"All right, future history makers. Welcome to career day. Now there are a lot of ways to make your mark on the world," Cory announced to his class.
Riley turned to Maya in the middle of her dad's speech and asked, "Are your parents here?"
"Dad's out of town for business and mom's at another audition," Maya explained. She had wanted her parents to show up today, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud, but knew with their schedules it would be impossible. Her dad was on the road a lot as he wrote for a travel website and her mom was still chasing her dream of stardom after fifteen-ish years, but in the meantime she waitressed.
"Okay, guys, our first guest today is a lawyer," Cory said, opening the door to let in the first parent of the day. And as he had planned it, the first parent to grace the students was his darling wife, Topanga. "And I likes her. Let me please introduce you to Topanga Matthews."
Just as Topanga was about to speak and explain her job to Cory's class, she was rudely interrupted by a parent storming into the classroom.
"Shawnie!" Cory cheered, pushing his wife out of the way to tackle his best friend with a hug. He hadn't had Shawn on his roaster of parents speaking at career day but welcomed him nonetheless.
"Sorry, I didn't let you know sooner Cor, but Katy and I wanted it to be a surprise," Shawn explained loosening his grip on Cory and revealing his wife from the doorway.
Maya had not been excepting this. On one hand, she was happy her parents could make it, but on the other their entrance could totally ruin her street cred. She had led people to believe her parents were cool, which they were, but Shawn's embrace with Cory may have discredited her.
"I hope we didn't interrupt anything," Shawn said.
"Actually, I was just in the middle of-" Topanga argued.
"Nope, we were just about to begin," Cory assured his friend, patting him on the back.
"Speaking," Topanga finished, not at all shocked that Cory placed Shawn first again.
"Class, we will continue with Mrs. Matthews after a brief speech from my best friend in the whole wide world, Shawn Hunter. And his wife Katy," Cory beamed to his class. Shawn was here. His day possibly could not get any better.
"What does your friend have to do with career day?" Yogi, one of the other students, asked. "I thought only parents were invited."
"You see that kid over there," Shawn answered, pointing to Maya. "She's mine. How's it going kiddo?"
"I thought you would be in Upstate New York this week," Maya said.
"I changed my schedule," Shawn shrugged. He was one of the top writers for the website he worked for. Being a top writer meant he had the perks to make and change his schedule. "Your mom and I talked about it and we wanted to surprise you."
"But the audition?" Maya protested. Her mom had been trying for years to be an actress and hadn't had much luck. She didn't understand why her mom would give up going to an audition.
"There wasn't one," Katy explained. She thought Maya would have been excited to see her and Shawn there, but she seemed stressed and embarrassed more than anything. "We thought you would be happy with us here."
"I am," Maya assured her parents. She signaled for her dad to come over to her. Shawn crouched down next to Maya's desk and she whispered to him, "But you're ruining my street cred."
Shawn understood more than anyone the importance of street cred especially in the school system. He was Mr. Cool back in the day. And though he may still dress the same with a leather jacket and all, his affiliation with Cory was often a downfall. Shawn backed away from Maya and stood in front of the sea of preteens.
"I'm Shawn. This is my wife Katy. And that's our daughter Maya. I write for this site called Hit the Road. Go to a lot of different places and tell you if it's worth a weekend. I even take the pictures too," Shawn explained.
"Katy," Cory led, hoping Katy would tell the class about her job.
"I'm an actress. Are there any questions I can answer for anyone?" Katy asked the class as she made her way to where her husband was.
Farkle's hand immediately went up.
"Ah, yes, the Farkle," Katy said.
"Why are you wearing a waitress outfit?" Farkle asked. Katy was dressed in her traditional Nighthawk Diner uniform. She had asked her boss if she could take a longer break midday and due to her loyalty at the diner for about fifteen years, he made an exception. Shawn and her agreed it was more important to be there for Maya.
Maya didn't talk about her mother's profession to her friends. She talked more about Shawn's career than Katy's. Farkle always wondered why she was hiding the fact that her mother claimed to be an actress. However, he had the sneaking suspicion there was more to it due to the waitress outfit.
"Anyone else?" Katy asked dodging the question.
Shawn snuck his around Katy's shoulder before looking at his daughter. They both knew this was going to be rough. Shawn loved his wife and had supported her endeavors including her trying to be an actress, but she had yet to receive her big break or any break. Not many people understood why he would put up with her dreams of being an actress for so long. The answer was he loved her and as long as she was happy, he was as well.
Lucas raised his hand. And Katy perked up at the interest.
"Yes, the pretty, young man right there," Katy said.
"Yeah, thanks. Um, why are you wearing a waitress outfit?" Lucas asked, repeating Farkle's question.
"My dad says actors are a bunch of people who never grew up," another student, Sarah, interjected.
