Actions

Work Header

It's Not Stalking If It's Your Best Friend

Summary:

After Jackie finds out about Shauna and Jeff and Brown, Shauna is completely normal about things. She is not stalking Jackie, she tells herself. Only checking on her. Multiple times an hour.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Two statements that were once true about Shauna Shipman:

  1. Jackie Taylor is Shauna Shipman’s best friend.

  2. Shauna Shipman is not a stalker, nor has she ever partaken in any activities that could be linked to or considered stalking.

 

Cue May 2021. The fight. Jackie and Shauna’s biggest argument yet- and the one that tore them apart. It was a joint effort. Kind of.

To be honest? Jackie shouldn’t have read her journal. So what if Shauna mistakenly left it on her pillow in their shared hotel room? Jackie should not have read it.

They lost Nationals because of Jackie and Shauna. The Wiskayok Yellowjackets team was back to being what they were before their glory: losers. The two weeks since the loss have been the worst two weeks of Shauna’s life, and that’s including the time her dad left them.

She’s completely and utterly alone. At first, the team weren’t sure who to side with, so stayed neutral, mostly. Tai, and with Tai, Van, were disappointed with her but tried to comfort her when she barged in on them in their room, fists clenched while sobs of rage choked out of her.

Nat, Misty, and Mari circled Jackie like vultures after Shauna froze her out. After she kicked her out their hotel room, after she watched the blonde stubbornly pack a bag and leave. Minutes after, Shauna went next door.

Now, Shauna’s doing her new ritual: browsing social media. More specifically, Jackie’s social media.

She knows all of Jackie’s app handles off by heart, from JaxTaylor69 to JackieTaylor and even her private-not-private accounts on apps like Pinterest and Tumblr, JT2003 and IHateRabbits.

Right now, at 2PM on Saturday, the first Saturday since school ended, Jackie is listening to Lucy Dacus- Shauna knows Jackie stole Lucy Dacus from her, too- on Spotify. It’s the one account Jackie didn’t block her on. Idiot.

Shauna sighs, leaning on her desk and browsing through all of Jackie’s playlists. She’s been through them all already today, but it can’t hurt to just click through the 17 of them. Jackie’s On Repeat playlist is one she’s checked the most, waiting for it to refresh- and there it is.

She scrolls through the playlist, eyes widening at the songs. A lot of them are by artists that Shauna listens to, even ones that Jackie has definitely turned off before! She scoffs and angrily exits the Spotify app. It closes, and now her screen is bright with Jackie’s Instagram profile.

Jackie was on a roll one night when she blocked Shauna from her social media. Swiftly, however, Shauna made a new account, which she inconspicuously named Boat03Man, and now uses to check Jackie’s Instagram.

Since their fight 15 days ago, Jackie has posted a grand total of five stories to her profile, which is alarmingly low. She would usually post once or twice a day, whether it be selfies, pictures of Shauna, or just sharing a meme.

Shauna validates her actions by thinking of it as checking up on Jackie, rather than obsessively viewing her account every other hour.

Nothing today on Jackie’s profile. Shauna sighs and closes the tab. She puts her laptop to sleep, and leans back in the desk chair. Time to rethink every interaction she and Jackie ever had which could have lead to their destruction.

She tries to ignore the guilt nagging at her, the same guilt that tries to force her to look back on why the argument was so bad in the first place.

Jeff. Stupid, evil, annoying, Jeff who kissed her back in his ugly car after that uglier party.

She growls, frustrated, and squeezes her eyes hut, trying to rid her mind of him. Instead, she opens pinterest, searches Jackie’s username, and checks.

A few new pins added to her current board. Shauna opens it, and sighs. Jackie’s going through her white background-black text sad quote pin phase.

 

Three days later, Shauna realises this is pathetic behaviour. Today, she’ll go 24 hours without checking Jackie’s social media.

With which, thank you very much, she is so far successful, and its been six hours since she woke up. However, there is a slight chance that she’s ditched the online watching for something a little more personal. So what if she’s parked a few houses down from the Taylor residence? Her mom told her she should get out the house.

Here she is. Breathing in fresh air. From her car, yeah, but it’s better than being shut up in her bedroom.

It’s been two hours with no movement from the Taylor’s. She’s halfway through the book she picked up from the library, The Phantom of the Opera. She and Jackie watched the movie once, so it only seems fitting she read it during this Jackie-draught she’s going through.

