Some background info: Shawn is in Salem, Belle left for a girl's school in Nevada, where Marlena has an extensive case study to work on. She has had very little contact with Salem, so obviously Shawn is upset. And once again-no affiliation with the show, or characters, yadda yadda yadda. Hope you enjoy! ~Mandylynn4~
~Chapter One~
Shawn turned restlessly in his king-sized bed. Sleep just wasn't coming to him. He fluffed his pillow and adjusted the comforter, but he still wasn't comfortable. He needed her with him. He needed to cuddle up to her-like old times. Belle, why'd you have to go away? I miss you so much. I need you. He shifted again, trying not to let his emotions get out of control. It had only been a few months since Belle's family moved to Nevada, but it felt like an eternity. Every night he laid in bed and thought about their last night together...
..."Belle, I can't believe that you're leaving. I mean after all the stuff we've been through, I just can't believe it."
Belle sniffled. She had been crying for two weeks solid it seemed. "I know, Shawn. I don't want to think about it anymore, okay? I just want to forget it's even happening."
She leaned back into his arms, gazing out over the water. They were alone on Fancy Face, bundled up in a fleece blanket. For several moments, they stood cuddling; silently wishing they could be like this forever. Anger welled up inside Shawn like a clogged drain. She couldn't leave. Not now. Not tonight. They'd come this far; they couldn't lose each other now.
"Shawn, you're shaking. Are you cold?" Belle whispered, turning to face him.
Silent tears rolled down Shawn's face, blurring his vision. "You can't leave. I love you, Belle."
Tears sprang to her eyes. "I love you, too, Shawn. I always have. I always will."
They embraced, holding on to each other so tightly Shawn thought they would burst. Forced sobs escaped his throat. It felt like years passed before Belle lifted her head and gazed into his eyes. "I love you, Tough Boy. I want you to remember that."
With that, she reached up and kissed him. Raw emotion swept over Shawn like crashing waves. His sadness and anger mixed with his passion and love for Belle. All at once, he felt the full effect of true love.
When they pulled away, Shawn whispered, "I can't let you go. You are my soul mate. I need you here...to keep me whole."
A black Jeep pulled up to the docks and Brady's voice was heard. "Come on, Belle. Time to go!"
She looked up at Shawn, the moonlight playing over her hair. "It'll only be for a little while. I promise. I'll be back soon."
As she walked away, she looked back. There were fresh tears spilling over her cheeks, as she whispered, "Never let go of me, Tough Boy." ...
~Chapter Two~
"Hey, Shawn! What's up?" Philip stepped up behind his friend and patted him on the back.
Shawn turned away from his locker, closing it and placing a large textbook inside his backpack.
"Nothing."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
Phillip sighed. Shawn just wasn't himself lately. He seemed withdrawn and depressed. It had been five months since Belle had left with her mother for Nevada and Shawn had been especially down in the dumps for the past two. At first he had taken it well: he had put up a good front at least. Now he came to class with bags under his reddened eyes, uninterested in discussions, and without homework or materials. Philip was more than a bit worried for his cousin.
"Look, man. If you ever need to talk about her..."
"Don't even bring that up," Shawn demanded. "I don't have the time or energy to talk about her. And you don't even know the half of it."
Philip was stunned. He stepped back to allow Shawn's menacing figure saunter past him. "Sorry. I guess I don't know. But you could tell me about it," he offered.
"Just butt out, okay?"
Phil watched as Shawn disappeared around the corner. Something has to be done. He needs to lighten up. Belle will be back soon...hopefully.
~*~
Later that evening...
Philip was racking his brains trying to figure out how to get the old Shawn back. Nothing seemed suitable enough. Movies lasted only a few hours without time for conversation. Hanging out at Dot Com seemed almost mocking. Going to the pier seemed least likely of all to cheer Shawn up.
He sighed. Maybe it's hopeless. The only thing that will help him out is the one thing that made him depressed in the first place. He was about to give up when the phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Phil. Jason here. I just wondered if you wanted to come over. My parents are gone and we're throwin' a party."
"We?" Philip asked.
"Jan and I."
"Your parents are gone, you have the house to yourself, Jan is coming over, and you want 100 drunk people there? What is wrong with you, man?"
"I can have sex with Jan any day of the week. I want tonight to be special."
"You lie. You want to get drunk and Jan wants you to be romantic, right?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Yeah, pretty much."
"Okay, I'll be there." Philip thought about it for a while. "Can I bring Shawn with me?"
"Of course, the more, the merrier! Oh, yeah. This party is BVBP."
"BVBP?"
"Yeah. Bring Victor's Beer Please! See ya!"
Philip shut off the phone and lay down on his bed. Maybe this was a good thing. Shawn would get out, Jason would be drunk, and Phil could make his move on any choice girl he wanted. Yeah, this is definitely going to be good.
~Chapter Three~
Lately I've been skeptical
Silent when I used to speak
Distant from those around me who witness me fail and become weak
Life is overwhelming
Heavy is the head that wears the crown
I'd love to be the one to disappoint you when I don't fall down...
The music blared as Philip and Shawn entered the mansion. Their arms were full of alcohol bottles and flasks, all plucked from Victor's stash. Victor had so many different bottles; he would never know that there was any missing.
"The party is here!" Jason yelled over Fred Durst's voice. "You need any help, boys?"
"No, thanks. Where do you want it?" Philip asked.
"The question is...where do you want it?"
All three guys turned towards the husky female voice. Long tanned legs, curvy hips, and full breasts met their gazes. Long, dark hair spilled over the girl's shoulders, and the mini-dress she was wearing showed ample amounts of her thighs and breasts.
"What's wrong with you three? You act like you've never seen a woman before," Jan asked from behind the girl in front of them.
Chloe laughed as she took two large bottles of brandy from Philip's arms. "I bet you'd like it in the kitchen, right?" she asked, in the same tone as before. Philip nodded dumbly, following her closely behind.
"Come on, Shawn. You can put the rest of it in the hall closet. We don't want to waste it all on the early birds," Jan said, a little miffed about Chloe's entrance.
Shawn just sighed and followed her. This is going to be a disaster. I don't even know why I'm here. I'm not gonna have any fun. I just want to lie down and sleep.
Jan took the bottles from Shawn's arms and placed them behind a pile of clothes in the closet. Then she shut the door. "You want something to drink? It'll take your mind off of...um...things..."
Shawn thought about it for a minute, opened the closet again, and chose a large bottle of Jack out of the pile. He opened the lid, took a hearty chug, and coughed. It was strong, but he did feel a little better. His head felt a little bit lighter. "That's the spirit, Shawn. Drink it up. Before you know it, you'll be the same old Shawn we all love," Jan called over her shoulder. She was walking back to the living room.
Taking another chug, Shawn decided that maybe the alcohol was helping. He needed to be distracted. I can't think about her here. It's too risky. Too many people, and too many questions. I just need to act cool. Then maybe they'll leave me alone.
Bottle in hand, he headed into the living room.
(more to come)
