During school, Shawn and Zoey were walking down the halls. Zoey was currently helping Shawn, who was limping from what happened last night at Chubbies. The two walked down the small flight of stairs where they saw Cory beside his locker.
"What happened to you?" Cory asked, looking over at Shawn.
"It's the weirdest thing. Last night Zoey and I were sitting at Chubbie's, right? I'm looking deep into Zoey's chestnut eyes. I leaned forward, about to make my move, when some yahoo hits me in the butt with a dart." Shawn explained.
Zoey snickered. "As awful it was seeing Shawn in pain, it was pretty funny."
Cory laughed nervously. "You... You... You two didn't see who it was?"
"No." Shawn and Zoey answered in unison.
"A lot of sick people out there, man." Cory responded.
"So, how was your night with the lovely Topanga?" Zoey wondered with a smirk. She grabbed Shawn's hand, wrapping her fingers between his.
"It was good. Good. 90 percent good." Cory replied.
"And the other 20 percent?" Shawn asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zoey smiled innocently at her boyfriend before she smacked him upside the head. "How dumb can you be?"
"Well, I... I may have kinda gotten caught up in the moment and said some things that maybe I shouldn't have said." Cory said as the three walked into the middle of the hall.
"Cor, did you get emotional with Topanga?" Shawn questioned.
"It was hard not to. I mean, she looked so beautiful." Cory answered.
"You didn't tell her that, did you?" Shawn wondered.
Zoey rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on Shawn's hand. "There's nothing wrong about a boy calling a girl beautiful. I think it's very sweet."
"N-no! Say she's beautiful?" Cory asked with a scoff. "Yeah. Like I'd say that, Shawn. I said, 'I love you'." Immediately Shawn gasped as if he was dying. "What? What, what, what?"
"You idiot!" Shawn exclaimed. "Once word gets around what you told Topanga, every girl's gonna wanna hear it."
"What? 'I love you'?" Cory asked.
Shawn shushed him. "You're like a stinking canary!"
Cory sighed. "Come on, Shawn. I mean, I don't believe telling Topanga I love her is gonna affect anybody but me and her."
"Hey, Eric." Shawn called when he spotted Eric and his girlfriend, Christi walking past them. "Guess what? Cory told Topanga he loved her."
"Awe!" Christi said while Eric's eyes widened.
"Grandma Topanga, what's not to love?" Eric asked, lying to his girlfriend.
"You have such an adorable little brother." Christi commented.
"I sure do, don't I?" Eric questioned whilst laughing before he grabbed the back of Cory's neck. "Christi, I'll catch up with you, Okay?" Christi nodded and walked away. When she was out of sight, Eric turned to his brother like a crazy person. "What could you possibly be thinking? Christi's gonna expect me to tell her that I love her. Oh, man, I gotta do something now. Think. You gotta think, Eric." He then clutched his head. "Ow."
"Thinking cramp?" Shawn wondered.
Eric nodded. "Yeah."
"I get those, too." Shawn responded.
"All right. Christi, I love you. Christi, I love you. Christi, I... I don't even know her last name. Great, I gotta think. Ow!" Eric groaned in pain as he walked away from the three.
"You see, Cor? Thanks to you, dating as we know it at John Adams High is over." Shawn told him.
"But everything's all right with me and Topanga." Cory replied.
Shawn chuckled slightly. "Are you kidding me? From this moment on, Topanga will be a gushing, love-struck puppy, hanging on to your every word."
Topanga than appeared around the corner and walked down the small flight of stairs. She continued walking until Cory stepped in front of her.
"I really have to go." Topanga told Cory before walking away from him.
"You see?" Shawn asked.
Zoey then gripped her hand tighter around Shawn's, who let out a small wince in pain and looked down at his girlfriend with a confused expression. Zoey raised her eyebrows at him with an innocent smile plastered on her face.
"I love you, Zo." Shawn said.
"Good. Because I love you, too." Zoey responded before she stood on her toes and pressed a kiss against his lips.
••••
Later during school when the bell had rung, meaning the end of class. Shawn and Zoey were currently walking through the halls, holding hands as they made their way over to find Cory.
When they walked around the corner, the two saw Cory holding a batch of flowers as he made his way over to Topanga, who was walking away from him.
"Oh, Topanga." Cory called which caused Topanga to walk faster away from him.
"No!" Shawn suddenly yelled. He released Zoey's hand and rushed over to Cory, tackling him to the ground.
"Shawn, are you insane? You bull rushed me!" Cory exclaimed, getting up from the ground.
"I had to, man. Don't you know what you're doing?" Shawn asked.
"Yeah, there's something wrong between me and Topanga and I want to find out what it is." Cory replied as Zoey walked up to them.
"Not by giving her these." Shawn said, snatching the flowers out of Cory's hand and passed them to a random jock that was walking by. "Here."
