"So what's Hamlet supposed to do?" Mr. Turner asked the class as he sat on his desk. Zoey was sitting sat at her desk, simply writing notes in her book while Mr. Turner was teaching. "His uncle offed his father, his mother's sleeping with his uncle, his girlfriend is completely schizoid, and people are dropping left and right."
"Sounds like Thanksgiving at my house." Shawn commented, and Zoey snickered.
"So Hamlet is faced with a terrible dilemma, and he freezes like a bunny in the high beams." Mr. Turner continued.
Zoey then noticed from the corner of her eyes, Linda - a pretty blonde - passing a note over to Cory.
"For me?" Cory asked.
"Shawn." Linda whispered.
"Oh, yeah, right." Cory muttered. "See, when you looked at me, I naturally..."
"Just pass it." Linda hissed. Cory frowned and passed Shawn the note.
••••
In History class, Zoey sat at the desk beside Shawn. She was currently writing down what was on the blackboard while Mr. Feeny was teaching.
"October, 1962. Young President Kennedy is faced with a seemingly impossible dilemma." Mr. Feeny informed the class. "Mr. Hunter, what were his options?"
"Marilyn Monroe or his wife?" Shawn guessed.
Zoey sighed and turned to him. "I think it's better if you stop talking, Shawn."
"You never disappoint, Mr. Hunter." Mr. Feeny said.
Shawn smiled. "Thank you."
"Cory." A voice called. Zoey looked over to see a pretty brunette, Stacy, passing a note to Cory.
"Ah, a note for me." Cory said with a wide smile. "See, Shawn, you're not the only one..."
"Past it to Shawn." Stacy whispered.
Cory crumpled the paper and passed it to Shawn. "Do I have an unlisted desk or something?"
"No idea." Zoey muttered.
••••
At lunch, Shawn, Cory and Zoey were walking to the cafeteria while Shawn was complaining which girl to go out with. Linda or Stacy.
Zoey hated this topic because she liked Shawn. But in her mind a crush is nothing more than a lust for someone. That doesn't change anything in her eyes. Shawn is still always there in her mind. Everyday when she sees him, that is it. She thinks about him for the entire day. When their eyes lock, his eyes burn hers like she's been staring at the sun for too long. He is her crush, but he will never be hers.
"Stacy, Linda. Linda, Stacy." Shawn said as the three sat down at a table. "I've never been so depressed in my whole life."
"Aww, poor Shawn." Zoey teased as she pouted her lips.
"I know. Two beautiful girls both want you, poor guy." Cory said, shaking his head. "There's gotta be a hot line you can call. Of course, with your luck, a girl would answer and she'd want you."
"If I reject Lina, she's get upset, and there is no way I would ever want to see a pout on those beautiful full lips." Shawn said. Zoey rolled her eyes and ate her sandwich. "Actually, it looks pretty good."
"Where do you see that?" Zoey questioned, raising her eyebrows at him.
"But-But what if I reject Stacy and she flips out, gets a sex-change operation and comes back as a really angry man seeking her revenge?" Shawn asked, his expression slightly worried. Zoey dropped her lunch and gave him a pointed look. "Hey, I've seen it happen."
"Shawn, just choose." Cory told his best friend.
"I can't." Shawn said.
"Yes, you can. You did at lunch." Zoey said.
"When?" Shawn asked, looking confused.
"When you picked meat loaf instead of chicken." Zoey explained, gesturing to the food on his tray. "How did you do that?"
"Well, I couldn't decide, and then I figured you were getting chicken. So I figured if I changed my mind, I could have some of yours and Cory's." Shawn answered before he let out a gasp and looked up.
"She's back?" Cory asked, looking at where Shawn was looking at.
"How do you know when you're having an idea?" Shawn questioned.
••••
After lunch, Zoey sighed when Shawn was telling her and Cory about this crazy plan he had about dating both of them at the same time, well basically Cory goes out with one of them and if Shawn breaks up with one, he can get the other one. Zoey scoffed, knowing that this was not going to end well.
"You are a sick and twisted individual." Zoey said and Cory nodded in agreement.
"To you two. To me, I'm a visionary." Shawn said with a proud smile across his face.
"It can't work." Cory stated.
"It's bulletproof. I start dating one of the girls while you go out with the other one for me. That way she's off the market until I'm ready to date her." Shawn simply explained.
