//

Betty sat next to Shawn's desk in Mr. Feeny's class, listening to him finish a lecture. "And that, Mr. Hunter, is how babies are made," Mr Feeny concluded.

Shawn shook his head. "I still don't believe him."

Betty chuckled. "You can figure it out when we have our own kids in ten years."

"...Make it five."

"Okay."

The school bell rang which everyone got up as Mr. Feeny said, "Before I forget, next Friday will be college recruitment day. Representatives will be here from USC, NYU, and Rutgers.  And Mr. Matthews, your interview with Stanford  has been rescheduled from 3:00 to 3:30."

Shawn turned to Cory. "Stanford? What's that all about?"

Cory shook his head. "It's just an interview. It's nothing from nothing."

Betty saw Shawn's expression as they followed Cory out into the hallway. "Don't make it more than it has to be."

Shawn just grabbed her hand, pulling her to follow Cory to his locker. "Cory. When we were little kids, you promised me  that we'd go to the same college together."

"Did I say that?" Cory asked.

"Yes, and you also told me that if I graduated high school, you'd take me to Vermont to watch the leaves change."

"Right, Vermont. October...Write it down."

"You know I could never get into Stanford," Shawn replied.

"Well, Stanford's just one of the many schools I'm applying to, Shawn. I'm also applying to Wisconsin, Penn."

Shawn gasped dramatically. "Wisconsin and Penn? We never discussed those."

"Well, it doesn't have to be Wisconsin or Penn, Shawnie. It can be a school from your list. What's on your list?"

"You want to know what's on my list?" Shawn replied. Number one, I don't need a list because my best friend Cory wouldn't apply to any school
that I couldn't get into."

Cory frowned. "Your list makes me feel bad." He followed Shawn to the locker. "Shawn...You know, it's early.  I have no idea what my plans are."

Shawn slammed his locker door shut. "Oh, interesting. Your plans. Not our plans."

"Don't you take that tone with me, Shawn Hunter."

"I'm not taking any tone.  If you want to go to college at Stanford, then go. In fact, go now.  Give you plenty of time to start making your new college friends."

"But I don't want to make new friends," Cory said softly.

"I can't believe I'm still here listening to this," Betty mumbled softly.

"You know what? Maybe I should start making new friends, too, huh?" Shawn replied.

"But I don't want you to make new friends," Cory told him.

"Well, you need to, Cory.  What did you think? That I was always going to be here?  Is that what
you thought?"

"Yes," Betty answered for him.

Shawn scoffed. "Well, I'm not."

"Oh my God, you're being dramatic-hey!" she yelped as Shawn pulled her away from Cory. "What I can't talk to my friend now?"

"Not now."

"Fine."

***

Betty was at her locker with Topanga, pulling out her books. "So what colleges did you apply to?"

"A fair few," Topanga replied. "I told Cory about the University of Miami. What about you?"

"NYU, Penn. Feeny thinks I should go bigger like Oxford or possibly Harvard."

"And are you?"

"I thought about it...I just wouldn't know how to tell Shawn."

"How come? Won't he be understanding?"

"Our little conversation this morning was very helpful  in making me realize that our entire relationship has been nothing more than a lie!" Shawn yelled at Cory from a good distance away from the girls.

Betty slowly turned to Topanga. "...And that's just from Shawn hearing about Cory's school choices."

Topanga nodded. "Yeah, I'd hold off on telling him."

"Agreed," Betty said, closing her locker and walking after Shawn into Mr. Feeny's class. "Honey, everything okay?"

"Everything's just perfect. I just learned I don't need Cory and he doesn't need me," Shawn answered.

"Come on, you know that's not true."

"It is and I'm gonna prove it."

"How?"

Shawn looked around, pointing to the random kid walking in. "You. You wanna free seat here?" Shawn asked, pointing to Cory's usual desk.

The guy shrugged and sat down there, making Betty sigh. "I shouldn't have asked," she mumbled, sitting in her seat next to Shawn.

