▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

❛ ᴏᴄᴇᴀɴ ᴇʏᴇꜱ​​​​​​​​​​. ❜ ° . ༄
- ͙۪۪˚   ▎❛ 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄 ❜   ▎˚ ͙۪۪̥◌
»»————- ꒰ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴀ ɪɴ ᴘɪʟᴀ ꒱


❝ IF, IN THE END WE END UP
TOGETHER, IT'S BEAUTIFUL ❞

▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅

Juliet, Cory and Shawn were talking in the hallway when Topanga joined the group. "Okay, guys, yearbook time. As you look back on your first year at John Adams, what would you consider your greatest accomplishment and why?"

The redhead frowned thoughtfully as Cory said, "let's see. . . I mean, there's just so many."

"It's hard to pick just one," Shawn agreed.

"There's the time we—"

"No, no that wasn't us."

"What about the time we—" Cory tried again.

"Also not us."

"I got one," Juliet offered. "I made a new friend. Or does it have to be a trophy-worthy accomplishment?"

"I think that's a good one," Topanga said with a smile as she jotted down the achievement next to Juliet's name. "Meeting new people and getting out of your comfort zone is always something to be rewarded." She turned to the two boys. "Great job. You guys are the two most pathetic students in this school." After saying goodbye to Juliet, Topanga walked away.

"That's an accomplishment," Shawn commented once she was gone.

"She's right, Shawn," Cory answered. "I mean, the year's almost over and I haven't made a name for myself. And you know whose fault it is?"

"Your own?" Shawn suggested at the same time Juliet offered: "yours?"

"No, why should I take the fall? I blame. . ." He paused as he looked over to the group of jacket-wearing boys who were picking on a kid. "The jocks!"

"Why?"

"Because they wear those stupid jackets and therefore get all the girls. What chance do I have?"

One of the jocks made his way over to their group and picked up Shawn. "Hey, put him down!" Juliet exclaimed, ready to stomp on the boy's foot if he turned out to be like Joey or Frankie. He placed the boy back on the floor. 

"Too heavy," he turned to the redhead. "She's a girl." Then he turned to Cory.

"Please don't, please don't," he pleaded. "I had a fat, heavy breakfast."

"Hey! Girls can be jocks, too!" Juliet said, crossing her arms and huffing angrily.

Both of them went ignored as the older boy picked Cory up. "We've got an opening of the 108-pound super-confetti-weight division on the wrestling team. Savage?" He shook the curly-haired boy slightly. "Perfect."

Once Cory was back on his feet, the same guy said, "congratulations, kid. You're on the wrestling team."

"Yeah, like there's a chance in the universe I'd ever want to be on your stupid wrestling team," Cory scoffed.

"Here's your jacket."

"Ooh. Look, guys, my jacket!"

"Here's your uniform."

"My uniform," he repeated happily. "This is like Christmas."

"Here's your candy."

"Candy?"

A girl stepped up to him. "Hi, I'm Candy."

"Sweet."

🌎🌎🌎

Shawn and Juliet sat next to each other in the cafeteria to watch Cory 'impress' his new 'friends.'

"This is like a National Geographic documentary," Juliet observed as she watched the boy try to adapt to the team.

"Or Jurassic Park," Shawn agreed. "Except the dinosaurs are gonna devour him." He paused to watch Cory try to crush a can to his head and fail. "Ouch, that's gotta hurt."

The boy got up and shakily made his way over to the pair, nearly falling against the table as Juliet stretched out a hand to help him. She tried not to pay attention to how the action caused her to reach across Shawn's chest as she said, "hey, Cor, take it easy."

"You okay?" Shawn asked.

"Yes, Pat. But I'd like to solve the puzzle."

The redhead gave the boy a half-sympathetic, half-exasperated look. "Cor, why are you doing this to yourself?"

"So I'll finally have cool stuff to put in the yearbook and this jacket is a babe magnet."

The girl known as Candy came over to join them. "Matthews, look. Two cans." With a yell, she smashed them both (successfully) against her head.

Juliet wrinkled her nose. "This is clearly a loving, supportive relationship."

Shawn gave an amused snort before he gently grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her up from her seat. "Let's get out of here before she reloads."

🌎🌎🌎

After school, Juliet went with Shawn to Chubbie's to continue surveying Cory. Topanga was there, too, asking him questions for the yearbook but she left quickly and joined the pair.

"Hey, Topanga, you want to ask me some more questions for the yearbook?" Shawn asked.

"Uh, yeah," Topanga said, though her eyes never moved from the curly-haired boy. "Where do you think Cory's gonna end up in ten years?"

"You mean me, don't you?" Shawn corrected her as Juliet smirked slightly.

