"I can't believe you did it," Morgan said as she and Shawn walked
down the streets to Digital Hang Out. "Neither can I," Shawn admitted. "You
two make the cutest couple! I'm sure everyone will be glad once they find
out."
"Who's everyone?" Shawn asked. "Oh, well, you know. People. Other
people. Same difference you know, right? Hee, hee, hee. Anyway, are you
thinking of maybe.inviting me to the wedding?" She asked timidly.
"Girl, please. You helped me. But I don't know if I think I should do
it. I mean, yeah I asked. But I didn't.I wasn't.I don't." he tried to
explain it but couldn't.
"I know," she said sympathetically. "You're not sure if you're ready
even though you and Angela are the cutest couple on the face of the planet.
And so you've decided to postpone the wedding or whatever." She stopped and
looked at him. "Listen, there are two kinds of people in this world. There
are those people who watch Happy Days Marathons and sing in the shower. And
then there are those people who lie alone in bed at night with tears in
their eyes because they missed out on a huge part of their life. You don't
want to be the second kind of person, Shawn. Otherwise, you'll be the Jan
Brady to all the Marcia's of the world."
She turned to leave. "Morgan, wait," Shawn said. "Yeah?" she asked.
"Ummm.well.I just wanted to tell you that." He sighed. "You give great
advice."
She smiled. "Thanks, and don't forget about what I said."
"Watch Happy Days when I get home. Thanks." She laughed to herself
and waved, and watched him turn into the Digital.
She drove home in her turquoise convertible and when she got
upstairs, she checked her phone messages. There was only one. That was
funny; usually someone else was calling for something.
"Hello, this is the Veritaz Clothing Agency. We are calling to inform
you that a Morgan Mendoza is being transferred to Los Angeles, California.
Please arrive at your office immediately so that we may inform you about
your transfer. Thank you." She played it three times and it still said the
same thing.
A few hours later, as she was driving home from the office, she thought about what they'd said. She'd been there for roughly two months, and now she was supposed to move out? This was seriously illegal practically. It should be against the law to not transfer people unless they've been living in their current residence for over three years. Three, because it was her favorite number, and also because she wanted two more years and a few months with Cory, and Topanga, and Shawn, and Angela. She was going to leave before the wedding. She wouldn't be able to see Shawn and Angela live out their dream. She wouldn't get to see how well they'd turn out, or anything. Instead, she'd walk out of their lives without a word. No, there would be words, she decided. There would be lots of them. The words would all lead up to the two most horrible words in the human language (besides "we have to talk", which is four words so it doesn't qualify). The words were good-bye, and she didn't want to have to say them anymore than you would have. Over the weeks she had grown to love Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Angela like they were her older brothers and sisters. When she was with them, she felt like it was where she was supposed to be. Like after all these years, she'd finally found a friend that cared about her as much as Tiffany, Cindy, and Lucy did before the car crash. But Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Angela hadn't been in a car crash, at least not one that Morgan knew of, and even if they had been in one, they weren't dead yet. "I'm not moving," she told her boss. She'd been known to be level- headed in times of panic, strong-headed in times when quick decisions were made, and she often stuck to her decisions, too. "We're getting a new intern," her boss said. "You can go to L.A. to design clothes for movie stars, or just stay here all your life." "The clothing designers never get any publicity unless you have the money to buy their clothes," she told him. "Why am I going to do something and have it just blown away? Known as 'that dress Halle Berry wore' or something. I don't want that. I like where I am now. I love New York." "I'm sorry, Ms. Mendoza, I don't have a choice," her boss told her. "You can either go or we fire you." "I'd rather get fired," she said, "then have to leave." That may have been true, but she still couldn't afford to lose her job. "Why don't you want to leave, Morgan? Is it because you're afraid you won't be successful? Morgan, I wouldn't send you there if I didn't think you would be successful." "It's not that it's just, I've gotten so used to the people at Vista View and friends are really, really important to me. Plus, two of my friends are getting married." "Well if you want, you can stay here until their weddings. When are they?" Her boss asked, opening his date book. "No, no, no, you don't understand, they're getting married to each other," she explained. "Okay," he said. "Then when is it?" "It'll be in February," she said. "February 14th." He gasped. "I'm sorry, Morgan, I didn't realize it would be that late. You'll have already started designing clothes for.Jennifer Aniston by then." "Who cares about Jennifer Aniston when my friend is getting married and I can't even be there!" Morgan practically shouted. "Morgan, Morgan, no need to shout. You might also have the chance to do Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow, if you wanted." "I don't want to design clothes for the Friends cast, I WANT TO BE THERE FOR MY FRIEND'S WEDDING!" she yelled. "Morgan, if you're going to yell, I'll have to ask you to leave." She took a breath. She knew what she was going to do. "Fine," she said. "I'll show myself out, then."