"What, you want me to keep her fresh until you're ready for her?" Cory questioned, looking at Shawn as if he was a crazy person. "What am I... Tupperware?"
"What else do you have to do?" Shawn asked.
"What do I have do?" Cory repeated as he pulled out a small notebook out of his jean pockets. "I'll have you know my calendar is chock-full."
"Of what?" Shawn questioned.
"Shooting hoops with Zoey." Cory answered.
Zoey scoffed. "In your dreams, Cor."
"So you're gonna do this for me." Shawn said to his best friend, placing his hands on his hips.
"Oh, obviously!" Cory exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in defeat.
"All right, I'm going to go. Don't tell me anything." Zoey said to the boys before she walked away to her next class.
••••
On Friday night, Zoey decided to head over to Chubbies since her mother had work at the café. She walked down the stairs and noticed Cory sitting beside Linda in a booth talking to each other.
Zoey sat down on a stool and smirked, watching at how this plan would play out. She then snapped out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs, it was Shawn and Stacy.
"Oh, boy!" Cory exclaimed.
"What's the matter, Cory?" Linda asked.
"I... I was just thinking." Cory said hesitantly. "Did you know that Shawn is my friend?"
Linda smiled. "You're such a sweet guy, Cory. I love that." Zoey's mouth parted in shock when she watched Linda lean in and kissed Cory. She placed a hand up to her mouth, trying not to laugh at Cory's shocked expression. "I can't believe you just did that."
"I'm pretty shocked myself." Cory responded.
Zoey looked over to Shawn to see him giving Cory a thumbs up.
••••
Zoey sat at her desk in History, leaning her head against her hands as she listened to Mr. Feeny explaining about young President Kennedy once more.
"Young and inexperienced, he finds himself caught on the horns of an agonizing dilemma, and so young President Kennedy, charged with keeping the peace, fears that his inexperience may bring about the destruction of the entire world." Mr. Feeny informed the class.
"Oh, give him a break!" Cory shouted. "This was his first big crisis. It wasn't his fault he liked the girl."
Zoey knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. "Weird kid."
"Mr. Matthews...." Mr. Feeny said.
"Yes?" Cory asked.
"Put your head down. It's nap time." Mr. Feeny told him. Cory nodded and placed his head down on his desk and fell asleep.
••••
After class, Zoey was by the water fountain, filling up her water bottle when she heard multiple footsteps coming her way. She turned to see Shawn and Stacy walking beside each other through the hall. Zoey scoffed, hoping that this would be fun to watch.
"You know, just once I'd like to see a movie where nobody's head blows up." Stacy complained.
Shawn looked at her as if she was crazy. "You're kidding me. What type of movie do you want to see?"
"I don't know." Stacy said honestly. "How about a romantic foreign film?"
Shawn scoffed. "Oh, please. They don't even try to speak English in those movies."
"I'm beginning to think we have nothing in common." Stacy said in a serious tone.
Zoey finished filling up her water bottle and leaned against the wall, watching the pair have a small argument.
"Yeah?" Shawn questioned. "Well, I'm beginning to think we have nothing in common."
Cory suddenly appeared between the two of them and wrapped an arm around their shoulders. "Stacy, Shawn... By the way, you're an idiot. Are you two gonna let a movie get in the way of a love that should last for all eternity?"
"Looks like it." Stacy stated before she walked away from them.
Cory looked at the empty space on his left. "Look, there's no one there."
Shawn sighed. "Yeah. Good thing I've still got Linda on deck. You're a lifesaver, bud."
"Hey, don't give up on Stacy. That's a solid relationship there, a relationship a lot of people are depending upon." Cory said.
"What do you mean?" Shawn wondered.
"I mean, you can't live without her." Cory answered dramatically. "Look at you. You're getting nervous. You're sweating. Your voice is getting higher. Now go! Go get her! Go get her, man. Okay, I'll go."
••••
After school, Shawn and Zoey decided to go to Chubbies to get something to eat. When they walked down the stairs, Zoey saw Stacy and Cory sitting together in a booth while Linda stood beside them. Zoey chuckled as her and Shawn approached the three of them.
"Hey, guys." Shawn greeted.
"Shawn, you poor baby." Linda said in a soft voice.
"Are you kidding me?" Cory questioned in disbelief, standing up.
"Hey, that's my poor baby." Stacy told Linda, gesturing to Shawn.
