Author's Note: I'm sorry if Topanga's out of character, it's sort of hard
to have her like she normally is in this story. I hope you can see that it
all works out, that I didn't make any fatal mistakes in my plot. I'm sorry
about the whole switching back and forth between the times! I thought it
would be better understood that way! Thanks for reading, don't forget to
review!
Chapter 6- Topanga Tells All
~Four Years Ago Still~
After her night with Minkus, Topanga went over to Corey's house and apologized. She claimed to be out of line and to have taken her stress out on Corey. Minkus tried several times to contact her and every time she ignored him. This was before her test. After the results she knew she had to get help. She called Minkus the day she found out. He offered to help, but she refused it. It would be hard enough with Corey, her parents and her friends; Minkus would only mess things up. The worst part of the pregnancy would be over summer break; she couldn't stay home like she always did. She happened to know Corey would be spending summer at home and she couldn't tell him, yet.
Topanga found her solution, her aunt. She decided to go stay with her aunt in Pittsburgh over the summer. She only told her mother, but only because her mother found her pregnancy test and figured it all out. It was hard telling them both that Corey wasn't the father. For days they did not speak to her, and her mother followed her around the house crying. The seven-day silence was broken when her mother came out and hugged her one morning. In April, her stomach began to swell, she hurriedly began donning baggy sweaters and comfy shorts, and she claimed to a cold when people at school questioned her. Her sensitivity peaked, and she tried to hide it with phony relatives dying. Her parents told the counselor at school and often Topanga was called into the small room off of the nurse's office.
The ancient counselor always stared at her in disbelief before asking if she was doing all right. Topanga didn't have the heart to tell her parents (who told the counseler to set up meetings) that going to 'Dr. Smith' was doing more harm than good. June came and she had to leave Corey. She told him she was going to camp; she got on a bus, although it went to Pittsburgh, not Happy Trails.
She gave birth to a baby boy, and he instantly went into the hands of a young couple who could not bear children. Topanga never even got to nurse him. When he was still inside her, she did not mind that he would be adopted, but holding him in her arms she felt as though she could never leave him. Her heart broke when the couple came for their child. They called him John, which also hurt her because she wanted to name him Lance. He was a Lance, not a John. Then she figured John was a better-suited name, for one of the members of N'Sync was a Lance.
She recovered and the minute all signs of her pregnancy were gone, she returned to school for her senior year. Her parents wanted to move to Pittsburgh, so that she could get away from all of the mess of her pregnancy, but by that time she had grown so fond of Corey again. She convinced them to let her stay in Philadelphia with her aunt, who had moved back to Philadelphia with her.
~Present~
While Topanga's eyes swelled with tears, her friends stood in shock, then the silence broke.
Corey began laughing, and then Shawn and Angela followed suit. Only Minkus and Topanga remained serious. The hysteria of their laughing was the only clue that they were upset by the news.
"You godamn idiots! You are too caught up in your perfect lives to see the truth!" Stormed Minkus, his calm manner snapping.
The laughing stopped immediately, and attention was brought to Topanga once more. The entire restaurant seemed to be staring at them as well.
Topanga could no longer hold back her tears, they began slipping down her cheeks, and she did not even both to wipe them.
Minkus appeared entirely triumphant. He pulled from his pocket a birth record from the Pittsburgh hospital and also a picture of a young boy, no older than four with Topanga's eyes did and Minkus's hair did. He placed them firmly on the table in front of Corey.
The latter seemed to pass through thousands of emotions at once, surprise, disbelief, hurt and finally anger. His voice came out contorted. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Topanga threw down her napkin and fled the scene. All eyes seemed to watch her run to the doors and out into the rain. The storm had come.
***************************************************************
"I see my work here is done," Minkus commented, staring straight into Corey's eyes. He rose from the table, looking perfectly collected as he was before. No regret was evident in his face or in his tone. Only glee that he had ruined the lives of those whom had tormented him as a child.
