Fifty-six ➵ both

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Jasmine
After counseling back with Shawn, everything was fit perfectly and parched into seams like it was supposed to. Not to mention, Frankie and Dawn began dating- it was the cutest thing ever!
"If thy love, is love, my love for you is strong. As the Rose beheld in a captivated glass, shall be timeless. My endurance for you shall be forever. As each petal falls except for one, like an hour glass, it shall remain concealed." He spoke poetically, winning her affection. He even handed her a single red rose.
She clasped it to her heart, flattered by his way of words.
"Why, thank you Frankie! I never heard someone speak so smitten to me before." She admitted, blushing a bit.
"Aww, Shawn. Looks like I'm sensing a triple date soon." I observed, and he nodded simply in response. I knew what he wanted.
"Come on, more kisses." He persisted. Obeying his command, I pressed my lips against his and kissed him for a while. Not to mention he missed the moments of how our faces always collided before; he was making up for all of the times he couldn't kiss me.
We pulled away, so that way we could finally talk about tonight. Somehow, according to Shawn, he was going to help me babysit tonight.
"So how about tonight? When the kids are asleep, we can have a little pg-13 action." He suggested, his voice softening.
"I don't know about that Shawn. I mean, maybe after I tuck the kids in. These people are close to my aunt so they are protective of me in a way." I admitted to him. I was babysitting the Holland twins tonight, which meant for me that no boys allowed. It involves no appearance from Shawn whatsoever, but knowing him: he would get in without a fight.
"Well I'll just sneak out the window after you tuck the kids in! Besides, I wanna spend time with my girlfriend." He persisted. I knew he wasn't going to let this go so easy. Allowing him to arrive later was the only option that was available.
"Alright, but only you can come after the Holland's leave, and before they get back that's when you leave." I ordered him. Thanking me as a sign of gratitude, Shawn kissed me again simultaneously, and right after we continued on with our day.
:::
By the time I arrived at the Holland's, it happened to be right after school let out. I met with Mr. & Mrs. Holland to tell them goodbye, and as usual like every other babysitting job, they informed me of the instructions that contained strict rules to follow.
"Be sure to tuck them in bed by 8:30 tonight. We will be home before 9:00, and if there's an emergency, call us when you need to. The number is on the fridge posted on the freezer door, and if you cook dinner, there's Mac and cheese on the stove." Mrs. Holland informed me, as her husband checked briefly to make sure they had everything. Supposedly, they were going to a formal dinner, so that's why they were dressed so fancy.
"Alright, I think we have everything," Mr. Holland pointed out, concluding the inspection,"bye Jasmine."
"Bye."
They headed out the door and I sat on the couch, waiting for the twins to get home from school. According to their parents, they went to a different school, so they actually arrive home later than mine. They should be here any minute now, I thought.
And I was right. Just as I predicted, the two stepped through the door, similar backpacks placed over their shoulders, and wearing an outfit corresponding to each other's. I greeted them and asked them how their day of school was.
"Good." They said at the same time. Andrew and Tyler were comfortable with me, as I only babysat them a couple times before.
"I got an A+ on my math test!" Andrew boasted, revealing his test paper to me.
"Good job." I congratulated him. My eyes roamed from the bolded, red letter A+ that was marked on top of the page, to Tyler. When comparing them, there happened to be a wide variety of differences aside from just their similarity of appearances. From what I could predict, Tyler didn't do so well as he glanced down at the floor.
"And how did you do on your math test Tyler?"
Alarmed, he glanced up, widening his eyes.
"Uh, I got a B!" He tried to brag.
"No you didn't, you received a F, liar!" Andrew spat at him.
"Hey," I scolded him, then turning my attention rapidly back to Andrew,"Andrew, lemme see your test."
Guilty, he headed over to his backpack and pulled out a sheet of paper. Just as Andrew confirmed by ratting out Tyler, he received a F. He handed it to me and I studied it, viewing the answers he got wrong.
"Tyler, let's have a math lesson," I led him to the table and had him give me a sheet of lined paper,"you're multiplying fractions, right?"
Tyler nodded, embarrassed by his bad grade.
"Tyler, don't be upset about your grade. I'll be here to tutor you and help you." I promised him, and he formed a shy smile. He sat beside me at the dining table, propping and fixating his posture so he could view my lesson thoroughly.
"Alright, so here's what you-"
Before I could finish my sentence, the repetitive sounds of beeping caught me off guard. It was Shawn paging me.
"What was that?" Andrew asked, heading over to us.
"It's nothing," I half lied to him, wanting them to not worry about it,"let's get back to studying."
However, trying to teach Tyler wasn't working as I hoped and attempted to. A knock on the door occurred and I trailed over to there to find Shawn. Just as I expected, here he was with white colored paper bags buried under neath the scrunch of his hands.
