At Jefferson Elementary, best friends are like family, the people you trust with your deepest secrets and your loudest laughs. They share inside jokes, create memories together and offer support through both the good times and the hard ones.

For Zoey Francis, Shawn Hunter and Cory Matthews, that bond was unbreakable. Despite their differences, their friendship was a testament to the importance of loyalty, humor, and honesty.

Zoey was always the kind of person who kept things real. She had a sarcastic sense of humor and a laid-back attitude, but beneath that exterior was someone who would stand by her friends no matter what. Her sharp wit was often the glue that held the group together. Whether it was a funny remark or a moment of pure sincerity, Zoey's friendship was something her friends could always rely on.

Shawn, on the other hand, was more sensitive than he let on. He had his walls up, thanks to years of feeling betrayed by those in positions of authority. Trust didn't come easily for him, but with Zoey and Cory, he found solace.

Cory, who was always the clown and the one to lighten the mood with his goofy remarks, had an uncanny ability to make everyone laugh, even in the most serious of situations. He was loyal, generous with his time, and always had his friends' backs.

On this particular morning in the school cafeteria, their usual camaraderie was in full swing.

Zoey took a bite of her sandwich, her gaze casually shifting across the room to the vending machine where Cory was standing. He was the type of person who could turn a simple trip to grab a snack into a mini adventure, often filled with sarcastic commentary and playful banter.

As Cory walked back to the table, he found himself face to face with Mr. Feeny, their wise, somewhat stern teacher.

Mr. Feeny was the embodiment of professionalism. At sixty years old, his presence was a quiet force, commanding respect without needing to raise his voice. His role as a teacher went beyond the classroom; he was a mentor, a guide and often, a surrogate parent to his students.

His wisdom was unmatched and the lessons he imparted were far more than academic - they were lessons about life, integrity and character. It was clear to anyone who spent even a few minutes with him that Mr. Feeny didn't just teach because it was his job. He taught because he genuinely cared about shaping the future of those around him.

After chatting with Mr. Feeny for a while, Cory made his way back to the cafeteria table where his friends were waiting. He plopped down beside Shawn, who wasted no time in commenting on the interaction.

"He's a teacher, man." Shawn said, his voice laced with a mix of amusement and caution. "Keep raggin' on him, he's gonna make your whole sixth-grade year miserable."

Cory shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm gonna be miserable anyhow. At least this way, I'm taking him with me."

Zoey smirked at the exchange, knowing full well that Cory and Mr. Feeny's dynamic, though full of back-and-forth banter, was rooted in mutual respect.

Her attention soon drifted to the conversation taking place across the room. Mr. Feeny was speaking with an elderly woman they didn't recognize. The mystery of the situation caught her curiosity.

"Hey, who's that?" She asked, her voice just loud enough for her friends to hear.

Shawn, Cory and Nicholas all turned in their seats, squinting to get a better look.

"I think she's new." Nicholas offered, trying to peer over the crowd of students between them and the teacher.

Shawn raised an eyebrow and grinned. "She must be new, she's talking to Feeny."

Zoey's gaze stayed fixed on the pair, wondering who this stranger might be and why she was conversing with their teacher. But before she could continue her speculation, Nicholas quickly changed the subject.

"Okay... So how late did you stay up last night?" He asked Cory with a sly grin, knowing full well the kind of mischief that was brewing in Cory's mind.

Cory smirked, the hint of a challenge in his eyes. "Monologue."

"Monologue, first guest." Nicholas added with a certain pride in his voice.

Zoey rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. "Monologue, first guest, bad sketch, funny zoo animals."

"Monologue, first guest, bad sketch, funny zoo animals... Steve Lawrence." Nicholas announced.

At that, Shawn, Cory and Zoey gasped in unison, their surprise genuine. They were all familiar with the inside joke, but to hear it again, it was like hearing a secret only they shared and it never failed to get a reaction.

"Whoa!!"

"Steve Lawrence?!"

Their inside jokes had a way of binding them together in a way nothing else could. The laughter they shared was more than just fun- it was a testament to years of friendship, countless memories and the way they could communicate without needing to say much at all.

Just as their laughter died down, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. The sound echoed through the cafeteria, causing a collective groan from the group.

"And there's the bell." Zoey remarked, glancing at the clock above the door.

"Four hours till lunch." Cory said with his typical brand of humor, unwilling to let the day get too serious.

With that, the group of friends gathered their books, their laughter still hanging in the air. They knew that no matter what the rest of the day would bring, they'd always have each other- and their inside jokes- to get them through.

As they made their way to their respective classes, Zoey couldn't help but feel grateful for the unique friendship they shared. It was a bond that, like Mr. Feeny's lessons, would stay with them for years to come.

••••

In their classroom, Zoey sat in the back row next to Shawn, who was seated behind Cory. The trio, well-accustomed to their usual dynamic, tried to focus on the lesson, though today was a bit more lively than usual.

Mr. Feeny had selected two students to act out a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Zoey wasn't particularly interested in Shakespeare, but the drama unfolding in front of her was keeping her attention.

Vanessa lay dramatically across the desk, playing the lifeless Juliet and Nicholas was playing Romeo. The scene they were performing was the tragic moment when Romeo believes Juliet is dead.

"She's dead, Mr. Bonihay." Mr. Feeny said, gesturing to Vanessa. "Pick up the knife and kill yourself."

"Come on, Mr. Feeny, you and I both know she's not really dead. May I please stab her a few times just to make sure?" Nicholas asked, clearly trying to lighten the mood with some dark humor.

Vanessa shot up from the desk and grabbed Nicholas by the shirt. "Hey! You touch me with that knife.... you better kill me the first time."

"Mr. Feeny." Nicholas called out pleadingly

"All right, all right." Mr. Feeny said, gently placing Vanessa back on the desk and motioned for Nicholas to stick to the script.

Zoey, amused by the unfolding drama, turned her attention to Cory, who was acting unusually distracted. As usual, he seemed to be tuning out the lesson, but this time he was hiding something in his hand.

"Cory." Shawn whispered, leaning in closer. Zoey glanced over at Cory, only to see him with something pressed to his ear. "What's the score?"

Zoey raised her eyebrows. "You're listening to the game?"

Cory, totally engrossed in the baseball game, nodded without a hint of guilt. "Bottom of the third, two outs. Dystra's on second, Kruk's on first, three and two to Daulton-"

Zoey's stomach dropped as Mr. Feeny, having noticed the suspicious activity, walked over to Cory's desk. