Math teacher comment comes from Season 2 Episode 23
Jonathan Turner: Now see, why can't you be this sharp in class?
Shawn Hunter: Math's not my best subject.
Jonathan Turner: ...I'm your English teacher.
Shawn Hunter: Then why're you teachin' math?
Jonathan Turner: Are you kiddin' me?
Have a holly, jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year.
I don't know if there'll be snow but have a cup of cheer.
Have a holly, jolly Christmas. And when you walk down the street, say hello to friends you know and everyone you meet.
Oh ho, the mistletoe hung where you can see. Somebody waits for you, kiss her once for me.
Have a holly jolly Christmas and in case you didn't hear oh, by golly, have a holly, jolly Christmas this year!
-Burl Ives
It seemed that everyone had the idea to head out of town to shop for the holidays. A normally 50-minute drive took over an hour. Shawn entertained himself by backseat driving until he'd annoyed Jon to the point that Audrey shushed him. Once at the mall, it seemed to take another hour just to find a parking spot and that tested everyone's patience. It took stalking a couple back to their car before the trio were finally able to get a space.
The King of Prussia had been built in 1963 and was the third largest mall in America. It was huge and new to Shawn which meant there was plenty of trouble to be found. But for once, he wasn't interested in finding trouble; he was focused on his Christmas gift list.
Jon had given him a budget that he was expected to stick to. Shawn had the sneaking suspicion that this was done solely to force him to do math with the holiday break right around the corner. And yet the man still denied being his math teacher.
Wrinkling his nose in concentration, Shawn ran his finger down the list of names:
Cory
Topanga
Jon
Audrey
Dad
Uncle Mike
Cute blonde in Mr. Williams' class
There were a couple of other family members on there with Uncle Mike. Jon gave him explicit instructions when it came to buying for the Hunter family: nothing could be bought out of the trunk of a car or from the interior of a coat; nothing with filed off serial numbers. This left Shawn with no clue what to get his family.
The trio was going to split up and meet back at the mall entrance in an hour, but after they'd gone off in different directions Shawn decided to go with Audrey to find something for Jon.
"You mind if I tag along?" he asked as he jogged up to her.
"You?" she grinned. "Never!"
Shawn smiled, shoved his list into his pocket, and took her hand. He knew she wouldn't mind but he loved seeing the genuine smile that lit her face when he asked. It was a smile he rarely got from adults when he showed up; they usually wanted him to go away as soon as possible.
"You got any ideas on what to get for Jon?"
"Yep." Her eyes lit up with child-like excitement. She whispered secretively to him as though someone might overhear and tell Jon. "Tickets to the Flyers game when the Rangers come to town next month."
"No way!" he breathed impressed. Jon loved hockey and the Rangers were his favorite NHL team. "How'd you managed that?"
Audrey was quite pleased with herself and thrilled to be able to tell someone about Jon's gift before she burst and told Jon. "I have a friend whose dad organizes the events at the Gardens, and he gave me the tickets. Two tickets right behind the net."
"Jon's gonna love that, but…" Shawn gave her a quizzical look.
"But what?"
"Which one of us is gonna go with him?"
Audrey gave him a sad smile and brushed his hair out of his eyes. "Those games are televised, and you know how much Jon worries about getting caught being out with us. I figured I'd take the pressure off him by having him go with Eli."
At Shawn's disappointed look, she added, "It's just this time, Shawn. I'm planning on all of us going to the Rangers home opener in October. I'm already lining the tickets up with my friend's dad."
"Wait- a game at Madison Square Gardens?"
She nodded and he grinned. Then, as her words sunk in, a funny feeling washed over him. She was planning far ahead- October of next year and planning on the three of them still being together. He was a part of her plan. The funny feeling turned conflicted. Shawn struggled with why she so willingly accepted him and included him in her life. Not even his parents did this. He was rarely apart of their plans. Most of the time, he felt they didn't want to include him at all. Audrey seemed to want him as much as she did Jon and that made little sense to him.
"Okay," he said, puffing his bangs out of his face. "That would work."
Audrey gave his shoulder a loving squeeze as though she knew what he was thinking. "And on the night of the game you and I'll go out and do something special. Maybe take Cory and Topanga with us?"
"That sounds great, Mama." At the look of affection on her face for him, tears picked his eyes. Shrugging suddenly to make them go away, he gave her a cocky smirk. Then he looked around at the stores they were near. It was so crowded as people pushed by shoulder to shoulder through the mall, it was hard to see anything. "So, it's just me that needs to get Jon somethin'."
"Oh, I'm gonna get him something else," she said, clapping her hands together. "I want him to have something from me under the tree."
Unable to decide exactly where to go, Shawn put his hand over his eyes, pointed with the other, and spun in a circle. The duo took off in the direction he was pointing at when he stopped spinning.
Audrey really wasn't sure what to get Jon, so they wandered in out of stores window shopping. More than once they found something, but the lines were so long that they abandoned their finds and moved on.
