Cory sighed. He hated fighting with Topanga so much. But ever since they
moved to from Philadelphia to New York City, things had gone downhill for
them. She complained that he spent too much time with Shawn, but without
Cory, Shawn was alone. You see, Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter were from
very opposite sides of society. Cory was always blessed with everything he
needed, and he always tried to share it with Shawn, who wasn't so
fortunate. Shawn grew up in a trailor park, and always called Cory the
blessed one, because Shawn scraped to keep the clothes on his back.
Topanga had just left the house in a fury, raving about Cory never paying the bills, and the house always being dirty when she got home from her intern ship. She was really touchy about things like that, so Cory basically overlooked all the arguments and everything. He shrugged them off as frustrations with work, and just went on doing his own thing. But this particular argument was really heated, and Cory almost hit Topanga. He had never hit her before, and he didn't know what had come over him. He sat on the couch, staring at a blank TV screen, thinking of the past few hours worth of events.
***
"Ugh, CORY!" Topanga screeched. "Why don't you EVER do ANYTHING around here?" she asked, running her finger along the counter, picking up grime and grease.
Cory rolled his eyes. "Honey, I was out all day, trying to get a job..."
"And you couldn't come home a LITTLE bit earlier just to clean up a little? It'd make me VERY happy..." Topanga got that irritated tone in her voice, as if to say 'if you don't, you won't be able to anymore.'
"So, let me get this straight?" Cory sat up. "You nag that I don't have a job, and then when I finally take the initiative, you nag that I'm not at home?" he asked. "Where is the sense in this?"
"I think that's the most intelligent sounding thing you've said in twenty years, dear!" Topanga pushed another button.
Cory huffed. "Thank you, darling..." he held it in, and smiled cordially.
"Don't give me that 'thank you dear, even though I'm pissed as hell at you' attitude," Topanga tilted her head.
"You want to fight, is that it?" Cory stood up.
"No, you just make it too easy..." Topanga sat on the couch where Cory was. "Watching 'The Cory Show' I see?" she asked, staring at the blank screen.
"No, not really, I was reading the Classified Ads." Cory announced proudly.
"Well there..." Topanga knocked him off his high horse. "At least he's trying..."
Cory sucked it back again. He had never been so frustrated with Topanga in his life. Sure, there were times when he'd been angry enough to have a shouting match, but right now, he wanted to hit her. He wanted to so badly, but he couldn't. "Honey, aren't you glad that I'm actually taking action?"
"No, not really, you should have taken action months ago, rather than helping Shawn, who is fine on his own, mind you..." Topanga insensitively remarked.
"Shawn needed my help a lot..." Cory narrowed his eyes, and defended his best friend. "He's lost Angela, his dad, I'm all he has left!" he yelled.
"Have you ever defended me like this?" Topanga asked.
"Yes, why?" Cory returned her question.
"Whatever, Cory. I've had enough of being placed AFTER Shawn..." she stood up and got into his face. "He's not married to you, I am!"
Cory raised his arm. He wanted to hit her so badly. He felt as though he'd feel better if he did. Everything inside him was telling him to, but he couldn't. He loved Topanga. He could never hurt her in any way. But he was so angry.
"Never mind, I'll be back later," Topanga narrowed her eyes at Cory, and stormed out the door.
***
Cory stared at the TV still. Topanga was right. He'd always placed her after Shawn. He'd always thought of Shawn, and worried about what Shawn would think. He had to talk to someone, but not Shawn. He'd only make it harder on him by telling him to do what Topanga said to do. Who was he supposed to call? Normally, he'd run to Shawn. The only other person he could talk to was Eric. His idiotic, moronic (and all other synonyms to the word stupid) brother, Eric.
