Morgan Mendoza took a look around her apartment. She was going to
miss it. But then she saw something that caught her eye. It was a picture
of Angela, Shawn, Cory, and her. She didn't remember when it was taken or
where for that, but she knew it was before she'd gone to L.A. - right after
Christmas, maybe.
She picked up the picture and sat down on her bed. She smiled as she touched Cory, Shawn, and Angela - as if they were really there with her.
She imagined what they would say if she had told them she was moving. She could just think of Angela's reaction. "Sometimes, you can't wait for opportunity to knock, honey. You just have to rip that door off its hinges and tackle it in the street. Things might happen wherever you are going. It might be fun."
Might was the keyword. It wouldn't ever be fun, because she wouldn't be with - the first person that came to mind was Cory. She felt guilty, but then she thought again. Topanga wasn't here anymore, and she'd made it perfectly clear she wasn't coming back. Who knows, maybe she'd eloped with Will (was that his name? She couldn't remember) and they were already expecting their first child. Cindy, or Kate, or even better, Morgan. Or if it was a boy, Spencer, or Brandon, or Cory were good names, as well as Shawn and Eric.
Anyway, she was perfectly allowed to fall in this so-called "love". She stopped herself at that last thought. Love was nothing but an emotion that people thought they felt. When you fall in love, you'd only end up falling.
But maybe it was like falling - you couldn't help it. She smiled again, and looked back down, but this time, Cory's face was blurred. Two seconds later, Shawn's was, then hers, then Angela's. She threw the picture at the wall as tears streamed down her cheeks. Who needed them?
She lay down on her bed, tears still streaming. Had she felt like this when she'd moved to L.A.? Not as much. But then again, Cory'd been off- limits at that time. Now he wasn't. She could have him if she wanted him, but she couldn't, for some reason. It was too much. She'd wind up being another Topanga, and she didn't want to hurt Cory like that.
The tears were annoying her and she was tired of the shadows on the wall. This time, her hysterical sobs were echoing because there was absolutely nothing but her bed, and herself.
She got up and went into her "living room" and lay down on the floor. When you cry, you do strange things.
She looked at the clock. Two fifty-five AM. She knew it was late, but she hadn't known it was that late. She wanted so desperately to call someone, but she couldn't. She didn't want to fall asleep, and she was comfortable in what she was wearing this afternoon when she'd had lunch with Cory and Shawn and Angela. When she'd had lunch with her friends.
Her friends. The same people she loved so dearly were her friends. This was news to her, she hadn't had friends for years, unless you counted Cassidy but she hadn't talked to Cassidy in years.
She continued to cry, but then she heard a noise outside. Suddenly, Cory, Shawn, and Angela bounded into her apartment.
"Oh my God, Morgan! Are you okay?" Angela screamed. "Sh, don't scream, you'll get us all evicted," Shawn warned.
"Too late for that," Morgan said in between sobs. "What are you talking about?" Cory asked her. "Apparently I can't pay my rent because the salary has been cut two thirds and the two thirds that I used to have of my salary went to paying the rent but since I don't have the two thirds anymore I can't pay the rent and so I have to move out but I don't know where to go because I don't have any family or any friends anywhere and even if I did I can't call them at 2:59 in the morning. OXYGEN." She said and sighed.
"Okay, Morgan, hold on, Shawn and I will go get dressed and then we'll come back and talk about this more thoroughly." Angela said, and she and Shawn left.
Cory looked at her and helped her up. "So you're leaving us," he said. "Yeah, I guess I am," she replied. "Do you want to?" he asked.
"Heck no. I mean, you guys are my friends.I don't have anyone anywhere else. Where am I supposed to go?"
He looked at her and she looked at him. Maybe it was the tragic moment in time, maybe it was the fact that Morgan still looked beautiful despite the tears, or maybe it was the fact that three AM is the magic hour of the night, when even the craziest things can happen and usually do.
But whatever it was, Cory put his arms around Morgan's waist and - even though it sounds hackneyed - they shared the most beautiful and passionate kiss you could ever imagine.
