//

At school, we were in Mr. Feeny's class.

Our teacher spoke, "I'm sure you're all aware of the conflict in Burundi which is now spilling over into Rwanda and Uganda."

"He's making these names up," Cory muttered.

"He's finally run out of stuff to teach," Shawn added, making me snicker quietly.

Mr. Feeny continued, "The Burundian conflict centers on class differences between the poorer Hutus and the richer Tutsis."

"We're gonna have to put a bag over him and drag him out of the room," Shawn added again.

I chuckled. "Sure, that way, we save his dignity," I say, going along with it.

"Class differences, the strife between the have and the have-nots, a perennial source of misery on our planet. Another source of misery, I expect each of you to do a paper on this topic during Thanksgiving break," Mr. Feeny told the class, making everyone groan.

"He's trying to drag us down with him," Cory said.

Mr. Feeny added, "But before we break for the holiday, I want to congratulate you all on this year's food drive. I mean, you've shown real generosity and selflessness." I shake my head at the boys. "That said, this year's winners are Cory Matthews and Shawn Hunter."

They both got up. "Oh, yeah!"

They even did a little dance.

I look to the random kid in front of me. "See those knuckleheads? They're my best friends."

"Mr. Feeny, this is so unfair. They just keep turning in the same cans year after year," Topy spoke.

"Hey, my family gives them to the food bank, the food bank gives them to my family, my family gives them back to the food bank. It's life in the food bank chain," Shawn stated proudly.

Sometimes I can't believe I even dated him not too long ago.

"So, what'd we win, Mr. Feeny?" Cory asked.

"You've won a turkey," Mr. Feeny answered.

"Oh," they said with disappointment as Shawn passed the turkey to Cory.

"And a box of stuffing."

"Ooh," they both said in excitement.

The bell rang, causing me to put my notes away and grab my bag. "Have a wonderful holiday, and don't forget that paper," Mr. Feeny told us all.

As the boys and I exited the class, Cory spoke, "Shawn, you can have the turkey. I'll take stuffing."

"But I want stuffing," Shawn replied.

"Well, of course, you want stuffing. Everyone wants stuffing. Stuffing's the best part."

"Oh my gosh, just flip for it," I speak.

"I don't want to lose," Cory said.

"But you might win."

"But, you see, if I lose, then I don't get stuffing."

I huff. "I can't win with you guys, can I?"

"There must be a way for both of us to have stuffing," Shawn said.

"There isn't," Cory replied.

"There must be."

"Impossible. There's stuffing. You either have it, or you don't, unless-"

"We get more stuffing?" I suggest.

"No. I'd want that, too."

"Oh, you stingy little boy."

"What I'm getting at is that we all have stuffing together."

"But it's Thanksgiving," Shawn said. "I gotta be with my family."

"Well, me, too."

"Me three," I say.

"Don't you see? That's perfect. We can have Thanksgiving together," Cory said.

"But our families barely know each other," Shawn stated.

"And what better time for them to get acquainted," I speak. "Good idea, Cory."

Cory smiled. "Oh, I know."

"Okay. Okay. It'll be the first Hunter-Matthews-Cooper Thanksgiving dinner," Shawn added.

"It's gonna be great," Cory said.

"Oh, forget great. It's gonna be amazing," I say.

***

At home, I was with my mom and Zack in the living-room, telling Mom everything.

"Mom, please," I beg.

"Betty," she began.

"Come on. It's Thanksgiving, a time of thanks and giving," I reply.

"It's a family holiday, honey."

"Yes, family but where are Aunt Nancy and Jennifer in this, Mom if this is about family?"

"Do not encourage it," Zack told me, not looking away from the TV.

"Mom, the Hunters, and the Matthews are families, we're a family. We can be families together."

"Not a good idea," Zack stated.

"Um, why?" I ask.

"Because if I see Shawn, I'll wanna kill him."

I roll my eyes. "He didn't do anything wrong."

