Having a tight knit group of friends is a wonderful thing. Nearly everyone (outside of the exceptionally bitter and the very very lonely) will tell you this. However, Topanga sighed as she wheeled her bike out of the garage and set off down her street, there were some difficulties that came with it. Having three people that you feel comfortable telling everything to is peachy, but it makes you used to being able to bounce ideas off of people and think out loud about very personal things. It makes it very hard to be alone.
Her bike wheels clicked steadily, the only noise on the quite suburban street while her mind continued to seethe the way it had been seething all evening. Cory- her best friend Cory, Cory that she talked to about her classes, PMS, boyfriends, and weird obsession with John Cleese. Cory who was one of the three people in the whole entire world that she'd told about her grasshopper phobia- THAT Cory- liked her.. She had to talk to someone about this.
Normally, she thought as she turned out of her neighborhood, her first choice would be Cory. If it was ever a question of whether or not a guy would make a good boyfriend, you asked Cory. He was methodical, observant, and ready to see things from your point of view. If you were wondering if a guy would make a good fling, you asked Shawn, who as King of Flings, knew his competition well. But she didn't need an opinion on whether or not Cory was boyfriend materiel. Topanga had seen the way Cory treated girls, and knew exactly how he treated her. You couldn't ask for a more caring, gentlemanly, honest man. The girls that dated him adored him, other than the few who had dumped him because he was too "safe". These girls usually tried to move on to Shawn, who was, as Topanga had also seen, markedly more adventurous. But being Cory's best friend, Shawn always refused them.
But this wasn't a question of whether or not Cory would be a good boyfriend. This was much more complicated and uncomfortable. When things were complicated and uncomfortable you asked Stewart, but Topanga hadn't had the heart to bring it up to him. It had taken Stewart quite a while to come back to himself and she had sat with him, dutifully listening while he talked out what had happened. Once he had calmed down he'd asked Jedidiah if it was okay for him to call his brother. After a nearly 3 hour conversation, Stewart had told his brother good night and, emotionally exhausted, fallen asleep on Nebula's bed, still wearing his clothes and glasses.
So, without an outlet, Topanga had sat outside in the dark with a cup of cooling tea and stewed on the events of the day until she just couldn't take it anymore. Which is why she had set out for Chubbies. That was the most likely place to find Shawn and Cory after what had happened and, after all, she and Cory would have to discuss this eventually.
She lodged her bike in the bike rack and locked it securely by the light of glowing neon sign, (even after everything a part of her wondered how long it would be before she was back here), took a deep, steadying breath and walked down the stairs.
There weren't usually that many people in Chubbies at this time of night. It was a little to late for the high school set, and a still a little too early for the college kids. She scanned the booths for familiar faces, but didn't see Cory or Shawn. She bit her lip, and headed to the backroom. Maybe they were playing pool.
"Topanga!" she was hailed by a voice from the backroom the instant she stepped off the stairs. She looked over in surprise, she hadn't expected that sort of reaction from anyone she might see here this time of night, least of all Shawn or Cory. But it wasn't either of them. A weedy young man, just a little older than her, with large eyes and short spiked brown hair, stood in the entry to the backroom. He held a cue lazily in one hand and waved enthusiastically with the other. Behind him a considerably taller and larger young man was also waving with equal energy.
"Joey! Frankie!" Topanga replied her surprise making her voice almost a squeal, "I haven't seen you guys since you graduated! How have you been?"
"Oh you know, pretty good, a little trouble here and there, but nothing major enough to get me kicked out or nothing," Joey said with a laugh, "Enough to keep things interestin'," he spoke a little slower than Topanga remembered him speaking, and his voice was just slightly lower pitched.
"Joey does not like to admit that he has cleaned up his act quite a lot since starting college at Temple. Tell her your GPA Joey. Go ahead," Frankie said, puffing up proudly behind him.
"Nah, Topanga don't care about that," Joey almost blushed.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Topanga said, but figuring he probably did want to, she added, "But I have to say I'm curious."
"See Joey?"
"All right, All right. 3.5." Joey said, "Got me another scholarship and everything."
"Joey that's fantastic!" Topanga said with a broad smile, "How about you Frankie? Where did you go again?"