Angela and Shawn came in two seconds after it ended, and they didn't know. They wouldn't know - a look from Cory told Morgan that. But Morgan wasn't insulted; she'd given him the same look, so there was no reason to say anything - at all.
So they talked for hours about - stuff. About how Morgan would be leaving, about how different it would be without her, and then they started laughing. Lots of laughs.
And at 6, Morgan knew it had to end. She had to leave before they came and threw her out.
Too late, though - the landlord knocked on Morgan's door. "Hello, Morgan Mendoza?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's me, I know, I'll go." Morgan said, sadly. She sighed and hugged each and every one of them. "I'll miss you," she said to each of them.
They exchanged warm words, such as "Keep in touch!" or "I won't forget to write and call!" but Morgan knew they were empty promises. Nobody ever remembered to write or call, and neither did she. And keeping in touch? She wished.
The landlord left to remind other people that they had to leave, too, and Morgan wasn't crying - surprisingly. She held up a hand in an immobile wave and turned.
Like a bolt out of the blue, Cory got an idea. "Morgan!" he yelled. She didn't want to turn around - it would be too sad. And normally, she wouldn't have, but for some reason, this was an exception. She turned around.
"You can move in with me!" he suggested. "We have an extra room." Angela looked at Cory and smiled. What an idea, she'd have never thought of that. But then again, she didn't love Morgan. Well, she did, but only like a friend. It was hard not to love Morgan as a friend.
Shawn too was surprised, but Morgan was shocked. It was the kind of shock that made you stand there and just gawk at the person with your mouth open and your eyebrows raised like, "Really?"
"Yeah, really," Cory said, as if he was reading her thoughts. "Well, I don't know. I mean." her voice trailed off.
"Come on, Morgan. Where else do you have to go? I mean, you don't know anyone anywhere to move in with. And we'd all love if you stayed here," Angela pressed.
Morgan had to smile. Leave it to her friends to think of something like that, something as simple as that yet with so much power.
"Uh-huh, sure," she said. "Like you guys really want me to stay."
"We do!" Angela replied.
"We really do. Nothing exciting has happened here until you came. Absolutely nothing. I mean, we've all been living our lives normally until you got here. Then everything weird happened. Everything. It's - really, really different, but I like it." Cory said. It was either now, or nothing. He had to keep talking or else she'd leave. And this time, she probably wasn't coming back.
"You can talk all you want, but I know you don't want me to stay." She said. Why was she being so difficult? She knew in her heart that they wanted her to stay, she knew SHE wanted to stay. So why was she being difficult?
"Morgan, you taught us a lot. It's really hard to teach people these things, but you do." Shawn told her. Shawn had barely said a word through this whole goodbye scene, so he felt it efficient to say something.
"Plus, your designs are FABulous. I don't know WHAT I'd do without them. I mean, everytime there's a formal occasion, all I do is ask you for an exclusive preview of the Mendoza Line, and there's always something there." Angela added. Yes, Angela had a "Thing" for Morgan's designs. See? I told you everyone did. And if I didn't, then sorry about it, and here: Everyone has a "thing" for Morgan's designs.
"You guys really really want me to stay?" she asked. "No, Morgan, we hate you," Angela said in a sarcastic tone.
"Um, okay. But, Cory, I have to ask you a question," she said. "Does the extra room have a big closet?"
He smiled. "Yeah, I guess it does. Oh, and there's also a room for your studio. It's a pretty big apartment."
Morgan laughed. "Cool. I guess I'll go pick up the mannequins I ordered, then. See you," she said.
"No, why don't you unpack, first?" he asked. She smiled again. "I guess so, why not?" She headed into his apartment and unpacked all her stuff. But she never picked up the mannequins that day, or the next day.
"Listen," Cory said one day. "I think we're going to have to lay down some ground rules. Number one."
"Cory?" she said. "Don't interrupt me. That's number one." He replied. "CORY!"
"WHAT?" he asked. "You're drinking my milk," she said, and took the carton of milk away. He glared at her.
