So it turns out I'm a lying liar who lies, lol. I don't know how I thought I would be able to have this out last week without work and life getting in the way. I was so optimistic, too. You'd think I'd know by now not to promise specific days. Anyway...on the bright side this chapter is twice as long as the previous chapter which is part of the reason it took to long to unscramble the file and reconstruct what I typed. I guess that's only a bright side if you're a fan of my rambling. The other positive is after this we are done with the honesty night party (didn't realize how many chapters were spent on it when I was writing it) and the next chapter will move the story forward.
Once again, thanks for your patience and putting up with my sporadic posting schedule. I appreciate it. :-)
"Which side of the bed do you sleep on," Angela asked Eric after he returned to his room after brushing his teeth. He shrugged in response. "You don't know?"
"I kind of just fall and sleep where I land. I don't pay attention. What about you?"
"I've only ever had a twin mattress. Anything bigger would've been a hassle in all the military moves."
"You can have dibs. It doesn't matter to me. I can sleep anywhere."
"Oh, trust me," she said with a chuckle, "I know."
"What does that mean?"
"We've taken a road trip. I've seen you sleep in weird positions and through the worst storms I've ever witnessed. When we stayed with my dad he'd run the blender or drop crumbs on the carpet to run the vacuum just to see how long it would take you to wake up, he was so amazed. I've never seen anything like it either really."
"You're just jealous of my siesta skills." He stuck out his tongue at her. "I told you, I've been studied. I beat the poor little mouse and everything. The doctor was impressed."
She rolled her eyes but was unable to keep the smile off of her face. "Whatever. Your alarm clock is on the right and I don't want you reaching over me to turn it off or hit snooze so maybe I'll take the left side."
"That's probably a good idea. I do like the snooze button. But I don't have to be at the Student Union until eleven so it won't be going off super early. We can sleep in."
"Sleeping in is always good," she agreed, climbing into bed and getting under the blanket. "I haven't done that in a while." She shifted around and attempted to get comfortable, trying to be conscious of the amount of room she left for Eric. "I already know you talk in your sleep sometimes and you don't really snore. Is there anything else I need to know?"
"Like what?"
"Are you a blanket hog, sleep walker, cuddly sleeper?"
He switched on the lamp before turning off the overhead light and getting into bed. "I don't sleep walk, not sure about the rest."
"No one's ever said anything to you?"
"To be completely honest I've never spent the whole night with anyone before. I shared a room with Cory until I was nineteen but I don't think he counts."
"What does that mean," she asked. "Have you never…are you a virgin?"
He twisted around to face her. "What?! No! Of course not."
"It was just a question. It wouldn't have been a bad thing. I was going to say you sure fooled me if you were."
"Fooled how?"
"When we're making out you're…you know what you're doing. You're confident."
"You're welcome," he bragged, laughing when she did. "There haven't been a lot of girls, but there have been a few."
"Then how have you never spent the night with anyone?"
"Because someone always had an early class, a roommate who would be worried or coming home soon, or my favorite, 'Quick, Eric, you have to go. I hear my parents pulling into the garage!' That one's a real mood killer. I got pushed out a girl's window once. It's not as fun as it looks on TV. I'm lucky it was only a ten foot drop. You see this scar?" He held out his arm. "That's from the thorny bush that broke my fall."
"I suppose I've never spent the entire night with a guy either. There's only been a couple, but I was living with my grandmother at the time and if I missed curfew or if she caught a guy in my room I would've been dead. So this is sort of a first for the both of us."
"I kind of like that we have a first we can share."
She snuggled closer to Eric and rested her head on his chest. "Me, too."
"So you're not sure if you're a blanket hog or cuddly sleeper either?"
"I'm afraid not."
"I guess it keeps things interesting."
"Thank you again for letting me stay here," she spoke through a yawn.
"You don't have to thank me." He turned off the lamp. She was fading and he was pretty tired, too. This definitely wasn't how he imagined they would spend their first night in the same bed.
"Still…I appreciate it. Especially after the roller coaster this dinner from hell was."
"You just let me know if you want backup tomorrow when you talk to Jack."
"I can handle him. We need to talk. He's been trying to apologize to me for a while. I never knew what for because we always got interrupted. Trust me. I'm good with Jack."
"And the others?"
"That's part of the whole, 'it's in the past and I don't want to drag it up again,' thing, remember?" She moved away from him and lay back against the pillow. "As far as I'm concerned there's nothing to talk about."
"But Angela-"
"Can't we just go to sleep? Something tells me this will still be hanging over our heads to talk about tomorrow, because you're annoying and persistent like that. It must be genetic because Cory's that way, too. He can never let anything go. Remind me to yell at your parents later."