"You defiled her!" Roared Shawn, jumping up from the table. He lunged at Minkus, fists bared. Minkus merely stepped back, seeing Angela's firm hand come down on his shoulder.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch tonight. It was nice meeting you Angela," the blond man responded, smiling genuinely in Angela's direction.
"You bastard," she spat, temporarily releasing Shawn. Minkus stopped a little taken aback, his momentary pause proved to be fatal.
In a matter of seconds Shawn had tackled him and began pummeling his face. He got three or four good punches in before the owners of the restaurant tore him away. Minkus struggled to a stand position and threw a punch at Shawn while his arms were pinned behind his back. Then, he shrugged off a waiter that tried to restrain him and walked out of the restaurant.
Shawn was thrown out as well, and Angela followed behind closely. Corey remained sitting at the table, head in his hands. He felt as though his heart had been ripped in several pieces and scattered around the table. A man came by with a check; they added the meals but did not bring them out. It was a punishment for the scene they had all made in the restaurant.
As he fingered the bill, Corey briefly wondered if Topanga had gone home. He shook that thought out of his mind, and with a burst of anger he swore he didn't care. She lied to me, he thought. She slept with Minkus, she gave birth to a Minkus...his thoughts rambled on and on about her deception.
Sanity seemed to have left him. Later on he would pity her, her situation was bad, and partly his own doing. His concern had driven to do such a disastrous thing. Topanga had gone through a lifetime of suffering in such a short time. What if her parents didn't understand? What if they had thrown her out? In all his love for her would he have readily taken her in, while the child grew inside her? Worse yet, what if this had happened a month earlier or someone at school found out?
However, sitting in the restaurant he thought of none of these things. All he felt was raw pain and betrayal. Anger crept in soon after, he wanted to kill Minkus, he wanted to hit Topanga, but he instantly withdrew the last thought. He could never hit her, even if she ran off with Minkus to Vegas at that instant. He still loved her, he realized with a pang. Nothing could ever stop it, but at the moment he didn't want to be near her. Not for awhile, he could not look into her browns eyes or feel her soft arms against his without thinking, This is what she did to Minkus four years ago...
The birth certificate the Minkus had so readily withdrew lay face up glaring at him. In red letters it read things that could destroy his young marriage. His friends had been questionable when he told them about his proposal. High school marriages never worked they told him, never. They usually only lasted eight months at the most, never a year. How proud he had been when he and Topanga had reached a year. But now, his friends seemed to be right, and all of the 'meant to be' sayings seemed like idle bullshit.
************************************************************
Outside Shawn paced around on the sidewalk. His eye began to blacken, and he was thoroughly soaked to the skin. The rain was still pouring down, and the storm was in full force.
Angela just watched him from under the awning of the restaurant. She stood numb, her pure friend, her good friend loosing her virginity to Stewart Minkus, class nerd extraordinaire. The girl cared so much about her reputation, she thought, recalling the time in ninth grade when she was excused of sleeping with Corey. She had been so upset, but that was all a misunderstanding. Angela knew that with Minkus it was no misunderstanding. It didn't seem real but it was, and she had seen the birth certificate.
Shawn was thinking only of smashing Minkus's face in. He had to find him, Corey would be in there awhile, and he had to find Minkus. He had to. "Angela go find Topanga, I'm going to get Minkus," snarled Shawn.
Angela numbly nodded and set off towards the dorm. Shawn however, set off towards the airport. Minkus had somehow gotten on the bus without Shawn seeing. He had been thrown out the back and Minkus had been escorted to the front. He had not thought of running to the front of the restaurant until a little while later. By that time it was too late, the man was gone.
He reached the bus stop soon, and the bus came as if on cue a few minutes later. He found an empty seat near the window and tried to control his impatience while the bus pulled off towards the highway.