He called Eric's number, but after three rings, there was no answer. Cory knew that when Eric was home, he was usually sitting on top of the phone, and answered it in one ring, so he assumed no one was home, and just waited for the machine to pick up. "Eric, its Cor. Trouble in paradise again...Topanga's mad. She walked out like she wanted to kill someone...and this time, I almost hit her. I don't think I could have lived with myself if I had. Can you call me back as soon as possible?" Cory sighed, and hung up the phone. "I may as well go out for a walk...maybe it'll clear my head. He grabbed his jacket, and walked to the door. No sooner had he opened the door, than he was struck with the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. She was five-feet-six, with long black hair and brown eyes. No. He couldn't look at anyone else but Topanga like that. Especially now that there were already problems. He sighed, and glanced quickly at her nametag. "Bailey Sullivan..." he read. Why was he still staring at her? Did he not realize he had a wife? He couldn't just break up with Topanga anymore, like they constantly had in high school and junior high. Why was he even thinking of breaking up with her? He loved Topanga. He had since they were little. Somehow, though, this Bailey girl charmed him. He sighed, and walked past her. "I'll just pretend I didn't see her..." he thought to himself. "That almost worked with Lauren..." Cory referred to a girl he'd met in the mountains, that he had a long, interesting, late night conversation with, then kissed at the end of the night. He was almost past Bailey, when she spoke to him.
"Excuse me..." she asked. "Aren't you Cory Matthews?"
"Yeah..." Cory turned around. "How did you know?"
"I heard that you and your wife, Topanga, have the perfect marriage?" she asked. "I think that's amazing. Just thought I'd tell you...I tried to tell Topanga a while ago, but she seemed to be in a hurry."
"Thanks..." Cory lied. "What are you doing here anyway? Is this your apartment?"
"Yeah, but I lost the key again. I need to call my friend, Hannah, since she always keeps my spare for me." Bailey laughed. "But, I left my cell phone in my purse inside."
Cory laughed. "Wanna come use my phone? You can wait at my house for her to get here, too."
"Really?" Bailey asked. "That's so sweet of you, thanks Cory. Lauren was right. You are one of the sweetest boys this world has to offer."
"You know Lauren?" Cory asked.
"Yeah, I just moved from Montana..." Bailey grinned. "Lauren was my best friend. You were all she could talk about for a week."
Cory smiled. No wonder Bailey had intrigued him. Lauren was the second most amazing woman he'd ever met (second to Topanga of course), and Bailey was sure to be the third. "Same vice-versa...she almost wrecked my relationship with Topanga, though."
"She wanted to..." Bailey sighed. "She wanted to take you from Topanga."
Cory sighed. Every girl he'd ever liked had to have some huge fault. Topanga's, for instance, was her temper. Taking him from Topanga was obviously Lauren's flaw. "Figures," he opened his door.
***
Cory was wiping the counter, while Bailey sat and waited for Hannah. Bailey had offered three times to help, but Cory refused, figuring Topanga would already be mad enough that there was a girl in the house. He started to wash dishes, and was joined by Bailey.
"There are a lot of dishes there. I figure it's the least I can do to repay you..." she smiled.
"Thanks..." he smiled back. "Where does Hannah live, anyway?"
"Apartment 2-C at the 'O Riley building." Bailey explained, wiping a dish with a wet rag.
"My brother Eric lives in 2-D..." Cory grinned.
"Oh...Hannah is always complaining about her noisy neighbor." Bailey laughed.
"That'd be Eric. If he's ever quiet, something's dreadfully wrong..." Cory shook his head.
"Yeah, that's what Han said. So, anyway, what's it like to be in the, like, model marriage?" she asked.
"Well..." Cory sighed. "Sometimes things are a bit rough. But, we get through it, as would every other married couple."
"That's so sweet..." Bailey was in awe. "I hope things are like that when I get married..."
Why was Cory feeling like this toward someone else? He could only have this feeling toward Topanga now, but somehow, he liked her. He felt like he could tell Bailey everything. "Actually..." he took a deep breath. "Topanga and I have been fighting a lot. She tells me I think too much of my best friend, Shawn, and not enough of her. Which is true, but Shawn needs me. He's lost everything. His girlfriend, his dad, his mom...he feels like he's lost me too."
"Wow..." Bailey listened closely. "I'm sorry, Cory. You need to tell her that. Have you?"
"Yes, constantly. But she always says the same thing. 'Shawn's not married to you, I am.'" Cory mimicked.
"I hate to break this to you, Cory. But you're gonna have to choose. Who's more important to you?" she asked. "Topanga or Shawn?"
"Well, I love Topanga with everything inside of me, I really truly do. But Shawn and I have been friends all through Topanga's and my ups and downs." Cory ran his hand over his curly hair.
