Melanie didn't want to move her hand from her eyes.
Watching a couple make out after lunch was not something she had planned to see, nor was it something she ever wanted to see. It was like they were trying to swallow one another. She was sure she had heard Eric talking about this to someone, it was something called a French kiss. Melanie shuddered and leaned her dropping elbow on Shawn's shoulder, so that she could still cover her eyes and rest her arm.
"Richard and Cindy?" Cory asked as he watched the two juniors kiss.
"Very deeply in love," Shawn sighed and Melanie rolled her eyes. They weren't in love. They just needed a snog.
"No, baby Cory, you're too innocent." Melanie insisted as she slapped her free hand over Cory's eyes.
"Why don't you cover Shawn's eyes?" Cory complained as he pulled Melanie's hand off with a frown.
"He's not innocent at all." Melanie laughed and Shawn frowned, he's innocent. Maybe he made out with a few chicks, but he's still innocent.
"Since when?" Cory asked as ignored Melanie and continued to stare at the couple.
"Lunch," Shawn stated as he struggled to pull Melanie's hand from her eyes.
"No! Stop!" Melanie protested and gave a small squeak when Shawn successfully pulled her hand away, leaving her to stare at the couple in front of her.
"What did they eat?" Cory asked as he continued to ignore Shawn and Melanie.
"I don't know, but it looks like it wasn't enough," Melanie grimaced.
"Ah, Mr. Heckle and Mr. Jeckle." Mr. Feeny sighed as he walked down the stairs and towards Cory, Shawn, and Melanie, "Don't we have classes to attend."
"Mr. Feeny, shouldn't you break them up," Cory asked as he pointed at Richard and Cindy.
"Or you could hose them down," Melanie added with a shrug and Shawn rolled his eyes. He didn't understand what the big deal was. People kiss all the time in high school. Melanie and Cory were just going to have to get used to it.
Mr. Feeny smiled softly as he looked at the couple, "Oh, I wouldn't interrupt their tryst, Mr. Matthews, Miss. Strong. They're both A-minus students and happily struck by cupid."
"So, if they were C-minus students, you wouldn't let them kiss?" Cory asked and Shawn raised his eyebrow.
"School policy, don't you know?" Mr. Feeny stated and Melanie laughed.
"So I can't kiss?" Cory checked as he pointed to himself.
"With your grades, Mr. Matthews, you can't even shake hands." Mr. Feeny confirmed before he started to walk off.
"Just watch, Mr. Feeny," Cory stopped him, "By the end of the year, I plan to have an A-plus average and a hickey."
Melanie raised her eyebrows and Mr. Feeny clapped him on the back, "Dare to dream, Mr. Matthews."
Cory sighed as they turned around to head to their class when Melanie noticed another couple making out and groaned. What was this? Mating season?
"Holy cow." Cory's jaw dropped as he stared at the couple, "Jerry and Shoshanna?"
"Deeply," Shawn confirmed with a nod.
"Has the whole world paired off?" Cory exclaimed.
"Pretty much." Shawn shrugged as he looked around.
"Is there a list posted somewhere where I find out what girl's been assigned to me?" Cory asked as he looked at the couples around him.
"You want a girlfriend." Shawn smiled.
"No, not a girlfriend," Cory denied as he placed his bag on a bench, "Just a girl who's like a friend, but not a girlfriend."
Melanie tilted her head, "Cory, is there something you want to tell me."
"Yeah, you're way too much like a sister to me," Cory stated, which was true. Cory had known Melanie since Kindergarten and even though he was saying he didn't want a girlfriend, he wanted a girlfriend. He knew that he could probably pair off with Melanie, but she was way too much like a sister to him and the whole thing would probably be really uncomfortable and awkward. He also knew that Shawn thought very differently than he did when it came to Melanie.
"Okay" Melanie shrugged and looked around, "What about the new girl?"
"No." Cory quickly shook his head, "I mean I don't know her." Melanie and Shawn gave him knowing looks and he frowned, "Shut up."
"Look," Cory started to explain, "I want someone I know, someone who knows me, someone who we know each other, someone like, uh, Topanga!" Cory exclaimed and he walked towards her, "Topanga, my honey. May I call you honey?"
"No." Topanga deadpanned and Cory fidgeted with his sleeves.
"He totally likes her," Melanie stated as she watched the two interact, not noticing that Shawn was looking at her.
Shawn laughed, "Yeah."
Melanie turned to Shawn and she watched as he quickly shifted his bag onto his shoulder.
"So, uh, who are you with?" Shawn nervously asked and Melanie brushed her bangs out of her eyes.
"No one." She stated and Shawn let out a sigh of relief, "I don't really find it necessary to date just because everyone else is." Melanie tilted her head and pondered, "Though, I have been asked a lot."
Shawn felt an uncomfortable feeling rise in his chest, "But you said no, right?"
"Isn't that what I just told you?" Melanie asked as she raised her eyebrow.
"Gimme a name!" Cory yelled and Melanie's attention snapped back to him.
"For the record," Cory informed as he walked back over to them, "I dumped her."