At one stop, Shawn came across a genuine leather wallet with the Harley Davidson logo embossed on it. His eyes lit up as he knew he'd found the perfect gift for his caretaker. Jon loved his Harley and anything motorcycle related. Even his leather jacket was adorned in motorcycle patches. Unfortunately, it was too much for his budget. Disappointed, he put the wallet back. A year before he absolutely would have tried to steal the wallet, but that wasn't an option anymore. It didn't even appeal to him to try.
"What's wrong," Audrey asked when she saw how upset he was.
"I don't have enough for it." It was hardly the first time he'd said those words, they were an ingrained part of his vocabulary, but he resented having to say it all. Especially at this time of year.
"How much is it?"
"Thirty-five."
A frown crossed her face. "I think you have plenty for it."
"No, I don't," he said sadly. His math skills were lacking but they weren't that bad.
"I'm pretty sure you do."
Shawn frowned at the look she was giving him. But she seemed so confident that he began to doubt himself. With a shrug, he took the wallet and they stood in line to wait.
At the checkout counter, the weary cashier rang up his purchase. With Audrey's confidence giving him a boost, Shawn's spirit was high at the thought of giving Jon something he'd really like and not a junky trinkets dads usually got from their kids. Unfortunately, he had forgotten about taxes and when he saw the total, his heart sank beneath his shoes.
$39.95
He knew he didn't have enough for the wallet. There was no way.
Embarrassed, he pulled out his own wallet and began to count his money.
$5
$15
$20
$30
$45
$60… That was the last of it. The wallet would take up most of his budget and there wouldn't be enough to cover everyone else on his list.
Except…
There was still something in the bill compartment.
$70?
$75?
$85?
Shawn turned to Audrey in bewilderment. He knew he didn't have that much before. Jon had given him $50 when they left the apartment. He had $10 of his own earned from odd jobs at home and babysitting Morgan for the Matthews.
Audrey stared back at him with an innocent look and sweet smile. She gestured to the cashier who was impatiently waiting for payment.
Dazed, Shawn paid and put the wallet in the inside pocket of his leather jacket. That was not something he wanted to lose.
"I don't understand," he mumbled as they left the store. He stopped walking and stared at her. "When did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Slip me the extra cash."
She gave him a confused look. "I don't know what you're talking about, Shawn."
He continued to pester her for answers, but she doubled down that she didn't know anything or do anything.
"It had to be you!"
Audrey cut him off by pointing to the store they were standing in front of-a sports collectible store. She was pointing at what was hanging in the window- a Mark Messier jersey, bright and shiny and new.
"Oh," she said in a voice of hushed reverence. "I don't think Jon has a Messier jersey. Actually, I don't think he has any jersey, just a pullover."
"Who's Mark Messy…whatever?"
"The Ranger's captain," she laughed. "C'mon, Shawn, Jon'll need something to wear to the game!"
She grabbed him by the hand, wove them through the crowd and gleefully skipped into the store. There were few things Audrey loved more than to spoil the people she loved and it had been a very long time since she'd been able to do so.
Jon had to navigate the crowds on his own, which was fine. He needed the space to think anyway. The past month had been such a whirlwind between school and fulfilling Shawn's list that he'd had little time to himself. In the quiet moments he had in the mornings before Shawn was up or after the teen and Audrey had fallen asleep on the couch, those two weighed heavily on his mind.
He knew that nothing that was happening right now- spending so much time together, falling asleep on the couch, everything in between- could continue after Christmas. It absolutely could not and should not continue. Mr. Feeny had warned him multiple times not to get involved with Audrey in any way outside of school.
He knew George's orders were from a place of concern as much as they were maintaining faculty decorum. It was also possible to lose his job and possibly his career if someone reported him to the school board and the school board deemed the relationship inappropriate. He had a feeling that, although there was nothing going on between them, the school board would not believe that Audrey's after school presence was for Shawn's benefit.
And it was.
Mostly.
Despite knowing with absolute certainty what the right thing to do was, he resented having to do it. He didn't want to limit his time with Audrey. He didn't want to end their time as a family. He didn't want to let go of the people he cared so much about because of how it looked to other people. He didn't want anything to change.
Jon stood in front of the mall directory, staring blankly at it. He knew where he was going, but it wouldn't take long to get what he wanted. Shawn's gifts had been bought awhile back and he was really on his own to get a gift for Audrey. Turning away from the map, he meandered through the mall again, killing time more than anything and thinking. Eventually, he found himself outside of the store he intended on shopping at. It was a small, local jewelry store. The last time he'd been in one it had not been a pleasant experience.
This time was different.
This time he wanted to be there.
The store was busy and so were all the employees, so Jon wandered the displays looking at the jewelry options. For some reason he came to a stop in front of the ring display. There was one that caught his attention for an inexplicable reason. It wasn't the flashiest ring in the display but very pretty. A simple, princess cut diamond the perfect size for the small, slim finger of a dancer. Jon stared at the ring for a long time. Shawn's begging for an engagement ring came back to him as did his former girlfriend Kat's demand for one.
