past perfect , past continuous

Tom was troubled by the idea of asking the beautiful young girl that he had been watching for so long from his seat in the backrow of the classroom. It was not too long ago that Jane had joked
in class about his glasses, calling him ‘four-eyes.’ And when he picked up) the book she had dropped while walking up the stairs to the chemistry-lab, Jane had just looked at him saying nothing.

Will it be possible to write
It was not long ago that Jane was still joking
Jane was still looking at him saying nothing

Let me know what you think