A/N: This is something that I've thought up when I was watching So You Think Can Dance a while ago. There was a NappyTabs routine by Marko and Melanie (my favorite dancers of that season). But unlike that amazing piece which was done to Leona Lewis' 'I Got You', this is inspired by Melissa Polinar's 'Meant To Be'. This was previously of FanFiction 'cause I didn't know where else to put it. But now - FICTIONPRESS! I hope you enjoy!

The day they met was the first day of the rest of Kelly's life.

"I don't even know what she looks like but everybody is saying she's way pretty," she prattled to her best friend, Shawn, at lunch that day, "It's madness. I haven't gone pass anybody today who wasn't talking about her. You'd think she was a freaking pop-"

"Kell," he breathed, pointing. She gave Shawn a confused look and turned around to see what he was staring at.

It turned out that no one had been exaggerating. Natalie was tall with dark hair that fell in waves down her back and the body of a super model. Her eyelashes seemed to flutter every time she blinked and her strut was cool and confident. And she was heading straight for them.

Well, him.

"Can I sit here?" she purred when she reached their table.

"Um, sure," Kelly answered for a dazed Shawn, making a face at the way her dark eyes twinkled when she looked at him.

In only 35 minutes, Kelly learned that Natalie talked even more than she did. And Shawn? Shawn hung on her every word. She also observed that Natalie was a bit self-centered. She let it slide because, really, who wasn't just a tad conceited?

She's not just a tad.

Kelly felt she was entitled to the little snide thought and refused to feel guilty for it. It wasn't like she had said it aloud. And even so, every time the conversation turned to her, she sensed Natalie's demeanor get the tiniest bit icy. How could she already be showing open hostility towards her? She didn't even know her.

But she didn't say any of this to Shawn.

Because it was obvious that Shawn liked her. No - he was smitten. And they had promised each other over and over that they'd support each other in everything they did. So when he told her he was going to ask her to homecoming a some weeks later, she didn't protest even though she hated the idea. Instead, right then, she made a promise to herself.

As long as Natalie was good to Shawn, she wouldn't say a word about the inner workings of her tortured heart.

She should have known how promises like this would trap her.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

One could only imagine that it was pretty hard to ignore it when the world comes crashing down around them. Kelly knew it for a fact.

"Y-you think so?" she stammered. She felt a rush of relief when Shawn shook his head but it didn't last long as the world came crashing down once again.

"No, Kelly. I know I love her."

Kelly looked at her best friend, her expression carefully controlled. He was sitting in the same spot as he had been for years - at her computer desk, idly spinning the chair back and forth - but so much about him had changed. She was trying very hard not to be angry with him. It was getting harder and harder every day.

How could any person be so blind? Was she really so good at hiding her feelings that he was totally oblivious to the ones she had for him? No, she decided a second later. Shawn was way too perceptive not to notice things like that. There was a wool over his eyes and her name was Natalie.

She almost snapped, then. She almost told him everything. What was eating away at her whenever he held Natalie's hand or whispered in her ear. But all she would succeed in doing was making him feel guilty. Because he already loved someone and it couldn't be her.

Oh, God.

She had thought it was just a phase. Just another girl like all the others. And while Kelly had never condoned his dating habits - making himself quite a reputation - she knew he would always come to his senses and see that she wasn't the one. It was just the way Shawn was.

She could hardly call him a player, though. Because she knew as well as all those girls that when Shawn dated a girl, he did so because he actually liked them. Not for his personal entertainment.

But never once had he said he was in love. Until now.

She hadn't expected it to happen so fast. If she ever thought it would happen at all. Kelly got the sudden feeling that she couldn't keep up with the world.

Desperately trying to ignore the crushing pain in her chest, she asked, "Have you told her yet?"

She watched as he walked slowly to the window of her room, gazing up at the sky with a dreamy expression she knew well. Normally, it made Kelly want to gag. But now-

It just made her want to cry.

"No," he answered in a whisper, "I'm going to tell her tonight."

Did Natalie know how lucky she was?

Apparently, she did. When they parted from her to go home the next day, the day before graduation, she kissed Shawn full on the lips right in front of her. Then, with a wink at Kelly, she said to him in her purring voice, "I love you."

She smiled triumphantly as Kelly cringed when Shawn's eyes seemed to light up.

And that's when she knew that Natalie knew more than just how lucky she was.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

It was late. Kelly curled up on the couch, watching the television without really seeing it.

She knew she should be asleep - her professor would lock her out of the classroom if she was late - but she was waiting for Shawn to call. To tell her if Natalie'd said yes.

He was proposing to her tonight.

Just the very thought brought tears to her eyes. She didn't let them fall because, really, what good was crying going to do her? It was over. Whatever delusional hope she'd had that Shawn would someday choose her over Natalie was surely about to fly out the window.

One call and it was over.

She sighed mournfully as she remembered when he'd told her about it three days ago.

xXx

"Is that...a ring?"

Shawn grinned proudly as he opened the velvety black box to reveal the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. Kelly gripped the headboard of her bed as she gazed down at the glinting white gold. She wanted to run it to the bathroom and flush it down the toilet.