"Hey babe," he greeted me with a kiss,"I brought you tacos. It's taco Tuesday!"
"Who's that?" Andrew asked, as Shawn stepped through the door and shut it behind him. I bent down on my knees so my face could meet with Tyler and Andrew, who couldn't stop staring at Shawn.
"Andrew, Tyler, this is Shawn."
"The boyfriend!" Shawn informed them, but I jabbed him lightly in the side.
"Boyfriend?"
"You have a boyfriend?" Andrew questioned.
"Yeah, well, if you put it that way, yes," I admitted to them,"but promise you won't tell your parents?"
The twins exchanged only a glance and made their decision just like that.
"We promise!"
"Hey, these kids are cool." Shawn laughed, forming a small smile.
He sat on the couch, and placed the bags of tacos on the coffee table. As for Tyler, he was in awe. Realizing these two had similar traits, I decided to have Tyler to get to know Shawn.
I sat right beside Shawn, with Tyler scrambling near on top of Shawn's lap. As for Andrew, he sat right beside me, staring directly at Shawn.
"Where did you get the jacket?"
He pointed out, his fingers poking at the collars. Shawn grinned, peering from me to Tyler. The thought of telling someone almost half his age where he got the jacket from was a deal breaker for him.
"Well, uh-"
"Tyler." Tyler introduced himself.
"Tyler, I got this from my father as a present. It's one of the best leather jackets, and you know why that is?"
"Why?" Tyler asked, interested in knowing.
"It's because it comes from a land, a magical land, where when you first receive it, you get to know who you are. It reveals your character. And what do you think of me when you see me in this?"
"Cool!" He exclaimed, smiling and showing his baby teeth. Shawn laughed as Tyler and him continued to bond.
I decided to bond with Andrew, however, he wasn't in the room. I stood up, searching for Andrew.
"Andrew?" I asked. I trailed towards his and Tyler's room, opening it. I came inside to find a blanket with a big gap moving around.
"Andrew?" I repeated, wondering what was going on in here. I headed over to his figure to unravel the blanket off of Andrew. However, he twisted and turned to the other side so he didn't face me.
"Are you alright Andrew? What's going on?" I asked him, but he didn't answer me. I shook him, but he groaned, pulling the covers over him again.
"What's going on?" I asked, and then he revealed himself by uncovering himself.
"Tyler! It's always Tyler! He's the cool one, so everyone likes him better!" He complained, then resting back down again.
"That's not true, where would you get that from?" I demanded him.
"You and Shawn. No one likes me because I'm the smart one! It's Tyler who is always favored, and not me." He began to cry.
"Aww, Andrew," I pulled him closer to me, comforting him with a hug. He cried into my shoulder, but I pulled him away, wiping the tears off his small face.
"Andrew, listen to me. You're the coolest kid ever! The fact you're smart, makes you unique."
"Well I don't wanna be unique." He cried.
"Why not?"
"People think my uniqueness is weird. I don't wanna stand out, I wanna fit in." He mumbled, his eyes exploding another gush of tear drops streaming down his cheek like a river flowing.
"You know what, don't be upset about that. Don't be offended by people thinking your uniqueness is weird. As a matter of fact, stand out. I want every part of you, to stand out in the world. If you stand out, that part of you is going to get you somewhere in life. You're going to be successful. You're going to be the world's best scientist, or even a college professor."
He sniffed, trying to stop himself from crying profusely again.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Stand out. Face your fears. And you tell those who think you're weird, tell them thank you. Then watch of how much an impact it'll make." I informed him. Instead of crying, he began to smile.
"You're right Jasmine! Thank you!"
He hugged me, then got out of my hold. Storming through the room was Tyler who was on Shawn's back, zooming around the bedroom like as if it was a game of airplane racing.
"Woah, I feel dizzy!" Tyler exclaimed, and that's when Shawn put him down gently to the floor.
"Alright, that's enough guys. I should probably cook dinner now."
"What about tacos?" Shawn pleaded.
"I want tacos!" Tyler insisted.
"Me too! Tacos! Tacos! Tacos!" Andrew chimed in, and it annoyed me a bit.
"Guys, I would, but thing is, I have to obey your parents rules." I responded to them.
"Please!" They begged.
"Come on Jas, let them have a taco!" Shawn persisted. I glanced between the three boys, not believing this.
"No, and you get no taco either!" I scolded Shawn playfully. He frowned, forming a grimacing expression. I headed out the door and began to cook the proper ingredients for Mac and cheese. Just then, it was all happening at once. Shawn and the twins giggling loudly, until...
"Oh no!" The sound of something breaking and flying into the floor. Afterwards,  the kids chanted uh oh, which told me it wasn't a good sign. I turned the oven off after finishing the Mac and cheese to only find a vase clattered to the ground, the pieces broken everywhere.
