Yeah, we never talk about the future

We never talk about the past anymore

We never asks ourselves the questions

To the answers that nobody even wants to know

So much for the afterglow

"Jack, I've been thinking. We should have another dinner party." Rachel said, washing a few of their breakfast dishes in the sink. Jack looked horrified.

"You want another one? The last one was a total disaster. Eric pretended to be a Russian spy and Cory and Topanga almost broke up." Jack said. Rachel smiled.

"It wasn't that bad, silly. And besides, we'd pair Eric with Sidney this time. He wouldn't get away with any ridiculous lies." Rachel said. She sat at the island in the middle of their kitchen and took out a notepad.

"Oh, how cute. Are you planning the party already? The one we definitely AREN'T having?" Jack said. Rachel fixed him with a nasty glare.

"We ARE having it." Rachel said. Jack frowned and made a face.

"And besides, it's not fair to Sidney to set her up with Eric." Jack said as he made his way over to the couch. Rachel gaped at him.

"Not fair? But she likes him. What's not fair about it?"

"Because he's Eric. And I like Sid too much to subject her to an evening of Eric's stupidity." Jack said. He switched on the television, trying to ignore the tiny fit that Rachel was about to throw a fit.

"I repeat: SHE LIKES HIM." Rachel yelled. Just then, Eric breezed through the apartment in his boxer shorts, his hair ruffled. Rachel froze and Jack rolled his eyes.

"Did the lovebirds remember to make me breakfast? Or did they forget because they were too in LOVE to remember?" Eric said sarcastically. Rachel caught her breath and felt confident that Eric hadn't heard her secret.

"Sorry, Buddy. We, uh...ate it all." Jack mumbled absently. Eric crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I'm gonna need a new place. All this romantic tomfoolery is affecting my grades. I found out yesterday I made a D on my first final."

"You would have made a D anyway, Eric." Jack said.

"That's not the point!" Eric shrieked. Rachel smiled sympathetically and put her arms around Eric.

"That's okay, Eric. I know what'll make you feel better." Rachel said, stroking Eric's long hair. Eric's eyes glazed over with delight.

"I want to have a dinner party. How would you feel about having Sidney as your date?" Rachel added. Eric's face jerked back.

"What? I mean, it's not that I mind, but-" Eric began, backing away.

"See? I told you, Rach. Even Eric knows." Jack said.

"Eric knows what?" Eric asked. Rachel frowned.

"If it makes you that uncomfortable to be around Sidney considering that she likes you and everything, I guess I can pair her with someone else. I have a few single guy friends." Rachel explained. Eric's eyes widened.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe that would be best." Eric said. He retreated silently to his room.

"Topanga, my love, I know you mean well, but if we don't interfere, then we are looking at a bunch of sad, lonely people. Then it's not a double date or a triple date, it's just one happy couple and a few tagalongs who wish they had what we have." Cory said. Topanga gave Cory one of those looks that told him he'd probably said something really stupid.

"Cory, we don't need to meddle. Our friends are capable of running their own lives." Topanga ruffled through the pages of a magazine and barely noticed Cory's pout.

"Shawn and Angela should be together."

"Drop it, Cory. If you spent half as much time on your studies as you do on fixing other people, you'd be on the Dean's List." Topanga said. Cory's jaw dropped.

"Are you calling me stupid?" Cory's face grew angry.

"Cory, I'm just saying you should focus on something else besides pushing other people to do what YOU think they should do. Not everyone shares your opinion." Before Cory could respond, Shawn and Angela joined them in the Student Commons.

"Hey, guys. Angela and I have been talking and-"

"You're getting back together. I KNEW it. Didn't I tell ya, honey?" Cory interrupted. Topanga sighed. Shawn and Angela shook their heads.

"Actually we wanted to have one big 'going out' thing before we have to leave for the summer." Angela said. "Yeah. We've got a plan that we wanted to try out." Shawn added. Cory looked intrigued. Topanga looked stunned.