"Still. You cried, remember?"

"Ignore him," I tell Mom, placing my hands over hers. "Look, over at the Hunters and the Matthews, they are all absolutely delighted about having Thanksgiving with us." I hug her. "Mom, please. I'll be your best friend."

"You're my daughter, that's enough," she replied. "Fine, we'll have dinner with them."

I grinned. "Yay, more stuffing." I look at Zack. "Don't tell Cory or Shawn I said that."

***

When Thanksgiving came, Mom, Zack, and I ran into the Matthews family at the trailer park.

"...So I won't be keeping you any longer because I'm sure they're really looking forward to your visit," Mr. Unter told the Matthews family as we approached.

"Hi, Mr. Unter," I greet.

"Cooper, good to see you again," he greeted back before going back into his trailer.

Everyone looked at me. "What? You seriously forgot I've been over here a lot?"

"Hey, blondie. Looking good," Eric told me with a smirk.

I chuckle. "That's sweet, Eric but I'm still 16."

"What? I can flirt with you, can't I?"

"Not on my watch," Zack spoke while I nod to Eric to give him the okay.

"Okay, enough," Mrs. Matthews told her son before Mr. Matthews knocked.

Shawn opened the trailer door. "Hi. How you doing? Come on in," he told us.

We all entered the trailer. When I did, the first thing Virna did was pull me into a hug.

"Chet, I brought you this really nice bottle of wine," Mr. Matthews told him, showing him the bottle.

"Well, thank you, Alan, but as it happens, we had a very good wine planned for this evening's festivities. Excellent wine, whole box of it right in the refrigerator," Mr. Hunter replied.

"Oh, well, in that case, we don't need to drink this. We'll drink yours and save this."

Chet grabbed the bottle. "No, no, no, no. If you went to the trouble of bringing us wine, the least we can do is drink yours and not ours."

Mrs. Hunter took the wine. "You know what would be just special? What do you say we pour both our wines in a big bowl and add some bananas and oranges and have ourselves some friendship Sangria?"

"Nobody wants that, Virna," Mr. Hunter whispered.

"Yes, we do. We want that. We want bananas and oranges and tiny little pastel-colored umbrellas."

"Oh, Virna. That sounds wonderful," Mom said.

Ms. Hunter smiled. "Thank you, Andrea." She turned to Mr. Hunter. "Now you go get them. They're in the drawer." She turned to us. "May I serve you some hors d'oeuvres?" She grabbed a plate. "This is a Gruyere and pecan log with a selection of crackers. It's one of the items I most enjoy from the good people at Hickory Farms."

"Oh, I would love some. Thank you, Virna. Looks great," Mrs. Matthews said, passing her dish to Mrs. Hunter as we all grabbed one.

"I know it's not as fancy as what you would have served at your home," Mrs. Hunter stated.

"No, no, it's exactly what I would have served."

"No. You're just saying that. You would have served the port wine Cheddar in the ceramic crock."

"Yeah. Remember, you gave it to that mailman that one year for Christmas-" Eric began.

I shoved an hors d'oeuvre in Eric's mouth. "Eric, you're cute. Let's keep it that way, don't talk," I tell him.

"He's not just our mailman. He's my biological father. But he doesn't know that I know," Mrs. Matthews said.

"I should have bought the crock," Mrs. Hunter spoke. "I'm pretty sure Hickory Farms is still open. I'll buy the crock."

"Virna. Virna. Virna," Mr. Hunter called, pulling his wife to the side.

"Hey," Shawn said.

"Hi," I greet back.

"You look great."

I smiled. "Thank you. And you look..." I look him over. "As handsome as ever."

Shawn chuckled. "Betty, stop. You're making me blush," he said, turning his face away from me.

I giggled. "Shut up," I reply, lightly hitting his arm.

"So I kind of want to talk to you," Shawn said.

"We are talking," I tell him.