"Hey! That's a low blow. And don't mention Cory or my parents when we're in bed, even just going to sleep- total mood killer. I'll have nightmares."
"By the way, did I tell you my dad called earlier?"
Eric's heart quickened just thinking about the torture her dad would inflict upon him if he knew he was in bed with his daughter right now. Angela's teasing smirk was evident through the fractured glow of the street lights that filtered in through the blinds. And even though her joke caused momentary panic, all he could think about was how beautiful she looked lying there and how happy he was that she wasn't leaving tonight. If he was honest with himself he'd admit that part of the reason he was glad to have her here was because he no longer trusted Cory, Topanga, and especially Shawn. How could they treat their friend…girlfriend…so poorly? How did Angela forgive them so easily? He didn't get it.
After an extended silence she rolled to her side and found Eric staring at her, a faraway expression on his face. "Hey," she said softly as she reached out and ran her hand along his jaw. "Don't worry. My dad would have to go through me to get to you. And I rather like you all in one piece."
He took her hand and held it against his cheek, pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist. "It's not that. I like having you here. That's all." It was the truth. He just wouldn't mention the part about being suspicious of the others. "I just…I really like it. I'm glad you stayed tonight."
Angela found herself at a loss for words. She could see Eric meant what he said. He was happy simply to be with her…for her. It didn't seem to matter that this evening had been crappy and included an argument. When the dust settled nothing had been a deal breaking moment. No one was looking to bail at the first sign of a challenge. He still wanted her here and this was where she wanted to be. "So am I."
/
/
"I have seen the promised land," Cory declared as he entered his dorm.
Shawn glanced up from his reading, curious about his friend's arms thrown into the air- a move saved for sporting events- and the grin on his face. Nothing that happened tonight was worth celebrating. "What are you talking about?"
"Topanga showed me her butt. She asked me what it would take to share my stuff with her. I said show me your butt. She did. It was glorious."
"Congratulations."
"That's all you're going to say? This is huge, Shawnie!"
"And I'm very happy for you. Really. I'm doing cartwheels inside." He plastered a smile onto his face. "See?"
"Ugh, not the phony, serial killer smile. We've talked about that. If you don't feel it, it's just creepy."
"Well, sorry. I got the ass end of things tonight, too, only not in the good way."
"What does that mean?"
He shook his head. "Never mind."
"I'm guessing things didn't go well with Shawna?"
"You'd be surprised at how big of a turn off it is to find out someone is still hung up on their ex and not only has a problem with alcohol, but gets angry and violent when he drinks. Shawna gave me the whole crap speech about not wanting a serious relationship right now but we can still get to know each other as friends. I gave that speech so many times to so many girls in high school I can recite it by memory."
"Sorry. Do you want me to talk to her for you? You haven't had a drink in over a year. I'll just tell her you're going through a rough patch."
"Rough patch…is that what we're calling my life now?" He sighed and stared straight ahead. "What the hell's the matter with me?"
"Nothing, Shawnie, absolutely nothing."
"Really? I broke up with Angela at freshman orientation even though I still loved her. Hell, I practically gave her the same speech about not wanting a serious relationship and wanting to be friends. Only I added in not wanting to miss out on getting to know new people by being tied down to one person. I had the chance to get back together with her at Christmas. We said we still loved each other. She was willing to forgive me and give us another chance but I just…" He shook his head. "…I couldn't."
"Why not?"
"Now she's with your brother and I'd give anything for it to be Christmas again so I won't be an idiot and make her cry."
"She cried?"
"I kissed her, told her I still loved her, and bailed out on getting back together at the very last minute. How do you think she took it?"
"I'd say you're lucky you can still walk."
"There was a janitor cleaning up. She's smart enough not to do it in front of a potential witness."
"Yeah well I hate to say I told you so, but-"
"Bull. You love to say it."
"Not to you. Can I ask you about something Angela said tonight?"
"I guess."
"When Topanga asked you her question…you know…about who you'd have sex with if there were no strings attached…"
"I remember."
"When Angela was talking what did she mean when she laid on the couch and asked if you remembered how this part works?"
He got up and retrieved his toiletry bag before heading for the door. "I think I'm going to brush my teeth and try that exfoliator Topanga got me before I go to bed."
"Shawn, wait."
"It was a long night. I'm tired. And according to your fiancée I have problematic pores."
"Angela was making it sound like you guys had sex already. But you would've told me that, right? We always promised we'd tell each other this stuff."
"Can't you just leave it alone? Not everything in my life is your business."
"So you did have sex with her?"
Shawn sighed and tossed his bag on his bed, choosing instead to lean against the wall. "It happened right after she got home from spending the summer with her dad. It was the night we doubled with you and Topanga and got burgers and went to the arcade. You finally beat the high score on NBA Jam."
"Oh, yeah! Man, that was an awesome night."