"Well, just think about it." Bailey smiled. "I see Hannah out there, though. I'm gonna get outta here. Thanks a lot Cory, I appreciate it."
"No problem, drop by anytime!" Cory smiled. He had a new friend in Bailey. He still wanted to hear back from Eric, though. Just for a second opinion.
Topanga had just left the house in a fury, raving about Cory never paying the bills, and the house always being dirty when she got home from her intern ship. She was really touchy about things like that, so Cory basically overlooked all the arguments and everything. He shrugged them off as frustrations with work, and just went on doing his own thing. But this particular argument was really heated, and Cory almost hit Topanga. He had never hit her before, and he didn't know what had come over him. He sat on the couch, staring at a blank TV screen, thinking of the past few hours worth of events.
***
"Ugh, CORY!" Topanga screeched. "Why don't you EVER do ANYTHING around here?" she asked, running her finger along the counter, picking up grime and grease.
Cory rolled his eyes. "Honey, I was out all day, trying to get a job..."
"And you couldn't come home a LITTLE bit earlier just to clean up a little? It'd make me VERY happy..." Topanga got that irritated tone in her voice, as if to say 'if you don't, you won't be able to anymore.'
"So, let me get this straight?" Cory sat up. "You nag that I don't have a job, and then when I finally take the initiative, you nag that I'm not at home?" he asked. "Where is the sense in this?"
"I think that's the most intelligent sounding thing you've said in twenty years, dear!" Topanga pushed another button.
Cory huffed. "Thank you, darling..." he held it in, and smiled cordially.
"Don't give me that 'thank you dear, even though I'm pissed as hell at you' attitude," Topanga tilted her head.
"You want to fight, is that it?" Cory stood up.
"No, you just make it too easy..." Topanga sat on the couch where Cory was. "Watching 'The Cory Show' I see?" she asked, staring at the blank screen.
"No, not really, I was reading the Classified Ads." Cory announced proudly.
"Well there..." Topanga knocked him off his high horse. "At least he's trying..."
Cory sucked it back again. He had never been so frustrated with Topanga in his life. Sure, there were times when he'd been angry enough to have a shouting match, but right now, he wanted to hit her. He wanted to so badly, but he couldn't. "Honey, aren't you glad that I'm actually taking action?"
"No, not really, you should have taken action months ago, rather than helping Shawn, who is fine on his own, mind you..." Topanga insensitively remarked.
"Shawn needed my help a lot..." Cory narrowed his eyes, and defended his best friend. "He's lost Angela, his dad, I'm all he has left!" he yelled.
"Have you ever defended me like this?" Topanga asked.
"Yes, why?" Cory returned her question.
"Whatever, Cory. I've had enough of being placed AFTER Shawn..." she stood up and got into his face. "He's not married to you, I am!"
Cory raised his arm. He wanted to hit her so badly. He felt as though he'd feel better if he did. Everything inside him was telling him to, but he couldn't. He loved Topanga. He could never hurt her in any way. But he was so angry.
"Never mind, I'll be back later," Topanga narrowed her eyes at Cory, and stormed out the door.
***
Cory stared at the TV still. Topanga was right. He'd always placed her after Shawn. He'd always thought of Shawn, and worried about what Shawn would think. He had to talk to someone, but not Shawn. He'd only make it harder on him by telling him to do what Topanga said to do. Who was he supposed to call? Normally, he'd run to Shawn. The only other person he could talk to was Eric. His idiotic, moronic (and all other synonyms to the word stupid) brother, Eric.
He called Eric's number, but after three rings, there was no answer. Cory knew that when Eric was home, he was usually sitting on top of the phone, and answered it in one ring, so he assumed no one was home, and just waited for the machine to pick up. "Eric, its Cor. Trouble in paradise again...Topanga's mad. She walked out like she wanted to kill someone...and this time, I almost hit her. I don't think I could have lived with myself if I had. Can you call me back as soon as possible?" Cory sighed, and hung up the phone. "I may as well go out for a walk...maybe it'll clear my head. He grabbed his jacket, and walked to the door. No sooner had he opened the door, than he was struck with the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. She was five-feet-six, with long black hair and brown eyes. No. He couldn't look at anyone else but Topanga like that. Especially now that there were already problems. He sighed, and glanced quickly at her nametag. "Bailey Sullivan..." he read. Why was he still staring at her? Did he not realize he had a wife? He couldn't just break up with Topanga anymore, like they constantly had in high school and junior high. Why was he even thinking of breaking up with her? He loved Topanga. He had since they were little. Somehow, though, this Bailey girl charmed him. He sighed, and walked past her. "I'll just pretend I didn't see her..." he thought to himself. "That almost worked with Lauren..." Cory referred to a girl he'd met in the mountains, that he had a long, interesting, late night conversation with, then kissed at the end of the night. He was almost past Bailey, when she spoke to him.