"I know I just..." he sighed. "I'm going to ask out Lisa Montgomery when we go back to school." My happy expression dropped. "I just want to know if that's okay with you."

Lisa Montgomery. She was the perfect girl next door with her good grades, kind attitude along with her blond hair, and green eyes.

I didn't want to like her because she would actually want to date Shawn but it wasn't up to me anymore.

"That's fine, I don't mind," I tell him with a forced smile.

"You sure?" Shawn asked.

"Yeah, totally," I reply. "I got my eyes on a prize who's into me now."

I glance back at Eric, sending him a wink to which he nodded back with a charming smile.

Eric was right. A little flirting never hurt anyone.

"So we're cool?" Shawn asked.

"We're cool," I tell him.

"...And no amount of cheese is gonna change the fact that tonight is not gonna go well, and I told you so," I heard Mr. Hunter say as Cory entered.

"Hey. How we all doing? Great or really great?" Cory spoke as he had his mom's purse around him. He walked over to Shawn and I. "Betty, Shawn, how could you let this thing fall apart before I even get here?"

"It's bigger than us, Cory," Shawn explained.

"It's bigger than all of us," I add.

"Okay. Well, it's up to us to hold this thing together," Cory stated.

Shawn laughed. "Lose the purse, and I'll take you seriously."

"But it goes with my shoes," Cory said, making me laugh.

"Huh, it does," I joke. "You should definitely get a purse that matches you, Cor."

There was a knock at the door causing Eric to say, "Well, that's my lift. Thanks for having me, seriously. Uh, Betty, call me. And seriously, thanks for having me."

Mr. Matthews stopped him, "Nobody's getting off this island, Gilligan."

"Betty, was Eric just flirting with you?" Cory asked me quietly as Mr. Hunter answered the door.

I shrug. "I don't know, maybe. A little flirting never hurt anyone."

"Well, definitely hurt me watching it," Cory replied. "Shawn, tell her. You agree with me."

Shawn chuckled nervously. "Come, on, Cory. It's not my thing to tell that she can't flirt with Eric...even if I really don't like it..."

"Thank you, Shawn," I say.

Mr. Hunter turned to us as Mr. Unter was still at the door. "Y'all party on. Don't let my absence be a damper on the evening's soiree."

I watched as Shawn's face fell as his dad left. "Are you okay?" I ask.

He shrugged. "Yeah, I'm fine," he told me.

***

Cory, Shawn, and I sat near the couches as we watched Cory's parents, my mom, and Mrs. Hunter talk.

"I have Cheez Whiz, Rice Chex, and an olive with a pimento on it. Please," Mrs. Hunter said.

"I told you this was a great idea," Cory told us.

"It's an episode of COPS waiting to happen," Shawn remarked.

"Be positive, Shawny," I tell him.

"You know, Chet's been gone an awful long time. Do you think there's any kind of problem?" Mom asked Mrs. Hunter.

"Oh, no. I'm sure it's nothin'," she answered. "And I would just like to apologize for my previously erratic behavior, and I just hope we can get back to our uneventful wikki wikki Hawaiian luau."

Mr. Hunter came back in. "Well, I hope y'all enjoyed your dinner, and thanks for coming, and, well, let's do this again next year at some neutral third-party air force base."

"Dad, we haven't eaten yet," Shawn spoke.

"Of course we haven't eaten. Why our guests have just arrived," Mr. Hunter said nervously. "But this is the small talk part of the evening, so y'all talk, we'll talk. Everybody talk, talk. Outside."

Pulling Shawn and his wife outside, Mr. Hunter exited the trailer causing Cory to speak, "Ah, them Hunters. Quirky, but you gotta love 'em."

"They really are great," I try to add.

"What's going on?" Zack asked quietly to me as the Matthews talked and Mom walked over.

"I think..." I glance at the door. "Mom, are you even friends with the Matthews or the Hunters?"

"The boys I know but the families, I don't know them that well," Mom answered.

