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❛ ᴏᴄᴇᴀɴ ᴇʏᴇꜱ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʏ ɴɪɢʜᴛ ꒱


❝ BECAUSE YOU LOVE
EACH OTHER ❞

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Juliet couldn't believe that she was agreeing to this stupid, stupid plan but regardless, here she was, pretending that Cory and Topanga weren't together yet. Really, what other kind of idea could she expect from one of her best friends? Cory certainly wasn't known for his brilliance but she was surprised that Topanga had agreed to this. What she wasn't surprised about was that they hadn't listened to her when she'd tried to convince them that Shawn wouldn't care how they got together, just that they were. Now she was roped into this scheme with them and had to pretend to be upset at their (very fake) arguing.

"I can't believe you said that to me, you stunted little whiny brillo head!" Topanga exclaimed.

"Well, you're just a short little nasal-voiced, blimpo-lipped. . . so there," Cory returned half-heartedly.

As she watched the mock-fight, she couldn't help but let out a little "oooh" at her friend's remark, smirking slightly at his words. Shawn, however, was entirely convinced and sighed. "When will this madness end?"

"Very soon, I hope," Mr. Feeny stated.

"It's all so crazy. I feel like I'm just clinging to the wreckage." The boy opened his locker and made a mark on the door. "Well, day fifty-three of the wreckage."

🌎🌎🌎

Juliet slid into her usual corner seat next to her boyfriend's desk (which was currently empty) and leaned forward towards the couple. "Your plan is working. Shawn still thinks you're apart."

"I can't believe we were ever apart, my little love dumpling," the blonde cooed at the curly-haired boy.

"With plum sauce," he added happily.

The redhead made a face. "You sicken me."

"I know this is wrong," Topanga continued as she ignored the other girl, "but I'm actually starting to enjoy this deceitful little game."

"You are?" Cory asked. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, don't you find it sexy, Cory?"

"Cory and sexy in the same sentence, wow. I do believe your resolve is weakening my little kumquat," Cory said.

Juliet groaned and folded her arms on top of her desk. She buried her face in them. "Kill me now."

Mr. Feeny passed the couple on his way to the front of the classroom and he agreed with the redhead. "On the other hand, you sicken me, too, and I have serious misgivings about being a part of your little. . ." he trailed off as Shawn took his seat. "Bighorn, where General Custer and his wife. . . Mrs. Custer had a beach house. Oh, I'm way too involved."

🌎🌎🌎

Juliet slid her hand into her boyfriend's as they left class. They passed the newly-reunited couple who were still "arguing" as Topanga shouted at Cory: "I can't believe how many good years I've wasted on you, Cory Matthews!"

"But, Topanga, think of everything we've had, everything we've shared," he pleaded with her.

"Sure, we've had some kicks, a few laughs. Maybe you should've thought about that before you spent time with that skinny lipped ski bunny," Topanga retorted.

"Ah! She has a name."

"I can't take this anymore," Shawn complained as Juliet made an effort to hide her amusement.

Cory turned around at his friend's words. "Shawn! We need your help."

"But it's hopeless."

"No, it's not hopeless."

"Yes, it is," the dark-haired boy argued. "Cory, look how callous and uncaring she is about you."

The blonde faced away from them on the couch to hide her expression as they studied her. Cory's expression remained unconvinced. "Look at her again."

"Nah, she's like ice," he said and as Topanga pretended to cry. "What are these tears, Topanga? Are these tears of hope?"

"Maybe a little," she admitted quietly.

"But I just saw him pleading with you to take him back and you didn't," Shawn pointed out.

"That wasn't my heart talking, Shawn. Cory and I are meant to be together. I just fear that there's too much damage done for us to put us back together ourselves. You are our last hope."

Juliet gave the girl a 'really?' look, thinking that she was laying it on a little thick. Still, Shawn bought it. "Really? I am? But I'm sure all you have to do is say so and he'll come running."

"If only it were that easy. One of the things I love most about Cory is his fierce pride."

The redhead covered up her snort of amusement by coughing, earning a concerned look from her boyfriend before he turned back to Topanga. "That's crazy. I've known Cory all my life. He has no pride at all, watch this." He walked over to the curly-haired boy. "Hey, Cor, I think she'll take you back."

"She can rot in hell," he responded easily.

The dark-haired boy looked surprised. "Wow, you know him better than I do."

"Say you'll help us," Topanga all but begged.

"Perhaps you thought I'd used up all my emotional strength over the last fifty-three days but I have kept a little right here in the pumper, for I always knew this day would come and I am prepared for you, my beloved friends, to squeeze out the last drops of my emotional toothpaste. I will save you two. Oh yes I will," Shawn stated dramatically.

As he walked away, Juliet gave her friends an exasperated look. "It's when he says things like that that makes me want to break up with him."

🌎🌎🌎

After Shawn tried talking to Cory and Topanga together (which, of course, didn't work), he brought them over to the apartment where they sat together in the main living space with Eric and Jack. Juliet stood off to one side with her arms crossed as she opted to stand back and watch rather than participate in the madness.

"I've gathered you all here today to ask one question. By a show of hands, how many of us are sick of the Cory-Topanga issue?" Shawn asked.

"Eric, you're the only one not raising your hand," the redhead observed with her own hand in the air.

"That's right."

"Why's that, Eric?"

"Because I'm the extension," he explained.

"You mean exception?" Jack questioned him. "Was today's word 'exception?'"

"No, today's word was 'pertinent' but I didn't think that was having anything to do with the situation," he replied.

