Cory Matthews was walking down the halls, in an exceptionally good mood. His life could not be more perfect right now, with a job he loved, an adoring wife which he adored even more, two bright, healthy and loving children and a sunny day ahead of him.
He was soon going to celebrate his twenty years of marriage with Topanga and everyday he fell in love with her even more. His now ten years old son Auggie was growing fast, and each day Cory thanked fate for bringing him such an adorable son. Seventeen years old Riley was still the quirky girl she'd always been and Cory couldn't be happier with that, and college still seemed a little far away. Could things get any better?
Sure there was that little inconvenient that was Lucas…you know…her…the term was still a little sour in his mouth…. Her boyfriend. It wasn't that bad thought, he wasn't a bad kid and they were both seventeen! They couldn't be more innocent. They're just kids, what could they possibly know about things like…You-know-that-S-word…
He shook his head, trying to get that horrifying idea out of his mind, and hurried to his homeroom not wanting to be late for his first period.
As he was about to enter, he noticed his daughter and Lucas all alone in the classroom. He was sitting in his seat and had both arms snaked around Riley's waist, whom was sitting on his lap, one arm around his neck and her other hand playing with her necklace. Both of them were talking and laughing without a care in the world.
Now typically Cory would have come in the class coughing loudly to separate them, but he was in too good of a mood today to interrupt their sweet little moment. But being the helicopter dad that he was he still stayed behind and may or may not started eavesdropping on the two lovebirds that were his daughter and her boyfriend…
-" […] And so then he just walked away, drenched in water and furious, with his horse following behind like a puppy!" Riley threw he head back in a fit of laughter.
-"Oh my god that was insane! You really need tell me more stories from when you lived in Texas."
-"Well if it gives me the pleasure of seeing that sweet smile and hearing that lovely laugh of yours, you bet I'm going to be telling you more!" She grinned,
-"You are so cheesy!"
-"I know. And you love it." He joked, quickly pecking her lips. She giggled. Suddenly her face became serious. She took a breath and looked into his eyes,
-"Lucas?"
-"Yeah?"
-"…I think I'm ready…"
-"Ready for what…Oh."
-"Yeah."
-"Are you sure? You know I don't want you to feel pressured or anything. I'll wait as long as you want me to."
-"No I'm ready. I've thought about it for a while, and I'm finally comfortable with the idea. I want to do it."
-"Riley it's not something you just do just like that, it's scary. I want to make sure it's what you want."
-"I do! What? You don't want to?"
-"I do! Of course I do! I just don't want to make you feel like you need to do something just because everyone else is doing it."
-"Don't worry. I've thought about it long and good. I really want to do it. I'm still scared but that's normal. Plus, I love you. I want my first time to be with you."
-"I would hope so!" She laughed, "I love you too. More than anything."
-"Good. But can I ask you question?"
-"Sure, go ahead."
-"You've done it before, right?"
-"Yeah…"
-"How does it feel?"
-"Crazy scary at first but after that it's one the most amazing things in the world. You'll see. I know I was very nervous my first time, but I got over it very quickly. It's a thrilling ride."
-"Ok. I'm still extremely nervous but I'm glad I'll be with you. You mean the world to me."
-"You mean the world to the moon and back. And I'm happy we're finally doing this. Together."
-"Yeah. Together. It's going to be so much fun." She smiled and they kissed, both her hands now tangled in his hair while his arms tighten his grip around her waist.
Cory's face was the same color as the wall, a dirty white, almost beige color. His legs were shaky, his palms were sweaty, and he was having difficulty breathing.
He dashed for the infirmary and got there just in time to pass out. When he woke up again, he was on his living room couch, with Topanga by his side, lovingly looking at him.`
-"Honey what happened? I got a call in the middle of a hearing that you had passed out! I rushed to school to get you."
-"Hum I don't remember...wait…RILEY!" He shot up, ready to head out the door. Topanga rushed to stop him.
-"Riley is hanging out with Lucas at the dinner close to school, she'll be home around nine, why? What's going on?"
-"Riley…Lucas…alone…first time…what is she thinking?!" He rambled, unable to construct a coherent sentence. Topanga forced him down on the couch again as she tried to make sense of the bits and pieces of words her husband and said, or rather yelled.
-"Cory Matthews…what in the world are you talking about?"
Since he obviously wasn't getting a reaction out of her, his rambling getting him nowhere, Cory layed down again on the couch and took a sip from the glass of water on the table. He inhaled, exhaled and motioned for Topanga to sit down;
-"Ok…so here is the thing. So I'm here at school, it's a typical morning, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the cafeteria menu says they're serving mashed potatoes…You know…It's all good. I'm about to walk in class about ten minutes early to set up…when I see Riley and Lucas…they're sitting together, talking, cuddling…"
-"So? They're seventeen and they're in love! There's no wrong in cuddling before class! We used to do it all the time!"