Finally, something happens. Someone walking from the house, wearing a flannel that looks a lot like one of hers. She realises it’s Jackie, her tanned legs on show from those tan shorts she loves, and Shauna’s green flannel. Shauna can’t see the top she’s wearing underneath, she'll have to drive around somehow to get a better view.

She pulls her cap further down her face and grabs her sunglasses, then starts the car again. Driving around this area is something she can do in her sleep, especially the roads that consist of Jackie’s house and any on the way to the mall or gas stations.

A few minutes later, after circling the other way, she sees Jackie walking towards her, looking down at her phone. Shauna scoffs at her lack of awareness, anyone could swerve off the road and hit her! Maybe she should, but not hit her, just to give her a scare and make sure she starts being more safe.

Shauna shakes her head to get rid of that thought. Jackie’s wearing- oh. The flannel shirt is buttoned up not quite to the top, and Shauna squints, but can’t make out a neckline of a top underneath. The idea of Jackie wearing nothing but her own flannel shirt with nothing underneath makes her feel that same way she feels when they’d kiss, for practice, or drunk after a party.

She circles, again, parking on the side of the street so she’s got a good view of where Jackie’s going. It’s a random Tuesday afternoon during summer break. Shauna knows damn well Jackie wouldn’t get a summer job, not only because she doesn't want one, but because her parents give her a ridiculous amount of money for her weekly allowance.

Jackie’s meeting Mari for lunch, so it turns out. Shauna sits in the parking lot, seething, glaring into the diner to the booth Jackie and Mari have chosen, which is conveniently by the window.

 

 


Jackie Taylor is not stupid, which may come as a surprise to some who don’t know her well. Popular girl in school, rich parents, jock boyfriend- all point towards the dumb girl stereotype she herself has pinned to other people before in her mind.

She doesn’t get the top grades in class like Shauna, she’s not overly street smart like Nat, and she sure as hell doesn’t have the filmography database in her mind like Van. What does she have?

Jackie Taylor knows social media. For years, she’s learnt every tip and trick about posing at the right time of day, or re-posting certain stories to get more likes, and she knows what to do for certain attention from certain people.

Yeah. It’s all very ‘Gen Z’ of her, but (at 18) she’s been behind two small brand social accounts that had a combined following of a hundred thousand followers.

She also knows all about Shauna’s social media: her posting habits, the usual times she’s online- so it’s something dear to her when Shauna is active on socials for almost the entire day, a huge contrast to her previous hour or two maximum.

Jackie uses her private account to watch the green circle next to Shauna’s username stay lit every time she checks. It’s normal, she assures herself.

She also assures herself that Shauna is not following her on her way to the diner. That surely isn’t Shauna’s beat up Festiva, and that’s not Shauna in the driver’s seat, WHS cap on and pulled low.

However, she unfortunately has Shauna’s number plate memorized. It’s her.

 

 


Shauna follows Jackie through the woods after the party is busted by the cops. Jackie’s almost wobbly, but Shauna’s sure she only had a couple drinks, so she should be fine getting home. No harm in her walking her back, though, even if it is from a distance.

Jackie stops abruptly. She tilts her head, and there’s no way she didn’t hear Shauna’s scuffle to hide behind a tree. She pokes her head round the bark, and watches with wide eyes as Jackie smirks directly at the tree.

“I know you’re there, Shipman.” Jackie sings, giggling quietly.

Caught. Shauna huffs out a grumpy exhale and steps in front of the tree, her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Hi.”

“Hey. You had fun tonight? I sure did.” Jackie grins, like she knows something Shauna doesn’t.

“It sucked.” Shauna shrugs, stepping closer to Jackie until they’re a few feet apart.

Jackie pouts playfully, and sighs dramatically. “That’s such a shame. You should have played spin the bottle with us, Shippy.”

Shauna stills. “I didn’t see you doing that?”

“Of course you didn’t. Locked door, members only.”

“What middle school bullshit is that, Jax? Who the fuck did you kiss?” Shauna hisses. Please don’t say Jeff, she chants in her head.

“Do you deserve to know?” Jackie says, closing the gap between them and looking up at Shauna through her eyelids. They’re usually the same height, but Shauna’s got a new pair of chunky boots on, so she has an inch on Jackie tonight.

“Was it Jeff?”