"That's how I saw it." Shawn agreed and Melanie rolled her eyes, he hadn't been paying attention to them.
~8~
"Well, Dubin's out sick again." Shawn sighed as he twirled his pencil.
"Health teacher sick again?" Cory asked, "Not a lot of credibility."
"Do you think we'll have another creepy substitute?" Melanie asked, the side of her face laying on her desk, "The last guy was too weird. He kept giggling whenever he called out someone's name."
A blur of black fabric swished past Melanie's eyes and she watched as Shawn's eyes widened.
"Wow," He gasped and he quickly collected his books, "That is no substitute. That is the real thing."
Melanie rolled her eyes as Shawn raced to the front of the room.
Typical, she thought and she slowly lifted her head up to see the sub.
There was no doubt that the sub was pretty. She had long, curly brown hair, and she was tall. Just the type Shawn seems to like, Melanie thought as she watched Shawn race to the front of the room and sit in a seat.
"Good afternoon, class. I'm Miss. Kelly," She introduced, "I'll be filling in for Mr. Dubin for the next few days."
Shawn quickly stood up, "On behalf of the entire class, I'd like to say, stay as long as you like."
"Now, right now, you seem to be covering-"
"CPR," Shawn flirted as he walked closer, "And I'm today's dummy."
"No," Miss. Kelly denied as she looked at the paper, "Actually, we seem to be up to human reproduction, which I hope we can discuss in a mature fashion."
Melanie shared an unamused look with Topanga as the class started to giggle and laugh. Melanie didn't understand what was so funny about reproduction. It was a fact of life, just like puberty and hormones.
"Oh, stop being so young," Shawn scolded before he turned back to Miss. Kelly, "You know, I'm not as young as they are. I've stayed back, like, fifty times."
Miss. Kelly faked surprise, "Really? How old are you?"
"Twenty-four." Shawn blurted and Melanie mentally slapped herself. Shawn really thought Miss. Kelly was buying it.
"Really? What are you doing in a seventh-grade classroom?" Miss. Kelly asked, crossing her arms.
"I'm a cop."
"Sit down."
"All right, but I'm watching you." Shawn winked as he sat back down in his seat.
"All right," Miss. Kelly began, "Who can tell us the name of the organ where the eggs are stored?" She walked up to Shawn, "Officer?"
"Oh, sorry, Miss. Kelly. I don't have that stuff. I can name the stuff I have, or at least what I call them." Shawn said and Melanie's eyes widened in embarrassment. She was friends with that.
"All right, the place where the eggs are stored." Miss. Kelly tried again.
"What are the gonads?" Cory shrugged.
"No, sorry. I was looking for, what are the ovaries?"
"Oh, the o yeah, I always mix those two up." Cory explained, nonchalantly.
"Try not to." Miss. Kelly smiled, "Your future will be brighter. Can you tell us anything about ovulation or how pregnancy occurs?"
"Well, the man's got the sperm and the woman's got the egg. Now, once a month, an egg slides down the Philippine tube towards the uterus," Cory lectured and Melanie snorted, "The first sperm to reach the egg wins, it gets a medal, it's born, you name him Cory, you push him out the door, and nothing makes sense for the rest of his life."
"Congratulations," Miss. Kelly smiled, "You seem to have a thorough understanding of the life cycle."
"Hey, I live it." Cory replied with a shrug.
"Any questions?" Miss. Kelly asked as she looked around the classroom and Melanie shook her head.
"Yes?" Cory motioned for her to come closer,
"How do you get a girl to say, 'hi'?"
~8~
"Listen, John, I'm not interested." Melanie informed as she closed her locker. Right after she had gotten out of Health Class, John, a student from one of the other schools, had asked her if she wanted to go out with him. Of course, she told him no—like she'd told all the other boys—but he seemed extremely persistent and it was really starting to get on her nerves.
"Come on, Melanie." John pushed up his glasses, "Everyone is getting together. You don't want to be alone do you?"
Melanie rolled her eyes, "I don't care what everyone else is doing; I care about what I do."
John gave a huff as Melanie walked past him and towards Shawn and Cory.
"Listen," John grabbed her arm, stopping her, "This is your last chance with me. You sure you want to give it up?"
"Yes," Melanie tightly smiled, "Now let go of my arm."
Melanie gave her arm a tug and walked away. This was getting absurd. At least Topanga understands, Melanie thought as she got closer to Shawn and Cory.
Melanie sighed, "Hey."
"Hey." Cory responded as he continued to look at all the couples around him.
"Where'd you go?" Shawn asked, "One minute you were there, then poof!"
"I stopped by my locker," Melanie explained, tucking her hair behind her ear, "This couple thing has gotten crazy."
"Yeah," Cory agreed, "Everybody's one except me!"
"Listen, I found something that kind of works." Shawn offered.
"What?" Cory asked, looking at Shawn.
"This." Melanie watched as Shawn pushed his hair back and scratched her nose.
"What's that supposed to do?" She asked and Shawn smiled.
"Just wait."
