she loves you and misses you, she appears the same, and she said she isn't coming back." I sighed at the last part. I could tell it disappointed them both after I told them.
"Oh." His dad said, heading to the fridge and getting a cold beverage, which wasn't even a beer bottle.
"I'm really sorry about that guys." I apologized, devoting sympathy.
"Well, that's okay Jasmine. I knew she wasn't going to come back to us." Shawn whispers to me. We gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, our faces inching. Until suddenly...
The door opened, revealing his mom with a cheerful grin.
"Hey guys, may I come back here?"
:::
Shawn's mom conveyed and caved in back to the family. However, I wouldn't be seeing much of her since I wasn't in a relationship with him anymore.
The next day at school, Evan informed me he would be busy all weekend, so that meant no date.
"Sorry about that, but I promise I'll make it up to you somehow." He promised. I kissed him on the lips gratefully, and headed to my group of friends. I was hanging out with Dawn, Trinie, and Topanga like old times.
"Hey guys, I have something to tell you. Can you come with me to the courtyard?" Trinie asked me.
"Of course." Topanga answered for all of us. We trailed the hallway and stepped into the courtyard. Luckily, no one was here.
"Alright Trin, what's going on?"
"So, I haven't told anyone this, and I have been this way for a couple months now." She began, stuck on her words for a moment. Hesitantly stuttering and almost mumbling her words.
"Come on, Trinie. You know you can tell us anything." Dawn insisted. Trinie took a deep breath finally, then stating her secret.
"I'm what you define, a homosexual." She clearly stated, which all made sense to me. She clarified her sexuality, and discovered more of her. I wasn't upset. I was proud of her for coming out to us.
"That's great Trinie!" I praised her, accepting her coming out day. She smiled as I gave her a hug and so did the rest of the girls. They accepted her for who she was.
"Thanks for the support guys, I thought you'd hate me for it." She assumed, down sided about the possibilities of what would happen if we weren't friends.
"How could we ever Trin? It's your decision. As long as you're happy, we are glad." Topanga claimed truthfully, beaming with a wide smile.
"Hey guys, you know what we should do? Plan another sleepover. Like old times." Dawn suggested to our group.
"Agreed. How about today after school?"
"I can't." I declined, sighing as we headed back into the school.
"Why not?"
"I have to work on a project with Shawn this weekend." I replied.
"Ooh." The three teased me in unison.
"What?"
"Nothing," Topanga jabbered,"how about next Friday?"
Everyone was fine with the new date suggested, but here I was left suspicious. They knew something, and I was going to find out this weekend.
:::
I knew I had to hangout with Shawn tonight, but it wouldn't be so bad. My aunt however was having a late day. So that meant, I had to work with Shawn alone all night, and all weekend.
I decided to prepare by ordering a pizza for us to at least eat. I waited at the table, as a quivering feeling stumbled upon my stomach.
I don't know why I was so anxious, but I needed to calm down. The door bell rang and I headed towards the door, greeting a fumbled Shawn. He wasn't late, heck, he arrived early, and almost right on time.
"Hey." He greeted.
"Uh, hi. I ordered some pizza so go ahead and eat that." I insisted. Nodding his head in response simply told me he understood. After he ate a slice, we went upstairs to my room so we could study.
"Read pages 7-15 of the Lord of Scoundrels. Answer the following questions below to receive the maximum amount of credit." I read over.
"Question one seems confusing." Shawn complained, whining because he had to actually "work."
"You think every question is confusing Shawn." I reminded him.
"Exactly!"
"Look, just try your best. We also have to present this in front of the whole class." Shawn groaned pathetically and opened his book to only the first page. He skimmed through it, but it was enough to me he tried his best. I wasn't even going to quarrel with him.
As I jot down most of the questions, which not to mention we still had half of it due, and we had to present an oral presentation with artwork as well as pictures of what we analyzed from the story. This was going to take forever...
Just as I predicted, which I didn't even want this to happen, I was starting to get drowsy, slowly at every moment. As if it was an hourglass pouring the solvent down into the other half, draining the life out of me.
"You okay Jasmine?" Shawn asked me. I couldn't drift out of my state of tiredness. It was increasing every minute. I glanced over at the clock, which read 9:08. We've been studying for that long?
"Uh, yeah," I relived back to Shawn's question,"I'm okay."
He stared at me for a while, studying my every expression. It was if he was trying to capture a picture of every moment in this room, of what I was mainly doing.
"I'll be right back, I have to use the restroom."
"Down the hall to the left." I reminded him as he stood up to go to the bathroom. I sat here for a second, almost being taken completely away by my own bed of roses, as if the comforters were securing me into a welcoming shelter. Like it was my only companion.
I rested on my side, drifting into my wondrous mind filled with dreams, only blowing away every clouded thought in the breeze of my own presence.
:::
Shawn
Being in Jasmine's house made me feel different. She was now considered upper class, while I was lower class. Sinking down into rock bottom lower class, if I may specify.
I headed out of the coral colored themed restroom and went back to her room. When I trailed in, I came across a sleeping beauty. There she was, laying down, on top of the comforters as if she forgotten the earth revolving around our world.
I treaded slowly in small steps, not wanting to wake her up. I noticed the papers were plastered, containing half of the questions answered, and the other half unanswered.
This is my chance to impress her.
I picked up the question sheet, pencil, and flipped through the book. I was going to get every thing done and settled with this presentation. Including the pictures and drawings we need to contain for the visual side.
I answered the questions thoroughly to my maximum strength, and began to sketch out the characters as well as the main references of the story.
By the time it was only midnight, I realized I couldn't come home this late. Especially at this hour. So?
I rested against the bed, losing track of all of my thoughts. Drifting swiftly into a state of mind, deeply within peacefully remedy. However, the sound of her breathing kept me awake. I gazed over from her back side, staring at her clumps of hair matting slowly. She hadn't moved a muscle, not one peeping motion. I wrapped an arm around her waist, enticing her in within my clamping hold.
I snuggled against the intimate person I still aspired to love, and fell into a state where I forgot almost anything- including our separation at last.
❤︎