Exhilaration | Shawn Hunter [Boy Meets World]

Boy Meets Girl

At school, Mr. Feeny was making us watch a video on the human body.

"Hormones the telegraph system of the body," the woman on the video spoke.  "Sometime between the ages of nine and sixteen they will start to tell your body to change very fast."

I grimaced as Cory said, "This movie's rated H for hurl."

"Mr. Matthews, calm down and watch the film," Mr. Feeny told him.

The video continued, "The changes won't all be physical. Sometimes you'll feel like you're on an emotional roller coaster. For instance you may occasionally feel aggressive or weepy."

"Shawn, I'm feeling so vulnerable," Cory said. "Do you have a tissue?"

Mr. Feeny shushed him. "And remember, girls. You'll get your hormonal telegram well ahead of your boy classmates."

A ding went off. "Telegram for Miss Teenager."

"Girls, be patient while they catch up to you. Eventually, everyone hears the Morse code of puberty."

As the video ended, Shawn said, "I got your Morse code right here." Then made a farting noise with his armpit.

"This film is meant to help you understand the metamorphosis your bodies will soon be going through," Mr. Feeny said.

"How? That movie's a hundred years old," Cory said. "The telegram boy was played by George Burns."

Topanga turned to him. "I welcome the changes that will transform me from a caterpillar into a butterfly."

"You say a butterfly. I say a hairball with wings," Shawn remarked.

"Ha!" the boys said causing me to roll my eyes.

"That's a beautiful outlook, Miss Lawrence," Mr. Feeny told her.

"Beautiful? I've seen hormones turn a normal guy's face into craters 'r' us," Cory replied.

"Yes, there will be side effects, but those, thank goodness will be the province of your seventh-grade teacher."

"If it happens."

"Oh, it will happen."

"Maybe, maybe not..."

Shawn dropped his pencil. I reach down to pick it up at the same time he did. When I reached for the pencil, our hands touched causing both of us to jolt back. I don't know why, but I did. I've held Shawn's hand a thousand times before, why did this feel different? With wide eyes, I picked up his pencil and when I looked up, he had the same wide eyed stare as me as I silently give him his pencil which he took from me without touching my hand. I tried to turn back in my seat to focus on class, but I couldn't take my eyes away from Shawn.

I barely heard Cory talking, "...And Shawn's in with me on this the whole way. Right, Shawn?" Shawn didn't respond, neither of us turned to look at Cory. "Shawn?" Cory began to snap his finger. "Shawn?" Then noticed I was out of it. "Betts?"

***

At lunch, I went to set my stuff down at our table before going to grab lunch. When I did, my eyes met Shawn's. Just like in class, my eyes never left his...at least until someone walked in front of me.

I snapped out of it. "What the heck is happening?" I ask myself.

It felt like I was seeing Shawn through a different set of eyes. I was felt with great happiness and a gigidy feeling when I was around Shawn. This has never happened.

"Sis," a pair of hands shook my shoulders. I looked to see Zack. "You zoned out."

"Oh, sorry," I mutter, grabbing a lunch tray.