Cory came in with Topanga, not paying attention as he tried to sit down in his seat before getting up quickly realizing he sat in the boy's lap. "Who are you and what are you doing in my seat?"

Shawn stood up. "His name is Andy."

"Who's Andy?"

"He's my new..."

"Best friend?" Cory asked with fear in his eyes.

"Friend," Shawn clarified. "Cory, we agreed that we were going to go out and meet new people."

"I'm not making you happy?"

Shawn's face fell slightly. "No, Cory, it's...It's not you, okay? It's me. And right now I just need my space."

"I'm so glad I'm not getting dumped or doing the dumping this time," Betty told Topanga who lightly nudged her.

"But we're still friends?" Cory asked Shawn.

"Right now, I don't know what we are. Give me my space."

Cory moved to talk to Topanga as Betty sat back in her chair. "You're being silly, Shawn," Betty told him.

"I'm not," Shawn replied, his eyes on the paper on his desk.

"Well, trying to replace Cory is not the answer."

"I'm allowed to have other friends."

"I know but this is all over about just hearing about his college choices. It doesn't mean he's gonna go running to one immediately."

"He could and he would. He would run far away and meet new friends the first chance he gets, I'm just trying to get ahead of him and do it before he does."

"Well..." she began. "What if I had college choices?"

He slowly looked at her. "Do you?"

"Yes..." she answered hesitantly.

"Well...what are they?"

She paused. "...I'm not telling you until you're in a better mood."

"Fine...You're lucky you're cute, Ponytail Princess."

She smiled to herself. "I know."

He grabbed her hand, kissing it before turning back to his paper.

***

Shawn walked into Chubby's, his arm around Betty with three other friends following them to a table as Shawn pulled out a chair for Betty, waiting for her to sit before sitting next to her.

Betty zoned out, blocking out the guys and Shawn's conversation. She was starting to miss her other friend group and while she thought about going to hang out with Cory and Topanga, Shawn was being very clingy to her.

She finally looked up at Cory walking over. "Shawn, Betty," Cory spoke, earning their attention before his tone turned bitter at the group. "Boys." He pulled Shawn away from the group. "Well, this certainly appears to be a lot more than just giving each other space."

"Cory, we agreed that we were going to make new friends," Shawn replied.

"No, you agreed. I was perfectly happy with the way things were."

"Then explain him!" Shawn exclaimed, motioning to Cory's new friend in the booth.

Cory turned back to Shawn. "His name is Lionel. We met today, and we are getting along just famously because I'm young, Hunter, I'm vital, and I have a lot to offer."

"Yeah, well, so do I."

"The difference is I have the dignity to keep my friendships personal and private, not parade them around in public for your twisted amusement."

"You little punk!" Shawn yelled.

"You dirty man!" Cory yelled back.

"Cat fight," one of the waiters called out.

Cory grabbed a cup of water, splashing Shawn who yelled in surprise before the Hunter boy grabbed his girlfriend's water cup, splashing Cory who yelled.

"Face it, Matthews. Our friendship never made any sense in the first place," Shawn told him.

"You're right," Cory agreed. "Why?"

"Because we're different. You're college. I'm townie. It was only a matter of time before that caught up with us."

"Then let's end it now before it lasts any longer than it did."

"No! Now." He put down the cup he was holding. "Come on, boys." He walked out of Chubby's with the boys following.

Betty sighed, getting up and walking to Cory. "Cory, this has gotten out of hand."

"You don't think I know that? He pushed it too far."

"It's both of you. He's in a dramatic mood and you pushed it too far. One of you needs to fix this-" She yelped as Shawn came back, picking her up and carrying her out over his shoulder. "Shawn! You can't do this every time I wanna talk to him!"

"Yes, I can!"

***

Cory came rushing into the Principal's office. "Mr. Feeny. I got a message you wanted to see me. You have two extra tickets to Sunday's Eagles game."

Shawn came in shortly. "Hey, Mr. Feeny. I heard you had an academic achievement award for me?"

Both boys gaped as they looked at each other.

"You!"

"You!"