****************************************************************
Topanga went immediately back to the dorm. She had gotten out the suitcase and packed it full in a fury of tears. Her outfits, her life swiftly went in the beat-up plastic suitcase she had since high school. She rummaged through her wallet; she had very little cash. It was then she noticed her credit card on the table. It lead to Corey and her's joint account and only could be used in emergencies. This was an emergency. Just as she slipped it into her purse she heard someone outside her door. She glanced up and saw that it was Minkus. His face seemed a little battered, dark bruises were evident on his cheeks.
"Stewart, what are you doing here?" She demanded her voice tight.
"I've come to see you, my love. I couldn't leave without telling you good-bye;" he answered sugary, as if the whole scene in the restaurant hadn't happened.
"Don't call me that," she snapped, backing away from the door.
"You weren't so cold to me four years ago." He sneered; "you were quite passionate then. How feisty you were then,"
"How incredibly stupid I was then! That was four years ago, Stewart. Why did you bring this up? You have to let the past be," Topanga pleaded, she felt as if she was completely defenseless under his steady gaze.
"Oh, I didn't bring this up just for Corey's sake; I wouldn't waste my money that way. My real motive was that our child (Topanga winced) is in need of our care. It seems the lovely adoptive parents are mistreating him, and he is in the orphanage." Stewart answered coolly. He had stepped closer.
"Someone else will adopt him! I'm married now, I'm in school, I can't just leave all that for my child. Legally he isn't my child anyway," Topanga added. She could not bring up that remorse again.
"You see that's where you're mistaken. No one else will adopt him. I happen to have a case dealing with his orphanage. They fully plan on abolishing it all together, due to some neglected taxes. Nearly every child has been sent into a home, except for our child. So, I stopped by and adopted him. Presently he is staying with a friend of mine in New York. I told her I would return for him soon. As you know, a child needs its mother. I couldn't possibly find another mother quite as good as you," explained Minkus.
"You're going to have to," Topanga replied, turning around.
"Your bags are packed, dearest. Where do you plan on going?" Minkus inquired, standing at the foot of the bed.
"I was planning on going to my mother's house."
"And tell her what? The marriage she disapproved of isn't working?"
Topanga bit her lip. She knew she couldn't stay and she desperately wanted to see her child again, but to leave school, her life, and her husband....
"You realize your life here is over, don't you? Your husband probably can't stand the sight of you. Your friends are horrified at your actions; you can not stay in Pittsburgh. I am offering you a chance to see your son. The very same precious little boy you have not held in your loving arms for four years. Do not pass this up, I will not allow you near him on any other conditions. Come with me to New York," Minkus seemed to read her mind, see into her inner most thoughts.
"All right," she replied.
***************************************************************************
Angela had just reached the dorm when she saw Topanga and Minkus leaving. Topanga seemed to trail behind the blond as if she were his prisoner. Panicked, Angela tore back to the restaurant to tell Corey what had happened. She didn't stop running until she got there.
Corey was still seated at the table lost in thought. Angela convinced the waiter that she was with Corey and tried to catch her breath. As she approached Corey glanced up appearing bewildered and hurt.
"Corey, there's something wrong. I just saw Topanga leaving with Minkus," she said desperately. To her shock Corey did not show any reaction.
"She might as well leave with the father of her child." He murmured, with little hope in his voice.
"She doesn't want to go, Corey. I know she doesn't. Come with me to the airport. You heard Minkus; he has a flight out tonight." Begged Angela.
"You can go, but I'm staying here." He suddenly sounded old. She hardly recognized the young man sitting there. His carefree attitude completely vanished. Angela wouldn't ever have thought Corey could get this downhearted.
"You must come, and you'll loose her forever." Persisted Angela. Suddenly Corey snapped.
"I've already lost her! Can't you see? We can never be together again! Things will never be the same!" He said, eyes full of tears.
"Fine! The only girl you ever loved is going tonight and her devoted husband is going to sit on his ass and mope!" Angela argued, turning on her heel. She began walking towards the door. She realized that Corey was following her when she got outside.
