Title: The Strength Of Friendship
Author: Soulfire Stories
Summary: Shawn starts pulling away from all his friends, going back into his old rebel ways but will Cory let him?
***The Strength Of Friendship***
*** By Soulfire Stories*********
"Strong is fighting… it's hard and it's everyday and we can do it together; but if you are too much of a coward to fight then burn but don't expect me to mourn for you" -Buffy
Dear Diary-
Today I did the hardest thing that I will ever have to do in my life, I pushed away the best thing in my life, I cut Cory Matthews out of my life. Yeah I can't believe it either, I thought that Cory and me would be best friends forever. I thought we would live down the block from each other and every Sunday we would have a barbeque and we would reminisce over the good ol' days, but I was wrong, boy was I ever wrong. I have always been a third wheel in Cory and Topanga's relationship and it really didn't bother me, or at least I didn't notice but lately their declarations of love for one another was making me sick but it wasn't just them… I was getting angry every time Jack would mention his rich daddy cutting him off, or I would get majorly pissed whenever Rachel mentioned the letters Angela would send her telling her about how much fun she was having in Europe with her father, every little thing was making me upset and I realized it wasn't them, it was me. For the past week I have been acting snotty to them, making rude comments during one of their conversations or just getting up and leaving while Cory or Jack were talking. I think I was the meanest to Cory and Jack, maybe because they are the two biggest and most important things in my life, nice way to show it huh? Angela called the other day and I hung up on her, when she called back I told her to leave me alone and that I never wanted to speak to her again, yesterday I told Jack to shove his horrible rich life where the sun don't shine and tell someone who cares about his problems and when he left I actually threw a fit saying he was walking out on me like everyone else did in my life and when he came back I refused to talk to him; I have avoided all of Cory's calls, I'm probably too drunk to call him back anyways, Jack doesn't know I'm drinking again, he's been at the Matthews's saying he couldn't live with me while I was acting the way I was acting. Excuse me for showing a little human emotion something that little poor Richie rich never could do… see there I go again, I act heartless and evil for no known reason at all, I have no idea why I do the things I do or say the things I say, it's like I have no control over what I say; it's probably the alcohol, the alcohol is probably making me into this mean and heartless person but the alcohol makes all the pain go away meanwhile my friends and my brother don't, so screw them and pass me a beer please. My vision has suddenly become blurry, I think I am going to black out again, maybe I'll just pass out on the couch and I won't make a menace of myself, sometimes I wish Jonathon was here to save me from the mess I have become. Mr. Turner was always so nice to me, always there to lend a helping hand, but I cut him out of my life like I do everyone else, like I did to Cory today, like I am doing to my brother, like I am doing to my heart. Well talk to you later diary.
-Shawn Hunter
"I'm worried Topanga! He hasn't returned one of my phone calls, he never answers the doors when I go over there to talk to him and frankly no one has talked to him in…"
Cory sat down on the couch and threw his feet up on his and Topanga's brand new coffee table loudly.
"1 day Cory! It's only been one day since Jack moved out of the apartment and you are acting like it's been a century or something. I'm worried about Shawn too but he obviously doesn't want our help or he would come to us"
Cory got up and started pacing not knowing what else to do.
"It's been 3 days since me and Shawn have talked! That's not normal for us, he hasn't come over, it's like he is totally avoiding me and to tell you the truth I think he's drinking again"
"His problem not ours"
Topanga bit her lip and cursed herself mentally for blurting that out and in the tone she had said it; she also felt the feeling that Shawn was drinking and that made her so upset.
"What do you mean it's not our problem? If Shawn is drinking that means he has lost control and that means he's capable of doing anything and I can't let him do that, I care about him even if you don't"
Cory grabbed his jacket and stomped out of his nice house in anger; how dare Topanga act this way? Shawn was their oldest friend and to just shrug off his drinking like that made him doubt who she was.