"But why?" I ask.

"Honey, I know that Cory and Shawn are your best friends, but we never really made friends with their parents," she answered.

"Why?" I repeat. "Just because we have more than the Hunters but less than the Matthews?"

"That's why we can't sit down and have a nice meal together?" Zack asked Mom.

She sighed. "Kids, you won't realize this till you grow up, but being right is not necessarily enough to change the way people feel."

"Hey," Cory called. "Um, Eric and I are gonna walk over Morgan over to Frankie's. Do you wanna come with us?"

I nod. "Yeah, that'd be great." I look to my twin. "Zacky."

"Yeah, I could stretch my legs actually," he replied as we all walked out with Morgan.

"Well, hello," Chet greeted. "What are y'all doing out here, outside, where you can be seen through a scope?"

"Well, we're taking Morgan over to Herman's trailer," I answer.

"Okay. Okay. That'll be fine. Shawny, why don't you go with them and show him how we locals like to walk real low to the ground? You know, for fun," Mr. Hunter said.

"I'm sorry," Shawn told Cory and I.

"I'm sorry, too," Cory said.

"Me three," I add.

Shawn began to crouch like Mr. Hunter told him.

"Blondie, might wanna take my hand, for safety," Eric told me quietly.

I chuckled. "Okay," I replied, grasping his hand and interlocking our fingers before crouching.

I turn to look ahead to which I see Shawn turn back to look forward.

***

Later, we were helping Frankie and Herman set the Thanksgiving table.

"Shawn, I'm really sorry about this whole thing. I mean, my parents have just been acting like jerks," Cory stated.

"Yeah, Mom was being kind of odd around everyone. She just felt left out, like she didn't belong on either side," I add.

"Yeah, well, my parents didn't exactly go out of their way to make them feel welcome," Shawn stated. "I guess this whole thing was just a mistake."

"You know, why can't they just hang out together?" Cory asked.

Frankie came out with the turkey as he explained, "Adults are not narrow-minded by nature. They can, however, be set in their ways."

"I am but a callow youth, yet it seems to me a shame they should be set in the way of disliking each other," Herman added.

"They come from different worlds. Think of them as the Hutus and Tutsis, living with prejudice and hatred passed on from parent to child because it is what they've grown accustomed to."

"Oh," I say, catching on.

"You know, are we the only two people on this whole planet who don't know who the Hutus and Tutsis are?" Cory questioned to Shawn.

"No, count me as one of those people who don't know who those Sesame Street characters are," Zack says.

"Uh, they're not-" I began. "Okay, sure."

"You know, guys, for once, I think our ignorance may be working for us," Cory stated to us.

"What? You mean if we knew better, we wouldn't be friends?" I ask.

"Yeah, so I'm glad we don't know better," Shawn answered.

"Yeah, me, too," Cory said.

"Me three," I say.

"Well, our table is in order. It is time to proceed with our holiday repast," Frankie spoke, sitting down.

"Are you guys sure this is okay?" Zack asked.

"There is always room for more at our table," Herman added.

"We appreciate it, thank you, guys," I tell them.

"Of course, little one," Frankie replied.

My eyes flickered to the only available seats in between Cory and Shawn or Eric and Herman.

Zack took the spot between my friends before I could decide.

So I sat next to Eric as Frankie said, "It is our Thanksgiving custom to go around the table and let each person say what they are thankful for."

"Then we eat?" Eric asked.

"Then we eat," Frankie confirmed.

"I'm thankful for that," Eric stated. "Next." Everyone gave him a look. "More? Okay. Um, I'm also thankful to be having Thanksgiving dinner with my brother and my sister and all my friends." He looked at me. "And this pretty face right next to me." I smiled as Shawn shook his head at that. "And that I'm taping the game. Next."

"I'm thankful for these guests and that we've been blessed with enough food to share with them," Frankie spoke, "Herman."