While designing clothes for Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston really was cool, and especially Halle Berry, she didn't think she exactly appreciated having to leave New York. What with technology and everything, couldn't she design it there and then just ship it off to Los Angeles? Yeah, that sounded all right. But she'd yelled at her boss. If she hadn't had such talent she would've been fired, but Veritaz couldn't afford to lose any employees. Especially ones with such talent as Morgan, there was no way Veritaz could survive. Okay, she felt a little better about herself. Even though she didn't believe she had that much talent, telling herself so made her feel a lot better until she realized that there was so much better people out there, so much older with so much more experience. She'd reached Vista View by now. How was she going to tell Cory and Topanga? Shawn and Angela would just die if they knew she wouldn't make it. Angela had told her so in those exact words - We would just die if we knew you couldn't make it! "There's nothing I can do about that, Angela," she said to herself as she opened her apartment door. And no, there was no surprise going-away party when she opened it. There was absolutely nothing but the normal formation of the furniture. She lay down on her bed. There were two things to do. One, go to L.A. and design for the movie stars. Possibly be famous, if she was good enough. Or two, stay here with my friends. There was a knock at the door and she got up to answer it. Cory and Topanga were standing there. "The way I see it," Topanga said when Morgan answered the door, "is you either go to L.A. and take a risk, or two, you stay here and play it safe all the rest of your life." Morgan let them in. "But what if I don't make it? What if I become one of those washed up, unwanted wanna-be big-time five-star fashion designers?" Cory smiled. "Then I will see this little girl who took a risk. Who stepped out of her little box and decided today's the day she's going to make it for herself. And even though she didn't make it, she tried. She danced the dance. And there's a good chance I will love you even more." Cory hugged Morgan. "How did you guys know?" she asked them. "How'd you know that I could either leave for L.A. or stay here, in New York?" "Shawn told us," Topanga told her. That's right - she remembered telling Shawn when he called on her cell phone. "It's okay to be afraid sometimes," Topanga continued. "But when you don't do something because you're afraid, that's when it's not okay." Morgan was starting to cry now. "So what do you think I should do?" she asked. "Go to L.A.?" "Yeah," Topanga said. "If that's what you want." Cory nodded sadly. "Well.I guess I should start packing then, huh." Topanga nodded and left, but Cory was still standing there. "If you don't want to leave, that's okay with me," Cory said. "I don't," Morgan told him. "But I don't have any other choice. I have to go." Morgan didn't have to say anymore. Cory understood. He left, leaving Morgan all alone in the now blurry apartment she had been thrilled to move to. Hoping this would be the last move, she decided to call her boss and tell him she'd make the move. She thought the last time she'd move was in Phoenix. But then they moved her to Seattle, then to Philadelphia. She was born in Washington, DC, but she had to move to Seattle when she was 11. Then, they told her to go to Philadelphia. After Pennbrook she'd moved to New York. And she thought she wouldn't have to move. If she kept moving like this, there was an awfully good chance that she'd make it around the entire country.
Unbelievably, it didn't seem hard to pack. It took them two weeks, but it wasn't hard. Shawn, Angela, Cory, and Topanga all helped her, but it wasn't like that sped up the process. It was hard time-wise, but emotionally, it wasn't hard at all. She hadn't lived there long, so maybe that was why. Or at least, that's what she guessed. Friends last forever, even if you have to move on. Morgan knew she would keep in touch with Shawn and Angela and Cassidy and Topanga and especially Cory, but they wouldn't be close friends. Still, they were friends, and they'd taught her a lesson - true love doesn't show mercy, but it's stronger than anything - and if you believe in it and you believe it's all going to be okay, it will be. On the day Morgan left, everyone came but Cassidy. They all joined her in the parking lot next to her turquoise convertible. The moving trucks had already taken her furniture away, but they hadn't taken Morgan yet. "I'll never forget you guys," Morgan said. She started at Shawn first. "You taught me that if you just keep believing it will be okay, it will be," she said through tears. "And if you believe that you love someone, you really, really do." Next was Angela. "You showed me that even in the times when you needed a miracle, miracles happen if you believe they can." She hugged Angela and moved on to Topanga. "I didn't really know you," she admitted, "but from what Cory told me about you, you're a great person. You helped me when I wasn't sure what to do. Thanks." "Remember," Topanga said. "You don't want to be the Jan Brady to all the Marcia's of the world." Morgan laughed through tears and hugged Topanga. "Cory," Morgan said when she got to him. "You.you accepted me when I first came here. You taught me how to be a better person in a three-hour coffee. I'm going to do some good in this world, and I blame you for that." She hugged him. "There are two kinds of people in this world, Morgan. Those people who watched Happy Days marathons and sing in the shower, and those who lie in bed at night with tears in their eyes." Cory told her. She laughed and then he kissed her. It wasn't a peck; it was longer than that. But it only meant that they'd be friends forever. He loved her; she loved him - as friends. Maybe it was destiny, maybe it was fate, but whoever decided they would kiss, was most certainly ahead of His time. They laughed, they reminisced, they cried, they complained, they whined even. But they all knew that someday Morgan would come back. But that's a different story. And the first thing Morgan did when she got to her house in L.A. was watch a Happy Days marathon, and in the evening, she sang louder than ever in the shower.