"I walked her home, her grandmother was out, and we talked about how much we'd missed each other. One thing led to another and…" He'd wanted to do it on prom night, but she wouldn't even consider it until they could talk about sex like mature adults. He didn't know how they could talk about something they weren't doing. Then they spent nearly two months apart and by the time she got back he was willing to do a little more talking and conversation suddenly didn't seem as important to her. All they knew was they loved each other and had an entire summer to make up for.
"And what?"
"You know and what. Don't play dumb."
"Shawn! Details!"
"No."
"Wait a minute. You said it happened right after she got back from her dad? Wasn't that just a couple weeks before school started?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So you slept with her and then dumped her? Am I hearing this right? Please tell me I'm misunderstanding you. Damn it, Shawn, I knew you played the field and had fun in high school, but I thought things changed with Angela. She was the one."
"She was! She is. She…she's everything."
"Then explain to me how you go from doing that to breaking up with her because you don't want to miss out on meeting new people."
Shawn took a seat at the foot of his bed, arms crossed and eyes glued to the floor. "I know I talked a good game in high school but I never…Angela was the first…I-"
"How is that possible? I heard all the talk. Hell, half of it came from you."
"I'm not saying I didn't do a lot of things with a lot of different girls, but I never took that last step, seal the deal, cross the finish line, pass go and collect-"
"Okay, I don't need all the lame euphemisms. I just don't get it, Shawnie. If Angela was special enough for you to cross the finish line how did you need new people? You had her!"
"It was too much. It was so intense…all the feelings. It scared me. It was like I was at the top of the mountain and things were never going to be any better than they were right then. I've never felt for anyone else what I feel for Angela and that moment was just so perfect. She was perfect."
When he didn't continue Cory spoke up. "I'm going to need more. Usually perfection doesn't lead to a break up."
"How much longer could it have lasted? Let's face it. I don't get to have perfect. Sooner or later something was going to come along and screw it up and it was going to hurt like hell. Either I'd mess it up or get scared and run away or she'd realize she deserved so much better than a bum like me. And I know I wouldn't have been able to handle it if it was her."
"So you dumped her before this imaginary fear of her breaking up with you could come true?"
He shook his head. "You don't get to judge me. You're a freak who's been handed the perfect life on a silver platter. It seemed like a good idea to end things before we hated each other, this way we could still be friends and be in each other's lives. Besides, I thought the breakup was mutual. She agreed with everything I said."
"That's called saving face, Shawnie. She didn't want you to see how much it was killing her because she didn't want to get in the way of you finding yourself or whatever crap you told her about needing new people in your life."
"I already know I blew it! You don't have to rub in my face how much I hurt her." He put his head in his hands and groaned. "I'm an idiot."
"You just have a lot of room for improvement, a real work in progress, a phoenix that must rise from the ashes…over and over again."
A bitter laugh escaped him. "That's a nice way of calling me a disaster."
"No, you're-"
"Those ashes I'd have to rise from are my life."
"I didn't mean it like that."
"I'm going to bed."
"But, Shawn-"
"Goodnight."
He sighed, deciding to relent for the night. Shawn wasn't going to share any more. "Fine."
"And I'm sorry I ruined the night you saw Topanga's butt with my misery."
"Don't be ridiculous. Nothing could ruin that."
/
/
His left shoulder was asleep. That was Eric's first conscious thought upon waking up Sunday morning. That was quickly replaced with the realization of why: Angela. Apparently she was the cuddly sleeper. Between the two of them he would've put money on it being him. At some point she'd migrated the small distance to his side and he wondered how long they'd been sleeping in a virtual tangle of limbs. Her head was tucked under his chin and her breath tickled his neck every time she exhaled. It was when he tried to shift around to relieve the pins and needles sensation in his shoulder without waking her that he realized exactly where their hands were. One of his was resting on her butt and the other was cradling the side of her breast. Neither region was new for him, but they had both been awake and actively participating in each previous encounter. Angela, however, currently had him struggling to breathe. Her hand was dangerously low on his hip. If she moved even a little bit she'd be touching his-
"Mmm…morning," she murmured, raising her head slightly to kiss the side of his neck. "That's the best I've slept in a long time."
"Me, too. How's your hand?"
"It's a little sore but I'll live." She almost immediately noticed their positions and chuckled quietly. "So we're really feeling each other up, huh?"
"Yeah…sorry." Eric moved both of his hands to her back.
"I wasn't complaining. I think it's funny. Copping a feel in our sleep? Come on- hilarious." She smiled at him. "Even our subconscious minds want each other."
"I don't think our minds are doing the groping."
"Touché."
"Too early for fancy words."
"Sorry. Is something wrong?"
"No, why?"
"You keep making a face and you're squirming."
"You've been on my shoulder all night. It's asleep."
"Oh." She moved so she was no longer lying on his joint. "Sorry. Why didn't you say anything?"
"I don't know. You seemed comfortable."
"Next time say something or at least shove me over. What's the point of sharing a bed if one of us isn't happy?"
"I'm happy!"
"Yeah, at least until your arm falls off."
"Hey, a lot of people get by just fine with one arm. Look at the one-armed man in The Fugitive."
"Wasn't he a killer?"
"Yep and he didn't let the fact that he only had one arm stop him."
She burst out laughing. "How does your brain even get there?"
"Get where?"
"From your arm being asleep to the one-armed man in The Fugitive? Like…how does that happen? It's so crazy."
He frowned. Crazy wasn't usually a compliment directed towards him. "Good crazy or-or get the butterfly net crazy?"
"Good crazy. I've told you I love the way you think. It's so…not linear."
"Huh? Again, it's too early for fancy words."
"You're so creative. I love that. You don't think like most people."
"Who wants to be like most people? They're boring."
"I agree." She wrapped her arms around her pillow and closed her eyes. "How long do we have before you have to be at the Student Union?"
He glanced at the clock. "My alarm isn't going to go off for another hour."
"Then why are we awake now?"
"I don't know…the groping?"
Angela laughed quietly. "Right. So did you want to go back to sleep…or back to groping…a little of both?"
"Seriously?"
"I figure do something we both enjoy before we leave this room and start our days."
"You are the best girlfriend ever!"
She moved to lay her back and stared at him with a smile on her face. "Then what the hell are you still doing on that side of the bed?"
"Good point."
/
/
"Ooh, French Toast," Rachel exclaimed, dashing down the stairs. She took a plate and moved to get some food only to have Jack slap her hand away. "Hey!"
"Those aren't for you."
"Excuse me? That is your apology French Toast with the fancy bread."
"What are you talking about?"
"Whenever you screw up or feel bad about something the next day you always make French toast, special French Toast."
"I do not," he scoffed.
"You got up early this morning and went to the store, didn't you?"
"Yeah, so? We needed things."
She strolled around the kitchen, noting the items that weren't there yesterday. "I see. Brioche, strawberries, whipped cream, real maple syrup, chocolate chips, bananas-"
"I don't know how Angela likes her French toast."
"And why are you making this feast for her?"
"Because I feel bad about what happened last…" He trailed off realizing his girlfriend was right. "Crap, I do have an apology meal."
"That's okay, hon," she reassured him with a grin. "It's not the worst thing in the world."
"I've done this before?"
"Whenever you screw up; remember right after I moved in and you accidentally threw away the notes for my psych project?"
"Remember? My ears are still ringing from the way you screeched at me."
She decided to ignore him and keep talking. "That was the first time you made me French toast. And what about the time Eric's favorite shirt got mixed up with your laundry and you spilled bleach on it in the laundry room?"
"That was bad. He almost cried."
"You made him French Toast."
"Okay, I get it."
"And I thought the breakfast was your way of making me feel better about the disaster of a dinner party last night."
"But you said that wasn't my fault."
"Yeah, but after sleeping on it I realized you did contribute to it going down in flames at the end. It could've just been a bad party. You took it to another level."
Jack slumped down in his seat. "I already said I'm sorry, okay!"
"I know and I'll forgive you, but I'm just saying some breakfast would speed the process along." He shoved the plate across the counter. She clapped her hands and cheered. "Thanks, honey."
"Whatever," he muttered seconds before his head popped up. "Crap, Eric's going to want food, too."
"Probably, but I don't think you need to worry about them yet."
"They'll be awake soon. He's got to work at eleven."
"I didn't say they were sleeping. In fact, judging by some of the noises I heard when I passed his room I'm guessing they aren't."
"Oh, gross."
"Give him a break. He's put up with us for months. He deserves his own happiness and Angela makes him happy."
"I agree, but that doesn't mean I want to hear it."
"Please. Like you expect me to believe that you and Eric never talk about girls and sex?"
"Sure we do…or we did. That changed when you moved in and we thought we both liked you and made that stupid bet. Things got awkward after that." He winced when he realized he mentioned the bet. "Sorry again about that."
"It's okay, I'm over it. On the plus side you and Eric can gossip again."
"Yay," Jack said sarcastically before he got his keys and headed for the door. "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?"
"I need more brioche if I'm feeding all three of you."
Rachel only shook her head and laughed as she watched him go. A few minutes later Angela came down the stairs, looking disheveled, in one of Eric's t-shirts. The shirt was not only on backwards, but inside out as well. "Morning."
"Hi."
"How's your hand?"
Angela held it up and shook her head. "I'm fine. Eric went overboard with all the gauze."
