Chapter 6

Stay or Go

Shawn opened his eyelids only a few moments before sunrise. He rose and looked behind the couch toward the window expecting to see the shades drawn shut. It was part of his morning routine. First he would wake up and step out of bed, walk into the living room, pull the blinds open, start his coffee, and watch the sunrise.

After he had his coffee he would sit on Eric's beanbag chair until Eric woke up, walked in and said, "Get off of Francia, only I can sit on her."

Then Shawn would say, "Morning to you too Eric." Shawn had never asked why Eric called his chair Francia; it was just an "Eric thing."

Eric would then come sit on the floor drinking his coffee out of a mug decorated with ducks, and they would watch the city wake up to a new day.

But today was different; there was no Eric, but there was a different Matthews.

"Cory!? What are you doing here?" Shawn breathed.

Cory was fast asleep though, lying on the beanbag chair.

"Cory what are you doing here?" Shawn whispered as he walked toward his former best friend. He thought about waking him, but then thought better of it.

Shawn grabbed the notepad from beside the telephone.

Didn't Topanga give me this notepad, Shawn wondered, yeah she did. She said she couldn't stand that Eric and I never took messages.

Shawn looked at Cory again, sighed deeply, and began writing the note. He was going to have to leave New York if he was going to save Cory and Topanga's marriage.

Cory's with her, Shawn thought, not me. He remembered a dream he had last night that made him feel very uneasy. He had dreamt he was running away from someone, but he could never see who. Whenever he got closer to the person, he would run behind something and never got the chance to see his face.

Is that what you want, he asked himself, do you really want to be running your whole life? What else am I suppose to do?

Cory's snores interrupted his thoughts for an instant, and he smiled towards his oldest friend forgetting all that had gone on recently. For that second in time they were just two friends in the same apartment, as if they fifteen years old in Jonathan Turner's apartment again. Just like when he was fifteen, Shawn was still lost and lonely, his dad and mother were gone, but now there was no Jonathan. Shawn wasn't even sure there was Cory.

So what is it Hunter, Shawn asked himself, stay or go?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

*** Eric stared George in his calm, gentle eyes, "Mr. Feeny I think I'm in love with two different people."***

***"Well Mr. Matthews things could be worse."***

***"They're Jack and Shawn." ***

Eric shifted uneasily staring at a small ladybug crawling on his side of the fence as he waited in anticipation for Mr. Feeny's next comment.

"You definitely have diverse tastes Mr. Matthews. The Hunters have nothing in common whatsoever."

Eric looked up at Mr. Feeny and away from his ladybug, "What?"

"I just stated the Hunters are-"

"I know what you said but.you're not upset?"

"Eric did you expect me to be upset?" the old man smiled gently, "I have seen you interact with Jack in a way that seemed to be more than just friends, and I know how much it hurt you to see him go into the Peace Corp. with Rachel."

Eric half-smiled, "So does this mean you're not gonna give me hugs anymore?"

Mr. Feeny looked at Eric stoically, "When did I ever give you hugs Mr. Matthews?"

"Oh Feeny you know you love me!" Eric jumped over the fence and gave Mr. Feeny a bear hug, "when are you gonna say it?"

Mr. Feeny patted Eric on the back before backing away looking embarrassed.

"Say it Feeny."

"I most certainly will not."

"Say it Feeny! Say it!"

A blush crept onto George's face, "Mr. Matthews I love you like the grandson I never had."

"Thank you Mr. Feeny," Eric said more mature than George had ever seen him, "but what do we do about Shawn and Jack?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the sun finally poked its way through the blinds of Shawn's apartment, Cory squinted and opened his eyes.

"Ouch my back," he said as he slowly got off of the beanbag chair and walked over to the couch where Shawn had been sleeping only to find him not there.

Cory sighed. He knew what must have happened. Shawn had woken up earlier than him and ran off. He turned toward the phone to see what had confirmed his idea: a crumpled note.

Cory read the note:

Cor,

What are you doing here? Topanga would kill you if she knew where you were and I can't let that happen. I just think that you're better off with her than you are with me so go back to her and forget about us. You'll always be my best friend okay? So just go live you're life with her. I'll be fine.

Shawn

"Dammit Shawn!" Cory cursed out-loud, "I need you both!"

He does this every time something gets rough, Cory thought angrily.

"What's this 'dammit Shawn' stuff about?" Cory heard a familiar voice say.

Cory spun around and Shawn continued walking into the room with a towel over his waist," I mean the first words a guy hears after a shower is his name being cursed? Not a good way to start off the day. Cor there was a reason that note was crumpled up."

Cory stared at Shawn incredulously, "So what are we gonna do then?"

"I don't know. . . Topanga's gonna be furious no matter what we do so I don't think it matters."

"Yeah I guess. . . but don't you remember Jennifer?" Cory asked out of nowhere.

"Yeah. . .what about her?"

"Topanga was the one who put us back together? She said no one could ever replace a best friend no matter how hard they tried and now. . ."

"She kind of hypocritical?" Shawn offered.

"That wasn't what I was gonna say. . .but that kind of true anyway. I don't know. . . " Cory trailed off.

" Hey Cor you would never judge me for anything would you?" Shawn asked suddenly.

"No. . ." Cory replied cautiously.

"Okay I knew you wouldn't but. . .I think I'm in love with Eric."