Juliet sighed as she smacked her forehead with her hand. "Oh god, not another one."

"Alright, by a show of hands, how many people are tired of Eric?" Jack asked.

Everyone raised their hands, including Eric. The older Matthews stood. "Cool, it's ubiquitous," he announced before he left.

Sighing, the redhead opened her mouth to correct him, but he was already gone. She slumped and accepted defeat. Topanga spoke up: "look, Shawn, it was really nice of you to stage this little intervention for us but I really think Cory and I can handle our relationship or non-relationship or whatever it was or is or might be."

"I don't think so, Topanga," Shawn told her. "You've had your chance. I'm taking your relationship our of your hands. I don't think you ever understood it."

"They love each other," Jack said.

"Then why did they break up?" his brother asked.

"I don't even know what she's upset about," Cory complained.

"You called me cold and unforgiving," Topanga reminded him. "You used to think I was pretty perfect!"

"You called me an insensitive jerk!" the curly-haired boy replied. "You used to think I was the most considerate guy in the world!"

"Maybe we've just known each other for too long. Maybe we don't really belong together anymore," the blonde suggested.

"Or maybe there's just some residual anger keeping you apart," Shawn said.

"Residual!" Eric exclaimed as he returned. "To leave over. Like if your mom makes a pot roast and you don't finish it, what you have left over is the residual pot roast. Residual."

"You don't know what it's like to live here, man. You don't," Jack told Cory.

"Then why do you stay here?" he asked.

"Because. . . he's my friend. Because I like him and no matter what crazy things he says or does, I still like him," Jack admitted with a sigh.

"Oh, come here," Eric said, his mouth full from the bite of sandwich he took. He held out his arms and Jack reluctantly stepped forward to accept the gesture.

🌎🌎🌎

Juliet sat next to Shawn in one of the booths at Chubbie's. The redhead leaned against him to rest her head on his shoulder as they watched Cory and Topanga sit at separate tables with their backs to each other.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Juliet asked. "Haven't we done everything?"

Shawn gave her a knowing look. "Almost everything."

"What?"

As she asked the question, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews walked down the stairs into the restaurant. The older woman approached her son. "Cor, we need you to be home when Morgan gets back from her art lesson."

"Why, you got a big emergency?"

"Your mother needs me to go shopping with her for bath towels," his father answered. "Suddenly she can't buy them without me."

"Alan, I am perfectly capable of picking out towels by myself," his wife responded. "I just want to make sure I don't pick out something too pink or too fluffy this time."

"Buy whatever you want. Just don't punish me over towels, okay?" Mr. Matthews said.

"Maybe the punishment is because you forgot my mother's birthday," Mrs. Matthews replied.

"I didn't forget, I made the choice," Mr. Matthews argued.

"That is the most insensitive thing I've ever heard!"

"Runs in the family," Topanga remarked.

"Fine. You know, let's just get this over with so I can get back for the game," he grumbled.

"The precious Phillies!" Mrs. Matthews exclaimed. "I'm sure this game will make a difference between what, fourth or fifth place?"

"What. . . what did you just say?"

"I said they stink!" she retorted. "You want to watch baseball, move to Baltimore!"

"What did you just say?" he repeated.

"Give me the keys, I'm driving," the older woman put out her hand. "It's five o'clock. You're a lunatic at rush hour."

"It's not the traffic that makes me crazy, dear." Mr. Matthews pitched his voice higher: "'oh, oh, look out! Turn right here, please! Oh, you're too close!' and if I'm such a bad driver, why did you marry me?"

"I wouldn't have if I had listened to my mother."

"You know, I'm glad that I forgot your mother's birthday and when June 14th rolls around, I might forget someone else's, too." He caught his wife's amused look. "You think it's funny if I forget your birthday, huh?"

"That's your birthday," she pointed out.

"What?"

"And I know just what I'm going to get you, you big lug."

"What? What are you going to get me? Come on, give me a hint!" Mr. Matthews pleaded.

The couple laughed together as they made to leave the restaurant, but Cory's question stopped them. "Wait a minute, what just happened here?"

"You two just said horrible things to each other and then got all lovey-dovey," Topanga added.

"Hey, I was going to say that!" the curly-haired boy snapped at her. "How come you said that when I was going to say that?"

"Who cares as long as it gets said?"

"Then what are we arguing about?"

They paused and turned to look at Cory's parents. The blonde pointed to the older pair. "We sound like them."

"Oh no, we do. Why do we sound like you?"

"Because you love each other," Shawn said as he joined the couple. "No matter what crazy things he says or does, you still love each other."

"Then why did we break up?" Cory asked.

"Because we're in high school and you think you're supposed to," the dark-haired boy explained.

He returned to the booth as Cory and Topanga exchanged a kiss. Juliet slid her arms around him as she looked up at her boyfriend. "That was pretty incredible."

His lips curled into a smile as he looked down at her. "Yeah? You think so?"

She leaned up to kiss him softly in answer as their friends joined them. The blonde announced: "Shawn, Cory and I are back together now. We wanted you to be the first to know."

Shawn turned to his girlfriend. "Hey, Cory and Topanga are back together."

Juliet gasped with fake astonishment as she gave him a wide-eyed look. "They are?"

"Yeah," Cory said. "Listen, Shawn, I'm sorry we ever put any pressure on you to get us back together. I mean, even though you're my best friend, no one could ever do that."

"I guess friendship only goes so far," he agreed.

[written may 2021]
[edited jun. 2022]