Topanga

I was 17, in high school. It was lunchtime. My boyfriend and friend, Cory Matthews had been out sick all week, or so we heard. Being the person I was, I knew there was something more. For one thing, he hadn't been as talkative and outgoing as usual, not even talking to his best friend, Shawn which was the cause of several rifts between them. Cory had taken to wearing long sleeves. Shawn came to school either happy or depressed, which he stayed throughout the day. Often I'd see bruises on his arms and never knew how they got there. He smelled of smoke and kept several small vials of vodka in his locker. His younger by 1 year sister, Stacey sometimes ate lunch with me. We were eating lunch in the park outside of the school. It was a warm October day.

"How's Cory?" Stacey asked.

"Still sick, from what I heard."

"Ohh jeez. What's he sick with?"

"Idinno...first it was a cold then the flu and now apparently it's pneumonia."

"Oh gawd."

"Yeah."

"I didn't sleep that well last night."

I looked at her, while dipping a piece of whole wheat pita in the hummus my mom had gotten from the store.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Yeah. so exscuse me if I fall asleep."

"Uh huh."

She reached over and took some of the pita.

"Can I have some?" she asked.

"Uh huh."

She scopped up some of the hummus onto the pita and put it into her mouth, then took a drink from the bottled water shed bought from the school vending machine with the quarters I'd let her use. After she was done with the pita and water, she layed down on the grass and spread out. I saw Shawn walking across the street and into the park.

"Hey Shawn," I called.

He looked up.

"Hey Topanga," he called back.

He crossed to where Stacey and I were and sat down next to us. He looked at the hummus and pita.

"Um what's that...?" he asked.

"Hummus. It's, middle eastern. And apparently the Jewish eat it as well. Try some. It's really good. Oh and that's pita," I replied.

"Ohkk."

He picked up a piece of pita and dipped it into the hummus; looked at Stacey and smiled.

"She didn't get a lot of sleep last night," he said.

"Yeah I know she told me," I said.

"Yeah we were up talking late into the night. And morning."

"Oh."

"And then this morning Claire came over, very upset."

"Ohh."

"I might try to sleep too."

"Ok."

He popped the pita into his mouth.

"Mmm this is really good," he said.

"Yeah I know," I said; "well considering my mom's a health nut . . ."

I took my sandals off and pulled my knees into my chest, lacing my fingers between my toes.

"Any news from Cory?" I asked, looking at Shawn.

My thick light brown hair fell to one side.

"He still won't tell me anything Topanga," Shawn replied.

"Yeah but at least he talks to you," I said.

Shawn scoffed.

"Yeah barely."

"I haven't seen much of Morgan around either," I said.

"Well it's a pretty big school."

He finished the pita.

"Maybe it has to do with the shooting," I said.

"Hmm?" Shawn asked.

"The school, shooting. A few months ago. Remember/"

"Oh yeah. That shook everyone up esp ..."

"Angela?" I asked looking at Shawn; he'd turned his head to look at the sparkling green grass.

He looked up, his hazel eyes filled with sad realisation.

"Yeah. and..."

"You," I said.

He nodded.

He and his girlfriend Angela had lost their cousins in the school shooting.

"And you know, with Cory's grandmother...dying..." Shawn said.

"Yeah," I said, then continued with; "they were pretty close."

"Mmm."

He closed his eyes and layed down on the grass. Pretty soon, I did too. It was so warm that I couldn't help falling asleep.