-"Would you let me finish? So here they are acting all lovey-dovey kissy-smoochy. Being the trustful and reasonable man that I am…Topanga don't give me that look….I decide not to interrupt. But being the protective and watchful father that I am…ok stop it with that look! ...I decide to stay and listen."
-"I can't believe this! You invaded our daughter's privacy!" Topanga accused, appalled by her husband's lack of common sense,
-"It's not an invasion! It's a slightly unauthorized intrusion!" Cory tried to defend,
-"It's an invasion." She deadpanned,
-"Who cares what it is?" He whined,
-"I do! I'm not going to listen to you going on about how un-trustful you are of our responsible, grown, mature daughter!" She said, heading for the bedroom, already at the top of the stairs,
-"Oh really? So you don't want to hear about how our responsible, grown, mature daughter wants to go all the way with Lucas?" He called from the living room.
Suddenly the tumbling sound of heels, crashing down the stairs, was heard as Topanga ran right back down,
-"WHAT?! How could she even think about that! She's so irresponsible, immature. She's just a baby! She's seventeen!" She yelled out, waving her hands around,
-"Ya still think it's an invasion?" Cory joked, only to earn a death glare from his wife.
-"Ok. Let's think. It could all be a big misunderstanding. What did you hear them say?"
-"Oh what you don't trust me enough and think I'm some sort of old man who can't grasp "teen" language? I'm a teacher man! I live with these folks and I'm as groovy as the rest of them!"
-"I'm sorry, did you just say 'groovy' ?" Topanga asked,
-"Well yeah, why?"
-"Cory that had stopped being a thing even when WE were teenagers. Man." Topanga deadpanned. Cory looked at her, confused,
-"When did that stop being a thing?"
-"I don't think it ever really was a thing," She said back,
-"Who cares about the thing anyway? All I know is that I clearly heard my daughter say she was "ready", that she "wanted to do it" that she "wanted her first time to be with him" and that "it was going to be sooo much fun" Cory exclaimed,
"Oh. My. God. I need to sit down..." Topanga sights, her voice barely above a whisper as she lays down the living room couch in a dramatic fashion, "And what did Howdy say?"
-"Howdy? ", Cory's fists curled up in a ball, " He said that it was a "thrilling ride", "crazy scary at first but after a while it's one of the most amazing things in the world"….
-"Wait…are you telling me…Oh My God! Lucas has done it before? How could that even be? They met in seventh grade!"
-"Well…they didn't start dating until ninth…"
-"So you're telling me Lucas lost his…you know what…at thirteen?"
-"I'm not telling you anything! You're the one talking!" Cory defended,
-"I can't believe this. And to think I trusted Lucas, why would he pressure her into doing this?" His wife responded, ignoring her husband's attempt at sarcasm. Rubbing her temples together in an attempt of relaxation, she moved over to the kitchen and reached over for her patient cup of tea, which had been lingering on the table. She was bringing the cup to her lips when Cory spoke again,
-"Actually come to think about it, he wasn't pressuring her at all…She's the one who told him she was ready…"
Tea came spitting out of Topanga's mouth like a waterfall.
-"EXCUSE ME?" she roared, her wild hair disheveling around her like a mane. She ran back to her previous position, grabbed Cory by his collar and pulled him to eye level,
-"Are you telling me my little baby daughter is the one who originated this incredibly stupid idea?"
-"See? Wasn't that information worth the invasion?" squirmed her choking husband. That comment earned him a grunt and an eye roll from his very-exasperated-and-furious wife
-"At least we know that if she's be this stupid, it will be with someone who actually cares about her…" she muttered. Exhaling deeply, she let herself fall back on the couch, followed by Cory who put an arm around her. Cuddling up next to him, she tried to make sense of all this nonsense,
-"Cory?"
-"Yes?"
-"Where did we go wrong?"
-"What? You mean with Riley?"
-"NO, with Shawn."
-"Well, we could have been more attentive at the fact he felt out of place when our bird was born, I mean I had no idea…"
-"I was joking you Doofus."
-"Oh…I knew that…" Topanga snickered,
-"Course you did…"
-" In all honesty, I don't think we did anything wrong. I mean she is seventeen with a boyfriend she is profoundly in love with. If they both feel ready and have consciousness of what it implicates, then it was bound to happen any day. I mean, remember how we were?"
-"That's true. I mean they know right from wrong. It just feels weird to know my baby bird is spreading her wings and flying like that. I didn't see it coming. It's like yesterday she was getting excited over her favorite kid's show having a marathon." Reasoned Topanga.
-"That was yesterday." Smiled Cory.