"What's going on here, Cory?" Shawn wondered.
"Nothing good for me." Cory answered. Zoey couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"Your so-called friend here has been trying to snake your girlfriends behind your back." Stacy explained to Shawn.
"He pretends to build you up, then makes his move." Linda added.
"No move. Hardly at all." Cory quickly said when Shawn gave him a look. "None to Stacy. Maybe a little over to Linda. Listen, Shawn, buddy..."
"Girls, could you excuse us?" Shawn asked.
Stacy and Linda nodded and made their way up the stairs, leaving Cory, Shawn and Zoey standing in the middle of Chubbies.
Shawn sighed. "Cory, I asked you a simple favor."
"Yeah, you thought I was safe, didn't you? You thought I was bubble wrap. Well, I am not safe. I am your most dangerous friend." Cory said in a serious tone, but Zoey smiled, not taking him seriously.
"You like Linda?" Shawn asked.
"Yeah, I do." Cory answered.
"Cory, that was not part of the plan." Shawn said as he sat down at the booth.
"Well, maybe I don't fit into your safe little plan." Cory snapped. Zoey raised her eyebrows when Stacy and Linda walked back towards them and stood behind Cory. "Maybe that first day you came up to me in the hallway and said, 'Cory, baby-sit Linda for me until I break up with Stacy', I should have just said no, but I was stupid. I'll tell you something, pal. I'm never gonna be that stupid again." He then noticed Shawn looking over his shoulders. "Both of them, right?"
"Yeah." Shawn said.
"I turn around, they're both gonna be there." Cory said and he turned around to face Stacy and Linda. "Yes, they are."
Shawn quickly got out of his seat and stood beside Cory with a wide smile. "Linda, Stacy, we thought you left. Boy, we really thought you left."
"I forgot my purse." Stacy said with an angry expression. "Wasn't that lucky?"
"Oh, yes, very lucky. Here you go." Cory said, passing Stacy her purse.
"Thank you." Stacy said before she smacked the purse against Cary's arm.
"What about him?" Cory asked, pointing at Shawn as he held his arm in pain.
Zoey watched in amusement as Stacy slammed her purse on Shawn's arm, causing him to groan in pain.
"I don't know which one of you two is sleazier." Stacy said.
"He is!" Shawn and Cory shouted in unison as they pointed at each other.
"It was your idea." Cory pointed out.
"Well, you went behind my back." Shawn argued.
"That's cause I really liked her." Cory explained, looking at Linda.
"Well, I really like them both." Shawn stated.
Linda sighed and scrunched her face in disgust. "You two are-are..."
"Scum!" Everyone in Chubbies all yelled, including Zoey, who was having a great time watching her friends getting yelled at whilst she ate a couple of chips she had ordered while Cory and Shawn were arguing.
"You treat us like objects, not people." Linda said.
"You're right. I'm real, real sorry." Cory apologized.
"I just hope we can put this whole thing behind us and start fresh, okay?" Shawn said before he turned to Cory. "Cory, I'll thumb wrestle you for Linda."
Both Linda and Stacy made their way up the stairs. Everyone in Chubbies all applauded for them. Shawn smiled and began bowing down. Zoey sighed and made her way over to the boys, eating her chips.
"Shawn, they're clapping because they hate you and Cory." She simply explained, eating another chip.
"Oh." Shawn said, realizing it. "Well, same to you!"
Zoey chuckled softly before the three of them sat down in a booth. Zoey sat beside Shawn while Cory was opposite them with a slight frown on his face.
"You know, I miss Linda already." Cory admitted.
"I miss Stacy and Linda." Shawn said softly.
"And Debbie?" Cory asked.
Shawn nodded. "And Debbie."
"There is no Debbie." Cory shouted, reminding his best friend.
Shawn furrowed his eyebrows. "Well, then how come I miss her so much?"
"Because you're nuts." Zoey simply explained.
"So, here we are, just the three of us. Couple of dangerous guys... and girl." Shawn said, looking at Cory with a smile. "You are very dangerous. You're so dangerous, I am never gonna trust you with a girl again."
"So what you're saying is, I lose my first girlfriend but my best friend finally begins to respect me?" Cory wondered.
Shawn nodded. "Yeah."
"I'll take it." Cory said as him and Shawn shook hands.
___________________
PUBLISHED: March 18, 2018
WORDS: 2381