The Secret Life // A Shawn Hunter fanfic

Fifty-nine ➵ Both

Shawn
Thanksgiving was coming abruptly.
That meant barely ever any food scattered the table and a family gathering. Some of the Hunter family arrived or we transferred diagonally across from trailer to trailer in the clan.
However, with Cory for past couple years in high school donated a lot of food to the poverty bank only to retrieve in return. Life in the food bank chain, as I got it.
Before the food bank chain announcement, Feeny was rambling on about some guys named Rwanda and Uganda.
"He's making these names up."
"He's finally run out of stuff to teach."
Less class discussions, more turkey. Well, preferably boxed stuffing. The stuffing last year and the year before that just keep getting better and better.
There was a ringing through my ears. It was a fumbled mist clouding the atmosphere of my mind except the wondering of how Thanksgiving will turn out this year.
Feeny was giving me a headache.
As my head throbbed, one announcement made it all stop.
"Another source of misery, I expect each of you to do a paper on this topic during Thanksgiving Break."
Oops, wrong one. That made me and the other students grumble a tiring groan.
We waited for furthermore and that's when he said it. We were on the edge of our seats, Cory and me.
"But before we break for the holiday, I want to congratulate you all on this year's food drive. I mean, you've shown real generosity and selflessness," he gratefully consulted with the class, that warm smile creasing on his face,"that said, this year's winners are Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter!"
Gleaming with joy, Cory and I stood up, dancing stupidly in class. Topanga declared her optimistic opinion, saying it was unfair how we win every year by turning in the same amount of cans.
"Mr. Feeny this is unfair, they just keep turning in the same cans year after year." Topanga commented in protest.
"Hey, my family gives them to the food bank, the food bank gives them to my family, and my family gives them back to the food bank. It's life in the food bank chain." I replied, exchanging a glance with Jasmine, who shook her head and smiled simply.
"So what'd we win Mr. Feeny?" Cory asked.
"A turkey."
"Oh." Cory and I said disappointedly, expecting more.
"And a box of stuffing."
"Ooh." We said in unison. I held onto the box of stuffing, with Cory grasping onto the turkey. The bell rang, dismissing us from school and onto Thanksgiving break.
"Have a wonderful holiday, and don't forget that paper!" Mr. Feeny called as I entered out of the classroom with Jasmine and Cory.
"Shawn, you can have the turkey, I'll take the stuffing." Cory insisted, and I hid it into my chest.
"But I want the stuffing." I pleaded.
"Well of course you want the stuffing. The stuffing is the best part." He responded.
"And the mashed potatoes. No one can forget the mashed potatoes." Jasmine added. I rubbed my stomach, craving them. Cory repeated the same gesture, sharing a devouring interest in splashing into a pool of mash potatoes and float into them.
"Oh yeah." We replied in unison.
"I have an idea guys, what if we all had Thanksgiving together?" She suggested, encountering a mediocre plan. I mean, in her time of knowing the both of us, the class we descended from, and the provinces we evoked on, wouldn't she have configured out by now that our families didn't exactly know each other?
"There's just one flaw with your logic Jas: Our families don't know each other." I tried to clarify.
"You've met my aunt." She inquired, not backing out from this.
"Well, yeah, because we are dating. We have to know our guardians here." I emphasized, trying to make her understand that clearly we come from two different societies here, Cory and me. In this duration of two years, shouldn't she know by now that Cory and I come from two different worlds?
Theoretically picturing my parents and his parents was pretty simplistic.
"I mean, it isn't a bad idea Shawn," Cory added, clenching onto his books to gain a sudden charge in his step,"our families could learn about each other more. It's a doting opportunity."
God, he was in on this too?
I bit my upper lip, trying to think this thoroughly. I mean, it wasn't a bad idea. Our parents had to learn to like each other and diffuse their different reputations aside. What was the worst that could happen here?
"You're right," I decided, finally agreeing with their idea,"I'll go ask my parents immediately when I get home."
Jasmine's eyes lit up, and she gained an open hold of my hand. We exchanged a smile, just hoping this would go as planned.
:::
Jasmine
"Let me get this straight: they don't want us to come over for Thanksgiving?"
"Well they don't mind you and your aunt, it's just the Matthews they don't want to come over, that's all."
Shawn and I were trying to settle the planning for Thanksgiving. God, so stressful. My aunt studied my overwhelmed expression as I was jotting down in my notebook what we could bring for the occasional holiday. It wasn't helping that with my other hand, I was propping the phone straight to my earlobe.
