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❛ ᴏᴄᴇᴀɴ ᴇʏᴇꜱ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴀs ᴛɪᴍᴇ ɢᴏᴇs ʙʏ, ᴘᴛ. 𝟷 ꒱


❝ A part of her wondered what her
life would've been like in Julia's
place, though the image she
conjured seemed grim and bleak
and as cold as the snow falling
outside. ❞
— Stormy Weather; season 3 ch. 16

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Juliet sat at the kitchen island with her homework spread out in front of her. Shawn had (thankfully) let up on distracting her a few hours ago to let her finish some projects and he sat on the couch several feet away with a magazine propped in his lap. Somehow, Topanga had convinced her to take a physics class together so that they could be 'study partners.' Unfortunately, most of the work was individual.

Their essay for the class was based on space-time theories. They had studied several over the course of the past weeks and they were to chose which topic interested them the most. Topanga had selected the space-time vortex while Juliet went with the Multiverse Theory. Pensively, she glanced up from her textbook to let her eyes fall on her boyfriend. "Shawnie?"

He looked up from the magazine. "Yeah?"

"Have you ever heard of the Multiverse Theory?"

He shook his head. "No, but I'm sure you'll tell me." This was said in an indulgent, loving sort of way rather than in an exasperated tone as one might expect.

She smiled softly. "It's the belief that there are hundreds and billions of universes that exist alongside our own. There are all sorts of the possibilities, from the wacky and strange to those just slightly off. I think it's fascinating that we might live and one and not even know it."

"How could they be different?" Shawn wanted to know.

"Well, there could be small changes where I have my dad's brown hair instead of my mom's red hair. Peas might be square instead of round. Purple might be a natural hair color. The bigger changes could be the grass is blue and the sky is green, the US could have a different series of Presidents than it does now or. . ." she trailed off before she added quietly, "we might never have met."

Immediately, his eyes widened. "Don't say that!"

She shrugged. "It's possible. We'd never know each other existed. My life might have turned out differently so that I wouldn't know you and Cory, or you might have lived in Ohio for longer than you actually did."

The dark-haired boy set the magazine aside and stood before he walked over to join her at the table. He placed his hands gently on her arms and she leaned against him comfortably as he stated firmly, "don't say that. I think that no matter how differently our lives might turn out, we'll always know each other no matter the universe. We're the knockoff Cory and Topanga, after all."

Juliet giggled at his comparison and tilted her head up to look at him. Her hand lifted to lightly cup his face. "It's only a theory, Shawnie. That doesn't mean it's actually true. But for what it's worth, I believe that, too."

Shawn's expression softened and he placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Good. Hopefully it stays a theory. I've lost enough in my life and I've finally reached a point where I'm happy. I don't want to go thinking about what-ifs where I'm worse off than I am now."

🌎🌎🌎
[1996 , alternate timeline]

"I just want one week of being normal!" Juliet finished in a sharp voice despite the fact that she was addressing her parents.

"But darling," Daly began with an infuriatingly patient tone, "we aren't normal. Your father is the CEO of Verona, Inc. Everyone in New York knows our names. We can't have you attending school like a regular student."

"But we're moving to California," the redhead argued. "I just want to go to a normal school and be a normal student for our last week in New York. I don't know why that's so much to ask."

"Because we have an image to uphold," Barron reminded her unnecessarily. "It's for the good of the family business that we only interact with people in our social class. If we were less well-known, perhaps things would be different. But we aren't, so there's nothing that I can change."

The dark-haired man's hands were resting reassuringly on his wife's shoulders while the woman sat in the chair as he stood supportively behind her. The stance was familiar and maddening. Every time Juliet tried to have a little room to breathe, they ended up in that position and she knew she was fighting a losing battle. She glared heatedly at them regardless of the punishment she'd get for speaking out of turn. "I'm sick of being rich!" she snarled. "I never asked for any of this. It would have been better if you'd left us!" Her last words were aimed at her father. She ignored his hurt look as she spun around and stormed off to her room.

