Because I Had You | A Shawn Hunter Love Story

Cory's Alternative Friends

I felt a tap on my shoulder as I quickly awoke from my sleep, in the middle of class. Shawn was looking intently at me, and whispered, "May, wake up, Cory and I are up next."
Directing my attention to class, two girls were just finishing their presentation.
"Excellent report. Inspired visuals," Mr. Feeny praised. "Next team."
Shawn and Cory walked up to the front of the classroom, and Shawn pulled down the map of the US. "How air pollution affects our everyday life," Cory exclaimed.
"Excellent topic," said Mr. Feeny, surprised.
Shawn began, slapping his pointer against the map, "Denver high atop the majestic Rocky Mountains elevation 5,000 feet." Mr. Feeny shifted the pointer that Shawn misplaced.
Cory followed, also slapping the pointer down, "Philadelphia lying low in the Delaware basin."
"Well researched," Mr. Feeny said as he adjusted Cory's pointer as well.
"Denver clean crisp mountain air," Shawn continued.
"Philadelphia polluted industrial smog."
"Mile High Stadium home of the Colorado Rockies."
"Veterans Stadium home of the Philadelphia Phillies."
As the boys continuously slapped their pointers on the map in the wrong places, Mr. Feeny muttered, "Oh, here we go."
Shawn continued, "The Rockies, a bogus expansion team mind you are averaging four more runs per game than anyone in the league because of their clean air."
"Our theory is if Philadelphia would clean up its smoggy air the ball would slice through the atmosphere with a greater velocity," Cory added.
"Therefore the Phillies would score more runs," Shawn concluded.
"And win every home game. The end." The boys pushed their pointers together and finished their presentation confidently despite the obvious disapproval from Mr. Feeny.
"So, how'd you like our report?" Cory asked enthusiastically.
"Stinks," replied Mr. Feeny.
Cory continued, "Stinks! How'd you like my half?"
Mr. Feeny sighed, "Relax, Mr. Matthews. I blame myself."
"You do? Cool." The boys walked back to their seats.
I chimed in, "You really thought you could get away with that?"
"Do we ever get away with anything?" Cory added.
"Yes. I let you choose your own partner. An astounding lapse of judgment for someone of my experience. I'm going to let you try again but this time I'll choose the teams. Mr. Hunter, you'll work with Mr. Minkus."
"Oh, no," Cory realized.
"And Mr. Matthews,"
Cory interrupted, "Yeah, I'll hook up with Mr. Sullivan."
"No, no. That's worse. You'll work with Miss Lawrence."
"Topanga?" He questioned, as the girl with long crimped hair turned to face him.
"Give me your hand," she said.
"Why?"
"I want to see if our energies converge."
"Ooh." Shawn mocked, waving his hands in Cory's petrified face. I slapped him lightly in the arm to get him to stop mocking her.
"He's vibrationally acceptable," Topanga concluded.
"Thanks. Uh, Mr. Feeny, may I approach the bench?" Cory got up and walked to Mr. Feeny's desk.
"Objection, Mr. Matthews?"
As they talked, I turned to Shawn. "You get to work with Minkus now, how does that feel?"
Shawn responded, "I see why you never want to be in our group for projects."
--

"What do you think of my hair?" Cory asked, sitting down at the lunch table.
Shawn looked at him seriously, "Guys don't ask guys that question."
"Why are you asking?" I said.
"Well, would this qualify as a Brillo head?"
"Nah,"  Shawn grabbed Cory's hair. "You're more like a Nerf head." I hit Shawn's arm lightly.
"You knew this, and you didn't tell me?" Cory exclaimed
"You got curly hair. Big deal. Can we move on now?"
"Sure. It's easy for you to talk. You got hair. I'm a Chia pet." Shawn ran his fingers through his hair, winking at me. I rolled my eyes, that kid's hair is the only thing he's got going for him.
Topanga approached our table and I saw Cory get nervous. "Cory I got Jedidiah to drive me to your house after school."
"Who's Jedidiah?" Cory questioned.
"My father."
"Wait. You call your father Jedidiah?"
"That's his name. What do you call your father?"
"Well, like a lot of normal people I refer to him as "Dad." Cory mocked. I grabbed Shawn's arm to make sure he didn't say anything to further mock her. She was a nice girl, despite being kind of strange, and she didn't deserve the bullying.
"Then how do you tell him apart from all the other dads?"
"Look, Topanga, is there any way we can do this assignment on the phone or by telepathy?"
"It concerns our environment. I think it deserves more direct attention."
"Ok, ok. I'll see you at my house after school."
"Before I leave I'd like you to sign a petition to save Mrs. Rosemead's job."
"Who's Mrs. Rosemead?" Shawn asked, shrugging off my hand from his arm.
"Our librarian. They're forcing her to retire. It's blatant ageism."
"Maybe because she's blatantly old," Shawn retorted.
My heads fell in my hands as Shawn smiled at his comment.
"Look, can we talk about this later? We're real, real busy here." Cory begged.
"Fine. I'll respect your space." Topanga walked off and as Shawn laughed to himself.
"Wow. Feeny must really hate your guts," he giggled.
"Could be worse. At least he didn't give me Minkus."
"Hey, Minkus doesn't like me he doesn't trust me, and he doesn't respect me. So he's doing the whole assignment by himself. In my book, Stuart Minkus is a god."
"Then why is he sitting at the weirdo table?" We all looked to the table of mismatched kids who seemed to fit perfectly together.
"It's like the cast of "The Addams Family. Don't they care what they look like?"
I interrupted, "Guys, you don't have to be so me-"
"Who cares what they look like? What am I going to do about my hair?"
I finally said, "If you're that stressed out I'll give you the stuff I used to straighten my hair."
"May, since when did you straighten your hair?" Cory asked.
"A while ago. If I didn't, it'd look as bad as oh, I don't know, you."