"That's what I said."

"No," the redhead disagreed. "You said Cory."

"I did not."

"You like him," Shawn teased her. Topanga grabbed the front of the boy's shirt. 

"I do not. You say that again, I will kill you!" she leaned closer to him and lowered her voice: "need I remind you of someone else who's in a similar position?"

The boy's smile faltered as Juliet's grew. "You like him a lot," she observed happily. "You should tell him."

Topanga gave her a 'really?' look. "I will not, and this is coming from a total hypocrite."

The redhead's eyes narrowed in warning. "Fine, don't tell him."

🌎🌎🌎

"Oh, that's pretty amazing," Shawn commented as he and Juliet walked into the gym after school.

"Have you tried lifting yet?" the redhead asked.

Cory stopped jumping the two rope halves. "I tried, but man, are they heavy."

"You sure you know what you're doing, taking Joey on?" Shawn asked.

"Absolutely. 'Cause he's not taking me seriously. You know, I bet he's not even training."

"And when have you ever been right about anything?" Juliet asked sassily as she crossed her arms against her chest.

"Hey!" the curly-haired boy exclaimed. "I'll have you know that I'm right—"

Joey and Frankie entered the gym, interrupting him. "Hey, Matthews! Come to watch the enemy train?"

"You were saying?" the redhead smirked.

Cory's eyes narrowed. "No one likes I know-it-all, Jules."

As the three took a seat on the bleachers, Shawn muttered "I do" under his breath.

"We don't want you here in our camp. Maybe this is a closed-door session. Maybe I'll just whip your sorry elfin duck-face now," Joey said aggressively.

"Well, I'd rather be a duck-face than a rat-face, if you know what I mean," Juliet shot back. She held out her hands for high-fives which only Shawn took advantage of. Frankie pulled the smaller guy back. 

"Joey, Joey. You opponent is playing mind games with you. Ignore him and focus on the task at hand: our training. Lesson one: balance." The pair stood on one leg each and mirrored the other. "Now, this is a wrestling technique I picked up while I was touring Japan last summer. It's called 'push the wrestler out of the ring.'"

Frankie stomped both of his feet firmly on the ground and Joey tried to run at him, only to have the smaller of the two fall flat on the floor.

"Guys," Cory said, "there's a little voice inside of my head saying 'do not fear Joey.'"

Juliet sighed. "And now that you've said that you're going to be wrong."

She was proven right by Joey's third attempt, where he used both of his feet to hit his friend in the shoulder and send him toppling to the ground. Cory gripped Shawn's arm. "And another voice saying 'ow, ow, ow, ow!'"

"Good luck, Cor. You're gonna need it," the girl said.

🌎🌎🌎

Juliet stood with Cory and Shawn at the edge of the mat. "Okay, look. Joey trained with Frankie, the immovable object," Shawn told the boy. "My advice to you is move."

"As much as possible," Juliet added. "Be the wind."

What seemed to be the lead jock came up to Cory and Joey. "To the winner goes the jacket and the spot on the team. Now, let's go! Shake hands."

The bell rang from Shawn's accidental pull and the match began. Joey tried rushing at Cory but the boy moved just in time, causing his opponent to complain, "aw, he moved, Frankie. Is that in the rules?"

Cory successfully pinned Joey and the Coach signaled that he had won. "Oh yeah! I won! I won!"

"Lost to Matthews? I don't think so," Joey scoffed.

"I got the jacket though, right?"

"He beat you by the rules, fair and square," the jock said.

"Okay, then I challenge Matthews to another fight. Unfair and unsquare, after hours. Mano a rat-o."

"I don't need to fight you, Joey," Cory sighed. "I already proved myself."

"Now I think you're proving yourself to be yellow. I bet you bleed lemonade."

Juliet rolled her eyes. "Let's go, champion," she told the curly-haired boy.

As they left the gym, Joey called after him: "oh, you can run but you can't hide, Matthews. You remember this face 'cause it's gonna haunt ya. Yellow, yellow, yellow!"

🌎🌎🌎

Joey continued to pester Cory the following days and finally wore the boy down so that he agreed to another fight. Griff, the "new" Harley Keiner, promised to set everything up for the match and now Juliet and Shawn were sitting with Cory in the locker rooms.

"It's just Griff and a couple of thugs," Cory said as they stood to leave. "Who cares what they think? I mean, it's not like it's in front of the entire school."

"Cor, I think you should stop jinxing yourself," Juliet warned him as they pushed the doors open. The gym had been transformed into a proper wrestling ring with what was pretty much the whole school looking on.

"You see? Wrong about everything," the boy complained.

"Come on Cory, let's bail," Shawn said.

