Nowadays, skiing is one of the most popular winter sports. In Vancouver, people have such great opportunities to ski, especially at the world famous Whistler Mountain. Many people enjoy skiing because it is challenging and it gives them a sense of excitement and freedom.
Zoey was so ecstatic when she found out they were going on a ski trip.
The school hallways was packed with Seniors, wearing bundle's of clothing as they made sure they had everything for the ski trip.
"All right, everyone. This bus will be here in a few minutes. Now, remember, even though this sky trip is about having fun, we live in a land of laws which must be obeyed if this society is to survive. In other words, I'll be watching you three." Mr. Feeny announced as he pointed at Shawn, Cory and Zoey.
Zoey and Topanga stood together as they watched their boyfriends discussing with each other over at the sitting area of the hallway.
Topanga smirked. "Look at those two. You know what they're planning, don't you?"
"Yeah, the midnight switch. You gotta love the effort." Zoey admitted.
"Yeah, looks like they're working hard, too." Topanga observed. "I se diagrams."
Zoey chuckled. "You know, the humane thing to do would be to tell them they don't have a prayer."
"Oh, sure, but the fun thing to do is...." Topanga trailed off as she waved her fingers at the boys and Zoey copied her. Shawn and Cory returned the gesture. "...never gonna happened."
"All right, everyone. The bus is here." Mr. Feeny announced from the hallway. "Now, remember, I don't want another incident like last year's fiasco in the Amish country."
Everyone turned their attention to Cory.
Cory looked at everyone in confusion. "Why is everyone looking at me?"
••••
Topanga quickly cleared a path into the ski lodge as Shawn and Zoey carried an injured Cory between them.
"Ow! It's broken! It's broken in seven places! Give me fifty cc's of St. Joseph's chewable aspirin, stat!" Cory complained the whole way.
Zoey and Shawn rolled their eyes as they placed him down on the couch while Topanga took an empty seat beside her boyfriend.
"The slops are treacherous." A brunette stated as she joined the group.
"He fell getting off the bus." Mr. Feeny explained.
"Those buses are treacherous." The brunette corrected before she checked Cory's foot. "Well, I don't think anything's broken. It's probably just a mild sprain."
"Embellish it for my friends." Cory told her.
"I'll have the doctor come and embellish it for you. My guess... is you'll live but you won't ski. Sorry." The brunette informed before she walked away.
Cory sighed. "Well, there goes our senior ski weekend, huh?"
"No, Cory, we can have a great weekend here together." Topanga reassured her boyfriend. "We can sit here while everybody else is out playing in the snow and skiing and having fun and we can talk about how much fun they're having without us."
"Go ski." Cory insisted.
"Thank you!" Topanga exclaimed before her and Zoey took off to their room to collect their snow gear.
••••
After several rounds of skiing, Shawn, Topanga and Zoey returned back to the lodge later in the day. When they walked down to the lobby, they found Cory sitting with the same brunette girl from earlier.
"Cory, I had so much fun. I got on the wrong life and wound up doing six runs with the Olympic team." Topanga beamed.
Cory smiled. "Good for you."
"No, but the best part is.... I think I'm gonna be in Chapstick commercial." She informed and took a seat on the table in front of him.
"Good for you." Cory said once more.
"I'm sorry, Cory. You must be so bored. Okay, I'll change out of my ski suit and when I get back, we'll spend the rest of the night together, okay?" Topanga said. She kissed her boyfriend before heading off to her room.
Shane handed Zoey a cup of hot chocolate before they noticed the same brunette kneeling down in front of Cory.
"Looks like you'll be in good hands." She said before passing him a puzzle piece. "Here, your own piece of the mountain. Keep it as a souvenir."
"Lauren." Cory called after her. He gave her a warm smile. "Thanks. It's been the best day with a mildly sprained ankle I've ever had."
The girl, Lauren, smiled at him before she walked back to the front desk. Shawn and Zoey exchange a look before they joined their friend on the couch, sitting opposite him.
