Static Dinosaurs and Unspoken Hearts |ShellVision|

Cosmo glanced over at Sprout, her eyes lingering for a moment longer than usual, before both of them blushed a deep shade of red. It was a quick, almost imperceptible exchange, but it didn't escape Vee's notice. She furrowed her brow, feeling her attention shift involuntarily towards them. How could they be so... she began, but before she could finish the thought, she quickly rolled her eyes, turning away. It was a silly thing to be bothered by. In an attempt to distract herself, she grabbed a book about technology—one she'd read a few times before—and held it in front of her face. The small corners of her mind still followed Cosmo and Sprout, but she focused harder on the page, hoping that the cold facts and figures about circuits and algorithms would snap her out of her thoughts.

Meanwhile, across the room, Rudie and Connie were deep into a heated discussion. "Halloween is obviously the best time of the year!" Connie declared, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "No way! Christmas is so much better," Rudie shot back, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Christmas lights, snow, presents—there's no comparison!" Vee didn't bother to listen too closely. She wasn't interested in arguing about holidays. But she couldn't help but glance over when Ginger and Pebble began playing tag across the room. Ginger's laughter echoed as she darted around, her footsteps light and quick, while Pebble chased after her, a grin plastered on his face. Vee's gaze shifted between the two, but her thoughts were soon interrupted by something... different.

She caught sight of Shelly.

At first, it was subtle, just a quick glance as Shelly moved through the room. But when their gazes locked, something strange happened in Vee's chest. It wasn't just a passing glance or a simple acknowledgment. No, this was something else. Her heart sped up. It wasn't just a physical reaction; it felt... deeper. Her face flushed, and in a panic, she slammed the book in front of her face. Why did my heart race like that?  The sudden rush of heat in her face made her feel like she was on fire. What's happening to me? She thought quickly, but no answer came. It felt unfamiliar, but there was something undeniably... warm about it. What was it? Was it normal? Was it something that happened when people were around people they liked?

"Hey, Vee? You good?" Rudie's voice cut through her internal confusion. Vee snapped her attention away from Shelly and muttered, "Yeah, I'm fine." She gave a quick, forced smile, but her mind kept circling back to that moment—the way her heart had picked up pace at the simple act of their gazes meeting. She needed to get away. To think. To process. Without a second thought, Vee stood up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. She didn't wait for anyone to say anything more; she just turned and walked briskly down the hallway that led to everyone's rooms. The hallway seemed endless today. It felt longer than it ever had before, like her thoughts were pulling her farther from everything else. She barely registered the few doors she passed, the soft hum of the room around her, until she reached her own.

When she stepped inside, the silence felt almost comforting, as if it were the only thing that could calm the racing thoughts in her head. She walked over to her desk, the familiar surroundings offering her a sense of control. Vee plopped down into her chair and immediately grabbed a notebook and a pencil, her fingers trembling ever so slightly. It wasn't like her to be this distracted, but the feelings from earlier were still swirling around in her mind. She started drawing. First, a landscape. She sketched the mountains, the distant peaks, and the calm lakes reflecting the sky. The strokes of the pencil were smooth, precise—familiar. She flipped the page, letting the tension in her shoulders ease, and began sketching dinosaurs. Big, imposing creatures, towering over trees and rocks. 

But then, the next page came, and her hand paused.

A shell. A beautiful, intricate shell. Vee had always loved shells. They were simple, yet complex. Elegant in their form. But that wasn't the strange part. The strange part was the next thing her hand decided to draw—Shelly. Vee's eyes widened in surprise as her pencil glided over the page. Shelly's image was captured in soft lines—her little brown dress with a little Shell she puts on it , her smile, the way she always seemed to brighten up a room just by being there. Vee had meant to draw something else entirely, but somehow, without thinking, she had drawn Shelly. She stopped, her breath caught in her throat. The realization of what she'd done hit her all at once. Her face felt like it had been set ablaze, the heat crawling up her neck. Why? Why did I do that?