"What are you waiting for?" He demanded. "Let's go get Topanga,"
Chapter 6- Topanga Tells All
~Four Years Ago Still~
After her night with Minkus, Topanga went over to Corey's house and apologized. She claimed to be out of line and to have taken her stress out on Corey. Minkus tried several times to contact her and every time she ignored him. This was before her test. After the results she knew she had to get help. She called Minkus the day she found out. He offered to help, but she refused it. It would be hard enough with Corey, her parents and her friends; Minkus would only mess things up. The worst part of the pregnancy would be over summer break; she couldn't stay home like she always did. She happened to know Corey would be spending summer at home and she couldn't tell him, yet.
Topanga found her solution, her aunt. She decided to go stay with her aunt in Pittsburgh over the summer. She only told her mother, but only because her mother found her pregnancy test and figured it all out. It was hard telling them both that Corey wasn't the father. For days they did not speak to her, and her mother followed her around the house crying. The seven-day silence was broken when her mother came out and hugged her one morning. In April, her stomach began to swell, she hurriedly began donning baggy sweaters and comfy shorts, and she claimed to a cold when people at school questioned her. Her sensitivity peaked, and she tried to hide it with phony relatives dying. Her parents told the counselor at school and often Topanga was called into the small room off of the nurse's office.
The ancient counselor always stared at her in disbelief before asking if she was doing all right. Topanga didn't have the heart to tell her parents (who told the counseler to set up meetings) that going to 'Dr. Smith' was doing more harm than good. June came and she had to leave Corey. She told him she was going to camp; she got on a bus, although it went to Pittsburgh, not Happy Trails.
She gave birth to a baby boy, and he instantly went into the hands of a young couple who could not bear children. Topanga never even got to nurse him. When he was still inside her, she did not mind that he would be adopted, but holding him in her arms she felt as though she could never leave him. Her heart broke when the couple came for their child. They called him John, which also hurt her because she wanted to name him Lance. He was a Lance, not a John. Then she figured John was a better-suited name, for one of the members of N'Sync was a Lance.
She recovered and the minute all signs of her pregnancy were gone, she returned to school for her senior year. Her parents wanted to move to Pittsburgh, so that she could get away from all of the mess of her pregnancy, but by that time she had grown so fond of Corey again. She convinced them to let her stay in Philadelphia with her aunt, who had moved back to Philadelphia with her.
~Present~
While Topanga's eyes swelled with tears, her friends stood in shock, then the silence broke.
Corey began laughing, and then Shawn and Angela followed suit. Only Minkus and Topanga remained serious. The hysteria of their laughing was the only clue that they were upset by the news.
"You godamn idiots! You are too caught up in your perfect lives to see the truth!" Stormed Minkus, his calm manner snapping.
The laughing stopped immediately, and attention was brought to Topanga once more. The entire restaurant seemed to be staring at them as well.
Topanga could no longer hold back her tears, they began slipping down her cheeks, and she did not even both to wipe them.
Minkus appeared entirely triumphant. He pulled from his pocket a birth record from the Pittsburgh hospital and also a picture of a young boy, no older than four with Topanga's eyes did and Minkus's hair did. He placed them firmly on the table in front of Corey.
The latter seemed to pass through thousands of emotions at once, surprise, disbelief, hurt and finally anger. His voice came out contorted. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Topanga threw down her napkin and fled the scene. All eyes seemed to watch her run to the doors and out into the rain. The storm had come.
***************************************************************
"I see my work here is done," Minkus commented, staring straight into Corey's eyes. He rose from the table, looking perfectly collected as he was before. No regret was evident in his face or in his tone. Only glee that he had ruined the lives of those whom had tormented him as a child.