"Well, somebody's got a crush." Zoey stated the obvious.
"Lauren's just being nice, that's all." Cory responded defensively.
"Cory, you think we don't know you better than anybody?" Shawn asked.
"Shawn, Zo, Lauren's being nice to me because it's her job, okay? As a matter of fact, after today, I'm not planning on spending any more time with her." Cory told them.
The expression he gave the puzzle piece didn't go unnoticed by either of his friends.
Zoey gave him a knowing look. "Cor, you think we don't know you better than anybody?"
••••
Later that night, the four of them gathered on the couches beside the fire. Topanga sat next to Cory while Zoey sat beside Shawn.
Out of nowhere, Shawn grabbed onto Zoey's hand and gently tugged her forward to sit on his lap. She couldn't help but chuckle as she leaned her head against his shoulder while he slid an arm around her.
"Okay, Topanga, it's your turn." Cory announced, before he began reading from a book they had found. "'If you could change your mate into one animal, what pet would it be and why?' Please, nothing fuzzy-wuzzy."
"A falcon." Topanga answered.
"Yes!" Cory cheered happily. "A falcon, the hunter of all that is fuzzy-wuzzy."
"No, a falcon because I want you to be free to soar majestically as long as I know that you'll always come back to me." Topanga explained, before noticing the familiar brunette. "Hey, Lauren! Why don't you join us?"
"No, Lauren's probably got better things to do." Cory pretested.
"Oh, yes. Please come join us. We could use someone whose answer aren't so pukey." Zoey said, giving Topanga a teasing smirk.
"You know, I could take you." Topanga challenged.
"If I can take on Shawn and Cory, I could definitely take you." Zoey retorted.
Topanga stood up. "You don't see me running, do you?"
"Bring it on, Topanga." Zoey insisted.
The two girls stood up and grabbed the pillows off the couch.
"Alright, chick fight!" Shawn cheered. "Move the table."
"Ready?" Zoey questioned.
Topanga nodded. "Ready!"
The two girls made a swing at each other but instead of making contact, their arm landed on their boyfriends. Shawn instantly raised his hands to protecting himself, groaning in complaint as Zoey continued hitting him with the pillow.
"You look comfortable enough without me." Lauren said.
"No, no, no, come on, let's keep playing." Topanga insisted and returned to her seat. "You can ask the next question. Cory's up."
Topanga passed the book to Lauren who had taken the seat on the opposite side of Cory on the couch. Zoey smiled as she returned her place on Shawn's lap.
"Is it hot in here or is it just me?" Cory asked, beginning to feel uncomfortable. "Because I'm hot so I can't be the only one who's hot, so who's hot?"
"Well, maybe you're sitting to close to the fire?" Shawn suggested, rubbing his girlfriend's back soothingly.
"Yeah, you don't wanna get burned do you, Cor?" Zoey wondered, giving him a pointed look.
Cory began chuckling nervously. "Why would you say that? I can't believe you said that."
"If you had an affair..." Lauren began which made Cory scream. "Do you think the guilt would change your behavior?"
"Where do they come up with that? Why, I mean, that is such a crazy question. I mean, why would they ask me that question?" Cory asked as he rambled uneasily. "Me? The falcon! I mean, everyone knows that falcons are notoriously monogamous birds. I mean, it's just so crazy. I can't believe it."
Everyone began laughing at Cory's expense, and it took them a while before they finally composed themselves.
Topanga sighed. "Now I'm exhausted."
"Me, too." Zoey agreed. "I'm going to bed."
"Well, I'm right behind you." Shawn said, standing up with his girlfriend. "I mean- I mean, I'm going to my room. Right? That's where I'm going?"
"Right." Zoey replied. "That's where you're going."
"Right, right." Shawn muttered as he followed her out. "I'll be in my room.... reading... The Bible."
••••
The next morning, Shawn and Zoey held hands as they walked downstairs but paused at the sight of Lauren and Cory standing together.
"So I guess you'll be skiing today." Lauren said.
Cory nodded. "Yeah, that's what I came up here for."