"Macalester, in Minnesota."
"Wow. Are you back for the summer?"
"I actually have an apartment in St. Paul, but my father had a anniversary match with Jake the Snake and I, a dutiful son, came back to Philadelphia to cheer him on. It's actually by chance that I ran into Joey tonight."
"Hey, speaking of running into people," Topanga started, "Have you guys seen Cory Matthews or Shawn Hunter here tonight at all?"
"Nah, but we've only been here for like an hour, why? They stand you up?" Joey asked.
"No, I was just hoping to find them here, that's all," She cast another glance around the restaurant, "Well, I should probably let you guys get back to your game huh?"
"There's no rush Topanga. We were about to have milkshakes, why don't you join us and catch up?" Frankie said cordially.
"Unless you really gotta find Matthews and Hunter or something." Joey added.
Topanga realized that if Cory and Shawn weren't here, they were either at Cory's house or Shawn's apartment both of which were too far away for her to bike to. She also conceded that she was rather relieved not to have found Cory and Shawn here after all.
"No, it can wait until tomorrow," Topanga said with a fake cheerfulness as she Frankie and Joey piled into her, Cory, Shawn, and Stewart's regular booth.
---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0--0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0
Minkus was tingling. All over. Like he was covered from head to foot in ants. This was the moment he had been waiting for for so long. He had woken up feeling completely rejuvenated and clear headed. And (finally) bold. He was ready to make his move.
He was standing outside Topanga's bedroom door, his fingers, cold with anticipation, anxiety, and he had to admit it, fear, were pressed against the doorknob. He listened for any noise, he didn't want to ruin his romantic moment by doing something stupid and clumsy like walking in on her changing, or while she was in the bathroom. But there were no sounds. No lights from under doors in the hall way. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, sent up a silent prayer, and walked into Topanga's room.
It was empty. The curtains were open, ruffling slightly in the breeze. The moonlight poured in through her windows illuminating the room so well that Minkus didn't even need to turn on the light. Her bed was still made.
Ooookaaaaayyyy... Minkus thought to himself. This is weird. It's the middle of the night. Where is she?
Knowing Topanga, Minkus went back to Nebula's room to look in the back yard, it was a beautiful night and it was possible that she had fallen asleep in the hammock. But there was no one in the back yard. He went back to Topanga's room.
This is even better, he thought as he grabbed a book off Topanga's shelf and settled into the chair by her bed. He would be waiting for her when she came back. He hoped his courage hadn't failed him by then.
---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0
"I thought you said there wasn't a second story window in this town you couldn't get into!" Cory hissed at Shawn in the street in front of Topanga's house.
Their long circular conversation had gone on for hours. They would start with "what do you suppose Topanga thinks?" then went to "I knew I shouldn't have tried anything" which was followed by "Minkus is going to hate me" and would finish with "She moves the day after tomorrow what am I going to do?". There were small differences in tone and maybe a fresh insight in every repetition, but for the most part it was like an album on repeat.
Finally, unable to take it anymore, Shawn had suggested that they just go and talk to Topanga and to his surprise Cory had agreed at once. And now here they were outside, with Cory bound and determined to climb in her window and tell her how he felt.
"No, Cory, what I said was there wasn't a second story window in this town I couldn't sneak out of. Sneaking in is much more difficult," Shawn growled at him as they both stared in frustration at the Lawrence's house.
"You said you'd climbed up her drain pipe and into her window before!" Cory seethed.
"Yes but that was years ago. I was lighter. And they've redone the gutters. The drain pipe is in back now. If you want to you can climb up the back of the house, scrabble over the roof and then try to swing into her window from the eaves."
"What's my other option?"
"To shut the hell up and let me think!"
---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0
"So you've always sort of liked Cory, and now it turns out that Cory likes you back?" Joey clarified, waving a french-fry in one hand.
"Yeah, that's what Shawn said," Topanga sighed.
Topanga was now genuinely glad she had run into Frankie and Joey. Aside from being very good company, they had some insight into how college life changed high school relationships.
"Even though I do not know Cory and Shawn that well, I know that if Cory would tell anyone about his feelings for you it would be Shawn," Frankie said, "So if you over heard Shawn saying this I would bank on it being true."