"You defiled her!" Roared Shawn, jumping up from the table. He lunged at Minkus, fists bared. Minkus merely stepped back, seeing Angela's firm hand come down on his shoulder.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a plane to catch tonight. It was nice meeting you Angela," the blond man responded, smiling genuinely in Angela's direction.
"You bastard," she spat, temporarily releasing Shawn. Minkus stopped a little taken aback, his momentary pause proved to be fatal.
In a matter of seconds Shawn had tackled him and began pummeling his face. He got three or four good punches in before the owners of the restaurant tore him away. Minkus struggled to a stand position and threw a punch at Shawn while his arms were pinned behind his back. Then, he shrugged off a waiter that tried to restrain him and walked out of the restaurant.
Shawn was thrown out as well, and Angela followed behind closely. Corey remained sitting at the table, head in his hands. He felt as though his heart had been ripped in several pieces and scattered around the table. A man came by with a check; they added the meals but did not bring them out. It was a punishment for the scene they had all made in the restaurant.
As he fingered the bill, Corey briefly wondered if Topanga had gone home. He shook that thought out of his mind, and with a burst of anger he swore he didn't care. She lied to me, he thought. She slept with Minkus, she gave birth to a Minkus...his thoughts rambled on and on about her deception.
Sanity seemed to have left him. Later on he would pity her, her situation was bad, and partly his own doing. His concern had driven to do such a disastrous thing. Topanga had gone through a lifetime of suffering in such a short time. What if her parents didn't understand? What if they had thrown her out? In all his love for her would he have readily taken her in, while the child grew inside her? Worse yet, what if this had happened a month earlier or someone at school found out?
However, sitting in the restaurant he thought of none of these things. All he felt was raw pain and betrayal. Anger crept in soon after, he wanted to kill Minkus, he wanted to hit Topanga, but he instantly withdrew the last thought. He could never hit her, even if she ran off with Minkus to Vegas at that instant. He still loved her, he realized with a pang. Nothing could ever stop it, but at the moment he didn't want to be near her. Not for awhile, he could not look into her browns eyes or feel her soft arms against his without thinking, This is what she did to Minkus four years ago...
The birth certificate the Minkus had so readily withdrew lay face up glaring at him. In red letters it read things that could destroy his young marriage. His friends had been questionable when he told them about his proposal. High school marriages never worked they told him, never. They usually only lasted eight months at the most, never a year. How proud he had been when he and Topanga had reached a year. But now, his friends seemed to be right, and all of the 'meant to be' sayings seemed like idle bullshit.
************************************************************
Outside Shawn paced around on the sidewalk. His eye began to blacken, and he was thoroughly soaked to the skin. The rain was still pouring down, and the storm was in full force.
Angela just watched him from under the awning of the restaurant. She stood numb, her pure friend, her good friend loosing her virginity to Stewart Minkus, class nerd extraordinaire. The girl cared so much about her reputation, she thought, recalling the time in ninth grade when she was excused of sleeping with Corey. She had been so upset, but that was all a misunderstanding. Angela knew that with Minkus it was no misunderstanding. It didn't seem real but it was, and she had seen the birth certificate.
Shawn was thinking only of smashing Minkus's face in. He had to find him, Corey would be in there awhile, and he had to find Minkus. He had to. "Angela go find Topanga, I'm going to get Minkus," snarled Shawn.
Angela numbly nodded and set off towards the dorm. Shawn however, set off towards the airport. Minkus had somehow gotten on the bus without Shawn seeing. He had been thrown out the back and Minkus had been escorted to the front. He had not thought of running to the front of the restaurant until a little while later. By that time it was too late, the man was gone.
He reached the bus stop soon, and the bus came as if on cue a few minutes later. He found an empty seat near the window and tried to control his impatience while the bus pulled off towards the highway.