"I'm thankful to be sitting next to this delicate blossom who has won my heart," Herman said, looking to Morgan.

"Aw," I say with a smile.

"Dearest," Frankie said, turning to Morgan.

"I am, for once, thankful to be sitting at the kids' table," Morgan stated. "Zack."

"I'm thankful I still have my mom and my sister in my life," my brother said. "Even if my dad isn't."

Zack looked to me causing me to say, "I'm thankful that my brother, my friends are here for me, no matter what," I say, looking across at Cory, Zack, and Shawn. "Shawny."

Shawn smiled. "I'm thankful that you and Cory are my friends."

My eyes moved to Cory who said, "And I guess I'm thankful that my parents taught me to like people for who they are, even if they weren't lucky enough to be raised that way themselves."

"Well said, Cory," I say before we all began to eat.

I look up when I saw Cory's parents, Shawn's parents, and my mom. "Hey, Luther, why don't you join us here? We're having an emergency meeting of the human race," Mr. Hunter told Mr. Unter.

"Y'all have room for us?" Mom asked us.

"Yeah. There's always room for more at our table," Cory answered.

I smiled as Mr. Hunter grabbed my mom a seat, letting her sit.

I look to my friends, raising my cup full of punch. "Cheers," I say.

"Cheers," they both say, tapping their cups with mine.

***

Back at school, Mr. Feeny handed back our papers as he said, "By and large, your papers were above-average." He handed back mine, skipping Shawn. "Very good work," he told me.

"What, don't I get mine?" Shawn asked. "Did you recycle it already?" Mr. Feeny motioned for him to go to his desk. Shawn stood up. "Can't just fail me privately. You gotta Braveheart me up here."

"I simply wondered if you would mind reading your paper to the class, starting here," Mr. Feeny told him, handing Shawn back his paper.

"Okay," Shawn agreed, turning to the class. "'This past week, I spent Thanksgiving with the Hutus and the Tutsis, which was a real surprise to me because I live in Philadelphia, and I thought that kind of prejudice based on class differences only happened in undeveloped countries'." Shawn looked to Mr. Feeny. "Is that enough? I'm getting vertigo from facing this way in the room."

"No, no. Go on," Mr. Feeny told him.

Shawn continued, "'But I discovered that even in my very own civilized country, people can be just as undeveloped and just as cruel. But more importantly, and the thing that gives me hope, is that as long as the children are educated about the dangers of prejudice and intolerance, then perhaps there will be a reason for Thanksgiving in the future'."

Mr. Feeny grabbed his paper and a red Sharpie. "That's the best work you've ever done, Mr. Hunter. Um, C-minus?"

Shawn smiled. "All right."

"No," Mr. Feeny said before writing on his paper. "A-plus." I smiled as Cory and Shawn gaped in shock as Mr. Feeny gave back Shawn's paper. "I'm as shocked as you are."

Shawn made it back to his seat causing Cory to say, "All right, Shawn. A-plus."

"Congrats, Shawny," I tell him.

"I'm better than you guys now," Shawn told us.

"Don't push it," I reply with a smile. "We should celebrate your first A-plus. How about Chubby's after school?"

"I can't. I told Lisa we'd go to Chubby's after school," Shawn replied, making me freeze. "Is that okay?"

I still smiled. "Shawn, you don't need to ask me. I'm okay with it."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," I reply. "I just remembered that Eric and I are going to watch a scary movie after school."

That wasn't true but it wouldn't hurt to hang out with Eric now.

"Oh," he said.

"Is that okay?"

"Yeah, Betts. You don't need to ask me," Shawn stated.

"Cool."

"Cool."

I sent him one last smile before focusing on Mr. Feeny ahead.

***

Hi!

Two updates in 24 hours! You're all lucky I'm so nice for what I did last chapter.

So I just talked with my friends and we decided what we needed in this book 👇

More Eric and Betty

Zack and Archie (because they're underrated babes)

More Cory and Betty friendship moments.