--

"Ok Shawn here's the stuff," I said, handing him the can of hair product. "Just be caref-"
"Thanks May! I have to go save Cory from Topanga now," Shawn said as he biked off before I finished.

--

I blew on my polished nails hoping for them to dry, despite the gashes in the design. I'm not the girliest girl and having two best friends that are guys doesn't help that, but one day when I want a boyfriend, he isn't gonna want stubby unpainted nails paired with dischelved baseball outfits.
Suddenly, the phone rang. I picked it up quickly, "Hello?"
"Hi, May, It's me."
"Shawn?" I muttered.
He interuppted, "Listen, Cory wants to know if that stuff you sent over should be burning."
"Burning?"
"Uh-huh."
"You aren't supposed to leave it in for a long time, Shawn."
"Really?"
I heard Cory yelling in the background "Hurting! Hurting now!"
I sighed, "How long has it been burning?
He talked towards Cory, "May wants to know how long it's been burning?... 45 Minutes"
"Shawn, I'm going to rip my head off!" Cory screamed.
"You should have washed that out 45 minutes ago!" I exclaimed over the phone.
"May says you should've washed it out 45 minutes ago."
"You shouldn't have left it in so long!"
"Stacey says you shouldn't have left it in so long," He continued to repeat.
"Why didn't you two idiots read the label?"
"May says why didn't you two idiots read the label? Oh, thanks, May."
I shook my head as I heard a the phone being dropped on the other end and Shawn disappearing. "Oh lord, I can't trust those two idiots with anything."
--

"You guys are such idiots," I say as Shawn and Cory sit down in class, Cory wearing his Philies cap.
"You shouldn't have trusted us with that," Shawn replied.
Mr. Feeny began class, "All right. Next up for oral reports Miss Lawrence and Mr. Matthews. Let's go, Mr. Matthews. Remove your cap and deliver your report."
Cory became petrified and stuttered, "I can't remove my cap because our report is on the ozone layer and the cap is part of our UV-protection angle."
"No caps in my class."
"Mr. Feeny, if there was one shred of humanity in you you'll let me keep this on."
"Too many years of sixth graders have bled me of my humanity. Take off your cap."
He removed his hat to reveal slick and stiff hair straighted to a point from the brim of the hat. Topanga just observed him.
I turned to Shawn who was giggling, and whispered, "Shawn, seriously, you're the main cause of this."
"The main cause of a hilarious result," He replied full of giggles.
"Go ahead, laugh," He said to Topanga.
"Your hair looks different. Why would I laugh?"

--

"Over here duck head," Shawn yelled as Cory struggled to find a seat in the cafeteria.
"Shawn, seriously," I said.
"Cory there's a seat for you here," Topanga chimed in, as Cory hesitantly joined her table.
"We officially lost him," Shawn goes. He looks over at my lunch then at my hands. "Did you... paint your nails?"
I subconsciously hid my hands, "No, um, why would I-"
"I thought you didn't like that stuff."
"I don't..."
"Is there a reason you painted them?"
"Nope," I took my Phillies cap from my bag and put it forwards on my head.
Shawn took my hat and flipped it so it was backwards. "I like you either way."
I blushed but immediately turned my smile into a frown so it'd disappear. Not exactly the boy I was planning on impressing...

--

"Woah," I said as we watched crowds of people head towards the cafeteria to sign Topanga's petition. "Impressive, Cory."
"Wait, May, look," Shawn pointed at Cory, who was currently hand cuffed to a locker with Topanga.
"Get away!" Cory yelled.
"Oh my gosh it's actually happening," I said smiling, hitting Shawn's chest lightly.
She pinned Cory against the locker and kissed him. His face saw mixed emotions of suprisedand horrified.
"Bye, Bye, little Cory," Shawn said, turning with me to walk out the doors of the school.