"Not you too. I've just been telling Cory that we shouldn't get involved." Topanga said. Shawn smirked.

"It's not what you think." Shawn said.

"Sid likes Eric. And our plan is merely designed to find out if he likes her too." Angela said. Cory and Topanga's faces encouraged Shawn to explain.

"Eric can't be THAT hung up on Rachel anymore if he and some random girl had sex last night." Shawn said. Angela obviously hadn't heard that part. She did a double take.

"Eric did WHAT?" Angela and Topanga asked at the same time. Cory shot daggers at Shawn.

"That was private, Shawn." Cory whispered.

"Eric had a one-night-stand." Shawn said in a guilty voice. Angela gasped.

"This stays between us. No one else is supposed to know." Cory said. Topanga caught Angela's eye and she knew something was going on that she didn't want everyone to know.

"Um, you were telling us about a plan?" Topanga asked, changing the subject. Angela returned Topanga's secret look and they knew they'd talk about it later.

"Yeah. Rachel and Jack wanted to do something so we were going to go out with them. Angela was going to go with Eric and I was going to take Sid."

"This plan is to prove that Eric likes or doesn't like Sidney? How?" Topanga asked.

"The plan is to make Eric think I'm putting the moves on Sid. If he has an issue with it, then that's proof." Shawn said. Topanga rolled her eyes.

"And if he doesn't? That doesn't mean he can't have feelings for Sid. And if he does have an issue with it, that doesn't mean he likes her."

"Jeez, Topanga." Shawn said.

"It's a foolproof plan." Cory said approvingly. Angela stood and beckoned for Topanga.

"Can we talk a minute?" Angela asked.

When Angela and Topanga were in their dorm room, safe from loose lips and ears, Angela seemed like she'd burst.

"What is it?"

"The random girl. Shawn said Eric had sex with a random girl last night."

"I know. I can't believe Eric would do that." Topanga said. Angela shook her head.

"Last night you and I were at Rachel's. Sidney and Eric went off somewhere together. For a fairly long time. And when I came to check on her, she seemed really weird. And Shawn said that Eric had a one-night-stand. Think about it."

"Sidney and Eric? Oh, my God." Topanga said in disbelief. Angela nodded.

"Eric may do a lot of things, but I don't think he would have sex with a stranger." Topanga added.

"So maybe Eric really does have some sort of feelings for Sid." Angela said.

"Maybe. But whatever we do, we keep this between us. The guys don't need to know, and we can't let Sid know we know. We have to let her come to us."

"You're right. But what does that do to our plans?" Angela asked. Topanga shrugged.

"I think we should wing it. No telling if Shawn's plan might actually work. But remember I'm not someone who meddles. I just have the feeling I'm going to get blamed for anything bad that happens." Topanga said.

"I'm pretty sure you'll be the last person blamed if anything hits the fan." Angela said with a laugh.

Sidney remained in her dorm room. She wasn't sure if it was the shame, though she figured if anyone saw her they'd figure out she was a slut somehow. And she also wasn't sure if it was depression, thinking about how disappointed she was that Eric was willing to have sex with someone he didn't love or care for.

But maybe deep down, she was disappointed in herself for wanting him so badly that she didn't care about anything else.

Her phone rang and she hid under the covers, not ready to face the world yet. After three rings she finally relented and grabbed the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Sid, it's Greg. Greg Skeens. Shawn's friend."

"The boy-next-door in punk rocker clothing? Yeah, I really dug you." Sidney said. She felt mildly cheered up.

"I'm glad. I was actually...wondering if..." Greg was stalling. Sidney felt a little nervous at what she felt was coming.

"I'd insult you again in person?"

"Heh, yeah, I guess. I promised myself I'd ask for a date like a man and that's what I'm going to do." Greg said, his voice wavering slightly.

"Good for you, Skeens." Sid said.

"So will you?'

Sidney chewed on the edge of her lip and realized that Eric was never going to care about her in the way she wanted.

"Sure. Name the place." She said.