Shawn opened the door for Melanie and she gracefully got in the red mustang. He smiled at her and she smiled back. He then shut the door and came on the driver's side and got in himself. They started driving and Shawn spoke first.

"So I was wondering, well, I was wondering if you were doing anything maybe this weekend. Maybe we could hit a movie or show or something?" Shawn said to Melanie.

Melanie said, "We as in you and me, or we as in everyone?" "Umm, you and me." Shawn trailed off. Melanie really didn't want to, because she didn't want to hurt him and she was actually fonder of Cory than Shawn. But neither of those reasons stopped Melanie from saying, "Sure, I'd love to."

For the rest of the ride home Shawn had a smile on his face and Melanie was deep in thought about why she had said yes. They got to the college and parted in the hallway with a kiss on the cheek. Shawn thought he was surely in love, and Melanie didn't think anymore of the night, and fell asleep.

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Back at the restaurant Angela and Cory started talking.

"You like her don't you?" Angela asked Cory. Cory replied, "Of course, she is a very nice person, I don't know who wouldn't like her." Angela shook her head. "So Angela, how has Topanga been?"

Angela hated this subject. "Cory, if I were you, I would just try to get on with my life. Topanga is in her own world." Angela didn't want to say too much but she had a feeling that Cory already knew.

"Melanie is a wonderful person and I think it was fate for her to come here at this point in time. She could be the cork to stop up the hole in your heart." Angela suggested. Cory shook his head. He knew but he didn't want to believe it.

He knew that he was falling out of love with Topanga and in love with Melanie. "Topanga and I were supposed to be together for the rest of our lives. Melanie should have never come. Shawn has probably already gotten her. I should be happy. No. I AM happy. I am happy that Shawn will be happy and that you." He trailed off.

Angela's head lowered. She too had a love in which she couldn't have. She didn't want to break up with Shawn and she knew that she still had major feelings for him. With him and Melanie together, it was made final that they were through. She wanted to get all dressed up for Shawn, she wanted to wake up in the mornings for Shawn. She lived for Shawn. She wanted him to take her back. But now that time will never come.

Two broken hearts headed out of the restaurant hand in hand, consoling their company.

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

"Do you think its safe?" Topanga asked. "Sure, why not. We have been doing this for a long time and no one knows." "Well, Angela found out, but I told her that if she told anyone." Topanga trailed off.

"Its fine, and especially with that new girl here, all the focus will be on her, not us."

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

In the boy's dorm, Shawn could be seen sleeping soundly with a smile on his face. Every once in a while he would turn his head or shift in the bed, but other than that, no other movements were made on his side of the room.

In contrast, Cory was found wide-awake, looking at the ceiling. He was thinking about the past. About the future. About the present. He thought that Topanga and him were meant to be together forever. All the obstacles; Lauren, Pittsburgh, the break ups, the getting back together. If they had been together through all of that, why did their relationship suddenly take a final halt?

He thought of how they would end up if they were to be married. It would be a beautiful ceremony with white and light pink everywhere, Topanga's favorite.

Topanga would be dressed in an old fashioned wedding dress and Cory would be in his tux. Shawn was there as the best man and Angela as the maid of honor. Was Melanie there? Cory didn't see her there, looking in the crowd of people.

He turned to his fiancée, his wife to be. It was time to lift the veil. He smiled as he lifted it, but instead of seeing the person he thought would be under the veil, he saw Melanie.

For some reason in this daydream (or night dream in this case) Cory didn't mind. He smiled at Melanie and she smiled back. Topanga was forgotten and Cory never saw her throughout the ceremony.

Cory ventured into the future, to a quaint house, with a fireplace and a nook. The house was painted baby blue with a white trim. Inside there were two little girls running around. He was found sitting next to the fire, laughing. He saw no one else in the picture, so he could not determine who he would end up with.

Coming back to the present he found Shawn and Melanie together. Topanga, like Angela said, was in her own world, and Angela was still looking at Shawn with adoring eyes. Cory was alone.

All alone.

And all alone he slept, sleep finally coming to him. It was three in the morning when sleep did come and it didn't leave till nine am the next day.

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

Melanie awoke to the sound of a door closing quietly. Melanie looked up without moving her body to find Topanga sneaking in the dorm. Melanie looked at the clock. It was two am.

Melanie couldn't sleep after Topanga woke her, so she decided to write. Melanie never showed anyone her writing, or at least the writing she did at night. If anyone ever did see it they would tell you it was the best writing they had ever read, but as I said before, Melanie kept her writing a secret.

But all artists need inspiration. Melanie's inspiration was in music. She just bought a new CD and decided to listen to it. Carefully making sure not to wake anyone, she got up and took her portable CD player out of the nightstand. Looking through the Wal-Mart sack, she found the CD she bought yesterday, "JoDee Messina: Greatest Hits."

Melanie loved country music. She didn't know what it was, but it put everything in perspective for her.

Melanie pulled out her pen and a pad of paper. She had brainstormed ideas about a boy who had a secret that he couldn't tell anyone. He had to go through life keeping this secret. It would be a child's book.

Without thinking, she put down the name of the boy; Shawn. Looking down, she saw what she wrote and scratched it out. She wrote Cory there underneath it and the crossed it out too. She was soo confused.

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