"Excuse me..." she asked. "Aren't you Cory Matthews?"
"Yeah..." Cory turned around. "How did you know?"
"I heard that you and your wife, Topanga, have the perfect marriage?" she asked. "I think that's amazing. Just thought I'd tell you...I tried to tell Topanga a while ago, but she seemed to be in a hurry."
"Thanks..." Cory lied. "What are you doing here anyway? Is this your apartment?"
"Yeah, but I lost the key again. I need to call my friend, Hannah, since she always keeps my spare for me." Bailey laughed. "But, I left my cell phone in my purse inside."
Cory laughed. "Wanna come use my phone? You can wait at my house for her to get here, too."
"Really?" Bailey asked. "That's so sweet of you, thanks Cory. Lauren was right. You are one of the sweetest boys this world has to offer."
"You know Lauren?" Cory asked.
"Yeah, I just moved from Montana..." Bailey grinned. "Lauren was my best friend. You were all she could talk about for a week."
Cory smiled. No wonder Bailey had intrigued him. Lauren was the second most amazing woman he'd ever met (second to Topanga of course), and Bailey was sure to be the third. "Same vice-versa...she almost wrecked my relationship with Topanga, though."
"She wanted to..." Bailey sighed. "She wanted to take you from Topanga."
Cory sighed. Every girl he'd ever liked had to have some huge fault. Topanga's, for instance, was her temper. Taking him from Topanga was obviously Lauren's flaw. "Figures," he opened his door.
***
Cory was wiping the counter, while Bailey sat and waited for Hannah. Bailey had offered three times to help, but Cory refused, figuring Topanga would already be mad enough that there was a girl in the house. He started to wash dishes, and was joined by Bailey.
"There are a lot of dishes there. I figure it's the least I can do to repay you..." she smiled.
"Thanks..." he smiled back. "Where does Hannah live, anyway?"
"Apartment 2-C at the 'O Riley building." Bailey explained, wiping a dish with a wet rag.
"My brother Eric lives in 2-D..." Cory grinned.
"Oh...Hannah is always complaining about her noisy neighbor." Bailey laughed.
"That'd be Eric. If he's ever quiet, something's dreadfully wrong..." Cory shook his head.
"Yeah, that's what Han said. So, anyway, what's it like to be in the, like, model marriage?" she asked.
"Well..." Cory sighed. "Sometimes things are a bit rough. But, we get through it, as would every other married couple."
"That's so sweet..." Bailey was in awe. "I hope things are like that when I get married..."
Why was Cory feeling like this toward someone else? He could only have this feeling toward Topanga now, but somehow, he liked her. He felt like he could tell Bailey everything. "Actually..." he took a deep breath. "Topanga and I have been fighting a lot. She tells me I think too much of my best friend, Shawn, and not enough of her. Which is true, but Shawn needs me. He's lost everything. His girlfriend, his dad, his mom...he feels like he's lost me too."
"Wow..." Bailey listened closely. "I'm sorry, Cory. You need to tell her that. Have you?"
"Yes, constantly. But she always says the same thing. 'Shawn's not married to you, I am.'" Cory mimicked.
"I hate to break this to you, Cory. But you're gonna have to choose. Who's more important to you?" she asked. "Topanga or Shawn?"
"Well, I love Topanga with everything inside of me, I really truly do. But Shawn and I have been friends all through Topanga's and my ups and downs." Cory ran his hand over his curly hair.
"Well, just think about it." Bailey smiled. "I see Hannah out there, though. I'm gonna get outta here. Thanks a lot Cory, I appreciate it."
"No problem, drop by anytime!" Cory smiled. He had a new friend in Bailey. He still wanted to hear back from Eric, though. Just for a second opinion.