Zoey smiled. "Awe."
Shawn wrapped an arm around Cory's shoulder. "Look, Cory, I've been doing some thinking. Ow!"
"Okay, hun, don't think too hard." Zoey said, patting him on the back.
"The problem with your relationship is Topanga's got all the power now." Shawn told his best friend.
"What power?" Cory asked.
"The power you give up when you say, 'I love you'." Shawn answered.
"What?" Zoey wondered, placing her hands on her hips.
"But I do." Cory responded. "I mean, what's wrong with saying how I feel? What's wrong with telling some..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, b-b-but, look." Shawn started. "The longer you can go in a relationship without saying those words, the more power you hold. It's in books, man."
Zoey raised her eyebrows at her boyfriend. "Oh, really?"
"What books are you reading?" Cory asked.
"Men Are from Mars, Women Want to Blow Mars out of the Stinking Sky. They're after us, Cor. Be warned." Shawn said.
"So, this power, how do I get it back?" Cory wondered.
"Wait her out. Make her come to you." Shawn replied.
"But she's avoiding me." Cory pointed out.
"Exactly. She's laying low, making a list." Shawn responded.
"What list?" Cory questioned.
"The whipped list of all the things she wants you to do. You know, walks on the beach, going to the Pottery Barn, drinking International Coffees." Shawn answered.
"Have you tried the Viennese Mochas? It's great." Cory told him with a smile.
Shawn's eyes widened. "It's happening. Cory, I want you to wait her out. I don't want you going near her. And in the meantime, I want you to make a list of your own. Things you want to do."
Cory nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, like yard sales and antique shops...."
"Cory!" Shawn exclaimed.
"I just want her to like my list." Cory said.
••••
At lunch, Shawn and Zoey were in the cafeteria, standing beside a table talking to some of their others friends.
"Shawn, you were right." Cory said as rushed up to them.
"Oui Cory, absolument. Quand il s'agit des affaires du cœur, je suis roi. (Yes Cory, absolutely. When it comes to affairs of the heart, I am king)." Shawn said in French.
Zoey stared at her boyfriend with an impressive smirk. "I think I found another thing that makes you attractive."
"Where did you learn how to speak French?" Cory asked.
Shawn huffed. "I'm an idiot savant. You didn't know that?"
"Cool. Anyway, good news. I've got the power back." Cory said.
"Oh, Topanga came to you." Shawn said.
"Yeah, yeah. She left me this note." Cory said, pulling the paper out of his pocket. "She said she wants to meet me here and talk."
Shawn smiled proudly. "I could write a book of my own. I'll call it Shawn. I Hardly Knew Me."
"Man. You really are an idiot savant." Cory told him.
"Hi, Cory." Topanga greeted when she slowly approached up behind him.
Cory turned to her and smiled. "Oh. Hi, Topanga."
"Can we talk alone?" She asked.
"Sure." Cory replied.
"Alone." Both Shawn and Cory whispered before Zoey pulled Shawn over towards the vending machine.
The two both stood beside the vending machine looking over at Topanga and Cory. Zoey watched the two talked before Cory's face fell and Topanga kissed his cheek before leaving the cafeteria.
Shawn walked up to Cory and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "So, how does it feel to have the power back, huh?"
••••
Shawn, Zoey and Cory were currently inside Mr. Turner's empty classroom. The three sat on the desks as Cory told Shawn and Zoey that Topanga broke up with him.
"This makes no sense." Cory stated. "Sweet, beautiful, never-hurt-anyone Topanga Lawrence dumped me."
"I was wrong." Shawn said.
"I thought we'd be together forever." Cory continued.
Shaw sighed. "I thought I'd never be wrong."
"This isn't about you, Shawn." Zoey told him.
"Wrong again." Shawn said as he stood up and paced around the classroom. "I'll deal with my pain in my own time. Cor, let's reenact the night of the date. Maybe there's something I missed."
"Well, we were in the back room at Chubbie's holding hands..." Cory began as he stood up opposite Shawn.
"Come on. Shawn me exactly. Pretend I'm Topanga." Shawn said, holding out his hands.
Cory shook his head. "Not gonna."
"You want answers, do it. There's nobody around. Just do it, come on." Shawn told him. Cory reluctantly placed his hand in Shawn's. "Big hands. Okay. Cory, how do you feel about me?"
"Well, I-I want you to know...." Cory trailed off.
"Yeah." Shawn said, urging Cory to continue.
"That... I love you." Cory said.
"I'm feeling the chemistry already." Zoey said with a slight chuckle.
Zoey then glanced towards the open doorway of the classroom. She placed a hand up to her mouth, trying to suppress her laughter when she saw students standing there, watching Shawn and Cory. The random jock from earlier that held the flowers that Shawn had gave him, threw them down and walked away.
