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❛ ᴏᴄᴇᴀɴ ᴇʏᴇꜱ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴛʜᴇ ʙ-ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴏғ ʟɪғᴇ ꒱


❝ YOU'RE CUTE WHEN
YOU'RE CLUELESS ❞

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"There it is, the list," Cory said as he stood with Shawn and Juliet in the hallway. The new basketball roster had just been put up and the boys were eagerly waiting to see the results. "Who made the first string, who made the second string and who didn't even make the basketball team," he continued.

"Me!" Juliet said happily as she raised her hand.

Shawn rolled his eyes and gently lowered it. "That's 'cause you didn't even try out, Julie."

"That still means I didn't make it," she replied with a grin.

"What d'you think is worse: second string or not making the team?" Shawn asked as he leaned against the wall.

"Second string," Cory answered. "What d'you think is worse? Second string or falling out of an airplane and landing on the Empire State Building?" 

The girl rolled her eyes. "You're being a bit dramatic, no? I'd rather not make the second string so there's no potential threat of me playing."

Shawn sighed. "We've failed you on so many levels," he said in mock disappointment. "You've been our best friend and my wife for years and we've never converted you to sports."

"Sucks to be you, I guess," the redhead teased him.

"It sucks to be the guy on the second string," Cory agreed. "It's not something any of us have to worry about, however. We're not second-string, bench-warming B-team guys."

"I made the B-team!" Minkus interrupted them excitedly. "I made the B-team! Can you believe it? Wait 'til I tell my father!" He ran off and Juliet gave the boy an amused smile.

Noticing the look, Shawn straightened and pushed off the wall, moving to look at the list. "Hunter, Shawn: A-team." He grinned. "Surpriserama! Aren't you proud of me, Julie?"

The redhead rolled her eyes. "I had zero doubts, Shawnie."

He beamed happily at her as Cory went up to the list. "Matthews, Cory: A-team." He looked back at the list. "Wait a minute— they spelled A with B!"

Juliet sighed as Shawn said, "doof, you're reading the wrong line."

She examined the list with them. "Matthews, B-team. Nope, it's right."

"C'mon, guys. It's got to be a typo."

"It's handwritten! I'm on the B-team, second string. Just drop me on the Empire State Building," he opened his right eye and imitated falling down.

"Aw, so what?" Shawn asked, grabbing the basketball.

"It's fine, Cor," Juliet added. "You're being over dramatic. It doesn't change anything."

She felt Shawn grab her hand and tug her away from the boy. "I mean, it's not like you're gonna lose your friends," he added.

As the two made their escape, Juliet gave her best friend a little glare. "That was mean."

"It's only a joke, Julie. 'Course we're still friends. You said it yourself: he was being overdramatic."

She huffed. "Still doesn't mean we should abandon him."

"We're not," the boy reassured her. "We're, uh, pulling his leg."

"Right," she said, not truly believing him.

🌎🌎🌎

"Homo Sapiens," Mr. Feeny said as he stood behind Minkus, a girl from their class and Shawn. "Modern man." He gestured to the blond-haired boy. "As you can see, he walked fully upright, had opposable thumbs and was known for—"

"—a mother who labels his underwear," Shawn interrupted him with a grin.

From her desk, Juliet rolled her eyes at their rivalry.

"At least I have more than one pair."

She bit back a laugh, not wanting to hurt Shawn's feelings even though what Minkus said had been funny.

"Moving back through history, we devolve to the Neanderthaloids who made and used tools. Now, can anybody what was going on before the Neanderthaloids? Anybody?" Juliet raised her hand and Feeny looked pleased. "Yes, Miss Capelwood?"

"That's before human life, right? When everything was unicellular? And then the dinosaurs came?"

"Correct, Miss Capelwood," he said with a smile. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"Uh—" she paused to watch Minkus' arm wave excitedly in the air. "No sir," she said dutifully. "I think Minkus can, though."

"Alright. Take it away, Mr. Minkus."

"Thank you, my sweet," the boy said, flashing Juliet a bright smile. "As my brilliant future wife started to explain, a billion years ago, the world breathlessly anticipated the emergence of life from pre-biological organic compounds of the sea, ergo, unicellular organisms."

Probably due to the 'my sweet' comment, Shawn used his 'tool' to hit Minkus on the head, prompting the boy to say "ow" in a flat voice.

"You can take your seats, thank you," Mr. Feeny said. "What Mr. Minkus and Miss Capelwood were saying is that we were waiting for the lowest form of life to crawl out of the slime."

The door to the classroom opened to reveal Cory. "I'm here," he announced, causing the class to laugh at his timing. "What?"

"Mr. Feeny was just talking about you," Shawn explained with a smile.

He handed their teacher a note. "I was in with the basketball coach. I have a note. Did I miss anything?"

"Two hundred million years of human evolution," Mr. Feeny said as Cory took his seat.

"Cool."

"So, what's the deal?" Shawn whispered to him and Juliet shifted her attention to the boy.

"It wasn't a mistake. I'm second string."

"Hey, you too?" Minkus asked, reaching out to shake Cory's hand. "Did you tell your dad?"

"No, I happen to like my dad."

🌎🌎🌎

"Check it out," Shawn said as he and Juliet joined Cory the next morning. "We dug out this old edition of Sports Illustrated for you."

"I already know I'm not on the cover," Cory replied dejectedly as Shawn held out the magazine.

"Lighten up. There's an article here on great sports figures who sat on the bench before they got to play," Juliet encouraged him.