"You earlier that we had all labeled our stuff. See, there's an M on the carton. That implies it's mine. MINE. M for me. M for Morgan. M for mine."
It was going to take awhile to get used to the living arrangements.
She picked up the picture and sat down on her bed. She smiled as she touched Cory, Shawn, and Angela - as if they were really there with her.
She imagined what they would say if she had told them she was moving. She could just think of Angela's reaction. "Sometimes, you can't wait for opportunity to knock, honey. You just have to rip that door off its hinges and tackle it in the street. Things might happen wherever you are going. It might be fun."
Might was the keyword. It wouldn't ever be fun, because she wouldn't be with - the first person that came to mind was Cory. She felt guilty, but then she thought again. Topanga wasn't here anymore, and she'd made it perfectly clear she wasn't coming back. Who knows, maybe she'd eloped with Will (was that his name? She couldn't remember) and they were already expecting their first child. Cindy, or Kate, or even better, Morgan. Or if it was a boy, Spencer, or Brandon, or Cory were good names, as well as Shawn and Eric.
Anyway, she was perfectly allowed to fall in this so-called "love". She stopped herself at that last thought. Love was nothing but an emotion that people thought they felt. When you fall in love, you'd only end up falling.
But maybe it was like falling - you couldn't help it. She smiled again, and looked back down, but this time, Cory's face was blurred. Two seconds later, Shawn's was, then hers, then Angela's. She threw the picture at the wall as tears streamed down her cheeks. Who needed them?
She lay down on her bed, tears still streaming. Had she felt like this when she'd moved to L.A.? Not as much. But then again, Cory'd been off- limits at that time. Now he wasn't. She could have him if she wanted him, but she couldn't, for some reason. It was too much. She'd wind up being another Topanga, and she didn't want to hurt Cory like that.
The tears were annoying her and she was tired of the shadows on the wall. This time, her hysterical sobs were echoing because there was absolutely nothing but her bed, and herself.
She got up and went into her "living room" and lay down on the floor. When you cry, you do strange things.
She looked at the clock. Two fifty-five AM. She knew it was late, but she hadn't known it was that late. She wanted so desperately to call someone, but she couldn't. She didn't want to fall asleep, and she was comfortable in what she was wearing this afternoon when she'd had lunch with Cory and Shawn and Angela. When she'd had lunch with her friends.
Her friends. The same people she loved so dearly were her friends. This was news to her, she hadn't had friends for years, unless you counted Cassidy but she hadn't talked to Cassidy in years.
She continued to cry, but then she heard a noise outside. Suddenly, Cory, Shawn, and Angela bounded into her apartment.
"Oh my God, Morgan! Are you okay?" Angela screamed. "Sh, don't scream, you'll get us all evicted," Shawn warned.
"Too late for that," Morgan said in between sobs. "What are you talking about?" Cory asked her. "Apparently I can't pay my rent because the salary has been cut two thirds and the two thirds that I used to have of my salary went to paying the rent but since I don't have the two thirds anymore I can't pay the rent and so I have to move out but I don't know where to go because I don't have any family or any friends anywhere and even if I did I can't call them at 2:59 in the morning. OXYGEN." She said and sighed.
"Okay, Morgan, hold on, Shawn and I will go get dressed and then we'll come back and talk about this more thoroughly." Angela said, and she and Shawn left.
Cory looked at her and helped her up. "So you're leaving us," he said. "Yeah, I guess I am," she replied. "Do you want to?" he asked.
"Heck no. I mean, you guys are my friends.I don't have anyone anywhere else. Where am I supposed to go?"
He looked at her and she looked at him. Maybe it was the tragic moment in time, maybe it was the fact that Morgan still looked beautiful despite the tears, or maybe it was the fact that three AM is the magic hour of the night, when even the craziest things can happen and usually do.
But whatever it was, Cory put his arms around Morgan's waist and - even though it sounds hackneyed - they shared the most beautiful and passionate kiss you could ever imagine.
Angela and Shawn came in two seconds after it ended, and they didn't know. They wouldn't know - a look from Cory told Morgan that. But Morgan wasn't insulted; she'd given him the same look, so there was no reason to say anything - at all.