It was a beautiful ring.
"I see you found the ring you want."
Jon looked up to see an older woman behind the counter smiling knowingly at him.
"Ah, no, no. I was just lookin'," he stammered, embarrassed to be caught looking at the rings.
"Doesn't look like you were just looking," she smirked. "Looks like you were just finding."
Jon took a step back from the display. "I'm here for a necklace. July birthstone. Matchin' earrings."
The woman knew better. She'd seen too many men like the one in front of her come into her store, immediately find a ring they were clearly interested in, then claim to be looking for something else. They might leave with another piece of jewelry, but they always came back for the ring.
Reluctantly, Jon turned away from the rings. There was no point in even entertaining the idea of buying it. He'd never use it. He didn't even know how Audrey felt about him and he wasn't going to ask.
The woman helped him pick out the necklace, but she kept talking about the ring and giving him all the information about it he'd never asked for. She even told him that the ring could be reserved until he was ready to pick it up.
"How long?" He heard himself asking.
"Up to two years."
Jon tapped his fingers against the counter. He caught sight of the clock hanging above the back exit of the store. He had to meet Shawn and Audrey in ten minutes. He looked back at the woman who gave him a sly smirk.
It wouldn't hurt if he was a few minutes late in meeting them.
About five minutes after they met up, the trio split up once again, this time Shawn went with Jon.
"Did you get everythin' you wanted?" He asked him.
"Yeah."
Jon arched an eyebrow and gave him a serious look.
"It all meets your requirements," Shawn rolled his eyes at the look his teacher was giving him. "Nothin' from a trunk or coat and everythin' has a serial number."
"Did you stick to the budget?"
"Of course, I did. Audrey was with me. By the way, I don't appreciate the math lesson." Shawn refrained from mentioning the extra cash that had appeared in his wallet as he still had no solid proof of where it came from.
"It's not like you'll be doin' any of that over the break," Jon muttered under his breath.
Shawn was about to make a retort to this, when he caught sight of a very large mural of soldiers, rats, and ballet dancers that depicted… well, he wasn't sure.
"What's that?"
Jon looked at the billboard then back at the teenager in disbelief. The kid was standing right in front of a very large text that explained the advertisement.
"Try readin'."
Shawn rolled his eyes again to make it clear he didn't appreciate having to do anything school related on the weekend.
"Philadelphia Ballet presents George Balanchine's the Nutcracker at the Academy of Music. Tickets on sale now," he read aloud. "Oh."
"Now that is a Christmas tradition that wasn't on your list," Jon informed him. He didn't know much about the ballet, but he did know that. He'd even had to sit through a performance or two in his life.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Audrey loves ballet." Shawn had a faraway look in his eyes.
"Yes, she does." Jon could see the wheels in the teen's head were starting to turn.
"We love her."
"Yeah, we d-" Jon gave him a disapproving look. He didn't appreciate being tricked into admitting what he didn't want to talk about. "She would love this." he corrected himself.
Shawn was still staring thoughtfully at the advertisement. "Could we take her?"
Jon shrugged. "I don't see why not."
"Good. If it makes her happy, I'll sit through a ballet."
"Yeah, me too." Jon sighed. He felt incredibly bothered by something, he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.
They met up with Audrey an hour later and stayed together for the rest of the day. When they finally left the mall several hours after they'd arrived, they found the parking lot and surrounding areas blanketed in three inches of snow. The snow was still falling with no signs of stopping any time soon.
"This worked out well," Audrey said taking Jon's arm as they crossed the slippery pavement. "I wasn't sure how we were going to take you and Shawn sledding if it didn't snow more."
"I know," Jon said sardonically. "How convenient."
Audrey gave his arm a playful tug in response. Shawn was a step behind them as he had called Cory from a payphone to let him know they were on their way back.
Once in the truck, Jon ticked off the rest of the day's events that they wanted Shawn to know about.
"Wait," he said suddenly, "Don't you have to have equipment to go sledding with?"
"Yeah, a sled," Audrey and Shawn said simultaneously.
Jon closed his eyes at Shawn's snicker. The answer to his question really was that obvious. He shook his head.
"Yeah okay," he laughed at himself. "Hunter, go call Matthews tell 'im we've got one more stop to make before we pick him up. Ask him for a sled suggestion."
"Cool!" Shawn was out of the truck in a flash.
Jon was about to ask Audrey for her sled recommendation when Shawn popped up in the driver's side window, startling him.
"Thanks, Dad," he said with an impish grin. He had been hoping for a new sled but didn't want to ask for one more thing. "You and Mom are the best."
Have a holly jolly Christmas and when you walk down the street say hello to friends you know and everyone you meet.
Oh ho, the mistletoe hung where you can see. Somebody waits for you, kiss her once for me.
Have a holly, jolly Christmas and in case you didn't hear oh, by golly, have a holly, jolly Christmas this year!