"Their big break," Shawn agreed.

"Really?" Cory asked. He grabbed the magazine from the redhead.

"'Can I please have the magazine, Juliet?'" the girl asked mockingly. "'Yes, of course, Cor,' 'thanks!', 'no problem, don't mention it!'"

He looked up from the page with a little smile. "Alright, then I won't."

She huffed. "Rude."

"Yeah," Shawn said, tugging the redhead closer to him. "Anyway, it said that Steve Young sat on the 49ers' bench for five years before he became the starting quarterback and then he won the MVP."

Juliet shifted against the boy before she lifted his arm to place it around her shoulders so she could curl up against his side. Shawn smiled happily and tightened his grip to pull her closer.

"Man, this is good news," Cory said, still scanning the article.

"I knew you'd like it," Shawn said.

"Wow. These are, like, major guys."

"If they can do it, you can do it," Juliet said confidently. "After all, it's not the end-all, 'B'-all of everything." She grinned at her joke and Shawn rolled his eyes, half-exasperated, half-fondly.

"Yeah, that'll prove I'm worth something!"

"Maybe the coach will put you in the game today," Shawn suggested.

"Maybe you'll score a hundred points," Juliet added.

"Julie?"

"Yeah?"

"You're lucky you're cute but that was completely wrong," the dark-haired boy told her with a grin.

She shrugged. "I'm just trying to make him feel better."

"And I love you for it," he replied, squeezing her shoulders slightly.

Cory ignored their exchange as he said, "yeah, maybe then I'll be on the A-team permanently. I'm going to be the season MVP. I'm gonna be unstoppable!" He stood and as he pulled open his shirt, Juliet's vision went dark as Shawn put a hand protectively over her eyes.

"Shawn!"

"Just a precaution! It's good, though." He removed her hand to reveal Cory dressed in his uniform.

"Matthews, why are you suited up? Second-string doesn't go to the away games," the coach informed him as he walked by. Juliet gave the boy a sympathetic look as he slumped sadly.

🌎🌎🌎

Despite not understanding the game at all, Juliet still went to support the team (or, more accurately, to support Shawn.) She had no idea what was going on but cheered whenever people from her school cheered or when she was pretty sure her best friend did something good for the team.

During one of his breaks, he came over and sat next to her as he drank water.

"You're doing great!" Juliet said enthusiastically. "I mean, I think you are. Pretty sure. Even if you're not at least you're trying, right?"

Shawn set the water down and gave her a fond smile. "You're cute when you're clueless."

"Don't get used to it," she told him with a grin. "It doesn't happen often."

He reached out a finger and tapped her on the nose, causing it to scrunch up slightly as the girl went cross-eyed. He laughed at her reaction. "Who needs cheerleaders when I've got you?"

She beamed happily at him. "You want me to spell something?"

"How about 'I'm Shawn's wife?'"

"Too long, sorry."

"Uh—" he started to think before his gaze slid over her shoulder and darkened slightly.

"Shawnie?" She felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around to see an unfamiliar boy with dirty blonde hair from the other school.

"Hi, I'm Jack," he started. "You're Juliet, right?"

"Uh— yeah?"

"Well, I think—"

"Well maybe you shouldn't," Shawn interrupted rather nastily. "She's not allowed to fraternize with the enemy."

The boy— Jack— gave Shawn a look of dislike. "And who're you to tell her what to do?"

"Her husband," he answered immediately.

"What?"

Juliet sighed, turning to the boy. "It's alright, Jack. Shawn's just a little overprotective. But, uh, maybe he's right in that you shouldn't be seen talking with someone from another school?"

He shrugged. "I don't care. It's almost like a modern day Romeo and Juliet."

"Why does everyone say that?"

"Okay, that's enough visiting time. Bye, Jack," Shawn said more forcefully as he wrapped an arm around the girl.

The other boy hesitated before he nodded. "See you around, Juliet." He looked at the dark-haired boy. "Good luck, Hunter."

As he left, Shawn glared after him. "I don't like him."

"He was just being nice," she protested. "You were the rude one."

"He's too rich-looking. He's probably the type that murders his wives for money."

"Shawn! We're eleven!"

He shrugged. "They start them young."

Juliet rolled her eyes. "Alright Shawnie, whatever you say. You better get your head back in the game if you wanna show them who's boss."

His dark mood lifted and he grinned. "You're right, we have to rub their noses in the dirt. Thanks, Julie!"

The boy gave her another hug and jumped up, ready to play. 

🌎🌎🌎

The game had taken a surprising turn the night before and in a stroke of good luck, Cory had been there in time to save it. The next day, he was definitely feeling better about his position on the team.

"I'm telling you, Feeny's a maniac behind the wheel," Cory said to Shawn, Juliet and Minkus. "I didn't know a gremlin could go that fast."

"No way, Feeny?" Shawn asked as he closed his locker. "The guy takes twenty minutes to peel an orange."

"Hey, I was in the car. He was clipping corners, driving on the side walk, catching air off speed bumps."

"Our Mr. Feeny, burning rubber?" Minkus asked, crossing his arms. "I think not."

"I think that what we see in the classroom may be the Clark Kent side of Mr. Feeny."

Mr. Feeny walked by them then, talking to the coach. "I would've had you if that light hadn't turned yellow," the younger man said.

"Hey, you snooze, you lose," their teacher replied as he tugged off his driving gloves.

[edited may 2022]