"Where is Eric? I thought he worked today."
"He does, but right now? Cold shower," she admitted with a sheepish expression on her face.
Rachel couldn't hide her surprise. "Oh, I guess I assumed you were already…I mean-you two have been going out for a little while. And with the noise coming from the bedroom-"
"You heard us?"
"You guys weren't that loud. I just happened to be walking down the hall and have to pass Eric's door to get out here." She laughed at Angela when she buried her face in her hands. "Hey, it's better to be heard having a good time than a bad one." She smirked and nudged Angela with her elbow. "At least I'm guessing it was a good time."
"Honestly, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out. You know how sweet, kind, and generous Eric is?" Rachel nodded. "He's like that with everything. Although he can be very take charge and confident, too. Like our first kiss- for some reason I thought he was going to be timid or passive. He's definitely not either one of those things when it's just us."
"Really?
"Nope."
"Then, no offense, what's the hold up?"
She hesitated momentarily. She'd usually try to talk to Topanga about this stuff, but despite what she said Angela could sense loyalty to Shawn. Plus she could get uptight sometimes when sex was mentioned. It was odd because she wasn't always like that. Breanne was getting to be a pretty good friend and has proved to be an unbiased sounding board for her relationship with Eric, but she had a tendency to overshare. Maybe Rachel would be a good compromise between the two. "I want us to talk about it first. We need to both be on the same page and understand what this step would mean for us. I've rushed into the sex part of relationships before and all it got me was a couple, 'it's not you, it's me,' speeches to go along with a broken heart."
"Shawn," she guessed, her voice tinged with sympathy.
"Shawn was the one that hurt the most because he was supposed to be different. But he wasn't."
"Sorry."
She shrugged off her pity. "It's life experience learned the hard way. Eric's been pretty patient with me. Don't get me wrong, I can tell he's getting frustrated and sick to death of the cold showers and stopping in the middle of fooling around. I am, too. But I just worry that once we have that conversation-"
"He'll be hounding you to get into bed?"
"It sounds nuts when you say it like that because it makes it seem like I don't trust him and I do. I trust him completely. He's never pressured me and I feel 100% safe when I'm with him." Angela groaned and massaged her temples. "Why is this so complicated?"
"Because that's what happens when you mix people, sex, and relationships. You have a past, he has a past, and you've both experienced heartbreak. Would you really appreciate what you have now if it came easily?"
"To be honest I probably wouldn't be able to trust that it was real."
"So maybe a little struggle and complication isn't always a bad thing?"
"I guess not. Maybe that's how we should spend next Friday. Screw going to the movies or a museum. Date day will be talk day."
"I think that's good. You'll feel better about it once you get it all out there."
"Thanks, Rachel. How do you know so much about this?"
"Oh, I'm a natural observer of people," she bragged before turning serious. "That and I've had my own share of heartbreak and can spot it when I see it."
"Sorry."
"That's okay. What was it you said? It's life experience earned the hard way."
"It's a crappy club to be in but I suppose it builds character," Angela said in an attempt to make a joke. "Do you mind if I take a few of those strawberries?"
"I don't care, but I should warn you, all this food is for you."
"Huh?" She listened as Rachel explained about Jack and his apology breakfasts. "That's so sweet, but completely unnecessary."
"I know, but he means well. Plus he makes amazing French toast, splurges on expensive bread and everything."
"In that case bring on the French toast!"
"Can I mention one thing before Jack gets back?"
"Sure."
"Your shirt is on inside out and backwards- quite the feat."
"What the-" Angela looked down and saw the tag under her chin. "How the hell did I miss this?"
"You were blinded by my stunning good looks," Eric declared as he entered the room. "And who can blame you, really?" She threw a strawberry at him, but he caught it. "Ha-ha. I can catch, too." He looked at the counter and recognized the familiar set up. "Ooh, Rach, is this what I think it is?"
"Jack's making breakfast."
"Yes! He cooks much better when he's feeling guilty."
"Be nice to him," the redhead warned.
"Tell me I'm wrong."
"Well…it's still not nice to say."
"Ha, vindication: Eric."
/
Later, once Rachel retired to her room to finish up homework and Eric went to get ready for his shift at the Student Union Angela was alone in the kitchen with Jack. She knew he wanted to talk, he kept looking at her like he was going to say something, but nothing came out. "You can stop walking around on eggshells. I'm not mad at you."
He turned around from where he had been washing dishes in the sink. "Really? I'm mad at me. How can you not be?"
"You were in an unpredictable situation and had a split second to react. I don't blame you for how you handled it."
"I wish I would've done something…just…just something. Anything would've been better than standing there like an idiot. I watched Chet do that to my mother when I was a little kid and I never wanted to see it happen to anyone else. When I saw Shawn put his hands on you for a split second I was four years old watching Chet with my mom again. You had the same look on your face that she had on hers'. I know that's not an excuse, but I think that's why I froze up."
