𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝑴í𝒂 | ᴮᵒʸ ᴹᵉᵉᵗˢ ᵂᵒʳˡᵈ

31: Seven Heavenly Minutes

"Seven minutes in heaven?" Cory questioned as we walked to our table in the lunchroom.

"Yeah, they pick a boy, they pick a girl, and they send you two into a dark closet." Shawn said. "Well, how do you find the girl?" Cory asked. "With your lips." Shawn replied. "I'm gonna like this game." Cory said.

"Yeah, if that's what you're eating for lunch, I don't think the girls will like it." Eric said as he passed by our table. "Nobody's talking to you!" Cory exclaimed. "Just trying to help." Eric replied.

"Okay, look, closet strategy is the key. You've only got seven minutes. So, you have to make every second..." Cory was moving his shoulders back and his head forward with his eyes closed and lips puckered.

"What are you doing?" I asked. "Lip-ups. I wanna be in shape. I wanna go the distance." Cory answered. "Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick." Eric said, passing by our table again.

"What?" Cory questioned. "Time bomb." "Just ignore him." I said. "Please, he's just playing some game, but it doesn't work. Never has, never will." Cory stared at Eric in slight intimidation and fear.

"Cory?" I said. "What?" He replied, slightly jumping. "What Eric said isn't bothering you, is it?" I asked. "No, not at all. In fact, I'm going over there right now and tell him how much it's not bothering me."

Cory walked over to Eric's table. "It's bothering him." I said. "It is." Shawn replied.

♥

I arrived at the same time as Topanga, and we walked down the stairs into the basement.

"Hi, Cory." She said. "Hi, Topanga." He replied, slightly muffled by his fingers, which were covering his lips.

"Hey, Shawn." I said, walking behind Cory. "H-Hi." He said, sounding nervous. It was kind of weird seeing him like this. He was hardly ever nervous. "You okay?" I asked. "Yeah, it's just, uh... a bit drafty in here. Ooh, brr." He said, rubbing his arms up and down. "I don't feel any breeze." "Well, uh," Shawn stopped and grabbed Cory just as he was about to leave for some reason.

"You got a nervous Cory?" I asked. "You got a nervous Shawn?" Topanga asked. "Yup." I replied. "I don't get it. I mean, we've known each other for years." "Eddie said that every little thing in high school changes. I guess Cory's just going through a lot." I said.

"What would you do if you were in that closet?" Topanga asked. "I wouldn't go in there. I'd just go back upstairs." I replied.

"Shawn and Adriana." A kid said. "I think the closet would be nice." I told Topanga as I headed to the confined space.

The seven minutes went by too fast as the door opened. "Okay, kids, times up." Ricky said, opening the door. Shawn pulled it back closed. "Oh, come on, come on, no overtime. No extra innings." He said, opening the door again.

"Fine." I said, exiting the closet. Shawn exited with a big, wide grin on his face. "Who will it be next? Could it be Cory and..." A kid started. "Oh, no, maybe he'll pick me twice, and I can go into the closet by myself." Cory said. "Topanga!" The kid announced.

♥

"Ladies and gentlemen, the amazing lipless!" A boy exclaimed, looking at Cory. He had three other guys next to him, which clapped, before walking away.

"I'm okay. Life goes on. Here, drive this through my brain." Cory said, extending a pencil towards me. I pushed it away.

"It's okay, Cor. I think it's only a few guys that know." Shawn said. "And it's not like they're gonna tell everybody." I said. "Yeah, yeah, nobody else will know."

"Hey, Cory, listen, uh, if you ever need to talk about... you know, anything. I'm always available, okay?" Mr. Turner said. He walked away and into the classroom. "I've sunk so low that even teachers feel sorry for me." Cory said.

"Look, in situations like this, it's like what my uncle Ralph always says, "It's not what you did. It's what they can pin on you." Shawn replied. "So, you're saying I should—" "Deny. Deny everything."

"Hey, you were in a closet. Who else knows what actually when on in there?" I said. "Just because he didn't kiss me doesn't mean he's some kind of a freak." Topanga told her friends.

"No, no! Make her stop." Cory said. "Look, all of you. Any guy can just crawl in a closet and kiss a girl, but Cory's different because he's a really nice boy." Topanga continued.

Cory was frozen in shock and fear. I waved my hand in front of his face. "Earth to Cory." I said. "Hey? Cory!" I grabbed his shoulders and shook him, but he kept the same face. "Well, it's official. He's like this forever."

♥

"Well, I'm a "nice" boy and now everybody knows it." Cory said as we ate lunch.

"Hey, baboon." Harley said, standing next to Cory with his two goons. Shawn grabbed my arm. "We'll just be over here." He said as he got up from his seat, taking me with him. "Over here." I said, taking a farther step back.

"I'm gonna spare my life and go talk to my brother." I started to walk away. "Wait, don't leave me." Shawn pleaded. "Too late." I replied. I sat across from him. "Hi, Eddie!"

"Hey, Adriana, what's going on?" He asked. "Just the usual. Harley Kiner is taking over our table." I replied. "That's why I sit alone." "Really?" "No, I just like the quiet." "Hm."

He pushed his food to the side and interlocked his fingers, resting his hands on the table. "So, word is that you were in a closet with Shawn." He said. My eyes widened.

"Wanna tell me what you two were doing?" He asked. "Looking for... light bulbs." I said flatly. "Did you kiss him?" "Why?" "Did he kiss you?" "Why?" "Can you answer me?" "Why?" "I'm gonna ask you another question, and if I'm answered with a "why?" I'm telling dad." "Wh—" I paused.

"You were my age once. You understand. Actually, you've never had a girlfriend, so maybe you don't." "Is Shawn your boyfriend or something?" Eddie's question caught me off guard. "What? Shawn? Pfft. No." I replied.

"But you want him to be?" "What? No, I never said that. Who said that? Please, don't tell anyone." I pleaded. "I knew it." Eddie said. "If you knew, then why did you ask?" "I needed conformation."

I went quiet for a moment. "Eddie?" "Yeah?" He said, pulling his tray back in front of him. "Do you really want to go into the army, or are you just doing this because it's tradition?"

He let out a quiet sigh. "A little bit of both. I don't want to break the cycle, and the army is the only good thing for me out there." He answered.

"Is it your dream?" I asked. "Not exactly." "Well, what is your dream?" "To play football for the Baltimore Ravens." I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or serious.

"Adriana-Camila, what's your dream?" He asked. "I don't really know yet." "Keep it that way for as long as you can." "Why?" "Because one day life'll catch up to you, you're not gonna be thirteen anymore, and you're gonna wish you were." He said.

♥

"I'm telling you, it's a new breakthrough in dating technology." Cory said. "You made out at a poetry reading?" I questioned. "Oh, I love poetry now. In fact, I'm thinking of becoming a poet."

Cory began his poem. "There once was a boy named Cory..." "Who now has an interesting story." Eric said. "He learned about kissing..." "And all he was missing..." "When he and Topanga made out!" Shawn exclaimed.

"Shawn, can you say summer school?" I asked. He looked down unamused. "It's okay. Call me after school and I'll help you." "Thanks, Adriana-Camila." "Anytime."

Topanga approached our table with a group of girls behind her. "Hi, Cory." She said. "Hi, Topanga." "Well, see ya." "See ya." They giggled as they walked away. "Ugh, when are they gonna leave me alone?" Cory asked, amused.