Her eyes flickered back to her best friend. All she did was raise her eyebrows at him. It hadn't quite dawned yet.

"Shawn," she murmured, rubbing her eyes, "Where did you get the money for that?"

His bright laugh bounced off of the walls around them. The sun rays spilling in through the blinds paled in comparison.

"Some of us actually work for a living," he said, his eyes dancing with humor.

She cracked a smile at that. When he said things like that, she could almost believe that it was like old times when he used to tease her relentlessly because if she wanted something, she'd just go whining to her father and it would be on her lap within a week - including the keys to the apartment she was living in. Kelly being slightly spoiled had been one of the many things that had put the close friends at odds when they'd first met. It was one of the many reasons Natalie held her in contempt, now.

And there it was. The thought of her name shocked Kelly's brain into comprehension. She looked down at the little object from hell again, really seeing it for what it was.

"You're going to propose to her." Saying it out loud somehow made it more real than the ring ever could.

There had been many times over the years when she had thought of telling him. When he and Natalie would have their spats, she'd want to shake him hard and tell him to see what was right in front of him. Never had that urge been as strong as it was right then. But he looked so happy. One word of protest from Kelly would shatter that. She couldn't bare to do-

What he didn't know he was doing to her.

Shawn's serene expression turned into one of alarm as hot tears filled her eyes.

"Kelly? Kells, what's wrong?" The tears spilled over at the sound of the old nickname as he pulled her into a hug.

"Nothing, it's just-" she quickly came up with an excuse, "-you're all grown up, Shawn."

His chuckle reverberated through her body and she pulled away as it rattled her raw heart. She surreptitiously glared at the little thing nestled in the cushions of the box. How could something so beautiful cause her so much pain? Then she rolled her eyes at her ironic thoughts.

She could name two more.

"When I told my mom last night," he said, ruffling her already messy brown hair, causing the ends to tickle her jaw, "she said the same thing. But I'm still the same Shawn."

The scary thing was, she couldn't even tell.

xXx

So she waited. And waited. And...waited.

The call never came.

Kelly threw the covers off of her legs in agitation, stomping into her small kitchen. It was getting later and later and she couldn't go to sleep without that call. Even though she was almost positive that Natalie was going to say yes.

Coming back to her seat with a pint of ice cream, she resisted the urge to pick up her cell and call him herself.

Ring! Ring!

For a second, Kelly froze. Then, heart racing, she dropped the ice cream she'd been in the process of opening and dove across the couch to answer the house phone.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly into the receiver.

"Have you been running or something?"

Kelly sighed and closed her eyes, trying to take deep breaths. "No, Mom," she answered, running a hand through her hair, "I'm just freaking out is all."

She could just see the concerned frown lining her mother's face, "What's wrong?"

"I'm waiting for Shawn to call. He's proposing to Natalie tonight," she informed her wearily.

She could hear her mother practically choking on something at the end of the line. She tucked the phone between her ear and her shoulder and resumed her fight with the lid of the ice cream.

"Yeah, Mom, just calm down," Kelly said impassively, slumping into the cushions.

"What?" Dana spluttered, "He's doing what?"

"Are you really surprised?"

"N-no, but-" she seemed at a loss for words, "Honey, it's so sudden. Didn't they just-"

"Break up? That lasted almost as long as the last time," Kelly said boredly.

"And you haven't told him -"

"No," Kelly interrupted quickly, "He doesn't know. I haven't told him."

Dana sighed sympathetically. "Sweetheart," she said gently, "It's been three years. How much longer can you go on like this?"

Kelly rubbed her temple to soothe her sudden headache. "I don't know," she whispered, "I really don't know."

She cast a puzzled look at the door when there were frantic raps from somebody on the other side. Who could be coming here so late? She hoped it wasn't old man Jenkins again, complaining about sounds that were never there.

"I'll talk to you in the morning, Mom, there's...someone at the door."

She placed the phone down carefully and slowly approached the door. When she swung it open, she found it wasn't Mr. Jenkins at all.

"Shawn?"

He looked a complete mess. His navy blue button down was rumpled and his dark hair was disheveled. His bright blue eyes were wide and distraught. So much that the weight of his emotion nearly crushed Kelly when his darting gaze landed on her.

"What happened?" she nearly shouted as he stumbled through the door. He dropped onto the couch and said something that Kelly couldn't didn't catch. His eyes couldn't seem to stay focused on one thing for very long. He was starting to scare her. He was repeating what he said but she still didn't understand. She crossed the room in three long strides.

"Shawn, look at me!" she ordered firmly, taking his chin in one hand and turning his head toward her.

"What? Happened?"

For a minute he just stared at her and she was starting to feel uneasy under his piercing gaze. Her brow furrowed when tears started pooling in his eyes.

"She broke up with me."

Again.

Kelly pulled him into a hug just as he had done three days ago, extra sensitive to the warm tears that were soaking her shoulder. The sensation of wet cotton sticking to her skin was starting to become familiar. He and Natalie broke up frequently but he cried every time.

This time, he would heal. He had to.

Only he didn't.