"Can't a couple of guys have a little privacy?" Shawn asked them, which caused them to walk away from the classroom.
Zoey snickered before turning to Cory. "So what did you do after Topanga said she loved you?"
"Well, she never actually said it back." Cory answered.
"She didn't?" Shawn questioned.
"No. Isn't that strange?" Cory wondered.
"No, this is great. You left out the most important part of the puzzle." Shawn told him.
"So now you can help me?" Cory asked.
"Are you kidding me? It's over." Shawn responded.
"Shawn, don't tell him that. There's always hope." Zoey said.
The bell then rung, meaning class.
"Look, Cory. Here she comes. Don't let her know you're hurting so bad." Shawn said as he and Zoey sat down at their desks. "Laugh with me."
"What?" Cory asked.
"Laugh." Zoey hissed through her teeth as the three of them forced believable laughs.
Topanga walked into class and glanced at Cory with a slight frown before she sat down at her desk.
"Matthews, Francis, Hunter, stand up." Mr. Turner told them as he and Eli walked into the classroom.
"I didn't do it." Shawn stated.
"Get up." Mr. Turner said. Zoey sighed and the three stood up from their chairs. "Hunter, who's your best friend?"
"You are, sir!" Shawn exclaimed.
"Matthews, who's your best friend?" Mr. Turner asked.
"Shawn and Zoey are." Cory answered.
"Francis, who's your best friend?" Mr. Turner questioned.
Zoey pointed at Cory and Shawn. "These dopes right here."
"And what do we do to people who mess with our best friends?" Mr. Turner asked.
"Kill 'em?" Cory suggested.
"Beat 'em to a pulp?" Zoey added, shrugging her shoulders.
"You're right." Mr. Turner told him. "And with that, I would like to introduce Mr. Eli Williams, your new media arts teacher and my best friend. Mess with him and die. Eli."
Mr. Williams stepped forward. "Thanks, John." He looked over at the silent class before turning to Mr. Turner. "Now what?"
"You're the teacher." Mr. Turner responded.
"Okay, um... Well, I guess, if nothing else, I'm here to teach you to find the truth in the media. Because there is a difference between what they say and what is real." Mr. Williams told the class.
"That was very good. Watch this. Hunter, what did he just say?" Mr. Turner asked.
"Something about Israel?" Shawn answered.
"Is that great?" Mr. Turner asked Mr. Williams.
"I mean, let's face it." Mr. Williams began. "TVs and newspapers are not always honest and without honesty, well, you're nowhere."
"Honest?" Cory questioned as he stood up. "Let me tell you a little story about a kid from Philly who was honest. You see, he said what was in his heart and then the fu..." He then noticed that the class was staring at him. "I'm sorry. Was that out loud?"
Zoey sighed and tried to suppress her smile as Cory back into his seat.
"Okay. Back to Israel." Mr. Williams began once more.
••••
During later in the day Shawn, Zoey and Cory sat at a table in Chubbies, getting something to eat while Cory continued to mope over his break up with Topanga.
"I miss her, guys. I really miss her." Cory said for the one hundredth time.
"You've got to let it go, Cor." Shawn told him.
"But everything reminds me of her." Cory said.
"Cory, don't do this to yourself. Get her out of your head. There is no Topanga." Shawn responded.
Cory sighed. "You have no idea."
"Look, Cory, everybody gets dumped." Shawn told him.
"Have you ever been dumped?" Zoey wondered.
"Me? Are you kidding? I'm Shawn." He answered, wrapping an arm around Zoey's waist.
Cory groaned. "I need to be alone. I gotta think about this."
"Fair enough, but before I go, I got one more thing to say." Shawn said as him as Zoey got up from their seats. "Il est préférable d'avoir aimé et perdu que de ne jamais avoir aimé du tout. (It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.)"
"That was nice. What did you say?" Zoey asked.
Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just speak it, I don't understand it. Later."
••••
Zoey walked back home with Shawn. Zoey let out a sigh as she wraps her arms around herself when the ice cold air hit began to make her cold.
"Are you cold?" Shawn asked.
"Yeah, just a little bit." Zoey replied. Shawn removed his leather jacket from his shoulders and setting it on hers. She gave him a small smile as she wraps her arms in it, trying to keep herself warm. "Thanks."
"It looks good on you." He told her with a small moment.
A moment later, they finally arrived at the front steps of Zoey's house. The brunette sighed heavily and turned her to her boyfriend, giving him a lovingly smile. She reached up and planted a kiss on his lips.
"Thanks for dropping me home." Zoey said against his lips.
"No worries." Shawn replied as they pulled apart.
Zoey opened the front door and walked inside, closing the door behind her. When she had closed the door shut, she leaned against it and slid down to the ground. A smile spread across her lips when she realized she still had Shawn's leather jacket wrapped around her.
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PUBLISHED: April 1, 2018
WORDS: 2634