Exhilaration | Shawn Hunter [Boy Meets World]

Model Family

"Once I wished I was a duck," I watch a kid say on the TV in our classroom. "As mostly ducks have lots of luck. They swim around all day in a pool and mostly never have to go to school." 

"Beaver, I think that's very, very cute," the mother said.

"Hey, Beav, you still think you'll get a prize for that?" the older brother asked. 

"Sure, Wally," Beaver replied. "I'm the only kid in the third grade who wrote a poem."

They all went back to eating and the screen faded to black.

"So, how do you feel Ward and June handled their family problem?" Mr. Feeny asked the class.

"They were too perfect," Shawn said.

"Too TV," Cory added.

"I agree with you, Mr. Matthews," Mr. Feeny stated.

"That's not like you."

"In fact, you brought me to today's assignment."

"That's like you," I point out. 

"Back in the prehistoric 1950s when Cleavers strode the earth The U.S.Census indicated that a model American family had a mother, a father, and three children."

"Leftovers," Cory spoke.

"What are you talking about, Mr. Matthews?" 

"Well, last year in fifth grade we divided up into families and solved problems. It's sixth grade now, Mr. Feeny. Families are yesterday's news."

"Very well. This year, I shall let you form into urban gangs."

"Cool."

"Each gang will have a mother, a father, and three children."

"You just love dangling that little string of hope in front of us and yanking it away, don't you?" 

"I had a cat."

Shawn leaned over to me and Cory. "I bet it hung itself."

Mr. Feeny wrote on the board. "In this assignment each participant will help the other to become an ideal family member. For instance Mr. Hunter. Ms. Cooper and Mr. Minkus will be paired as brothers and sister, of course."

"Oh, no," me, Minkus and Shawn said, slapping each of our foreheads. 

"Trust me. You are going to enjoy this. I know I shall. Now, each of you will write a profile of a model brother. Then each of you must become that brother and sister."

"You mean Shawn and Betty have to act exactly like I want them to?" Minkus asked. 

"That's correct, Mr. Minkus." 

"Uh-oh," I say.

Cory looked to me and Shawn. "You're gonna be Minkus' siblings. Nerd-o-rama. I'd hate to be the guy who had them for kids."

"Funny you should say that, Mr. Matthews," Mr. Feeny pointed to Cory. "Or, as I like to call you Dad."

"He's gonna be my father?" Minkus asked. 

"Yes!" Cory exclaimed. 

"And Miss Lawrence is your mother," Mr. Feeny said to the girl ahead.

"No!" Cory said. 

***

Later, our 'family' met up at Cory's house and tried to go over our assignments. I look up from my paper as I tried to help Shawn figure out what Minkus needed to be. 

"I am Topanga's model husband," Cory read off as Shawn walked by them. 

Shawn looked to them. "I'm sorry. I'm just flat-out looking forward to this."