"Tell them Jasmine wants this and knows it'll be a good idea in the end." I confided a reasonable negotiation.
"Alright."
I waited as Shawn went to go discuss more with his dad. His mom had caved in, being the boss of this situation. Eventually he returned to the phone, clarifying it was all set and done for Thanksgiving.
"I love you."
"I know you do. I love you too." He replied. After writing down the last idea for what we could serve at the table, I broke the silence between us.
"So what are you doing?"
"Sitting here, in my room. Bored. What about you?"
"Trying to plan what we can serve at Thanksgiving."
"You don't have to worry about that-"
"I know, but really, I want to cook something for you guys. I have a really good recipe for blueberry crumble."
"I'm all in."
I giggled at his response, then he asked if he could come over.
"Of course... see you in ten minutes?"
"Make it five."
"Alright."
I hung up on the phone and informed Aunt Lori that Shawn was coming over.
"Blueberry crumble sounds delicious." She replied to what I just said. I laughed in response, pulling the ingredients out of the refrigerator.
"You know," she spoke, as she pulled out an apple from the bowl and sliced them into four pieces,"I think this is a good idea you came up with here. It'll be a good lesson for Shawn and Cory's families."
"Everything we do is always a lesson for us." I responded, settling the blueberries and the oats on the counter.
"That's true, but hey, morals would never exist if there wasn't daily life lessons."
"That's very true."
I couldn't help but imagine Thanksgiving inside of my head.
Aunt Lori and I would be located at the middle of the dining table, with Cory's family on the left. The right would be Shawn's, the adults discussing moments of the three of us. I'd be next to Shawn, who'd be trying to settle me in top of him. Lastly Cory, who'd joke with him about any topic. Not to mention he'd add more than ten times frequently: "Have I ever told you about how beautiful Topanga is?"
Our responses would be: "We know."
Then Cory would say: "I don't know how she does it. Whenever I walk in the room– Topanga–I can't help but smile as I see her magnifying, stellar, gorgeous presence."
Shawn would later end the conversation: "We get it Cor."
I couldn't wait to see what tomorrow would bring.
:::
Shawn
"Alright everybody! Time to get ready for Jasmine and her aunt to come over." I declared, stepping in front of the door. Cory and his family weren't going to be here for another few hours, so we had plenty of time to prepare for our relatively new, yet last minute Thanksgiving tradition. Grasping in both of her hands settled a glass container embedded with layers of blueberry crumble, blueberries splashed on the bottom evenly coordinating with the oats on top. It tasted just like a blueberry poptart, but better since she crafted this homemade necessity herself. Since I came over last night, I had the exception of watching her bake this creation step by step in a short periodic progression. The only bits I was able to consume was with a simple scoop of it before she refrigerated it. Not to mention it was on the tip of her index finger, may I add.
"Hey baby." I greeted her with a kiss, wrapping an arm around her waist. I ended up planting many kisses on her cheek, rubbing the top part of her stomach, securing her in a portion of my hold. With one hand I landed it on her temple, diving her into a contemporary trance. I could feel my lips as they ran against her smooth skin, feeling the slight tinge of her forming a grin on those beautiful, full lips.
"Shawn, later, okay?" She promised, giggling as my kisses were gently tickling her. I let go and allowed her some space, so she could take the container in the fridge. I noticed in her aunt's arm she was holding a homemade pumpkin pie, and a two cans of whipped cream buried under both of her arms.
"Let me get that pumpkin pie for you." I offered her, and she handed me the container. With one slight move of her arms, the whipped creams both aimed at the ground, but fortunately she caught them with the top boundary of her shoes.
"That was a close one! Thank you Shawn." She acknowledged, and I followed Jasmine to the refrigerator. We settled both the delicious dishes on the top shelf next to each other, both of us eyeing them in awe. Consequently, Jasmine scolded me for looking at it.
"Later Shawn." She reminded me, but I couldn't help myself. It was for my own good though. I functioned to the outside reality of what was going on aside from the inside of this fridge, as if it was like I dragged out of a dimensional portal. Drool dropped down my chin and I wiped it off with the back of my hand rapidly, containing myself from scorching out the dishes in heavy bites.
God, I felt like a predator on it's prey here. I was amplifying so many tendencies here, it was bad.
"I'm still so happy you guys are back together again, you don't know how much I love you two." Mom authorized, clapping her hands together.
"We have been for about a month Mom." I reminded her continuously.