Shawn stumbled into the hallway of his apartment building muttering something incoherent and suddenly laughing at what he said, it seemed he had made a joke. Shawn wore his leather jacket loosely as he fished through his pant pockets for his house keys; he turned to his lady companion and smiled.
" Just a minute Cookie"
"Lily"
Shawn giggled and shrugged.
"All the same nowadays"
The girl giggled with a squeak and started to mess with her blonde hair wanting to make it look perfect; She had on a short mini leather skirt with a tight tank top on, she licked her lips as she watched Shawn take out his keys and insert them into the door trying to open the door to his apartment in a drunken state. Lily smiled, she knew Shawn was drunk but that made him all the cuter.
"I think you should go home Lily"
Lily turned around to see a man around Shawn's age, he had somewhat curly hair and he had a disapproving look on his face.
"And who might you be? His dad?"
Shawn turned around dropping his keys to the ground; he looked the person up and down before pasting a huge grin on his face.
"That's not my dad, my dad's dead, that's Cory! My best friend in the whole wide world"
Cory saw the elevator door open and grabbed Lily by the arm.
"Yep I'm Cory and you're leaving my drunk and obviously out of it friend and never coming back"
Cory pushed Lily into the elevator and waved goodbye as the elevator door shut; he looked at the elevator door still shaking his head and then suddenly turned around where Shawn was on the ground on his knees trying to find his keys.
"What are you looking for Shawn?"
Cory made his way over to Shawn concern painted on his face.
"My keys, damn-it! What the hell is this shit? Where are all the lights?"
Cory looked around the floor and picked the keys up with one hand and helped Shawn up with the other.
"There are lights on but being drunk off your ass you would have a better shot seeing pigs flying"
Shawn tripped over his own feet and fell against Cory who had finally opened the door.
"Where are the pigs flying?"
Cory shook his head once more and helped Shawn in the house; Cory slammed the door shut and guided Shawn up the stairs and into his own bedroom; Cory kicked the door open with his foot and leaded Shawn into the room dropping Shawn on his bed.
"So do I dare ask who was that girl you were with?"
Cory slipped Shawn's leather jacket off and threw it on the ground.
"I don't know, some chick"
Cory took off Shawn's shoes and threw them on the ground too.
"God Shawn, what kind of trouble have you got yourself into? Bringing women to your apartment that you don't even know with only bad intentions on your mind. Is sleeping with that woman make you feel better about yourself right now? Because I don't like what I see, I don't like the person I have to undress and put to bed like he is a little boy. I don't like what my best friend has transformed into"
Cory pulled the covers up and slipped Shawn into the bed and covered him up.
"You know what Cory? I want to see the sun"
Cory sat down next to Shawn and smiled.
"You will in a few hours and believe me you won't like it"
Shawn shook his head.
"No I want to see the sun! I want to see the mountains! I want snow!"
Cory looked down at Shawn.
"I want to be out of here even if it is for a little while, I just want to leave, me and you, me and you"
Cory watched Shawn drift to sleep.
"Where are you Cory?"
Topanga twirled the telephone cord around her index fingers as she breathed into the receiver of the phone glad that Cory was all right.
"I'm at Shawn's. I went to his apartment to find him drunk off his ass with a lady companion"
Topanga shook her head.
"Is he okay now?"
There was an odd silence before Cory started the conversation up again and you could hear something being messed with in the background.
"Yea, he's dead asleep now. I told the girl to leave and threw her into an elevator and almost literally carried Shawn into his house and up the stairs to his bed, I undress him down to his pants and shirt and covered him up and now he is asleep, he's going to have a really bad hangover"
Topanga laughed.
"That's for sure"
"He said he wanted to see the sun. He said he wanted mountains and snow. He sounded so desperate to get out of here Topanga, even 1 day would make him happy"
Topanga frowned and stopped thinking when she heard another rustling sound in the background.
"What are you doing Cory? You have been making that rustling sound ever since you called me"
Another odd silence went between them.
