Flashbacks

Birthday Wishes: Complications Part II

"We're dead."

Cory's proclamation made Shawn stop pacing to stare curiously at his best friend. He stuck a thumbnail in his mouth and chewed on it. "You think that's what Harley meant when he called me 'dear friend' and straightened my collar?"

"I don't how else you can translate it," Cory said solemnly as if he was delivering the news of the death of a loved one.

Shawn resumed pacing in front of their lockers with his chin cupped in his hand. "You know, he and Joey and Frankie were really worried about my party not gettin' cancelled. I can't figure out why they'd care."

Across the hall, a senior tried to throw a soda can into the trash. Instead, he bounced it off Shawn's head. The moment it struck him, Shawn's eyes lit up. "T.K.!"

"Where?" Cory asked looking around curiously.

"No," Shawn rubbed his head for a moment. "T.K. is the reason Harley's actin' like this. Because we invited her."

Cory stared at him in confusion. The same senior made another attempt to hit the covered trash can. This time the can hit Cory.

"Oh!" he exclaimed moments after impact. "I forgot how super protective Harley is of her. She's excited about your party so of course Harley's gonna make sure nothing gets it called off."

Shawn and Cory exchanged glances, each looking to the other for reassurance. Even with this understanding, neither felt any safer from their on-again-off-again nemesis.

"I'm sure that's it," Shawn said leaning against his locker. "It has to be." He recalled the brief glimpse they got into the Kiners life when Cory dated T.K. With their father frequently off chasing women, Harley was T.K.'s caretaker, which was a job he took very seriously. Almost too seriously. One date with T.K. very nearly cost Cory his life and he was quite literally the perfect gentleman.

From out of nowhere a pair of hands clamped down tightly on Cory's shoulders and moved him out of the way.

"Hey, Booger."

Cory twisted around to give his brother a dirty look. "Hey, Snot," he retorted. "What's with calling me Booger?"

"I dunno," Eric shrugged. "I heard Mr. Turner call you that once and I kinda like it."

"He never called me that."

"Sure he did."

"When?"

"Last year."

Cory gave his brother an incredulous look. "No, he didn't," he insisted. "When the Feeny/Weeny thing happened, we talked about names. He said if he decided to call me booger it could follow me all through school and maybe life."

Eric grinned. "He's right, Booger."

Giving his brother the most annoyed look he could muster, Cory grumbled, "How could you possibly know about that conversation anyway? Do you have a script to my life or something?"

Eric sniffed disdainfully. Done talking to his little brother, he reached out a hand towards Shawn and smoothed his collar. "Hey, Hunter. Your party is a week from tomorrow, right?"

Shawn gave him a suspicious look. "Yeah," he said slowly.

"So where's my invitation?" Holding onto to one lapel, he took hold of the other and tightened his grip on both.

Unnerved by Eric's Harley-like collar smoothing, Shawn tried to pull away. "There isn't one."

The older teen looked at him sharply. "So you're not inviting me?"