"I sorry you had to go through that."
"It's not your fault."
"And neither Chet's nor Shawn's actions are yours'."
"Yeah, but they're family. Who doesn't feel responsible for family?"
"I guess." She paused for a moment, thinking about her own parents. "But consider yourself forgiven. I don't blame you now and I never did."
Jack exhaled, feeling as though a tremendous weight had been lifted off of his chest. "Thank you. I appreciate it. Now, about last night-"
"Oh, last night…in front of everyone…why? What were you thinking? That's just bad all around. I don't know how you expected it to play out any differently."
The tightening in his chest was quickly returning. "I didn't want to chicken out again."
"I get that, but seriously next time, don't say something like that in front of a group."
He nodded. "Right. I pray like hell there won't be a next time, but I got it. Can I apologize for one more thing?"
"I guess."
"I'm sorry I didn't bother getting to know you better when you were dating Shawn. All the times you would hang out here with him, I should've taken an interest or asked you something. All I did was say hi and bye."
"Jack it's okay. I wasn't going around asking for your life story either. You made as much effort as I did."
"I promise I'll make an effort now."
"I don't want to cause a rift in your relationship with Shawn."
He shook his head and stared down at the frying pan soaking in the sink. "That complicates things, doesn't it?"
"I didn't mean to make things with you guys more difficult."
"I don't think that's possible. Eric's my best friend, he's my brother…I have no clue what I'm doing,"
"I'm sorry."
"I'll figure something out. So…are we good?"
She smiled before leaning forward to kiss his cheek. "We were never bad."
/
/
"Thank goodness you're here."
"What's wrong, April," he asked his co-worker, "big crowds this morning?"
"No just rude, grumpy, or hung over people- the usual."
"Ooh, the Sunday hung over crowd, my favorite!"
"I know. You've mastered that annoying loudness that people want to kill you for yet you smile and sound so happy that they can't."
"I'm pretty awesome, right? They give me extra tip money just to get me to shut up and go away."
"Damn," she muttered, "that's genius. Anyway, I'm taking a break."
He went behind the counter and checked on the various coffee makers and toaster ovens. "Okay, take your time and…" He looked up and saw Cory and Shawn enter and approach the counter. Even knowing they saw him, Eric still and darted back to the storage closet. "What do you mean you forgot where the napkins are? Top shelf, dummy."
"Eric, what the hell are you talking about," April asked, following him back there.
"I need you to go wait on my brother and his friend."
"Are you kidding? I'm taking my break."
"Please? I can't deal with them right now."
"You guys have a fight?"
"Something like that."
"Then don't you think the best way to make up with them would be to bring them a hot cup of coffee and some cinnamon rolls?"
"I'm not the one who needs to do the making up. If I have to deal with them I might hurt them."
She raised an eyebrow. "I want details. I deserve some dirt after the morning I had."
"Sorry."
"Eric-"
"Please? I'll give you half my tips today."
"Really?"
"I swear."
"Fine." She put her purse down and went back to the register. "What do you want?"
"Where's Eric? I know he's here. I just saw him."
"He's getting napkins from the supply closet."
Cory lifted the dispenser. "This is full."
"Your point?"
"I think I'll wait for my brother."
"Cor, let's just get our stuff and go," Shawn piped in. He didn't want to deal with Eric today. Mainly because he had no idea how he'd react. If their positions were reversed he can't say he'd handle it well.
"But nothing gets solved by-"
"Nothing gets solved by making a scene either."
He sighed. Shawn was right. Besides, Topanga wouldn't be happy with him if he caused drama. "Fine."
/
/
"Well this is a nice surprise," Amy said when she came down the stairs and found her eldest sitting at the kitchen table. "Or is it not a surprise and sleep deprivation made me forget a planned visit?"
"No, I'm a surprise."
"You have been since the pregnancy test came back positive." She ruffled his hair before going to the coffee pot. "One surprise after another."
Eric scrunched up his face. "Ugh, mom, don't gross me out now."
Just then Alan came in through the back door. "Leave it to me to get all the way to the store and realize I forgot the drill I needed to fix that shelf. Oh, Eric, good, I'm glad you're here. I wanted to talk to you about last week with the deliveries. Maybe I overreacted a little and from now on I'll handle-"
"Dad, forget about the deliveries. I'm over that. I need to talk to you guys."
"What is it, honey," Amy asked.
"I don't know, maybe I'm not supposed to get mad about it after the fact, but I want to kill him. It makes you wonder how well you know people." It had been a few days since he hid in the supply closet to avoid confronting Cory and Shawn and he still wasn't feeling any better about the situation. "Can you trust any of them, huh? Tell me."