Jackie grimaces. “Gross! Wouldn’t want your sloppy seconds, would I? Or would he be my sloppy thirds?”

Jackie shrugs at her question, ignoring the pained look on Shauna’s face. She gasps like she’s had an idea, her eyes wide and bright as she looks at Shauna. “I just had a brainstorm. Why don’t you,” Jackie traces her finger across Shauna’s jaw. “Guess which lucky bottle-spinner landed on me.”

“You’re drunk, Jax.” Shauna grumbles, but makes no move to stop Jackie’s featherlight touching of her face.

“I’ve never been more sober.” Jackie says, deadpan.

Shauna groans loud, dramatic, tilting her head all the way back so she can see the moon. She looks back down at the prettier sight in front of her. “Uh, Adam?”

Jackie shakes her head with a grin. Shauna lists off the majority of the boys baseball team, and to her delight and discomfort Jackie shakes her head at each name.

“I really don’t know who you kissed. Just tell me.”

“First mistake? Your guesses are all guys.”

Shauna’s nose twitches and she scowls, something reminiscent to a growl rising in her throat.

“Fucking hell. You kissed a girl?” Shauna spits. What she means is, you kissed a girl that wasn’t me?

Jackie nods, smug. “I’ll give you three names. Misty, Natalie, and… Charlotte.”

“Lottie? Yeah, right, she’d have to bend down to kiss you.” Shauna scoffs. Jackie gestures to her wrist, indicating that she’s waiting for an answer. “Christ. Natalie? I don’t fucking know.”

Jackie tilts her head, pondering the guess. “You’ve scored 33% on your test today.”

“You- what? You fucking kissed all three of them?”

“Correct! You get full marks!” Jackie exclaims, cheering loudly in Shauna’s face. Shauna can feel Jackie’s breath hitting her nose, and it’s too much, god, she wants to run away.

She does not run away. Jackie forbids her with hands on her waist.

“So? Which kiss would you have wanted to see most? If you’d been successful in your stalking all night, that is.”

Shauna’s heart stops. “Uh-I-wow, that-that’s something. S-stalking?” She stammers, chuckling awkwardly.

Jackie rolls her eyes and shoves Shauna playfully. “You’re a freak. Not even like, I’m bullying you and calling you a freak, but an actual freaky pervert. I know, Shauna. I’m surprised you’ve not gone into my bedroom and taken some panties from my laundry basket.”

She steps back, feeling like a deer caught in headlights, a deer caught in a fucking trap with a shotgun pointed at her head. “I-uh-”

“Oh, wait! You did, didn’t you?” Jackie says, closing the distance once again, gripping Shauna by her belt loops. Shauna gulps and looks down at Jackie’s fingers hooked in the fabric.

Jackie sighs. Shauna matches her. “What, uh, what now?”

“Well, I had a plan, but you’ve gone the other way I’d hoped.” Jackie murmurs, pushing and pulling Shauna back and forth with the belt loops. “Kinda thought you’d get crazy jealous at all the girls I kissed tonight.”

“I am crazy jealous.” Shauna protests, her heart racing in anticipation for Jackie to continue.

Jackie bites at her lip and stares at Shauna’s lips, which are parted in disbelief. “You want…?”

She nods. Jackie tilts her head back, and Shauna looks over her shoulder and walks her back until she’s hit the tree. Jackie gasps in surprise, a glimmer of playfulness in her eyes at Shauna’s predicted actions.

“Fuck’s sake, Jax.” Shauna mumbles, wrapping her hand around the back of Jackie’s neck, looking in both her eyes to make sure she’s sure, then pushes Jackie hard against the tree and covers her lips with her own.

Jackie squeaks into the kiss, tensing for a moment at the ferocity Shauna’s moving against her with. Shauna pushes and pushes and pushes, until Jackie’s lips part in a moan, and she’s got access to Jackie’s mouth. The same mouth Natalie, Misty, and Lottie all got near. The thought fills her with rage, and she grips Jackie’s neck tighter, only pausing when Jackie whines.

She pulls back momentarily, searching for the cause of Jackie’s noise. “Don’t fucking stop, Shipman.” Jackie just about snarls, tugging her back in roughly.

Shauna can taste chapstick, cherry, and she can taste the vodka coke Jackie was nursing earlier. Jackie’s hands roam up and down and across her back, pulling her in and pushing her shirt up, until the cool air hits her bare skin and Jackie’s warm, soft hands are rubbing and pulling at her back.