So they talked for hours about - stuff. About how Morgan would be leaving, about how different it would be without her, and then they started laughing. Lots of laughs.
And at 6, Morgan knew it had to end. She had to leave before they came and threw her out.
Too late, though - the landlord knocked on Morgan's door. "Hello, Morgan Mendoza?" she asked.
"Yeah, that's me, I know, I'll go." Morgan said, sadly. She sighed and hugged each and every one of them. "I'll miss you," she said to each of them.
They exchanged warm words, such as "Keep in touch!" or "I won't forget to write and call!" but Morgan knew they were empty promises. Nobody ever remembered to write or call, and neither did she. And keeping in touch? She wished.
The landlord left to remind other people that they had to leave, too, and Morgan wasn't crying - surprisingly. She held up a hand in an immobile wave and turned.
Like a bolt out of the blue, Cory got an idea. "Morgan!" he yelled. She didn't want to turn around - it would be too sad. And normally, she wouldn't have, but for some reason, this was an exception. She turned around.
"You can move in with me!" he suggested. "We have an extra room." Angela looked at Cory and smiled. What an idea, she'd have never thought of that. But then again, she didn't love Morgan. Well, she did, but only like a friend. It was hard not to love Morgan as a friend.
Shawn too was surprised, but Morgan was shocked. It was the kind of shock that made you stand there and just gawk at the person with your mouth open and your eyebrows raised like, "Really?"
"Yeah, really," Cory said, as if he was reading her thoughts. "Well, I don't know. I mean." her voice trailed off.
"Come on, Morgan. Where else do you have to go? I mean, you don't know anyone anywhere to move in with. And we'd all love if you stayed here," Angela pressed.
Morgan had to smile. Leave it to her friends to think of something like that, something as simple as that yet with so much power.
"Uh-huh, sure," she said. "Like you guys really want me to stay."
"We do!" Angela replied.
"We really do. Nothing exciting has happened here until you came. Absolutely nothing. I mean, we've all been living our lives normally until you got here. Then everything weird happened. Everything. It's - really, really different, but I like it." Cory said. It was either now, or nothing. He had to keep talking or else she'd leave. And this time, she probably wasn't coming back.
"You can talk all you want, but I know you don't want me to stay." She said. Why was she being so difficult? She knew in her heart that they wanted her to stay, she knew SHE wanted to stay. So why was she being difficult?
"Morgan, you taught us a lot. It's really hard to teach people these things, but you do." Shawn told her. Shawn had barely said a word through this whole goodbye scene, so he felt it efficient to say something.
"Plus, your designs are FABulous. I don't know WHAT I'd do without them. I mean, everytime there's a formal occasion, all I do is ask you for an exclusive preview of the Mendoza Line, and there's always something there." Angela added. Yes, Angela had a "Thing" for Morgan's designs. See? I told you everyone did. And if I didn't, then sorry about it, and here: Everyone has a "thing" for Morgan's designs.
"You guys really really want me to stay?" she asked. "No, Morgan, we hate you," Angela said in a sarcastic tone.
"Um, okay. But, Cory, I have to ask you a question," she said. "Does the extra room have a big closet?"
He smiled. "Yeah, I guess it does. Oh, and there's also a room for your studio. It's a pretty big apartment."
Morgan laughed. "Cool. I guess I'll go pick up the mannequins I ordered, then. See you," she said.
"No, why don't you unpack, first?" he asked. She smiled again. "I guess so, why not?" She headed into his apartment and unpacked all her stuff. But she never picked up the mannequins that day, or the next day.
"Listen," Cory said one day. "I think we're going to have to lay down some ground rules. Number one."
"Cory?" she said. "Don't interrupt me. That's number one." He replied. "CORY!"
"WHAT?" he asked. "You're drinking my milk," she said, and took the carton of milk away. He glared at her.
"You earlier that we had all labeled our stuff. See, there's an M on the carton. That implies it's mine. MINE. M for me. M for Morgan. M for mine."
It was going to take awhile to get used to the living arrangements.