It's My Life • Shawn Hunter

76| Sixteen Candles and Four-Hundred-Pound Men

Zoey nodded. "Yeah, you are."

"Then I'll be there." Cory told her with a smile.

"You're the best, Cor." Zoey said appreciatively.

She quickly stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace before they two went to their separate ways to class.

••••

It was Friday, one day before Zoey's party and everything was going perfectly.

Well, almost everything.

Cory and Shawn had accidently overbooked themselves for Saturday. They'd been helping Frankie bond with his father via shared knowledge on wrestling and Francis Stecchino Sr or 'Vader' was known in the wrestling world.

It just so happened that Vader had a match Saturday night and was ecstatic to finally have Frankie there to cheer him on and advise him. Which meant Frankie needed Cory and Shawn to be there with him to tell him what to tell Vader.

At school, Shawn and Cory tried getting out of it but seeing the pure despair Frankie instantly fell into upon their refusal they'd backtracked.

"We'll be there." Cory sighed.

Frankie smiled warmingly. "I know. You wanna know why?"

"Because I want everybody to like me?" Cory grumbled, annoyed with himself.

"I've noticed that, but I was gonna say it's because you have a good heart." Frankie replied.

And with that, Frankie walked away from the two with a spring in his step down the hallway.

"Zoey is gonna kill us." Shawn whined fearfully.

Cory shook his head. "Shawn, you underestimate her."

"She's gonna want us at that party. Women aren't forgiving about that kind of thing." Shawn responded.

"Okay, Zoey will forgive." Cory said quickly, brushing him off. "I mean, Zoey's not just any woman here."

"I bet you a buck she flips out." Shawn said with a knowing smirk.

"It's your money, Leroy." Cory challenged.

Shawn chuckled softly before he walked over to Zoey by the lockers. "Hey, Zo, babe, listen. There might be a chance we won't be able to come--"

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you both!" Zoey shouted with a glare which caused the boys to jump back. "This means everything. I only turn sixteen once. Shawn, Cor, you have to be there."

"Zoey, am I your boyfriend?" Shawn asked softly. "And is Cory not your best friend?"

"Yes, you are." She muttered.

Cory smiled tightly. "Then we'll be there."

Zoey smiled widely. "I know you will. And you wanna know why I know?"

"Because I've got a good heart?" Cory huffed.

"I was going to say because you want everyone to like you but yeah because you have a good heart." Zoey responded.

Zoey then pulled Shawn into a kiss. Shawn wrapped an arm around her and returned the gesture. Cory rolled his eyes and grabbed $5 from his pocket and held it out to Shawn.

••••

After school, Cory and Shawn decided to head over to the Matthews house to discuss their problem that they had created.

"Why do these things always happen to me?" Cory complained as he and Shawn entered his home.

"Cause you're a good guy, Cory. These things happen to good guys." Shawn answered, closing the door.