"I know, it's just, well, you two are always happy around each other. You're beaming colors of light when I ever walk into the room, and when either of you are alone, you're distilled in some dark and dreary place somehow. I don't know how to explain it." She admitted, clarifying the truth. It was. Now that I was licensed to drive, I could see Jasmine anytime I desired to.  Without her, I could never elaborate any of my problems to. She was understanding, and for that, she would always be considered the number one person I'd come to for anything.
"That's true, I was in such a black and white place two years ago, and none that I have Shawn, and my aunt too, and you guys, I'm gushing of color." She replied, glancing at me. I smiled at her, planting a kiss on top of her forehead.
"I love you." I replied.
"I love you too."
:::
Jasmine
I didn't intend Thanksgiving to be so stressful. I had to clean the trailer multiple times since Shawn's mom was feeling severely insecure about how it would look, even if a picture frame was crooked slightly, she'd want it to be perfected for the Matthew's. Seeing her overwhelm on this made me send sympathy towards her. This was really the first time she'd be engaging with the Matthew's, and the fact she was already negatively downsizing herself was agonizing.
"You shouldn't be worried about this," I consulted her, trying to assure her it'll be okay,"you're of true character and it isn't about the quantity in life, it's about quality. And by that, you have so much quality you devote to yourself."
She tried to smile, but even the shining sunlight that reflected upon her was a downpour.
"Thanks Jasmine, but really, once you're older, you'll understand those two make a difference."
But they don't.
I didn't fall in love with Shawn for his looks. People always considered that the best and only quality of him because of his home life, how he didn't have as much investments compared to others, how he was unfortunate. But it wasn't. What mattered to me was his strengths he applied himself in, the personality he always amended to, and how he always sacredly enforced the idea of being a good person, despite the negative influences surrounding him.
"Alright, the Matthew's are here, big smiles everybody." Shawn declared, opening the door to reveal the Matthew's. Awkwardly, the Hunters, the Matthew's, as well as my aunt and I, we exchanged in a polite formal greeting, saying hello.
It lasted only ten seconds then disputed to awkward silence.
"This is a start." I pondered to enforce, augmenting an effort at trying to bond the two families.
All I could do was hope it would go well, which it better. It just needed to be.
:::
A hour passed and everyone was still awkward. Shawn and Cory were plunged on the chairs, so I didn't have anywhere to sit. I stood next to Shawn, who was now refusing for me to stand up.
"You don't have to stand there, your legs must be getting tired Jas." He extended his arms out for me, and I accepted his offer. His arms were wrapped around my waist, securing me from any danger. Not saying there would be, but still. His hold protected me from any surroundings whatsoever. It was a comforting sanctuary.
"I wish I had Topanga to lay on my lap, why didn't we invite her?" Cory complained, firmly settling his chin upon his hand. His expression was formed into a pouting grimace, distressed that he didn't have his girlfriend with him. It was boring not having my best friend here, someone I couldn't talk to.  Sure, it was pleasant being able to talk to Shawn's mom, Cory's mom, my aunt, and even Morgan, but hey, shouldn't I have another girl around my age to talk to?
"Too many people Cor." Shawn replied.
"She has other family she needed to visit." I reminded him. Family that resided further than Philadelphia, but still in Pennsylvania.
He still pouted about it, Shawn and Cory's moms were both awkward with talking to each other. My aunt was trying to dispute a way to break the ice they were skating on. Not to mention the Trailer Park Home Association requested to speak to Chet. Alone.
Could it not get any worse?
"We have to fix this Shawn... somehow." I whispered in his ear.
"I know." He responded. As quoted from him earlier:
It was an episode of Cops waiting to happen.
:::
Shawn
"And I would just like to apologize for my previously erratic behavior, and I just hope we can get back to our uneventful Wikki wikki Hawaiian luau."
Mom was uncomfortably awkward with serving food. It was upsetting and overwhelming to see her acting this way. As if she's considering she's inferior to everyone else. I tried to convey a positive manner for her to inhabit on, but she was only stuck upon comparing herself. When she was like this, she wouldn't stop.
Not to mention Dad was no where in plain sight.
"Where's your dad, Shawn?"Jasmine asked, nudging me.
"No idea." I answered honestly. He's been gone for ten minutes. Where possibly could he have gone?
Just as I was about to go search for him, he came inside. There he was.
"Well, I hope y'all enjoyed your dinner and thanks for coming, and, well, let's do this again next year at some neutral third-party air force base." He said, and I frowned. It wasn't even dinner time yet and he was already going on a rant about trying to kick everyone else out.