Katy chuckled, "What does your dad do?"
"He's a director," Sarah clarified.
"Is he? Well, I'm sure your father never gave me a job either, which is the real reason I wear this outfit every day," Katy said hanging her head low.
Maya felt bad for her mom. Only her dad and her, maybe even the Matthews, knew how hard her mom had been working all these years and she still couldn't escape the job at the diner. Shawn had told her on more than on occasion that they had enough money for her to quit working and focus on acting full time, but she insisted to stay. She wanted to be able to provide for her daughter.
Sensing the awkward tension in the room, Cory gestured to his wife to get on with their regularly scheduled programming. "So I am an attorney," Topanga said taking center stage. "I got here through a lot of hard work in school. By the time I was your age, I had 350 'As."
A knock on the door had ruined Topanga's speech yet again. But at least this person did have the courtesy to knock instead of barging in like Shawn did. "You have got to be kidding me," Topanga complained aloud.
Cory went to open the door and bursting through was a face Cory had known to well. Cory gasped, which caused a curious Shawn to part from Katy and investigate who had caused his friend to be so rattled. "Minkus," the pair said simultaneously.
"Topanga," Minkus greeted. Long were the days that his glasses and button up short-sleeved shirts were gone. Dressed in a blazer and turtleneck, Minkus ignored Cory and Shawn, much like they had done to him throughout high school.
"Stuart," Topanga smiled.
"Father," Farkle acknowledged as Minkus made his way through the students and towards his son.
"Farkle," Minkus said.
"Wait a minute," Lucas interjected. "He's your father?"
"Look at us," Farkle responded. Minkus squatted down next to his son and the two smiled in Lucas' direction.
"Your name is Farkle Minkus?" Lucas asked for clarification.
"Don't wear it out," Farkle insisted.
"I don't know how you could," Lucas said trying to hold back his laughter.
Cory and Shawn were visibly disturbed. Seeing Minkus and Farkle together often gave them the heebie jeebies. It was like they were looking at a mirror image. They had known Minkus since they were kids and with Farkle being Riley and Maya's friend they saw more of him throughout the years.
"I still can't believe that Minkus reproduced," Shawn commented to Cory.
"What do you think? He was cloned in a lab or something?" Cory implored.
"Look at him," Shawn insisted. The resemblance was uncanny. Cory and Shawn cocked their head simultaneously and glanced at the father-son duo.
Minkus got up from his spot next to his son and walked to the front of the class. "Sorry I'm late, everybody," Minkus apologized. "I had helicopter problems, 'cause I have a helicopter. Do you have a helicopter, Cory?"
"Nope. Do you have a Topanga, Minkus?" Cory asked, wrapping his arm around Topanga.
"Nope, because she chose you. I run Minkus International, I have a helicopter, and she chose you," Minkus said. He loved the life he led. He loved his job. His wife. His son. But Topanga will always be the one that got away. She was his first crush and she ended up with Cory Matthews, his former enemy from middle school.
"Stuart, please. Aren't we a little too evolved to still be competing with each other?" Topanga asked.
It was no secret that at John Adams Topanga and Minkus rivaled for the top spot. They were the smartest in their class, but by the time graduation rolled around Topanga had ended victorious with the coveted spot of valedictorian.
"Of course," Minkus laughed.
"Of course," Topanga laughed.
"Here we go," Shawn commented to his wife whilst rolling his eyes.
"Go!" Minkus and Topanga commanded in unison.
"Between the two of us, Riley and I have 1260 'As. Ha!" Topanga said.
"That's remarkable, Topanga. Between the two of us, Farkle and I have 1261," Minkus retorted.
"Ha!" Farkle taunted.
"Ha!" Minkus repeated.
Topanga looked at Cory intimidatingly. There was no way her daughter would lose to a Minkus. She taught Riley better than that. The only person who could have prohibited Riley from receiving an A was her teacher. Cory screamed in fear as to what Topanga would do to him. "I--I had to, Topanga. He's a lot smarter than I am," Cory explained.
"But what's more important to me than anything...is that I have this guy. Come up here, son," Minkus encouraged lovingly. Despite what Cory and Shawn thought, his son was a real boy and he loved him more than all the money in the world, which he had.
Farkle followed his father's instructions and stood with him at the front of the classroom.
"Come up here, daughter," Topanga ordered and yanked Riley up to her feet. "Look how tall she is. She's been taller than me since the day she was born."
Minkus, ready to prove Topanga wrong, pushed on Farkle to make his son appear taller than Riley. Shawn watched the baffling sight before him and walked over to his daughter.
"Next time you think your mother and I are crazy, just remember this kiddo," Shawn said before heading back to his wife.