"Sting!" They both shouted.

"Oh, sit down," Mr Feeny told them impatiently.

Both boys sat down as Cory spoke, "Mr. Feeny, why are you doing this to us?"

Topanga came in. "We asked him to see you."

Both boys gasped. "Topanga!"

"Wait, who's we?" Shawn asked.

Betty came into the office next to Topanga. "It's me and her."

They gasped again. "Betty!"

"You won't listen to me. You won't listen to her," Topanga said, motioning to Betty. "You won't listen to each other."

The Cooper girl nodded. "So maybe you'll listen to the most wise man in our lives."

"Well, it hasn't happened yet," Mr. Feeny replied, taking off his glasses. "But I'll take a shot at it. Okay, who wants to start?"

"I have nothing to say," Cory said, turning to face the wall.

Shawn looked away. "Me neither."

"Okay, that was my best shot," Mr. Feeny replied, putting his glasses back on.

"What?" The girls both said in disbelief.

"Mr. Feeny, these people are about ready to throw away 10 years of friendship, and you call that your best shot?" Betty said.

Topanga got in his face. "Shame on you. Shame."

Mr. Feeny stared back at her. "I show up. I teach. Why isn't that enough? Why?"

"Cuz you're our role model," Betty answered.

Shawn stood up. "Look, Mr. Feeny, let's not waste anyone's time, okay? Cory and I, we broke up."

"It should have happened sooner," Cory remarked.

"But we stayed together for the kids."

Cory saw Mr. Feeny's confused face and answered, "In the class."

Mr. Feeny stood up. "You two have been the best of friends for as long as I know you. Now, when did this problem start?"

"His problem started the day he met me," Shawn answered before looking at Cory. "You didn't think I was good enough for you since the day you met me. The day he met me. Met me-"

"Honey, stop repeating and get on with the flashback," Betty told him.

"Fine."

Shawn went on to recall how Cory and Topanga met Shawn, telling Shawn at first that he wasn't allowed to like him until Cory fell into a llama enclosure to which Shawn jumped in and helped him over before they all became immediate friends and bringing up the college promise.

"Aw, that's how you guys became friends, that's so cute," Betty said with a smile once the story was finished. "Really wish I moved here earlier at the time though."

She looked up to see now Cory and Shawn were hugging tightly.

"Stop it. You're boys," Topanga said with a small smile.

They pulled back from the hug as Cory said, "Thank you for pulling me out of the llama pen."

"Thank you for having lunch with me," Shawn replied.

"Oh, here we go," Mr. Feeny mumbled.

"Cory, I want you to go to the best college you can get into. We'll be best friends all our lives, no matter where you go."

Cory nodded. "And I should have been more aware of your insecurities and how sensitive
you can be."

"Do you think I'm sensitive?"

"I do."

"You know what, Cor? I'm going to work real hard. So whatever college you get into, I'll be right there with you."

"You mean it?"

"I've never meant anything more in my whole life."

They hugged again making Topanga say, "Okay, stop it!" They separated as Topanga continued, "Okay. We still all have to be ready for the possibility we may end up in different places. And that's why we have to make our senior year together the best year of our lives."

"Agreed," Betty said with a nod.

"I mean, I applied to the University of Miami..."

"And I applied to NYU, University of Pittsburgh..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Both boys interrupted their girlfriends.

"You're going to Miami?" Cory asked.

"You know, I did tell you that," Topanga told him. "If you didn't listen, that's not my fault."

"No, Topanga, you never mentioned anything..."

"You never brought up those schools," Shawn told Betty.

"I told you I was gonna tell you when you were in a good mood."

"Well, now I'm in a bad mood that you didn't tell me sooner."

"You two. Sit down," Mr. Feeny said to Cory and Topanga before looking at the other couple. "You two. Wait here for your turn."

Betty and Shawn leaned on the wall as Cory and Topanga sat down, Cory speaking, "Well, it all started the day she was nagging me by the llama pit."

"I don't nag!" Topanga yelled, hitting Cory's leg.

***