"Hi, Shawn." Melanie turned her head to see a girl wave at Shawn and Shawn smirked.
"Wow," Cory gasped as he looked at the girl, "From across the hall."
"Yep," Shawn bragged, "I got a thirty-foot range."
"What, you just jerk your head?" Cory asked and Shawn sighed in disappointment.
"Watch again. I'm still young enough, I can do this twice in a row." Melanie watched as Shawn ran his hands through his hair.
Melanie opened her mouth and Shawn held up his finger,
"Just wait."
Melanie's brows furrowed as she heard another girl call him.
"Shawn, it's so strange." The girl said as she wrapped her hand in Shawn's, "I was just thinking about you."
"And that's without conditioner," Shawn smirked, walking off with the girl.
"You're not really going to try that are yo-" Melanie froze as she watched Cory attempt to do Shawn's hair trick and fail horribly every time. It looked like he was gripping his head in agony.
"Cory, what is it?" Topanga exclaimed as she raced over to him and Cory turned to her, his hands on his head.
Cory smiled, "You were just drawn to me, weren't you?"
"No," Topanga exclaimed, serious, "I thought you had head lice. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm great."
"Oh, good." Topanga smiled and gave her hair a little flip.
"Hi, Topanga." A boy said as he walked over to them, "I was just thinking of you."
Melanie watched as the boy threw his arm over Topanga's shoulder and she narrowed her eyes. She as going to have to do a background check on him.
"I need new hair," Cory stated.
Melanie rolled her eyes and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Hi, Melanie. I was just think-"
"Not interested."
~8~
"Nobody told me about this girl thing, Shawn." Cory complained as he opened the front door, "I mean, no one warned me. Not even you, Mel. I thought they were just there. I didn't know they were interactive."
"You'll get the hang out it," Shawn consoled as he and Cory walked into the kitchen and Mel sat down on the couch.
"Coke, please." She called.
"I just do hair," Shawn said as they reentered the living room and he handed Mel a coke.
"If you're so concerned, why don't you ask your brother." Melanie offered, taking a sip of her Coke.
"You know what? Let's just forget this whole subject. There are a million other things to worry about. I mean, we're too young to worry about finding mates." Cory stated and Shawn got up and grabbed his bag.
"You're right. See ya."
"Where are you going." Cory asked as Shawn opened the door.
"Off to meet girls. I've got a thirty-foot range." Shawn ran his hand through his hair.
"Is that you, Shawn?" A faint voice called and Cory narrowed his eyes,
"Get out. You too, Mel. Don't think I didn't see that hair flip." Melanie shrugged, grabbed her bag, and walked the door.
"See you tomorrow, Cory." She called with a wave.
~8~
"So we find, in Fielding's novel, the character Tom Jones is absolutely irresistible to women," Mr. Turner said, "Isn't that right, Matthews?"
"Uh, yeah, that's right," Cory tore his eyes off the blonde next to him and looked at Mr. Turner.
"What's right?"
"What you just said.
"What'd I just say?"
"You weren't listening, either?"
"Matthews," Mr. Turner sighed, "Keep your head facing this way. Shawn, tell your buddy what I was saying."
"Uh, he was saying, 'Matthews, you're not listening'." Shawn told Cory and Mr. Turner rolled his eyes.
"Thank you," He sighed, "Did either of you guys do the reading assignment?"
"Some of it." Cory nodded.
"What'd you read," Mr. Turner asked as he looked down at Cory.
"I read the page you handed us with the reading assignment." Cory smiled and the bell rang.
Melanie quickly packed her bag and made her way out the door, when an arm suddenly grabbed her and pulled her back.
"Hey!"
"It's just me," Shawn said and Melanie relaxed, "I think Cory's about to get a girl."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Melanie let out a sigh and stood next to Shawn behind the door, waiting for Cory to ask the girl out.
"Uh, tomorrow, after school." Cory said.
"Okay, see you then."
"Has a brand-new couple taken shape before my very eyes?" Shawn teased as Cory exited the classroom.
"What can I say?" Cory smiled, "I've got the boom!"
~8~
"So, Cory went on a date with the new girl?" Topanga asked Melanie as they grabbed books from their locker.
"Yeah," Melanie nodded, "He said it went well and that she agreed to meet him again."
Topanga nodded as she quietly closed her locker and turned to face Melanie, "Derek told me that you threatened him in the hallway."
"Ah," Melanie winced as she felt Topanga's glare, "I just wanted to tell him that if he hurt you, I'd hurt him."
Topanga smiled, "Well, I appreciate that."
Melanie relaxed and closed her locker, flipping her hair over her shoulder.
"Mel," Shawn exclaimed as he walked over to her and threw his arm over her shoulders, "I was just thinking of you."
Melanie rolled her eyes but gave a light smile as she walked down the hall with Topanga and Shawn. The only person missing was Cory, but she was sure that soon enough, he'd have his arm around Topanga.
What a magical hair flip.
We are beginning to see how Melanie feels about Shawn's player ways.
Thank you for all the reviews and please don't be afraid to review or PM me.
See you soon,
Ana