Exhilaration | Shawn Hunter [Boy Meets World]

Santa's Little Helper

Christmas was finally here. For the years I've been in Philadelphia, I always bought Cory and Shawn presents...and usually I'd be happy about that, but-one of my best buddies would be struggling this year so he begged me not to tell our best friend.

In class, Mr. Feeny was reading, "'And it was always said of Scrooge that he knew how to keep Christmas well if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us. And so as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us every one'," Mr. Feeny finished, closing the book. "And so ends Dickens' masterpiece 'A Christmas Carol'." 

"Wait a minute. That's not the end. Where's the Grinch?" Shawn questioned causing me to roll my eyes with a faint smile. 

"Yeah. Isn't the Grinch supposed to show up now and, like, take everything?" Cory added. 

"How come it's called 'A Christmas Carol' anyway?" 

"Yeah. There was nobody in this story named Carol."

Mr. Feeny looked to Topanga. "Miss Lawrence, would you please trade places with Mr.Matthews?"

"All right," she agreed before closing her eyes. "I am a hyperactive, underachieving, 11-year-old boy."

"That was pretty accurate," I say. Cory sent me a look. "What?"

"I meant physically," Mr. Feeny told Topanga. 

:Oh, well, that takes less of a psychic toll," she said before getting up. 

"Why do I have to move?" Cory questioned. 

"We were just giving our view of the book," Shawn added.

"Yeah. I mean, you say literary masterpiece , we say-" they both gave a thumbs down with a buzzing noise. 

Mr. Feeny stood up. "Mr. Matthews, I'm less interested in your review than I am that you understand the material. What, in your opinion, was Mr.Dickens trying to express in his Christmas story?"

"That if you're a real butthead then neat ghosts will take you to cool places."

Mr. Feeny copied my friends' actions, giving a thumbs down with a buzzing noise.

***

At lunch, Cory looked at our lunch trays of fish sticks. "Fish and sticks.Two things nature never would've put together."

I look to Shawn. "What'd you get, Shawny?"

Shawn took out a sandwich out of his brown paper bag. "Peanut butter and jelly. Two things nature couldn't keep apart," Shawn replied with a smile.

"Since when did your mom pack you lunch? I thought you liked fish sticks," Cory questioned and causing Shawn's smile to fade.

"I do, but I think it's cruel how the little fish scream when they rip their sticks off."

I gave Shawn a sad look. He shouldn't feel the need to lie to Cory.

Minkus came over with his lunch. "May I sit down?"

"Uh..."

"No." The boys answered quickly.

"Well, since you're ambivalent," Minkus said before sitting down. "Ah, Christmas. Season of togetherness. Season of brotherhood."

"Season of wool," Cory replied. "Nine out of ten Christmas gifts wool. It doesn't matter if it's shaped like socks or a sweater it's wool and it's itchy."

"The gift isn't as important as the thought behind it."

"What's the thought behind wool? This kid doesn't scratch enough?"