"Matthews, where do you think you're going?" Griff asked as he grabbed the boy's arm. Cory laughed nervously. 

"He thinks I'm this Cory Matthews guy, too. I don't get it. That's, like, the eighth person today who's said that. Wow! I'll see you later, okay?"

"No, I don't think so," Griff pulled him towards the ring. "I put a lot of work into this. Phone calls were made, favors were called in."

"Well gee, I feel special," the redhead muttered, rolling her eyes. "No one asked you to do anything, Hawkins."

The older boy looked down at her with a charming smile. "But it makes me so happy to provide the best. Look, I even invited your friend."

"My friend?"

"Hey, Ocean Eyes," Jack's familiar voice greeted her, causing her to whirl around.

"Jack? What are you doin' here?"

The blond boy grinned. "I snuck out. Got invited to see an idiot get pounded so I figured it was worth it."

The girl's expression soured. "Watch it. That's my idiot you're talking about."

Jack glanced over to where Cory was pacing nervously. His expression became apologetic. "Sorry, Ocean Eyes. I didn't realize—"

"It's fine," she cut across him. "You know Shawn's here too, right?"

"He's right here," Shawn's voice sounded from behind her.

Juliet turned to introduce the two, surprised by the stony look on her best friend's face. In an attempt to remedy the already rocky situation, she resorted to adding a dose of her own awkwardness: "so. . . this is nice, right? Just the three of us, hangin' out. We're all having a great time, aren't we?" The forced brightness in her tone was nearly palpable. 

"No," the dark-haired boy answered flatly. 

"Uh, yeah, we are," Jack attempted to match the lift in her voice, though it came out sounding uncharacteristically nervous.

Shawn continued to stare frostily at him and made no effort to lighten the mood. Jack shifted uncomfortably and ran a hand through his hair. "Uh, I guess I'll go find my seat now. Tell Matthews I wish him luck, okay?"

"S—"

"He doesn't need your luck," Shawn cut across him coldly. "He's got this in the bag. It's only a formality."

The blond ran his hand through his hair again. "Uh, right. Anyway, I'll see you around, Ocean Eyes."

Juliet smiled happily at him and nodded, missing the death glare Shawn shot the boy as he walked away. She turned to him with a frown and opened her mouth to ask him what the hell his problem was, but was stopped as the lights dimmed. An announcer's voice sounded over the speakers: "ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Robert Goulet."

"Thank you," an Italian man acknowledged the introduction as he stepped into the ring. He sang the National Anthem to start the match officially. 

Cory tried to run away again but Griff kept him in his place. "Okay, are you ready to rumble?" The room cheered. "Joey 'the Rat' Epstein versus Cory 'the Cory' Matthews." Everyone clapped for the two opponents and Griff continued: "and before we get started I'd like to introduce some of the VIPs with us tonight. From TV's Baywatch, Yasmine Bleeth."

The woman, dressed to the nines as if this were some five-star event, walked in and smiled prettily at the crowd. She and Griff exchanged words before he kissed her soundly in front of the whole school, causing Juliet to scoff.

Once she went to her seat, Goulet announced one more: "and now one of John Adams' all-time legendary thugs. You know him as Frankie Stecchino's father, the rest of the world knows him as the eleven-time, heavy weight wrestling champion of the world, Vader."

The largest man Juliet had ever seen in her life followed Jasmine's path to the ring, but this time he stepped inside of it. "Thank you, Bob. Thank you very much," he growled. "Matthews, let me tell you something. If Joey won't get the job done, Vader will, because I am fear. Stick around and find out who the real man is."

Juliet huffed. "First we had too much estrogen, now we have too much testosterone. This is why I hate sports."

Cory was frightened by the man, though, and he backed up nervously against the ropes. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't get your name." The large man started barking ferociously. "Oh my god!" Cory cried.

"Alright," Goulet said. "Get to your corners and come out fighting when you hear the sound of the ding-dong."

Griff exchanged places with the Italian. "Give my best to Vera, huh?" he asked as he took the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Robert Goulet!"

Once he was gone, Cory looked around anxiously. "Oh man, I gotta get out of here before this thing starts."

"Cory, what's this thing for?" Shawn asked as he pulled the string of the bell.

Juliet slapped a hand to her face and sighed. "Well Cor, it was nice knowing you."

Joey immediately went for Cory but the curly-haired boy dodged him. Joey ran at him again only for his legs to be taken out from under him and the smaller boy lifted him up into the air before dropping him. He made a show of jumping on Joey before "the Rat" cried out frantically, "Frankie, tag me, tag me!"

Frankie slapped Joey's hand and got in the ring as Cory laughed nervously again. "Hey, this really isn't fair."