"No, I know it's true," Topanga sighed, "Now that I think about it, I can't believe I didn't realize it, but now the question is what do I do about it?" And there was no denying that something about Frankie invited confidences. His gentle, sensitive nature and open, credulous face made Topanga think he was probably one of the few people who would not sneer at stories of visions like the ones she kept having about Cory.
"I mean, I'm leaving for school," she checked her watch," technically tomorrow. He's one of my best friends, I can't leave this big awkward thing unresolved, and I don't want to try to start a relationship and risk it being wrecked by the distance right away, and I don't want to miss out on college because I'm dating someone from back home. And..." she sighed, "I've been having these weird... flashes too."
"What do you mean?" Frankie inquired.
Topanga described the moments she had been having, like little blips in reality. Like her mind was wavering between two places. She told Frankie and Joey that it was clear in these lapses that she and Cory were more than friends, but that she wasn't sure what they meant. Was it just her projecting her own desires, or was it something a little more... ethereal? Was there some spirit out there trying to push her into Cory's arms? And if there was who was to say it was friendly? To her relief neither Frankie or Joey laughed, or gave her the indulgent smirk she sometimes got from people. On the contrary both nodded intently.
"Well, I have to tell you," Frankie said," I think that if these visions were born of an evil source, or were supposed to be a kind of temptation, they would probably be..." he gestured vaguely.
"More carnal in nature," Joey supplied.
"Exactly."
Topanga considered this, "Okay. Well that rules out one possibility."
"And probably the flip side of that possibility while we're at it," Frankie said thoughtfully.
So neither angels nor demons, Topanga thought. "So then it is just coming from me." She said.
"Well," Joey said, slowly dunking a french-fry in his ketchup, "You could be feeling the influence from a parallel universe where a parallel Topanga and Cory dated. For some reason there could be a weak spot in our reality that is allowing that Topanga's memories to surface in your mind."
Topanga stared at him.
"I took Quantum Physics. I got an A," Joey said by way of explanation. Topanga nodded. As weird as it sounded- now that she had heard it explained it fit. The feeling was more like sharing someone's memory than anything else. She ran through all the instances in her mind. Yes. it was like someone was with her in her mind at those times, but she hadn't felt the intrusion because it was herself intruding.
It was Frankie and Joey's turn to stare. "Hey, Topanga?" Joey asked, waving a hand in front of her face.
"Sorry, it's just... I think you're right," Topanga said, "Umm, I have to go."
"Topanga, it's the middle of the night, I'll give you a ride," Frankie said, "I have my father's truck. You can throw your bike in the back."
---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0
Minkus felt his heart jump from standing still to hammering in the few seconds it took for the sound of scratching at the window to travel from his ears to his brain.
"Topanga?" a voice called tremulously from the window sill.
"Cory?" Minkus answered in disbelief walking to the window sill and peering over it into Cory Matthew's upturned face.
"Minkus?" Cory asked in wonder, his heart sinking, what was Minkus doing in Topanga's room this time of night? Was he too late?
"What are you doing here?" They both asked at once and then both responded rather articulately with an uncomfortable "uhhhhhh..."
"Help me in," Cory said. He was in a rather precarious position. With plenty of hissed encouragement from Shawn the two boys had climbed the tree next to Topanga's garage, dropped clumsily onto it (Cory sustaining a large scrap on his forearm in the process), and sidled over to the roof of the front porch. Shawn had given Cory a boost that had gotten him most of the way onto the porch roof, and then pushed him the rest of the way up. From there Cory had been able to slide very carefully along the steep incline and come to a space right underneath Topanga's window.
Minkus hauled Cory bodily in through the window and took in his appearance. Usually so clean and crisp, Cory's face was smudged with dirt, his forehead glistened with sweat, and blood shone on his arm.
"So, what are you doing here?" Minkus asked, feeling he deserved an answer more than Cory. After all, he, Minkus, was the one who was staying down the hall, not the one who had climbed up the house and had a twig stuck in his hair.
Cory had never lied well, "I needed to talk to Topanga," he said. Minkus looked at him skeptically and didn't reply.