"Dad, we haven't eaten yet." I reminded him flatly.
"Of course we haven't eaten,Why, our guests have just arrived. But this is the small talk part of the evening, so y'all talk, we'll talk. Everybody talk, talk. Outside."
He gestured for me and Mom to walk out. I was about to allow Jasmine to come with us, but Dad was rather persistent of not having her or anyone else come. I awaited for Dad's "upcoming" excuse. It was so typical.
"I told you what would happen if you invited them "aristocats" down here, Virna. Now we have ourselves a real situation here." He informed us. I rolled my eyes, then coming to Cory's defense.
"So what? You're just gunna kick my friend's parents out? Even Jasmine and her aunt?" I asked to my dismay.
"Jasmine and her aunt can stay, there's no problem with that since she's your girlfriend, but however I am gunna hurry Cory's family along."
Suddenly Eric, Jasmine, Cory, and Morgan came straddling out. Even her aunt. Jasmine gained a hold of my hand, gazing into my eyes.
"Well hello," my dad greeted awkwardly, a cheesy welcome wagon,"What are y'all doing out here, outside, where you can be seen through a scope?"
"Well, we're taking Morgan over to Herman's trailer." Cory responded.
Frankie's trailer was just down towards the right direction. It's not like it was far away, just a few steps over basically.
"Okay, okay, that'll be fine. Shawny, why don't you go with them and show him how we locals like to walk real low to the ground? You know, for fun." My dad portrayed a demonstration of the crouch, only so we can hide my friends from everyone else. Embarrassing, Dad.
"I'm sorry." I mumbled an apology to Cory. Jasmine for that matter too.
"I'm sorry too." Cory apologized, his voice louder than mine. I traveled my eyes to seek through Jasmine. She was in a puddle of what resembled sorrow and pure regret, as if she didn't intend this Thanksgiving plan to fail. I wrapped an arm around her shoulder, comforting her, then lowered myself to the ground, hovering on bent knees.
She followed me, then Cory, Eric at his heels, and lastly Morgan.
:::
Jasmine
We remembered Morgan had mended a promise to Herman, Frankie's younger brother who was around her age, that she'd accompany him sometime on this holiday occasion. Point being, since Shawn's father escorted us to leave basically, we decided to join tables and waiver a feast of our own.
"I'm sorry about how things turned out, I figured it would be a nice chance for all of our families to refresh and form a friendship." I concluded, setting the silverware in proper positions on the table.
"Don't feel so bad, Jas. There was nothing we could do, except not know any better."
"Shawn's right, I am just disappointed in my parents for not believing that classes shouldn't matter. It should never matter based upon the money you make." Cory explained.
"Couldn't agree more, Cor." Shawn agreed.
"You know, why can't they just hang out together?"
"Adults are not narrow-minded by nature. They can, however, be set in their ways. I am but a callow youth, yet it seems to me a shame they should be set in the way of disliking each other.
They come from different worlds.
Think of them as the Hutus and Tutsis, living with prejudice and hatred passed on from parent to child because it is what they've grown accustomed to." Frankie responded. He had adapted so much, and was proud of the man he was evolving into. When we first came to the high school he wasn't his own person; now that he's an individual, he perspires such wisdom I couldn't quite describe. 
"You know, are we the only two people on this whole planet who don't know who the Hutus and Tutsis are? You know, Cory, for once, I think our ignorance may be working for us."
"What? You mean if we knew better, we wouldn't be friends?"
"Either way, I couldn't imagine not being with Shawn. I grew up not knowing what it was like to be rich or poor. I always felt like either way there should be equal between both. I never knew better about that."
"Yeah, so I'm glad we don't know better." Shawn responded, smiling.
"Yeah me too."
We all placed a seat at the table once it was settled. Frankie was the head of our table, declaring for our feast to begin.
"It is our Thanksgiving custom to go around the table and let each person say what they are thankful for." Frankie stated. Sounds like a wonderful tradition.
"Then we eat?" Eric asked joyfully.
"Then we eat." Frankie confirmed.
"I'm thankful for that. Next?" Eric tried to pursue so we could eat. As we stared at him for the next thirty seconds, he realized he had to share more.
"More? Okay. Um I'm also thankful to be having Thanksgiving dinner with my brother and my sister and all my friends and that I'm taping the game," he elaborated, more relevant as a Thanksgiving gratefulness,"next."