“Fuck,” Shauna grunts into her mouth when Jackie bravely gropes her ass, clutching fistfuls of her glutes, making Shauna basically thrust her hips towards Jackie. She tries it again, more calculated, and feels Jackie shifting under her, a thigh slipping between her legs. Her ass is grabbed again, pulled, and she lets out a startled yelp at the sensation of grinding on her best friend’s thigh.

“Shauna,” Jackie says, pulling away from Shauna’s attack of a kiss, her hands still guiding Shauna’s jerky thrusts. “Gosh, you’re so pretty, too pretty like this.”

Jackie’s words send a shudder through her entire being, heat pooling in her stomach as her heart flutters. “Jax, please, I think- ah, I might-”

Jackie presses her lips to Shauna’s neck, sucking and grazing her teeth against her pulse point, making her gasp out breathlessly.

“Oh, god,” Shauna writhes, nails digging in to the back of Jackie’s neck so hard she’s sure the indents of her fingernails will be tattooed on her skin like a brand.

She keeps thrusting, letting Jackie guide her grinding, and she looks down to see a wet patch forming on Jackie’s bare leg, her skirt pushed up all the way. Jackie catches her wide eyes, and pulls her skirt all the way up. Shauna’s mouth goes dry at bare, tan legs and- a bit further up- green lacy underwear Shauna’s never had the pleasure to lay her eyes on.

“N-new?” Shauna pants.

Jackie nods. “Mmm. Someone stole my nice pair. Did you sniff them?”

Shauna moans, loud, nodding. “Fuck! So fucking good, just- fuck, all you, all I need is you.”

Jackie grins. “You’re doing so good for me, Shauna. Such a pretty girl, are you close?”

Her nodding turns frantic and she squeezes her eyes shut so hard she sees static, then opens them and leans against Jackie’s forehead, watching her eyes dilate.

“F-fuck, close,” Shauna whines, her hand palming at her breast through her shirt. “J-Jax!”

With one final thrust, she tenses, stilling completely, her thighs coming together to clench Jackie’s own thigh between them. She pants in Jackie’s ear, twitching all over, focusing on Jackie’s murmured words of comfort.

“Good girl, so pretty, all for me, my Shauna, I love you.”

Jackie’s words, and her thigh flexing, push her into another orgasm that tears a sob from her throat. All the pent up frustration and anger seems to melt away , dripping onto the hot stove that is Jackie Taylor. She can’t think of anything but Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie loves me, Jackie, and she goes limp, her arm weighing heavily on the back of Jackie’s shoulders.

When she’s gained the ability to form words again, she speaks. “You love me? Still?”

“Did you come like that for Jeff?”

Shauna frowns at the change in topic and shakes her head. “He was… inside me and it didn’t feel near that good.”

“Good. You know who you belong to, hm? I didn’t stop loving you. Couldn’t, even if I tried. Not for a boy, not for anything.”

“Fuck, Jax, I’m sorry for sleeping with him, I’m sorry for applying to Brown… I, uh, I called them the day after our fight. Pulled out, and called Rutgers.” She says, wincing when Jackie smacks her lightly on the head.

“You pulled out of fucking Brown?” Jackie exclaims, glaring.

Shauna shrugs, a lovesick smile on her face. “Can’t leave you alone with all the perverted freaks in Providence, can I?”

Jackie laughs. “I forgave you the day after, y’know. I only wanted space. You kinda suck at stalking, too. I noticed you every time. Left my window open on purpose.”

“I’ll get better for you, then.” Shauna chuckles, leaning in and kissing Jackie gently. “God, that was so much better than the practice ones.”

Jackie laughs again, clutching at her stomach. “I think because everything’s out in the open. We love each other, right? Romantically. Gay-ly.”

“Gay-ly?” Shauna smirks. “Yeah. I love you, Jackie Gaylor.”

Jackie mock gasps her outrage. “Well, fine! I love you too, Shauna… Shipgay? Gayman? Ugh.”

Shauna pecks her cheek. “Back to mine?” Jackie nods happily, pressing their palms together and entwining their fingers.

A few minutes later, Jackie yells, “Shauna Strapman!”

Notes:

dumb idiots who are somehow smart enough to attend university.
:D