"She's a teenager," Daly comforted him as she rested her hand on top of his. "She'll always say things that she doesn't mean. Give her some time to calm down and we'll talk to her again."

"Do you think we're being too unfair?" Barron questioned his wife quietly. "Is it really a big ask to let her have the one week that she wants?"

🌎🌎🌎

It was a common misconception that being rich meant being happy. Sure, some people could be both, but not Juliet. It might sound ungrateful and naïve to think this way, but she'd only ever known this life and had hated almost every second of it. There were some moments— like spending time with her boyfriend, Jack— where it wasn't so bad. She could be very nearly content, then. (But never truly happy.)

Still, she was miserable most of the time in her gilded cage. Selfishly, she wondered what it would be like if her father had left like her grandfather tried to make him do. Barron was the one where the money came from so if it had just been her and her mom, they might've had a chance at the normal life she'd always dreamed of. But, as her father was fond of saying, that wasn't how things were and there was nothing that could make it be so.

Instead, she grew up in New York in her ancestral home with her mother and father, attending parties and functions as was expected. She'd met Jack at one of these events and the two had hit it off spectacularly. Eventually, they'd started dating and now they'd been together for almost two years.

He'd given her more opportunities than she'd thought were available to her. Using 'dates' as an excuse to escape their expectations, the pair travelled around the US and Europe whenever they could. It was during these times— away from her family and responsibilities— that Juliet felt the most free. It was with her boyfriend's persuasion and encouragement that she was finally granted her wish: to have one normal week. 

Deciding that it would be best for her to attend school outside of the state that knew them best, they chose a random high school in nearby Pennsylvania called John Adams High. Arrangements were made with the principal, Mr. Feeny, to have her attend a single week at the end of the semester. While she was sure that some students might know her, she doubted that everyone would. 

🌎🌎🌎
[DAY ONE]

"I overheard Mr. Feeny telling my mom that we're getting a new student this week," Cory commented to his best friend before class on Monday. "Apparently she's famous or something."

"She?" Shawn inquired hopefully.

The curly-haired boy rolled his eyes. "That's all you got from that sentence?"

"Well, did you catch her name?"

"No," he admitted, "but why would a famous person want to come to our school?"

"I dunno," the dark-haired boy replied with a shrug.

They entered Mr. Turner's classroom together to find that it was more. . . chaotic than usual. There was a crowd of students in the back corner who had formed a tight cluster around the desk. They caught Cory's attention. "Well, I guess we found her."

"Okay, okay, everyone settle down," their teacher announced loudly as he walked into the room. The bell rang soon after he spoke. "Jesus, it's like you've never seen a new student before. Take your seats, everyone."

The students reluctantly dispersed and followed his directions as he began the lecture. Now that the desk was free, the two boys could see exactly what their new classmate looked like. Cory didn't see what the big deal was; she was just a girl, after all. He recognized her from some sort of movie that Morgan had watched but other than that, he wasn't too bothered about her 'fame.' On the other hand, Shawn's attention never left the redhead's profile, though her eyes remained focused on the front of the room.

He leaned forward to whisper to his friend: "Cor. Hey, Cor— do you think I have a chance?"

Cory turned around. "What?"

"Do you think I have a chance with the new girl?"

"Yeah, about as much of a chance as the million other guys that probably want to be with her."

"So my odds are only a million to one? That's nothing." 

🌎🌎🌎

Lunchtime traffic had caught the new girl and prevented her from getting much farther than the door of Mr. Turner's classroom. Shawn waited impatiently for Cory to change his books as he watched the knot of students surround her again. Even with some heads blocking his way, he could still see the vibrancy of her red hair through the more common browns and blondes. There appeared to be a certain brightness about her that made her similar to a candle that drew moths to her flame. But. . . it didn't seem as bright as she could be.

As the last of the students finally left her side, Shawn ran his hands through his hair. "Alright, I'm going in."

"Good luck. You're gonna need it," Cory told him. He didn't bother to look up from his books.