"I wanted to talk to her about something that happened earlier," Cory expanded.
"What happened earlier?" Minkus asked sharply.
Cory looked at the other boy, pale and ghostly in the moonlight, his arms crossed defensively. Cory looked at the floor and scratched the back of his neck the way he did we he needed more time to think.
"Look, Minkus, I came here to talk to Topanga because she found out that I... have feelings for her. And Shawn sort of helped me realize that I always have, so today at the barbeque, I was going to try and tell her, but she overheard Shawn telling Eric and Jack, and then you showed up," Cory rubbed his hands together uncomfortably, "And our conversation got... cut short. And I needed to know what she felt."
"Cory, I told you this morning that I've always liked Topanga. And you just swoop in and try to get her. I thought we were friends!" Minkus said in a voice of cracking forced calm.
"She's not something you swoop in and take," Cory said, a heat starting in his stomach, "And I know exactly what you said this morning, and I don't want to fight with you," he sighed in frustration at the whole twisted mess, "Minkus, do you think that I would crawl up the side of her house in the middle of the night if I didn't need to see what might happen? If I didn't need to know how she felt?"
"Why do you think I'm here?" Minkus demanded, sitting himself down on the edge of Topanga's bed as if to emphasize his position. He was staying in her house, he was going to school with her, in a few short days he would be the one that was around her all the time, "Why are you doing this now?"
"Minkus, you're going to think I'm crazy, and I'm okay with that, but I don't just have a crush on her. Thinking about her leaving is killing me. Not knowing what the look on her face when she heard Shawn meant is killing me. I think I'm honest to god in love with her,"
"Sure Cory, whatever. Is that what Shawn told you?" Minkus spat.
"I didn't expect you to understand, Minkus," Cory sighed, "But give me this chance. You and Topanga leave together tomorrow. You have another four years to tell her about your crush, I've got a little over a day now. Let me tell her what I need to tell her."
Minkus looked up at him petulantly. He had a point. And Minkus had seen how Topanga and Cory talked together, the way they looked at each other. If, somehow, Topanga and himself ended up together, did he want to always wonder if she wouldn't rather of had Cory, and had simply never had the chance? And besides, Cory was a good friend. The best.
"Fine," Minkus capitulated, "Fine. You tell her first. But not like this," he looked Cory up and down, "Not in this whole Romeo and Juliet, climbing up your balcony in the moonlight, romance novel thing. You crawl back out of the window and talk to her tomorrow."
"And leave you here in her room?" Cory demanded.
"I'll wait until we get to school. How's that?"
Cory looked unconvinced.
"Cory, you are one of my best friends, and I'm one of yours. You can trust me. I swear," Minkus held out his hand and Cory shook it. They dropped hands and were suddenly aware of how strange this whole thing was.
"Well, we'd better both go before she gets back huh?" Cory said.
"Yeah, we'd better," Minkus agreed. And both boys left the room, Minkus through the door and Cory through the window, both feeling their uneasy truce heavy upon them.
---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0---0
Frankie, Joey and Topanga had piled into Frankie's truck and started toward Topanga's house, but then Topanga had changed her mind. They headed to Cory's, where, like she and Shawn had done so many times, Topanga climbed up the tree outside Cory's window. No one was there. Puzzled, she'd dropped back down to the porch, where Frankie and Joey were waiting.
"It's no good," Topanga told them, "They must be at Shawn's, and there's no way to sneak into the apartment. The front doors'll be locked this time of night."
Defeated, Topanga went back to the truck with the two older boys, who escorted her back to her house.
"Well, thanks for everything guys, have a good year at school," She said after Frankie and hauled her bike out of the truck.
"Good luck with Cory," Joey said.
"And remember Topanga "The course of true love never did run smooth"." Frankie told her.
"Shakespeare?" Topanga asked.
"Of course," Frankie said.
Topanga hugged them both goodbye, put her bike in the garage and went up to her room. It was so late that it was early and the sky had that strange, greenish pre-dawn light at the horizon. She sat by her window to look at it, and felt a sharp poke. She had sat on a twig. She gave it a strange look, wondering how it had got there, but then yawned broadly, decided that was the least of her worries, and went to sleep.