This was the longest they'd ever stayed broken up and Shawn wasn't coping well. He couldn't focus on anything. He stayed home from school and work. Her absence from his life was a constant pain. He ached for her. And Kelly couldn't stand to see him like that any longer.

Kelly picked up the phone when she got home from school one evening. She hated to have to do this. But she had to mend the pieces of her friend's shattered heart.

When she was finished, she'd nurse her own.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Kelly returned Shawn's shining grin weakly. Her happy place couldn't be a meadow of flowers anymore because it would remind her of the bouquet she was clutching like a lifeline. Instead, she let her gaze wander over the crowd before them. She saw many old friends from high school. Many newer friends from the university. And then she stopped at the front row.

She caught her mother's sad brown eyes. Dana looked beautiful. The satiny material of the forest green dress that complimented her blonde curls spilled from her knees and hung off the sides of her chair. Her father's green eyes - from which she had inherited her own - were oblivious but Dana always knew her daughter better than anyone. Kelly looked away before she could start crying for the third time that day.

The wedding march began to play. Everyone turned in their seats expectantly. Kelly braced herself as they all waited for the doors to open to reveal Natalie, the beautiful bride.

They didn't.

The woman at the organ hesitantly stopped playing after Natalie didn't come out when she was supposed to. The caterer shook her head and frantically motioned for her to keep playing. The woman at the organ obeyed and Kelly watched gravely as the doors burst open. Only it wasn't Natalie that came out.

It was her maid of honor, her best friend Brielle. She had a wicked glint in her eye that Kelly didn't like one bit. She ran up to Shawn, handed him a folded piece of paper and flounced back down the isle. Kelly and Shawn watched with odd expressions as the petite figure practically skipped out the door. When Brielle was in a good mood, it was never a good sign.

Kelly stepped forward and read the note over Shawn's shoulder:

Shawn,

I'm sorry. Sorry it took all these years to realize that you're not the one. I hope you'll forgive me.

Don't wait for me,

Natalie

For a moment, Kelly just stood frozen. Then she reached out and took his hand as his best man and brother, Andrew, placed a hand on his shoulder. Shawn turned his head to give her a broken look before shaking them both off and dashing out of the double doors. Again, Kelly stood, not sure what to do. Until Andrew caught her eye and nodded towards the door. She didn't hesitate for a second longer.

They were both sitting on the curb around the corner when the last of the guests were filing out the doors.

"Let me take you home," she said gently. When he tried to protest, saying she's already done enough, she lifted his chin and said, "Hey. It's okay."

In the car, like he had done for the passed hour, Shawn stared blankly through the windshield until finally, he spoke, "I can't believe she did this."

I can.

She thought about the many things she wanted to say to him. Good riddance. She was bad for you. She doesn't deserve you.

"Maybe she just wasn't the one for you," Kelly said aloud. Just as she'd expected, silent met her wholehearted remark. She didn't know what set him off, then, but he suddenly opened the door and jumped out of the moving car. Kelly cursed loudly and slammed on the breaks. Her first reaction was to pull over, kick off her heels, and dart after him.

She soon knew where he was going. He was heading for Natalie's house.

Kelly chased him block after block until she knew they were close. They both turned the corner onto her street and watched the startling scene unfold before their eyes. Natalie was closing the trunk of her car where several suitcases lay, got in the driver's seat and sped away.

Kelly caught Shawn before he could fall to his knees. As she brought him slowly to his feet, he closed his eyes, a tear rolling down his cheek. Before her, he never had a reason to cry and still he wanted her back.

She huffed and turned on her heel, storming away.

She was done. She wasn't going to sit around anymore, watching Natalie slowly destroy him, which destroyed Kelly even more. The thing Natalie liked most about Shawn was how much power she knew she had over him. Power that he himself was giving to her willingly. Until he realized that the girl was nothing but trouble, she was done.

And it hit Shawn like a ton of bricks. As he turned and watched Kelly's retreating back with new eyes, it all made so much sense. Why when he'd be with Natalie he'd suddenly find himself longing for her. Why when she hugged him, it made him feel more complete than Natalie ever could. Why he felt empty now, already missing the brief touch.

He didn't know why it had taken so long to realize it but he did know, as she continued to stamp down the sidewalk, that this time, she might not come back. It would take a while but he knew that eventually, the scar that Natalie left would heal. But he didn't know a life without Kelly. And he wasn't about to find out.

He caught up to her quickly before catching her arm and spinning her around.

Kelly gasped sharply when Shawn's lips came crashing down on hers. And though her head was spinning and pretty much every organ in her body had stopped doing what it was supposed to do, she still thought, what if he was doing this to distract himself from Natalie? So, she closed her eyes, cleared her mind and alowed herself to just feel. She felt a softness, a caring so tender and absolute, it felt like a perfect love.

She knew it to be reality when he looked down at her and softly said, "I love you," like he solved the most difficult of puzzles.

Four years. For four years she had kept her promise. And now, words could not describe the sheer elation that flowed through her when she could finally say, "I love you, too."

The words sounded so perfect when she said them to him. Finally, finally, he was hers. She was his.

They were meant to be.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Drop a review! Love you lots!

Forever and Always,

xXIHeartYouXx