Taking a deep breath, he approached the red-haired girl and gave her a charming smile. He meant to introduce himself confidently but what came out was: "wow, you're pretty."

A shy smile appeared on the new girl's face. "Um, thanks." When he didn't say anything else after that, she cleared her throat and prompted him awkwardly, "did you. . . er, want something?"

He could tell that she was trying to be nice about it but he could see her eyes (how could such blue eyes exist, he didn't know, but they were gorgeous) flick towards the other end of the hallway. Sensing his opportunity slipping away, he (in a very cool way, of course) blurted out: "do you want to sit with us at lunch?"

"'Us?'"

"Yeah. Me and my best friend, Cory. It's just the two of us so you won't have to deal with a crowd."

She smiled appreciatively at him. "That would great, thank you. A few other people asked me, of course, but it just. . . didn't feel right, y'know?"

"Yeah," he agreed, though he really didn't.

She seemed to sense this and gave a little giggle at his breathless tone. "I'm Juliet, by the way. Sorry. You probably already knew that."

(He hadn't.)

Her name was Juliet, he thought dazedly as his gaze remained captured by her bright bright eyes. Her expression became concerned. "Um, are you alright?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah. I'm-I'm Shawn," he introduced himself quickly as he felt his face warm. Why had he suddenly stopped being so cool when he needed it most?

🌎🌎🌎
[DAY TWO]

Surprisingly (or not, because this was Juliet, Shawn and Cory no matter what universe it was), they got along. . . famously. It was refreshing to be around people who didn't know (or care) who she was and she loved being treated like an equal instead of held on a pedestal. Cory was funny and quirky while Shawn was charming and genuine. It was clear how close the two best friends were and it made her slightly envious of their relationship.

It was towards the end of their second lunch together when their friendship became official. The cafeteria vending machines had been serving Oreos and Juliet had gotten some, claiming that they were her favorite dessert. She opened the blue package and allowed the three cookies to tumble out onto her napkin.

"I love Oreos," she exclaimed happily.

Shawn couldn't help but grin. "Me too. They're my favorite."

She hesitated. "Do you want to share?"

He shook his head. "No thanks, they're yours."

"I don't mind," Juliet insisted. She gave them each one, leaving one left over. Thinking quickly, she broke it in half and gave one side to the boy before she remembered Cory. She glanced over at him. "Oh. Um, did you want some?"

"No thanks," he answered. "I'm more of a brownie person."

The redhead nodded. "Another great choice but you can't eat those like this." She twisted the top cookie off to reveal the icing.

"You separate yours too?" Shawn wondered, surprised.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "I only like the icing. The cookie part gets stuck in my teeth and I don't like it."

"I like the cookie part best," he explained. "The icing is too soft."

A thoughtful expression appeared on Shawn's face before he picked up a nearby plastic knife.

"Hey, I was gonna use that!"

"You're eating soup, Cor."

"I might what to cut my liquid," the curly-haired boy objected.

Shawn rolled his eyes and continued with his task, which was carefully scraping the white icing off the cookie. He tipped the cream onto the girl's napkin. "Here, you can have my icing, then."

Her eyes lit up. "And you can have my cookie parts!" She used the same technique and passed him her cookie halves.

"It's like we're soulmates," Shawn observed. What were the chances that their Oreo preferences aligned perfectly?

Juliet smiled faintly. "We can be cookie partners," she answered in response.

"Cookie partners?" he repeated. "What's that? Like, dating?"

She giggled at his question. "No, it's like. . . being good friends. Besides, I have a boyfriend."

He visibly slumped. "Oh."

"Um, is everything okay?" she inquired, a little startled at his sudden mood change.

"Yeah. Yeah, just fine." He should have expected it, after all. Juliet was too wonderful a person to not have somebody who loved her already.

🌎🌎🌎
[DAY THREE]

The following days at school was more ordinary for her. The students had mostly gotten over a "semi-famous" person being a part of their class so now she could have her wish of being normal. She'd spent most of her time with Cory and Shawn who were exhilaratingly real compared to the people she usually spent time with. Since becoming friends with them, she'd changed corners and now sat next to Shawn rather than on the opposite side of the room.