"I'm thankful for these guests and that we've been blessed with enough food to share with them. Herman?"
Frankie gestured for his younger brother, who was enjoying the comfort he was gaining from Morgan's spot next to him. Those two were so cute, and they were like twelve.
"I'm thankful to be sitting next to this delicate blossom who has won my heart." Herman was such a gentleman. The two exchanged a polite smile, their eyes gazing into each other.
"I am, for once, thankful to be sitting at the kids' table." Morgan responded.
"Shawn."
"I'm thankful for my best friend, Cor, who's taught me that it doesn't matter how much money you have, that you can be best friends no matter what." He stated his gratitude. I looked up at him, smiling slightly. His head swerved to meet my gaze, eyes locked. He gained a hold of my hand, his fingers intwining with mine.
"And most of all, I'm thankful for Jas, who's always been there for me, to dedicate such an existence in my life, if it wasn't for her, I don't know what I would be."
My smile widened, and it being my turn, I elaborate my gratitude too:
"I'm glad that I have Shawn in my life, and of course my friends, and even my aunt. If it wasn't for Shawn, however, I wouldn't be where I am today. I would probably be struggling with my dad. I'm thankful Shawn was the one to save me." I murmured the last part. Shawn smiled as well, kissing me on the cheek. Our heads nudged against each other, enjoying each other's presence.
Lastly, Cory was the one to express his thanks.
"And I guess I'm thankful that my parents taught me to like people for who they are, even if they weren't lucky enough to be raised that way themselves." Cory responded, his gratitude warming my heart.
Now it was time to dig in.
Just as we were about to join and ravish on the delicious food, we found our families asking to join us.
"Y'all have room for us?"
"Yeah.There's always room for more at our table."
They trailed their ways towards us, Aunt Lori sitting next to me, and Shawn's Dad at the end of him. We all enjoyed each other's company, realizing that we were all a big family, no matter if it was blood or not. As long as we enjoyed each other's company, at the end of the day, they were all like family to me.
:::
The day after Thanksgiving, Shawn and I were relaxing in my bed together, listening to the muffled sound of The Kinks."Lola." I lightly sang to it as I was stroking the lines of his chest, deeply smitten by the sounds of his heart beating. Burrowed in his arms, it looked to be that he was writing. Was it a poem?
I squinted my eyes to read his tiny handwriting. For the header, it revealed to be The Hutu's V. S. The Tutsis: The Compromising History That Became my Reality.  
"Shawn, you're writing an essay?"
He chuckled, not offended by how astonished I was. He was writing fast.
"I know, I'm surprised too."
I read as he wrote, predicting this was a guaranteed A, in my opinion.
And I was right.
When we returned for school after our mini break, Mr. Feeny was talking how well we did on the essays first thing.
"By and large, your papers were above-average. Very good work." Mr. Feeny declared, proud and fond of the effort we did.
"What, don't I get mine? Did you recycle it already? Can't just fail me privately?"
"I simply wondered if you would mind reading your paper to the class, starting here." Mr. Feeny insisted. Shawn shared a glance with me, sighing, his paper firmly in his hand and standing up in front of the class.
"Okay," he started, beginning to quote his paper,"'This past week, I spent Thanksgiving "with the Hutus and the Tutsis, "which was a real surprise to me "because I live in Philadelphia, "and I thought that kind of prejudice based on class differences "only happened in undeveloped countries."
He stopped reading as he began to become bored.
"Is that enough? I'm getting vertigo from facing this way in the room." Shawn complained, and Mr. Feeny pointed to his paper. "No, No. Go on."
Shawn continued to read:
"But I discovered that even in my very own civilized country, "people can be just as undeveloped and just as cruel.
"But more importantly, and the thing that gives me hope, "is that as long as the children are educated "about the dangers of prejudice and intolerance, "then perhaps there will be a reason for Thanksgiving in the future."
Shawn's eyes lifted off his paper, looking at me. I smiled, knowing he was going to do well.
"That's the best work you've ever done, Mr. Hunter." Mr. Feeny praised him.
"Um C minus?"
"All right," Mr. Feeny took his paper, grading it,"no. A plus."
When Shawn received it back, he was composed of an astonished expression.
"I'm as shocked as you are." Mr. Feeny spoke, admitting it. Shawn trailed back to his seat, and Cory congratulated him.
"All right, Shawn. A plus."
"I'm better than you are now." Shawn declared derogatorily. He was always going to be better, no matter what.
He was amazing, and I didn't know how much more I could express of that.
❤︎