****************************************************************
Topanga went immediately back to the dorm. She had gotten out the suitcase and packed it full in a fury of tears. Her outfits, her life swiftly went in the beat-up plastic suitcase she had since high school. She rummaged through her wallet; she had very little cash. It was then she noticed her credit card on the table. It lead to Corey and her's joint account and only could be used in emergencies. This was an emergency. Just as she slipped it into her purse she heard someone outside her door. She glanced up and saw that it was Minkus. His face seemed a little battered, dark bruises were evident on his cheeks.
"Stewart, what are you doing here?" She demanded her voice tight.
"I've come to see you, my love. I couldn't leave without telling you good-bye;" he answered sugary, as if the whole scene in the restaurant hadn't happened.
"Don't call me that," she snapped, backing away from the door.
"You weren't so cold to me four years ago." He sneered; "you were quite passionate then. How feisty you were then,"
"How incredibly stupid I was then! That was four years ago, Stewart. Why did you bring this up? You have to let the past be," Topanga pleaded, she felt as if she was completely defenseless under his steady gaze.
"Oh, I didn't bring this up just for Corey's sake; I wouldn't waste my money that way. My real motive was that our child (Topanga winced) is in need of our care. It seems the lovely adoptive parents are mistreating him, and he is in the orphanage." Stewart answered coolly. He had stepped closer.
"Someone else will adopt him! I'm married now, I'm in school, I can't just leave all that for my child. Legally he isn't my child anyway," Topanga added. She could not bring up that remorse again.
"You see that's where you're mistaken. No one else will adopt him. I happen to have a case dealing with his orphanage. They fully plan on abolishing it all together, due to some neglected taxes. Nearly every child has been sent into a home, except for our child. So, I stopped by and adopted him. Presently he is staying with a friend of mine in New York. I told her I would return for him soon. As you know, a child needs its mother. I couldn't possibly find another mother quite as good as you," explained Minkus.
"You're going to have to," Topanga replied, turning around.
"Your bags are packed, dearest. Where do you plan on going?" Minkus inquired, standing at the foot of the bed.
"I was planning on going to my mother's house."
"And tell her what? The marriage she disapproved of isn't working?"
Topanga bit her lip. She knew she couldn't stay and she desperately wanted to see her child again, but to leave school, her life, and her husband....
"You realize your life here is over, don't you? Your husband probably can't stand the sight of you. Your friends are horrified at your actions; you can not stay in Pittsburgh. I am offering you a chance to see your son. The very same precious little boy you have not held in your loving arms for four years. Do not pass this up, I will not allow you near him on any other conditions. Come with me to New York," Minkus seemed to read her mind, see into her inner most thoughts.
"All right," she replied.
***************************************************************************
Angela had just reached the dorm when she saw Topanga and Minkus leaving. Topanga seemed to trail behind the blond as if she were his prisoner. Panicked, Angela tore back to the restaurant to tell Corey what had happened. She didn't stop running until she got there.
Corey was still seated at the table lost in thought. Angela convinced the waiter that she was with Corey and tried to catch her breath. As she approached Corey glanced up appearing bewildered and hurt.
"Corey, there's something wrong. I just saw Topanga leaving with Minkus," she said desperately. To her shock Corey did not show any reaction.
"She might as well leave with the father of her child." He murmured, with little hope in his voice.
"She doesn't want to go, Corey. I know she doesn't. Come with me to the airport. You heard Minkus; he has a flight out tonight." Begged Angela.
"You can go, but I'm staying here." He suddenly sounded old. She hardly recognized the young man sitting there. His carefree attitude completely vanished. Angela wouldn't ever have thought Corey could get this downhearted.
"You must come, and you'll loose her forever." Persisted Angela. Suddenly Corey snapped.
"I've already lost her! Can't you see? We can never be together again! Things will never be the same!" He said, eyes full of tears.
"Fine! The only girl you ever loved is going tonight and her devoted husband is going to sit on his ass and mope!" Angela argued, turning on her heel. She began walking towards the door. She realized that Corey was following her when she got outside.
"What are you waiting for?" He demanded. "Let's go get Topanga,"