A few hours later, as she was driving home from the office, she thought about what they'd said. She'd been there for roughly two months, and now she was supposed to move out? This was seriously illegal practically. It should be against the law to not transfer people unless they've been living in their current residence for over three years. Three, because it was her favorite number, and also because she wanted two more years and a few months with Cory, and Topanga, and Shawn, and Angela. She was going to leave before the wedding. She wouldn't be able to see Shawn and Angela live out their dream. She wouldn't get to see how well they'd turn out, or anything. Instead, she'd walk out of their lives without a word. No, there would be words, she decided. There would be lots of them. The words would all lead up to the two most horrible words in the human language (besides "we have to talk", which is four words so it doesn't qualify). The words were good-bye, and she didn't want to have to say them anymore than you would have. Over the weeks she had grown to love Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Angela like they were her older brothers and sisters. When she was with them, she felt like it was where she was supposed to be. Like after all these years, she'd finally found a friend that cared about her as much as Tiffany, Cindy, and Lucy did before the car crash. But Cory, Topanga, Shawn, and Angela hadn't been in a car crash, at least not one that Morgan knew of, and even if they had been in one, they weren't dead yet. "I'm not moving," she told her boss. She'd been known to be level- headed in times of panic, strong-headed in times when quick decisions were made, and she often stuck to her decisions, too. "We're getting a new intern," her boss said. "You can go to L.A. to design clothes for movie stars, or just stay here all your life." "The clothing designers never get any publicity unless you have the money to buy their clothes," she told him. "Why am I going to do something and have it just blown away? Known as 'that dress Halle Berry wore' or something. I don't want that. I like where I am now. I love New York." "I'm sorry, Ms. Mendoza, I don't have a choice," her boss told her. "You can either go or we fire you." "I'd rather get fired," she said, "then have to leave." That may have been true, but she still couldn't afford to lose her job. "Why don't you want to leave, Morgan? Is it because you're afraid you won't be successful? Morgan, I wouldn't send you there if I didn't think you would be successful." "It's not that it's just, I've gotten so used to the people at Vista View and friends are really, really important to me. Plus, two of my friends are getting married." "Well if you want, you can stay here until their weddings. When are they?" Her boss asked, opening his date book. "No, no, no, you don't understand, they're getting married to each other," she explained. "Okay," he said. "Then when is it?" "It'll be in February," she said. "February 14th." He gasped. "I'm sorry, Morgan, I didn't realize it would be that late. You'll have already started designing clothes for.Jennifer Aniston by then." "Who cares about Jennifer Aniston when my friend is getting married and I can't even be there!" Morgan practically shouted. "Morgan, Morgan, no need to shout. You might also have the chance to do Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow, if you wanted." "I don't want to design clothes for the Friends cast, I WANT TO BE THERE FOR MY FRIEND'S WEDDING!" she yelled. "Morgan, if you're going to yell, I'll have to ask you to leave." She took a breath. She knew what she was going to do. "Fine," she said. "I'll show myself out, then."
