Set Apart

Chapter 18~

Cristina's POV:

All week there has been tension between Cory and Shawn. But thank the universe, it was finally Friday. I was so relieved we could all get this over with and things could go back to normal.

Cory picked me up and we got there just as Joey and Frankie were letting everybody in. Cory grabbed my hand as we walked in and sat us right next to Shawn and Topanga.

Topanga saw us and smiled. "Hey Cory, hey Cristina, I like your hair." I smiled.

Cory giggled and touched his hair. "Thanks."

Shawn chuckled and looked at Cory. "I think she was talking to Cris, Cor."

Cory looked mad and snapped at Shawn. "Hey you wanna take this outside?" I grabbed his hand and pulled him back to face towards the stage.

"Cory calm down." I whispered at him.

Just then the curtains opened and the spotlight hit the stage. The beginning cartoons started and Shawn puts his arm around Topanga. Cory sees him and puts him arm around me. I start to tense up and pull out a piece of chewing gum to put in my mouth.

Topanga snuggles up to Shawn more and of course Shawn pulls out some tic tacs and swallows like 6 of them. I feel Cory's arm get tense and I know what he's about to do. I start to blow a bubble with my gum while leans in to kiss me. Our lips didn't have to touch because pops my bubble and gets gum on his lips. "Great i've been gummed." He said as he starts to take the pieces of gum off his lips.

The cartoons stopped playing and Eric comes out just as the curtains start to close. I start to giggle at the sight of Eric and Cory shushes me. "Crissy stop it you have to act like my date remember?"

"Matthews I can't help it. I mean look at him."

Eric looks to the audience clapping. "How 'bout that coyote huh? What a moron!" Cory rolls his eyes. "Well on behalf of the film society, and their friends..." He points to Frankie and Joey who are in the back counting their money. "we would like to thank you all for the underground invitation stuffed in your lockers. And now...here to introduce Leon's Revenge, the man you've all been waiting for. He played Leon the gut sucker in parts 1, 3, and 4...here he is from the direct pits of hell, your worst nightmare! COME ON!" He starts clapping. "HERE HE IS!"

The lights dim and the curtains open to reveal a black silhouette of a man. The man puts a flashlight up to his face and says "Boo." It was Mr. Feeny. Everybody got up and started rushing towards the doors. I rush out with Shawn and Topanga while Cory stays slumped in his seat. Topanga let's go of Shawn's hand and tells him she'll be right there. Shawn and I hide around the corner so we can still hear what they are saying.

"What are you looking at?"

"Cory Matthews what is your problem?"

"You."

"What did I do?"

"Topanga, you only went out with my best friend!"

"Well you didn't ask me. Besides you came to the make out movies with one of my friends too."

"Yeah, but only to make you think—" He paused. "I mean, I was just—" They both went quiet.

"Cory would you just talk to me?!"

"I CAN'T! Don't you think I want to?! In my head this is so easy. I've been saying this to Shawn and Cris for weeks now at least a million times."

"Said what?"

"I can't say it now, here...with all these empty chairs around."

"Cory it's just you and me. We've known each other our whole lives. We've always been able to talk."

"That's what's making this so hard now."

"It doesn't have to be."

"Look, Topanga." HE'S DOING IT!! "If I had to dream up the perfect woman, she wouldn't even come close to you." He pauses. "Would you be my girlfriend?" AHHH THAT'S MY BOY!

Shawn and I look around the corner to see that they are kissing. Holy shit this worked.

They pull apart and Cory looks at her. "Yes or no?"

Topanga leans in and kisses him again. I think that means yes. Shawn and I nod at each other and come into the room clapping. Cory and Topanga pull apart to look at us.

"Well it's about time." Shawn stopped clapping and rested his arm on my shoulder.

I look up at him. "You're lucky this whole thing worked Hunter, I almost had to kiss him." I made a gross face.

Cory looked at us confused. "Wait this was a setup?" We nodded and Cory pointed at both of us. "Come here." He pulled us aside and paused for a few seconds before looking relieved. "OH THANK YOU!" He hugged us both really tight. We let go of him and started walking him back to Topanga.

"Now go back there you little sea monkey." I said to him and he smiled. Shawn and I walked out to leave him and Topanga alone. "You know Hunter, if that kiss could've actually happened I would've killed you."

He laughed. "Not my fault you got a kiss from the wrong Matthews."

I punched him in the arm. "Don't you dare taunt the relationship I have between me and my future husband."

"Yeah right." He smiled but then paused for a minute while we were still walking towards my house. "Hey, why would kissing Cory be so bad?"

"Because he's Cory!"

"Yeah but, you know that there aren't any feelings there. It would just be a kiss between friends. What's so bad about that?"

"Yeah but Cory is like my brother you know? I've known him too long."

"But Cory and Topanga have known each other for even longer and they don't see each other that way."

I thought about that for a minute. "Huh. I guess it's just different with us. Cory and I just don't connect on that level. I mean you get it, you don't see me like Cory sees Topanga, right?" I nudged him in the arm.

"Right." He looked down and started to walk a bit faster.

"Hey Hunter slow down." He wouldn't slow down, so I did the only thing that any logical and sane person would've done. I ran up to him and jumped on back. He got scared and instantly grabbed onto my legs so I wouldn't fall.

"Carrillo what the hell—"

"CARRY ONWARD MY NOBLE STEED!" I slapped his ass and he screamed. "STOP SCREAMING AND START WALKING!" He laughed for a few seconds and started walking again. "Damn the air feels better up here, I never wanna be short again."

"Yeah well I have to put you down once we get you home so don't get too attached."

"Ugh, you're no fun."

"Hey! I'm the one carrying you aren't I?"

"Yeah, I guess you're a little fun." He snickered and we just talked like this all the way until we got to my house. Shawn dropped his arms so I could get off but I gripped onto him.

"Cris, babe, you gotta get off."

"No. I'm never letting go."

"If I walk in there with you attached to me like this your dad will kill me."

"Yeah well i'll still come out of this alive so I don't see why I should let go."

"If you let go i'll give you all the candy I have in my pockets right now."

"Ooh." I let go and landed on the floor. "Gimme." I held my hands out like a child.

"Okay, a deal's a deal." He handed me three jolly ranchers.

"Ew you tricked me, you know I hate hard candy."

"Yeah well it got you off my back, literally."

"Goodnight Hunter."

"Goodnight Carrillo."