"What are you talking about? Is everything okay with you and Angela?"
"Rachel threw this dinner party the other night. She made a big deal about wanting to feel like an adult and have nice food and get dressed up- all that."
She almost laughed at that description of being an adult. They'd find out soon enough what being an adult was really about. "That sounds nice."
"The food was taking a while to cook and Rachel got inspired by Cory and Topanga's pledge to tell each other the absolute truth about everything 100% of the time-"
"-oh brother," Alan mumbled.
"Right. Anyway, she's inspired and mentioned this honesty game she would play with her friends in high school. We had time to kill, so we played."
"I'm going to take a wild guess that it wasn't all that fun?"
"It was a disaster even before Cory asked Jack the question. He asked if there was anything he wanted to say to someone in the room, but hadn't. I'm thinking he's going to say something to Shawn, or maybe me or Rachel. You know- dumb roommate crap that's been bugging him. But he starts to talk to Angela instead." He got up from the table and paced around the room. "He says he owes her an apology."
"For what?"
"You guys remember when Cory and Shawn got stupid drunk and peed on the cop car?"
"Unfortunately."
"And Cory stopped after that but Shawn didn't?"
"Yes."
"One day when he was drunk he put his hands on Angela."
Alan crossed his arms and stood a little straighter. "He did what?"
"He got mad and shoved her into a door."
Amy leaned back against the counter. They knew about ditching classes, insulting Mr. Feeny, and angry verbal outbursts, but they were unaware he'd actually gotten physical with anyone. "Is she okay now? Was she okay then?"
"She says she is. It scared her and she refused to talk to Shawn until he got help, which he did. I remember that part. When she took him back she told him if he ever drank again that was it. The only reason she gave him a second chance was because she knew the alcohol added to the situation."
"I can see why you're upset with Shawn-"
"Upset? No, I want to kill him. Or at least shove him against a door a few times and see how he likes it."
Alan understood where his son was coming from. Hell, part of him was tempted to ride shotgun and hold Shawn down so Eric could teach him a lesson. But he knew that wasn't the right way to handle this. "That won't solve anything."
"I know. But it's not just him, it's everyone."
"I don't understand."
"That's why Jack apologized. He, Cory, and Topanga were there when it happened and they didn't do anything to help her. They just let her run out of the apartment." He ran his hands across his face. "Jack always felt bad for not doing anything, but said he was in shock and didn't know how to react."
"No one can predict how they'll handle it when faced with a situation like that. I'm sure it's even more confusing when the person exhibiting violent behavior is someone you love."
"I would've done something," he insisted.
"It's easy to say that when you have the benefit of hindsight."
"No, it's not hindsight. I would've stopped him or helped Angela...something. Anything. No one even gave her a ride home. She had to walk."
"Honey, what does Angela say about this?"
"She doesn't want to relive it anymore. It's over. She made her peace with it."
"Then that's what you have to do as well. It's her call. If she says this incident is in the past then that's where you need to leave it."
"But Shawn-"
"I know, but you need to handle this her way. Don't do it for Shawn or Jack, Cory, or Topanga. Do it for Angela because that's how she wants it. Eric, I know you just found out about this, but it's obviously not something recent. It was dealt with, maybe poorly in some cases, but that doesn't change anything."
He shook his head. "So I just go back to the way things were, like I knew nothing? People who were supposed to be her friends treated her like crap."
"You don't have to pretend nothing happened, but don't let it dominate your interactions. Follow Angela's lead. If there's ever a time she wants to talk to you about it, be there for her and let her talk."
"That seems like doing a whole lot of nothing."
"Never underestimate the value of being there for someone and being their safe place. Believe me, that kind of trust and intimacy in a relationship is priceless." His face twisted in disgust and he covered his ears. "What's that look about?"
"My mommy said intimacy. Yuck."
"That's the only thing you're taking away from our conversation?"
"No," he said with a sigh, "I got it. Although you did just use a bunch of words to tell me I can't do a damn thing about what happened."
"You can't change the past. All you can do is focus on the future you want with Angela and do your best to make sure it's a good one. You're here for her now. That matters."
"I guess."
"Speaking of the future, when are you going to bring her over for dinner?"
"How is that talking about the future?"
"Things appear to be going well for you two and it seems like you're serious about her-"
"I've never been this serious about anyone."
"Right, so I'd like to get to know her better."
"I'll talk to Angela and let you know. Stuff is hectic with everyone is getting ready for finals."
"I suppose that is a valid excuse, but the next time you both have an opening in your schedules, I want you here. Got it?"
"Yes." He checked the time. "Ooh, I have to go. My statistics class starts in thirty minutes."
"How is class going?"