"Good," Frankie replied.

Juliet's original confidence in her friend faded and became worried for him instead. She grabbed the closest thing she could hold on to, anxious for the curly-haired boy. Shawn startled slightly when he felt someone grip his hand and looked down to see the redhead's hand clasped in his. They met each other's gaze with wide eyes before the redhead quickly let go. They shuffled away from each other nervously. 

Eric pulled the ropes apart and half-ducked between them in an effort to save his brother. "Cory, Cory! Come on, get out. Get out, come on."

"Okay, but you're in," Frankie said.

"What?"

Eric tried running at Frankie and almost knocked him over. Frankie waited for Eric to attack, which he did by headbutting him. Vader spoke over the audience's noise: "son! You're taking too long. Give Daddy a tag!" Frankie slapped his hand. "Ha! This chump's mine!"

Juliet squeezed her hands together, now understanding why Cory had been so afraid before as Vader lifted Eric into the air, causing the boy to squeal in fear. The curly-haired boy reentered the ring. "Hey, pal! You can't do that to my brother!" He tried running at Frankie's dad only to fall on the floor.

"Make me, you little rug rat!"

"Put that Matthews boy down!" Mr. Feeny's familiar voice called out.

"Come over here and say that," Frankie's dad taunted him.

Their teacher jumped over the ropes and Mr. Turner bent down to where Cory was rolling on the mat. "Yo, Matthews, sidebar."

"Are you kidding me?" he groaned.

"I thought you said you'd never have to fight," Mr. Turner told him.

"Mr. Turner, you should know by now that I'm wrong about absolutely everything," Cory answered.

"Set him down. Now," Mr. Feeny said sternly to the big wrestler.

"Feeny, you can't tell me what to do anymore. I'm not one of your punk students. I'm the face of death!" Vader yelled.

"It was scarier when you had acne," the older man told him flatly. "Your little bully tactics didn't work back then and they're not gonna work now. Now, put him down."

"Make me!"

"I'd be glad to," Mr. Feeny lowered his voice so no one except the wrestler could hear what he was saying.

"You wouldn't."

"I would."

Vader dropped Eric. "Alright, alright. You won this round, but next time— and there will be a next time— Texas Death Match, loser leaves town."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Mr. Feeny said. He addressed Mr. Turner: "this is why I avoid reunions."

As the event broke up, Juliet stood on her tiptoes to see if she could spot Jack in the crowd but the blond boy seemed to have vanished, probably to return home as quickly as he could before his father found out he was breaking curfew.

"Who're you lookin' for?" Shawn asked, noticing her behavior.

"No one," she answered immediately as she lowered herself back on her feet. His eyes narrowed. 

"You were looking for Jack, weren't you?" he asked, sneering the boy's name.

"What is your problem?" Juliet demanded. "You had one when he was my date to the Christmas dance and the Turnaround dance and you've never even spoken to him."

Shawn scowled briefly before his expression smoothed out. "Nothin'. I don't have a problem with him."

The redhead crossed her arms. "Yeah, right," she scoffed. "I know you better than you know yourself, Shawnie. I know when something's bothering you and right now, that's Jack. So, what's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem," the dark-haired boy insisted. 

"Right," Juliet said crossly. "Well, when you feel like telling the truth you know where to find me."

🌎🌎🌎

"You think if I stayed in the ring I would've had a shot?" Cory asked the next day.

"Yeah, and you also had a shot at dating Yasmine Bleeth," Shawn sassed.

"Really? Did she say something?" the curly-haired boy questioned him hopefully.

Juliet sighed. "You really break my heart sometimes, Cor."

"Heard you wanted to see me, Matthews?" the jock asked as he walked up to the trio.

"Yeah, I don't think I need this anymore," Cory held out his folded jacket. "Thanks for the shot."

"You're okay, Matthews," the jock told him.

"He always was," Shawn said defensively.

"He may be a little slow on the uptake but he is one of the best," Juliet agreed.

"Candy, where are you going?" Cory asked the girl.

"I go with the jacket. Didn't you know that?"

"I probably should have," he sighed.

Topanga was their next visitor after the jocks left. "Hey guys. I gotta hand in the yearbook write-ups for tomorrow and I still have a couple more questions for Cory."

"You like him," Shawn coughed.

Topanga's eyes narrowed and she copied his cough-speech: "you like her." She turned to Cory. "I need a quote to go with your picture unless you still wanna go with 'rrrh.'"

"Well, what'd you put for it?"

"'I do my thing and you do your thing. You are you and I am I. And if in the end we end up together, it's beautiful,'" she read.

"Put the same for me," Cory decided.

[written dec. 2020]
[edited may 2022]