She plopped her books down on the desk as she slid into her seat. "Hi, Shawnie," she greeted him happily. The nickname had come naturally on the second day and since he'd made no move to tell her that he didn't like it, it was now what she called him consistently.

He gave her a warm smile. "Hey, Julie." (The same went for him.) "Ready for your third day?"

"I can't believe the week is almost halfway over," she sighed. "I should've tried for two."

"That's alright," he reassured her. "We can make the most of the time we have left. Is there anything in particular you want to do?"

"I just want to be normal," she replied. "I don't even know what normal people do."

"Well, usually we just go to school and go home but maybe I can make an exception for you," Shawn answered with a grin. "I am pretty spontaneous, after all."

She gave him an interested look. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yep. Why don't we take the bus this afternoon and go somewhere? Unless, of course, you're grossed out by public transportation?"

Juliet laughed at his jab, which made him feel inordinately pleased for it. "No, Shawnie, I'm not squeamish. I'm perfectly fine with being around commoners like yourself."

"That's goo— hey!" 

🌎🌎🌎

After school, they went to the bus stop which was outside of a store called Mike's Jewelers. As they studied the schedule, Juliet frowned. "How will we decide where to go?"

"We could always get off at the first stop," Shawn suggested.

"Surely you've been fifteen minutes away from here? Maybe we should go farther so it's new for both of us."

"Alright. What about an hour and then we get off?"

"Sounds good," she agreed as they sat on the bench. "I can't wait to do something interesting."

He looked at her with surprise. "You're rich," he pointed out unnecessarily. "You have enough money to go anywhere you want and you've never been anywhere interesting?"

"I've been places, sure," Juliet allowed. "You can be bored or interested anywhere. It depends on the company you're with and your connection to the place. I get bored in New York all the time."

"But it seems like being rich would be exciting," Shawn countered. "I mean, it's better than having no money at all, right?"

"I suppose," she responded carelessly, "but it's not everything. I'd rather be poor and happy than rich and unhappy."

The way she spoke made his brows furrow slightly, as if she had experience with the subject. "Are you unhappy?"

The redhead avoided his gaze and focused on her hands, which were folded in her lap. "Have you ever read a book or listened to a song and loved it so much that you wished you could experience it again for the first time?" she questioned him instead.

He let his question slide for the time being and thought about the first time he'd heard a Counting Crows song. "Yeah."

"I love that feeling when you're experiencing something new. It's why I go so many places. I mean, even school is unusual for me."

"But Philadelphia's just like every other city," Shawn objected. "There's nothing unusual here."

"Not to me," Juliet stated.

"Really? What's interesting?"

"People here say 'youse,'" she offered.

He chuckled at her answer. "That's not how you say it. It's not 'you-see' it's 'yooz.' Besides, not everyone says it. I don't. You really think that's interesting?"

"Some New Yorkers say OD," the redhead explained, pronouncing it as 'OH-dee.' "It's used when something's over the top. I don't use it but I've also never heard anyone outside of New York use it either. I think languages and dialects are interesting." 

They continued talking about the similarities and differences between New York and Philadelphia until the bus arrived. Shawn had had hundreds if not thousands of conversations with Cory over the course the time they'd known each other. He valued the time he spent with his best friend and treasured the memories they'd made— even if he never actually told him so. Still, talking to Juliet was unlike anything he'd experienced before.

She was intelligent and thoughtful but there was a note of wistfulness that seemed to be laced into everything she said, as if she believed that she could never be truly happy. Everyone always expected rich, famous people to be self-centered and arrogant but Juliet wasn't anything of the sort. In fact, he'd argue that she was more down-to-earth than most of the girls at his school.

(Needless to say, it was very hard to remember that she had a boyfriend.) 

