Static Dinosaurs and Unspoken Hearts |ShellVision|

Chapter 2

In a panic, Vee slammed the notebook shut, shoving it into the drawer of her desk. She leaned back in her chair, her heart still racing from the drawing and the thought of what it meant. Taking a deep breath, she reached for her computer, anything to distract her from the thoughts racing in her mind. Her hands shook slightly as she opened the browser, searching for the latest advancements in technology, hoping to lose herself in something logical, something that made sense. But as she scrolled through articles on new gadgets and updates in artificial intelligence, her mind kept wandering back to her. Shelly. Why am I always thinking about her?

Vee felt a sense of frustration bubble up, as if her brain couldn't settle. The technology was fascinating, but her thoughts kept looping back to Shelly. It was like her mind was no longer her own. She slammed the computer shut, the screen flickering momentarily before going dark. She exhaled sharply, staring at the blank screen in front of her. She leaned back in her chair again, her mind still racing, but now, with a different kind of confusion. Why am I feeling like this? Her systems hummed quietly, but it didn't help to calm her. It didn't make the emotions that were swirling inside her disappear. Vee closed her eyes, trying to take a deep breath, but nothing made sense. She didn't understand what was happening, why she felt so different.

Vee's mind had been in a whirlwind for the past two hours. She felt it coming—an unfamiliar sensation, one that she hadn't experienced before. The nausea crept up slowly at first, just a dull ache in the pit of her stomach, but soon it worsened, and every slight movement she made seemed to amplify it. She didn't understand why this was happening. The sensation wasn't physical in the way she was used to; it wasn't the kind of feedback she'd typically experience from her systems when they were running low or malfunctioning. This was different. It was... emotional? She had been trying to push the feelings aside for hours, but the nausea was relentless. She didn't know how to shake it off. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Shelly—her smile, her laugh, the way she looked when she wasn't paying attention. And no matter how hard Vee tried to distract herself with work or focus on anything else, it all circled back to her.

The knock on the door startled her, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts. She paused, feeling the nausea twist uncomfortably inside her. She stood up, pushing through the discomfort, and slowly walked to the door. But the moment she opened it, her heart skipped a beat. For a split second, she thought she saw Shelly standing there. 

But no. It was just Astro. 

Astro stood in the doorway, his blue-green crescent moon-shaped face framed by a lilac sleeping cap that looked like it had seen better days. He wore a blanket with crescent moons printed all over it and matching blue crescent moon slippers. The contrast of his sleepy, almost childlike appearance with his usual determined demeanor made him seem strangely comforting, as if he was still caught between the dream world and reality. "Hey, Vee," Astro said casually, his voice soft and groggy as if he had just woken up from a nap. He gave a tired grin, his crescent-shaped face lighting up for a moment. "I was wondering if I could borrow your mic for a bit. I want to practice a song for Dandy. I think it'll be a nice surprise for him." 

Vee blinked, her mind still a swirl of thoughts and emotions, but she nodded. "Yeah, of course. I've got a mic right here." She stepped aside to let him in, trying to ignore the knot in her stomach that had been there since Shelly's image popped into her mind earlier. Astro set his guitar case down next to the desk and grabbed the mic, then began adjusting the settings. Vee leaned against the desk, trying to keep her focus on the task at hand. But every time Astro strummed the guitar or hummed the melody, her thoughts began to drift again. It wasn't Astro she was thinking of, not really. It was Shelly. Every note, every sound, just seemed to remind her of her. The nausea continued to coil in her stomach, and now there was an uncomfortable heat spreading across her face. Why am I feeling like this? The thought rattled in her head, over and over again. She could feel her face turning warm, hot pink warm, every time she thought about Shelly.