"Yeah. I mean, you wouldn't want to stay inside on your last day. Have fun, don't get hurt." Lauren told him before walking away.
Zoey raced down the stairs and joined her friend. "All night?"
"Nothing happened, guys. We were just talking." Cory reassured them.
Zoey crossed her arms over her chest. "All night?"
Cory sat on the couch a second before Topanga came out with a blanket wrapped around her. She sat next to her boyfriend.
"Good morning, Cory. How's your ankle?" She asked.
"It's confused." Cory answered.
"What?" Topanga questioned.
"I mean, it's bothering me and it's not bothering me. I don't know what I should do." He explained.
"If it's bothering you at all then you should stay off of it." She insisted.
"Yeah, it's bothering me." He said.
Zoey sighed as her and Shawn exchanged a look.
••••
Later in the day, Shawn and Zoey both rushed down the stairs into the lodge where they found Cory sitting down on one of the couches.
"Hey! We saw you with Lauren. Your ankle's fine." Shawn accused before he took his glove off and pointed at his best friend. "You lied to Topanga.
"And as her best friend, I should tell her. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." Zoey demanded.
"I didn't do anything." Cory said.
Shawn pointed at him again. "You lied to Topanga!"
"Guys, all we did was talk." Cory told his best friends.
"Right." Zoey agreed flatly, unconvinced as she sat down in front of him. "All you did was talk?"
"That's it." Cory replied.
"No kissy?" Shawn questioned.
"Just talky." Cory answered.
"You're gonna tell Topanga, right? So I don't have to?" Zoey asked, giving him a pointed look.
"Why would I tell Topanga about something that's not going to turn into anything?" Cory wondered.
Zoey inhaled a deep breath. "If it's not gonna turn into anything, then how come you lied about your ankle?"
"Listen, I've been with Topanga forever, okay? I don't want to have feelings for another girl. I can't have feelings for another girl. Lauren will understand that." Cory said.
Zoey pursed her lips. "Mhmm."
"She will." Shawn muttered, trying to sound convincing.
Shawn and Zoey stood up and left their friend on the couch.
"Everything's fine, you don't have a problem at all." Shawn said, looking at his best friend. "Read the Bible!"
••••
Cory had confessed to Zoey and Shawn what he had done earlier in the day.
"You kissed her?!" Zoey demanded angrily.
"What am I gonna do?" Cory asked, worriedly.
"Well, I'll tell you what you're not gonna do, Cory. You are not gonna tell Topanga, you understand me." Shawn told his best friend.
"No! He should definitely tell Topanga." Zoey argued, giving her boyfriend a disbelieving look. "If he lies, he removes any foundation of trust and security in their relationship."
"I know women, and I know she'll forgive him for talking to Lauren, and I know she'll even forgive him for lying because he never has before but she will never forgive him for kissing another girl." Shawn responded.
"And she shouldn't!" Zoey exclaimed. She turned to Cory, sharply. "Actions have consequences. By not telling Topanga you kissed Lauren, each conversation where you don't reveal the truth is another lie to her."
Cory sighed. "I want this whole thing never to have happened."
"Well, it's too late for that, Cor." Zoey told him.
"Hi, Topanga." Cory greeted when his girlfriend joined them.
"Hi, Cory. You're back on your feet." Topanga observed happily. "Do you wanna ski a few runs with me before they close the lifts?"
Cory turned to face her. "We need to talk."
As they moved away so they could in private, Shawn walked over to stand behind his girlfriend and wrapped his arms around her body. Zoey smiled slightly and leaned back into him.
"You wouldn't lie to me about kissing another girl, would you?" Zoey wondered.
"Never. I can't love you enough, because my love for you increases on a daily basis. You are my world. I promise you this: I'll never replace you. Even if I try to, I don't think anybody can take your place in my life. I don't think anyone can love me the way you have loved me. I promise to love you till the end because I just can't love anyone else. I love you." Shawn replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
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PUBLISHED: September 28, 2018
WORDS: 2226