"Cory?"
Cory coughed.
"I'm packing a bag for him"
"Why? You're not actually going to let him go off to god knows where by himself are you?'
"No I'm not"
Topanga smiled relieved.
"I'm going with him. I know how this must sound to you right now Topanga, it probably sounds like some no brained idea"
"You sure bet it does, what are you thinking Cory?"
"I'm thinking about him. He needs to see the sun, the mountains, the snow and I want to give that to him so badly. He wants me to experience that all with him, he wants me to be his friend and be there and I want to do that for him Topanga, I have to do that for him."
"Then buy him a postcard or something"
Cory shook his head and threw the bags down the stairs and shook Shawn awake.
"No, this has to be real, it has to be something he can touch, feel between his hands, feel in his heart and know that he really experienced that and that's it's not a dream or make believe or a fantasy. Look we have to do this, me and Shawn have to do this together, bye"
Cory hung up the phone and pulled Shawn out of the bed; Topanga stared down at the phone in shock.
"What's going on? If this is about last night…"
Shawn whined sleepily as he let Cory throw clothes on him not thinking twice.
"This is about last night but not what you think, it's not about the alcohol it's about what you told me last night, what you told me you wanted to do"
Shawn tied his shoes laces and looked up at Cory.
"So? Why do we have to talk about this at 6 am in the morning? Couldn't it have waited? And why are my bags down by the door and why am I getting ready?"
Cory zipped up his jacket and handed Shawn a cup of coffee in a to go cup.
"Because I'm going to whisk you away, we're going on a road trip"
Shawn took a sip of his coffee and bounced down the stairs.
"To where?"
Cory opened the door and pushed the bags out.
"Anywhere your heart pleases, no butts ifs and cants, this is going to happen and it's going to happen now so get your butt moving!"
Shawn grabbed his jacket and slammed the door behind him locking it.
"Is Alaska too far away?"
Cory looked at Shawn for a minute in shock but then shook his head.
"Nope. Alaska here we come"
Author: Soulfire Stories
Summary: Shawn starts pulling away from all his friends, going back into his old rebel ways but will Cory let him?
***The Strength Of Friendship***
*** By Soulfire Stories*********
"Strong is fighting… it's hard and it's everyday and we can do it together; but if you are too much of a coward to fight then burn but don't expect me to mourn for you" -Buffy
Dear Diary-
Today I did the hardest thing that I will ever have to do in my life, I pushed away the best thing in my life, I cut Cory Matthews out of my life. Yeah I can't believe it either, I thought that Cory and me would be best friends forever. I thought we would live down the block from each other and every Sunday we would have a barbeque and we would reminisce over the good ol' days, but I was wrong, boy was I ever wrong. I have always been a third wheel in Cory and Topanga's relationship and it really didn't bother me, or at least I didn't notice but lately their declarations of love for one another was making me sick but it wasn't just them… I was getting angry every time Jack would mention his rich daddy cutting him off, or I would get majorly pissed whenever Rachel mentioned the letters Angela would send her telling her about how much fun she was having in Europe with her father, every little thing was making me upset and I realized it wasn't them, it was me. For the past week I have been acting snotty to them, making rude comments during one of their conversations or just getting up and leaving while Cory or Jack were talking. I think I was the meanest to Cory and Jack, maybe because they are the two biggest and most important things in my life, nice way to show it huh? Angela called the other day and I hung up on her, when she called back I told her to leave me alone and that I never wanted to speak to her again, yesterday I told Jack to shove his horrible rich life where the sun don't shine and tell someone who cares about his problems and when he left I actually threw a fit saying he was walking out on me like everyone else did in my life and when he came back I refused to talk to him; I have avoided all of Cory's calls, I'm probably too drunk to call him back anyways, Jack doesn't know I'm drinking again, he's been at the Matthews's saying he couldn't live with me while I was acting the way I was acting. Excuse me for showing a little human emotion something that little poor Richie rich never could do… see there I go again, I act heartless and evil for no known reason at all, I have no idea why I do the things I do or say the things I say, it's like I have no control over what I say; it's probably the alcohol, the alcohol is probably making me into this mean and heartless person but the alcohol makes all the pain go away meanwhile my friends and my brother don't, so screw them and pass me a beer please. My vision has suddenly become blurry, I think I am going to black out again, maybe I'll just pass out on the couch and I won't make a menace of myself, sometimes I wish Jonathon was here to save me from the mess I have become. Mr. Turner was always so nice to me, always there to lend a helping hand, but I cut him out of my life like I do everyone else, like I did to Cory today, like I am doing to my brother, like I am doing to my heart. Well talk to you later diary.