-"Two days ago actually; laughed his wife; By the way, how come you did such a 180° about this? May I remind you, you fainted when you found out"
-"Well, while you were going about freaking out like a madwoman, I couldn't help thinking of how you resembled my mother and how she had been such a mess when she learned of our relationship getting serious. Of how I was completely sure of our decision, which we hadn't taken in such a lightly matter as my mother though. And that maybe Riles and Lucas weren't as irresponsible as we believed and had obviously though this one through. And that if my folks gave us a chance, maybe it was time we gave them one too."
-"I reminded you of your mother?" asked Topanga, eyebrows raised
-"Is that the only thing you got out of my beautiful speech?" Remarked Cory, jokingly offended
-"No of course not. You're right we just need to make sure they are have everything they need to be safe and after that, we've got to let them fly."
-"Could you say that again? Just the "you're right" part, I want to make it my ringtone."
Topanga laughed as she playfully shoved him away. At that moment the jiggling of keys was heard as Maya, Riley and Lucas entered the apartment.
-"Hey Daddy, how do you feel ?" asked his daughter
-"We were worried about you" added her boyfriend
-"Yeah did you see my overall average and get heart palpitations?" joked Maya
The Matthews immediately jumped off the couch , and hand in hand, solemnly walked over to the three confused teens.
-"Guys thank you for your concern, I just didn't feel well, something wrong with…eh…the mashed potatoes.."
-"But that's not what we want to talk about…." Continued Topanga.
-"We would like the two of you, directing at Riley and Lucas, to know that if you need to ask for any…specific…things…regarding a particular subject.."
-"You can come to us. If you two are honest and responsible, we will be much more open-minded about this situation."
-"But we need to make sure you are perfectly aware of how big of a step this is and how it can affect you in many ways."
-"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews, but I for one have no idea of what you are going on about." Intervened Lucas
-"That makes two of us." Added his girlfriend
-"I got a clue and this is going to be hilarious." Smirked Maya. Cory and Topanga eyed her awkwardly,
-"What? You don't think Shawn and I haven't talked about this yet? He was even more awkward than you lot." Hearing her made the younger couple come to a realization. Their eyes got large and their faces redder than one could think possible.
-"Oh no Mr. Matthews I assure you we haven't talked about this yet.."
-"Don't play dumb with me Mr. Friar I heard you guys talking in my classroom this morning."
-"Wait this mor…. OH." Riley looked to her boyfriend, giggling, while Lucas bit his lips to suppress a laugh. Maya on the other hand, was snickering away uncontrollably. Both parents looked at each other in a state of confusion and annoyance.
-"Guys this is a serious conversation we are trying to have. If you want us to take you as mature adults that can make such decisions.."
-"Dad; Riley managed to say through her giggles; as much as I appreciate tour concern, we aren't ready at all for That. It wasn't what we were talking about."
It was the Matthews' turn to have their mouth open wide in shock.
-"Excuse me?"
-"Mr. Matthews, we were talking about going on the new Monster Train Rollercoaster Ride down at Coney Island"
-"But Riley, you're deathly afraid of rollercoasters." Topanga argued
-"Actually, she's never been on one." Countered Maya. Topanga turned to her husband with a glare, whom was bewildered.
-"But…but…I heard you saying you "didn't want her to be pressured" and not do something just "because everyone else is doing it."
-"Yeah, the coaster's been the only topic of conversation lately and everyone has been on it at least once. But I know Riley has never done one so I didn't want her to do something she wasn't comfortable with" explained Lucas, earning a couple aaaww's from the mother and daughter.
-"You said it was thrilling Mr. Friar!" exclaimed Cory, losing his patience.
-"Yeah, a thrilling Ride." Countered Lucas.
-"But you were all "I want this to be with you", "I love you" like some sort of proposal!" continued Cory
-"Have you Not lived with them since seventh grade? That's how these two lovesick puppies talk on the reg's. They're a Nicolas Sparks book-on -legs." Answered Maya, still wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes.
Cory couldn't speak, the realization of his misinterpretation daunting upon him. What jolted him was Topanga's hand smacking him across the back of the bed.
-"You're sleeping on the couch tonight." Muttered his wife before stomping away to the bedroom, heels clicking away. Cory gave the teens an uneasy apologetic smile before running back to his wife
-"You know the couch is not recommended for my back pains!"
Once the adults were out of sight, the three could relax and laugh away at that awkward encounter,
-"When you two start talking about hitting another kind of homerun than the one Sundance is used to, I suggest you do it at his house.."
-"Shut up Maya"
So I saw the light and came in...(French expression which doesn't really translate well in English). I'm not going to bore you all with explanations you don't really want to hear, but I hope you've enjoyed this and are patient with me as I'm desperately trying to get back on track. Thank you for all the ones that have expressed their support and gotten me back in the game. This one is for you.
R&R
-F