"Well, very nice. Good for you guys. So this is what career day is really all about," Cory began addressing his class. He turned to his wife and Minkus and swatted at them to stop. "Okay, maybe not that, but we will pick this up after fifth period."
One by one the students filtered out of the classroom and all that remained were the Matthews, Hunters and the Minkus'.
"So these are the two ladies you tell me keep chasing you, huh?" Minkus asked his son in reference to Maya and Riley, who stood before them.
Shawn burst out into a fit of laughter. He knew Maya to chase after one boy in particular, but Farkle? Shawn knew Farkle to be chasing after the girls, not the other way around. He assumed that Farkle must have twisted the truth in his favor to impress his father. In his fit of laughter, Katy swatted at her husband.
Maya and Riley eyed Farkle suspiciously. "Please," Farkle begged in a whisper.
"Yes sir, it is us," Riley confirmed to Minkus, playing along with Farkle.
"I'm not doing it," Maya refused. There was no way she would allow herself to pretended to be interested in Farkle if even for a minute. Riley elbowed Maya in the rib. Maya gruffed and against her will, went along with the ruse. "Yes, sir, it is us. We hope that one day one of us will be lucky enough to become the future Mrs. Farkle Minkus and have a lot of baby minkii."
Shawn and Cory looked at each other. They were aware that the girls were lying to protect their friend but the visual was too much for them.
Maya couldn't believe that Ms. Kossal convinced her to show her artwork. She hadn't wanted to initially. That would mean she would have to care about something and caring about school was not a priority of hers.
She had told her parents about the art show, yesterday over dinner. Maya just dropped it in briefly during their conversation. Katy and Shawn were ecstatic to see their daughter's work on display. They were just at the school the day prior for career day and couldn't wait to return to support their daughter. After all, she was a gifted artist.
When Maya was younger, Katy would catch her drawing landscapes across their living room walls. Shawn thought it was adorable while Katy would be furious and have to spend the night scrubbing the scribbles away.
Katy was glad to see her daughter take her art seriously. It gave her hope that Maya would have a career one day and leave behind her troublemaking youth.
Maya had stood by her painting all night as parents walked in and out of the classroom. Parents congratulated her on job well done, but she had yet to receive the seal of approval from her parents. She had no clue what was taking them so long.
Riley was eager for the art show and brought Lucas and Farkle along to support their friend. "How's it going?" Riley asked.
"It's going fine," Maya smiled.
"What do your parents think?" Riley asked, wondering if Shawn and Katy had stopped by.
"They haven't showed up yet," Maya admitted, slightly disappointed. She knew her parents had busy schedules between the website and the diner. Her mom did tell her that they would try to make it after her shift. "It's just you guys."
"Hey, Maya," Topanga greeted on behalf of her family. She and Cory decided to make a night out of it and take the kids to Svorski's after the art show to celebrate Maya's hard work. That was the only way Topanga could convince Josh and Auggie to leave the house. "Wow, you really have some talent. Look at that place."
"It looks familiar," Cory commented giving Maya a knowing smile. The scene Maya had painted is one he knew too well.
"What do you think, Boing?" Maya asked.
"I think you did a great job, Maya," Josh complimented. He knew Maya was an excellent artist. He'd seen a few sketches of hers before, albeit the pictures were of him, but this painting was different. There was more detail and a story to it.
"Thanks, Josh," Maya smiled. She never needed validation from anyone, but to hear that Josh thought she did a good job made her heart thump.
"Are we too late?" Shawn huffed as he waltzed into the classroom with his wife. He picked up Katy from the diner and sped through the New York City traffic to make it on time. This was the first time Maya had ever entered her pictures in an art show. He didn't want to miss it.
Shawn vowed to be the parent his parents weren't and always be at every function for his kid, whether if they would hate it or not, like career day.
"You're right on time," Cory clarified as he patted Shawn on the back.
"Baby girl, this is incredible," Katy said. She departed from her husband's arms and went over to Maya to give her a hug and kiss. "I absolutely love it."
"Wow kiddo, I knew you had talent, but this is amazing," Shawn said. He was speechless. If he was destined to take pictures for a living, it was no shock Maya was to draw them. They were certainly the pair. "How'd you come up with this?"
"I don't know," Maya shrugged. "I was told this story once or twice and thought it would make a pretty picture."
"I can certainly agree," Shawn said, taking his turn to hug his daughter.
The painting in question depicted a blonde waitress working behind a counter pouring a cup of coffee. The other side of the counter was a brunette customer, who the waitress was obviously flirting with.
Maya had been told the story of how her parents met at the Nighthawk Diner on numerous occasions from both Shawn and Katy's perspective. And since there were not many pictures of them together before she was born, Maya thought she might as well paint one.
A picture can tell a thousand words, and this one said closer to a million.