-Shawn Hunter
"I'm worried Topanga! He hasn't returned one of my phone calls, he never answers the doors when I go over there to talk to him and frankly no one has talked to him in…"
Cory sat down on the couch and threw his feet up on his and Topanga's brand new coffee table loudly.
"1 day Cory! It's only been one day since Jack moved out of the apartment and you are acting like it's been a century or something. I'm worried about Shawn too but he obviously doesn't want our help or he would come to us"
Cory got up and started pacing not knowing what else to do.
"It's been 3 days since me and Shawn have talked! That's not normal for us, he hasn't come over, it's like he is totally avoiding me and to tell you the truth I think he's drinking again"
"His problem not ours"
Topanga bit her lip and cursed herself mentally for blurting that out and in the tone she had said it; she also felt the feeling that Shawn was drinking and that made her so upset.
"What do you mean it's not our problem? If Shawn is drinking that means he has lost control and that means he's capable of doing anything and I can't let him do that, I care about him even if you don't"
Cory grabbed his jacket and stomped out of his nice house in anger; how dare Topanga act this way? Shawn was their oldest friend and to just shrug off his drinking like that made him doubt who she was.
Shawn stumbled into the hallway of his apartment building muttering something incoherent and suddenly laughing at what he said, it seemed he had made a joke. Shawn wore his leather jacket loosely as he fished through his pant pockets for his house keys; he turned to his lady companion and smiled.
" Just a minute Cookie"
"Lily"
Shawn giggled and shrugged.
"All the same nowadays"
The girl giggled with a squeak and started to mess with her blonde hair wanting to make it look perfect; She had on a short mini leather skirt with a tight tank top on, she licked her lips as she watched Shawn take out his keys and insert them into the door trying to open the door to his apartment in a drunken state. Lily smiled, she knew Shawn was drunk but that made him all the cuter.
"I think you should go home Lily"
Lily turned around to see a man around Shawn's age, he had somewhat curly hair and he had a disapproving look on his face.
"And who might you be? His dad?"
Shawn turned around dropping his keys to the ground; he looked the person up and down before pasting a huge grin on his face.
"That's not my dad, my dad's dead, that's Cory! My best friend in the whole wide world"
Cory saw the elevator door open and grabbed Lily by the arm.
"Yep I'm Cory and you're leaving my drunk and obviously out of it friend and never coming back"
Cory pushed Lily into the elevator and waved goodbye as the elevator door shut; he looked at the elevator door still shaking his head and then suddenly turned around where Shawn was on the ground on his knees trying to find his keys.
"What are you looking for Shawn?"
Cory made his way over to Shawn concern painted on his face.
"My keys, damn-it! What the hell is this shit? Where are all the lights?"
Cory looked around the floor and picked the keys up with one hand and helped Shawn up with the other.
"There are lights on but being drunk off your ass you would have a better shot seeing pigs flying"
Shawn tripped over his own feet and fell against Cory who had finally opened the door.
"Where are the pigs flying?"
Cory shook his head once more and helped Shawn in the house; Cory slammed the door shut and guided Shawn up the stairs and into his own bedroom; Cory kicked the door open with his foot and leaded Shawn into the room dropping Shawn on his bed.