While designing clothes for Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston really was cool, and especially Halle Berry, she didn't think she exactly appreciated having to leave New York. What with technology and everything, couldn't she design it there and then just ship it off to Los Angeles? Yeah, that sounded all right. But she'd yelled at her boss. If she hadn't had such talent she would've been fired, but Veritaz couldn't afford to lose any employees. Especially ones with such talent as Morgan, there was no way Veritaz could survive. Okay, she felt a little better about herself. Even though she didn't believe she had that much talent, telling herself so made her feel a lot better until she realized that there was so much better people out there, so much older with so much more experience. She'd reached Vista View by now. How was she going to tell Cory and Topanga? Shawn and Angela would just die if they knew she wouldn't make it. Angela had told her so in those exact words - We would just die if we knew you couldn't make it! "There's nothing I can do about that, Angela," she said to herself as she opened her apartment door. And no, there was no surprise going-away party when she opened it. There was absolutely nothing but the normal formation of the furniture. She lay down on her bed. There were two things to do. One, go to L.A. and design for the movie stars. Possibly be famous, if she was good enough. Or two, stay here with my friends. There was a knock at the door and she got up to answer it. Cory and Topanga were standing there. "The way I see it," Topanga said when Morgan answered the door, "is you either go to L.A. and take a risk, or two, you stay here and play it safe all the rest of your life." Morgan let them in. "But what if I don't make it? What if I become one of those washed up, unwanted wanna-be big-time five-star fashion designers?" Cory smiled. "Then I will see this little girl who took a risk. Who stepped out of her little box and decided today's the day she's going to make it for herself. And even though she didn't make it, she tried. She danced the dance. And there's a good chance I will love you even more." Cory hugged Morgan. "How did you guys know?" she asked them. "How'd you know that I could either leave for L.A. or stay here, in New York?" "Shawn told us," Topanga told her. That's right - she remembered telling Shawn when he called on her cell phone. "It's okay to be afraid sometimes," Topanga continued. "But when you don't do something because you're afraid, that's when it's not okay." Morgan was starting to cry now. "So what do you think I should do?" she asked. "Go to L.A.?" "Yeah," Topanga said. "If that's what you want." Cory nodded sadly. "Well.I guess I should start packing then, huh." Topanga nodded and left, but Cory was still standing there. "If you don't want to leave, that's okay with me," Cory said. "I don't," Morgan told him. "But I don't have any other choice. I have to go." Morgan didn't have to say anymore. Cory understood. He left, leaving Morgan all alone in the now blurry apartment she had been thrilled to move to. Hoping this would be the last move, she decided to call her boss and tell him she'd make the move. She thought the last time she'd move was in Phoenix. But then they moved her to Seattle, then to Philadelphia. She was born in Washington, DC, but she had to move to Seattle when she was 11. Then, they told her to go to Philadelphia. After Pennbrook she'd moved to New York. And she thought she wouldn't have to move. If she kept moving like this, there was an awfully good chance that she'd make it around the entire country.
Unbelievably, it didn't seem hard to pack. It took them two weeks, but it wasn't hard. Shawn, Angela, Cory, and Topanga all helped her, but it wasn't like that sped up the process. It was hard time-wise, but emotionally, it wasn't hard at all. She hadn't lived there long, so maybe that was why. Or at least, that's what she guessed. Friends last forever, even if you have to move on. Morgan knew she would keep in touch with Shawn and Angela and Cassidy and Topanga and especially Cory, but they wouldn't be close friends. Still, they were friends, and they'd taught her a lesson - true love doesn't show mercy, but it's stronger than anything - and if you believe in it and you believe it's all going to be okay, it will be. On the day Morgan left, everyone came but Cassidy. They all joined her in the parking lot next to her turquoise convertible. The moving trucks had already taken her furniture away, but they hadn't taken Morgan yet. "I'll never forget you guys," Morgan said. She started at Shawn first. "You taught me that if you just keep believing it will be okay, it will be," she said through tears. "And if you believe that you love someone, you really, really do." Next was Angela. "You showed me that even in the times when you needed a miracle, miracles happen if you believe they can." She hugged Angela and moved on to Topanga. "I didn't really know you," she admitted, "but from what Cory told me about you, you're a great person. You helped me when I wasn't sure what to do. Thanks." "Remember," Topanga said. "You don't want to be the Jan Brady to all the Marcia's of the world." Morgan laughed through tears and hugged Topanga. "Cory," Morgan said when she got to him. "You.you accepted me when I first came here. You taught me how to be a better person in a three-hour coffee. I'm going to do some good in this world, and I blame you for that." She hugged him. "There are two kinds of people in this world, Morgan. Those people who watched Happy Days marathons and sing in the shower, and those who lie in bed at night with tears in their eyes." Cory told her. She laughed and then he kissed her. It wasn't a peck; it was longer than that. But it only meant that they'd be friends forever. He loved her; she loved him - as friends. Maybe it was destiny, maybe it was fate, but whoever decided they would kiss, was most certainly ahead of His time. They laughed, they reminisced, they cried, they complained, they whined even. But they all knew that someday Morgan would come back. But that's a different story. And the first thing Morgan did when she got to her house in L.A. was watch a Happy Days marathon, and in the evening, she sang louder than ever in the shower.