"What happened? What's going on in here?"
The kids pointed to Shawn, who smiled awkwardly. I crossed my arms, waiting for an deserved explanation from him. He stumbled his words for a moment, until he found only an excuse.
"I was just playing with the kids."
"Alright, play times over," I uncrossed my arms and opened the door, pushing Shawn out seconds afterwards.
"What, I was only playing!" He tried to get back inside, but I slammed the door on him, frustrated. What was he thinking? What if the vase fell on top of the kids? Or one of them? I wasn't taking it.
After closing the door, Shawn was knocking on it quickly and tried to arouse himself back in here.
"I forgot my tacos!"
I opened the door, took his bag of tacos, then flew it across the pavement. He was going to have to learn his lesson and take responsibility for his actions. This was a real life moment for us, it could happen someday, us having kids if we turned out to be high school sweethearts after we graduated.
That's what he needed to figure out for himself.
:::
Shawn
Jasmine hasn't spoken to me after the babysitting incident last night. Not even at all today in school.
"Jas, when are you going to talk to me?" I begged her, but she still was considerate of the silent treatment game. I watched her and sighed, as she twisted then opened her locker successfully.
I maintained a hold of her arm. "Jasmine, I'm sorry." I apologized, but she slammed her locker after getting her belongings, then faced me. She prepared to speak her thoughts out loud.
"Sorry isn't what I'm looking for Shawn." She pointed out to me, still upset with my idiotic instincts. Yeah I broke the vase, but what's the big deal?
"Well what is it? I didn't injure the kids, did I? Did I get you in trouble?"
"No," she spoke honestly,"but you could of, and the fact you don't see why hurts me."
Her eyes were shortening, the lids dropping over her pupils so you couldn't read any expression upon her face. It was slowly getting my attention, and I was trying to figure it all out.
Until it clicked.
Viewing her walk off like that, I finally found out why she was angry with me. Vowing to make it up to her, I think I know exactly what I had to do.
:::
Later that night, I knew she was babysitting the twins again. It was almost near bedtime, and I was sitting near their window. I made sure the coast was clear, which was by carefully waiting til Jasmine went out of the room.
When watching her from here, seeing her tuck in the kids so they could sleep, I couldn't help but smile. She was going to be a wonderful mother, so considerate of her kids, putting them first before themselves. As my cue was signaled, which she went out of their room after turning off the light, I opened and climbed into their window.
The kids, alarmed at the sound of moving, sat up.
"Shawn?" They hissed in unison. I place a finger to my lips, then headed to the bookshelf, pulling out a random book. It happened to be "Oh the Places You'll Go," by Dr. Seuss. Perfect.
I turned on the lamp that was on their bedside then sat in the chair.
"I love this book!" Andrew exclaimed.
I gestured the kids to scoot closer to me, and they did, their heads leaning on opposite sides of my shoulder.
"Oh the places you'll go, by Dr. Seuss. He's a good writer." I spoke to him, flipping through a couple introductory pages and to the official first page.
The book meant a lot to those would be graduating, and as I read it, the occurring thought wasn't completely swept under the rug. I was graduating next year. I already doubted myself I would get enrolled into a college, although Jasmine talks about it all the time that she's sure I would. It didn't matter what direction I was going, as long as I tried, right? College, or no college, I just wanted to go some place.
And this book proved my hopes to be right.
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And then things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles cross weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or the waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for the wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be as famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't
Because, sometimes they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike,
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never foget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
Shortly after finishing the book, the slight creak of a door opening told me it was Jasmine.
"Shawn, what are you-"
"I was just reading this book to Tyler and Andrew. You missed a red of their bed time." I informed her. Tyler and Andrew smiled, as they reached back into their beds.
"Shawn, will you tuck us in again?" Tyler asked, as if going on with the plan.
"Why wouldn't I?" I covered them back up, settled the book back into its place, which was stored in the electric blue book shelf, and headed with Jasmine out the door.
"What was that about?" She whispered, smirking. She didn't disapprove, as she continued to smile.
"Well, I know I may be a parent someday, and I wanted to practice, for real this time. Although what I did now was right, but just know, sometimes it's okay to be their best friend too." I reminded her. She awarded me with a kiss, then pulled away.
"I couldn't agree more."
"I should be going." I decided, but she took a hold of my hand.
"Wait Shawn, before you go: you'll be a great father someday." She declared, finalizing her statement alas.
"You'll be a wonderful mother too."
❤︎
:::
Author's Note:
Hey guys! This was inspired by the Boy Meets World episode back from early season four, titled: Shallow Boy.
I thought this would suit their relationship to another level, which is considered more mature since they are 16-17.
Anyways, hoped you enjoyed this! :)

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