🌎🌎🌎

They decided on Parkesburg, Pennsylvania which was a large enough town that they could walk around in without getting lost. When they stepped off the bus, bakery smells greeted them as well as a window display of freshly-baked goods. Juliet smiled happily. "This is a good omen."

"You think so?" Shawn asked. He'd never really thought about omens before.

"Definitely," she concurred, though her answer was swallowed by the screeching of the bus as it pulled away. The odor of exhaust momentarily overpowered the sweeter smells but soon the bakery won. "See?"

"I suppose," he allowed. (He still didn't understand.) "You want to get something?"

"I probably shouldn't," the redhead sighed in response as she looked longingly at the presentation. "My mom wants me to stick to this diet before California—"

She was interrupted by the boy's hand grasping her own and the action brought her attention to him as he looked down at her sincerely. "Hey," he started softly. "You're beautiful just the way you are, Julie. You don't have to change for anyone."

Juliet stared at him speechlessly for a moment, startled by how genuine his words were. Even Jack—who wasn't shy with his compliments— had agreed with her mom, though he'd told her it was because he wanted her to be confident. No one had ever reminded her that she could be happy with just being herself and now here was this boy— a near stranger— telling her that she could be.

His eyes had turned silvery with a slight flinty edge as if he was prepared for her to disagree with him. She opened and closed her mouth silently until she managed to speak again: "um, alright. Yeah. Yeah, we can get something." 

🌎🌎🌎

They spent the entire afternoon in Parkesburg and only boarded the bus when the moon had risen in the sky. During their time together, Shawn had found it hard to hide anything from the red-haired girl and had even shared where he lived. To his surprise (though he really should have expected it), she remained unperturbed and had accepted his background without judgement.

As they sat together on the cloth-covered seats, he decided to share a thought that he had with her. "The universe has it out for people like me," he began. "My family doesn't have enough money to afford a real home so we have to live in a trailer, which means that I'm already at a disadvantage. I don't do very well in school so I'm probably not going to go to a good college which is another obstacle. My mom leaving my dad has kept me from having a real relationship like Cory and Topanga. It's just one thing after another and I don't think it will ever stop."

"Some of those problems are self-made," Juliet chided him. "If you studied you'd have better grades. If you really wanted to, you can get a job instead of doing nothing after school to help with your family's income."

"But there's always going to be something, Julie. There's always going to be something standing in my way. I like to call it my Obstacle theory."

"Obstacle?" she repeated.

He shrugged. "I dunno. It just seemed like a good thing to name it."

She nudged him gently. "The universe isn't entirely to blame. Don't you think that you could be your own worst obstacle?"

"I suppose," he concurred noncommittally. He glanced at her. "Do you have a theory, Julie?"

She thought about it. There was hardly a time in her life that she could remember being genuinely happy. There were moments that were better than others but she could not recall a truly joyous time in her life. At least, not until now. Today, for the first time ever, someone had encouraged her to be happy being herself. She didn't have to adapt to someone's perceived image of her or pretend to be someone she wasn't. She could just be.

Her theory was that people changed people. Her parents had formed her into who she was today with influence from other outside forces like her boyfriend. She had taken their views and made them into her. When she met someone outside of her normal circle (Shawn), she suddenly had a whole new perspective that she'd never seen before. She would become yet another new form of herself because of this week.

It seemed entirely too personal to say. Not only that, but she was so used to being overshadowed that it was in her nature to stay quiet. Her father was an overbearing force in her life; Jack was another one. Her Uncle Greg wasn't exactly encouraging either. Her mother usually went along with what her father decreed unless she (Juliet) was visibly unhappy.

She shook her head. "Not exactly."

"You do," Shawn countered. "You have lots of theories. I can tell."

And that, perhaps, was everything that needed to be said.

A/n: this chapter and the next are inspired by the book Criss Cross. While it is a slightly juvenile read (it was on the summer reading list for my middle school), I still think it's a great book. Some scenes in particular have stuck with me and I've drawn from them for these two chapters.

[written jan. 2022]
[edited jun. 2022]