Eric shrugged. "I got a B on my last quiz, so...not bad."
"That's fantastic. I'm so proud of you. You've been working so hard lately."
"Angela's study tips really pay off. I'll see you later. It would suck to be late and have poor attendance bring my grade down. Dad, you still want me at the store tomorrow afternoon?"
"Of course."
"Cool. Bye."
"Wow," Amy muttered, shaking her head.
"What?"
"All those years we grounded him constantly because we thought the girls were negatively affecting his schoolwork. What if that was wrong?"
"Maybe."
She could tell that her husband was distracted and not paying attention to what she was saying. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I need to get back to the store. That shelf won't fix itself."
"You know everything I said to Eric applies to you, too, right?"
"What?"
"Don't go talking to Shawn about what happened right now, leave Cory alone, too. We can mention it the next time they come over in a calm and rational manner, but an ambush would not work."
"I can be calm and rational, you know."
She didn't bother to hide her laughter. "Really, after twenty-two years of marriage maybe you'd like you show it to me sometime."
"Ha-ha."
"I know you. You have a protective streak about a mile wide and if you see an injustice you don't want to rest until it's fixed. It doesn't just cover me and our kids. The protectiveness came out with Shawn when Chet and Virna were coming and going, leaving Shawn with us or Mr. Turner and then when Shawn turned to that cult..." She shook her head. "I swear if it's not one thing it's another with him. The kid is a damn movie of the week."
"You're actually excusing what he did?"
"Are you kidding? Do you know how much restraint I'm showing by not marching over there and yelling at him?"
"I can't believe Cory just stood there. I thought we raised the kids to intervene if they see something wrong."
"Alan, it's Shawn. If he told Cory he was going to kill him our son would not only provide the weapon but give tips on the most effective way to get it done so as to make it easier on him."
He shook his head, realizing she was probably right. "Idiots," he muttered, "the both of them."
/
/
"…and so I was thinking why don't I just sleep over again on Thursday and we can spend Friday talking and stuff." Angela watched Eric from her spot on the couch in the Student Union. He was cleaning up for the night. "What do you think?"
"An all-day talk, huh? Sounds big." He sat near her on the arm of the couch. Now he was nervous. He thought this talk would cover their pasts and preferred methods of protection…stuff like that. What on earth could they cover in an all-day relationship sex talk? It sounded like something you needed to study for.
"Talking wouldn't cover the whole day. We could get take out and rent a movie. I was thinking The Fugitive," she said with a smile. "You know, I kinda keep thinking about the one-armed man."
"But he was ugly. At least compare me to Tommy Lee Jones if you don't think I'm Harrison Ford worthy."
Angela braced her hand on his thigh and sat up on her knees, leaning towards him. "Please, you're way hotter than Harrison Ford."
"That's what I'm talking about." He put his hand on the back of her neck, drawing her closer for a kiss. "And you are way more beautiful than any-"
"That was terrible," Topanga ranted as she entered the building with Cory and Shawn. "I'm sorry, but what reception hall worth their salt offers salsa as an appetizer option?"
"People like salsa, honey." Cory froze when he realized the cozy scene they were walking in on. "Oh…hi."
Angela sighed before she reluctantly sat back down, though her hand remained on Eric's leg. She'd swear she heard him growl under his breath when he saw them. "Hi." For several seconds no one talked. It had been like this a lot lately. Ever since the party there was awkward silences whenever she was near Cory, Shawn, or Topanga even though she told them there didn't need to be. "What were you saying about salsa?"
"Oh, it was awful." Topanga sat beside her friend. "The reception hall billed themselves as a classy establishment but the food on the menu was what you'd expect at a barbecue."
"Was it really that bad?"
"What would you say if I had turkey burger sliders, cheese balls, pigs in a blanket, and bacon wrapped potatoes at my wedding reception?"
"That you let Cory plan the menu," Angela guessed.
"Hey!"
"Bacon wrapped potatoes sound like the perfect food," Eric said. "You should have those anyway."
"That's what I said," Shawn added hesitantly. "The samples were good."
It was silent again. Eric debated how to handle this. He was still upset with the three of them, but he kept hearing Angela and his mom in his head. Angela didn't want to drag it up again and mom said to follow her lead. He wasn't quite sure he could do that, but it was challenging to carry a grudge when he had to see them every day. Besides, if Angela could move on and still be friends with them- though he didn't understand how- he owed it to her to try as well. "There's a bag of muffins and scones in the back that are supposed to be tossed if they're not eaten by the end of the day. You-you guys want some?"
Topanga was the first to speak up. "Sounds great."
"Yeah," Cory added, "thanks. Right, Shawnie?"
"Uh-huh."
Angela smiled at Eric and squeezed his hand. "Just don't press you luck with coffee. He already did those dishes."