"So do I dare ask who was that girl you were with?"
Cory slipped Shawn's leather jacket off and threw it on the ground.
"I don't know, some chick"
Cory took off Shawn's shoes and threw them on the ground too.
"God Shawn, what kind of trouble have you got yourself into? Bringing women to your apartment that you don't even know with only bad intentions on your mind. Is sleeping with that woman make you feel better about yourself right now? Because I don't like what I see, I don't like the person I have to undress and put to bed like he is a little boy. I don't like what my best friend has transformed into"
Cory pulled the covers up and slipped Shawn into the bed and covered him up.
"You know what Cory? I want to see the sun"
Cory sat down next to Shawn and smiled.
"You will in a few hours and believe me you won't like it"
Shawn shook his head.
"No I want to see the sun! I want to see the mountains! I want snow!"
Cory looked down at Shawn.
"I want to be out of here even if it is for a little while, I just want to leave, me and you, me and you"
Cory watched Shawn drift to sleep.
"Where are you Cory?"
Topanga twirled the telephone cord around her index fingers as she breathed into the receiver of the phone glad that Cory was all right.
"I'm at Shawn's. I went to his apartment to find him drunk off his ass with a lady companion"
Topanga shook her head.
"Is he okay now?"
There was an odd silence before Cory started the conversation up again and you could hear something being messed with in the background.
"Yea, he's dead asleep now. I told the girl to leave and threw her into an elevator and almost literally carried Shawn into his house and up the stairs to his bed, I undress him down to his pants and shirt and covered him up and now he is asleep, he's going to have a really bad hangover"
Topanga laughed.
"That's for sure"
"He said he wanted to see the sun. He said he wanted mountains and snow. He sounded so desperate to get out of here Topanga, even 1 day would make him happy"
Topanga frowned and stopped thinking when she heard another rustling sound in the background.
"What are you doing Cory? You have been making that rustling sound ever since you called me"
Another odd silence went between them.
"Cory?"
Cory coughed.
"I'm packing a bag for him"
"Why? You're not actually going to let him go off to god knows where by himself are you?'
"No I'm not"
Topanga smiled relieved.
"I'm going with him. I know how this must sound to you right now Topanga, it probably sounds like some no brained idea"
"You sure bet it does, what are you thinking Cory?"
"I'm thinking about him. He needs to see the sun, the mountains, the snow and I want to give that to him so badly. He wants me to experience that all with him, he wants me to be his friend and be there and I want to do that for him Topanga, I have to do that for him."
"Then buy him a postcard or something"
Cory shook his head and threw the bags down the stairs and shook Shawn awake.
"No, this has to be real, it has to be something he can touch, feel between his hands, feel in his heart and know that he really experienced that and that's it's not a dream or make believe or a fantasy. Look we have to do this, me and Shawn have to do this together, bye"
Cory hung up the phone and pulled Shawn out of the bed; Topanga stared down at the phone in shock.
"What's going on? If this is about last night…"
Shawn whined sleepily as he let Cory throw clothes on him not thinking twice.
"This is about last night but not what you think, it's not about the alcohol it's about what you told me last night, what you told me you wanted to do"
Shawn tied his shoes laces and looked up at Cory.
"So? Why do we have to talk about this at 6 am in the morning? Couldn't it have waited? And why are my bags down by the door and why am I getting ready?"
Cory zipped up his jacket and handed Shawn a cup of coffee in a to go cup.
"Because I'm going to whisk you away, we're going on a road trip"
Shawn took a sip of his coffee and bounced down the stairs.
"To where?"
Cory opened the door and pushed the bags out.
"Anywhere your heart pleases, no butts ifs and cants, this is going to happen and it's going to happen now so get your butt moving!"
Shawn grabbed his jacket and slammed the door behind him locking it.
"Is Alaska too far away?"
Cory looked at Shawn for a minute in shock but then shook his head.
"Nope. Alaska here we come"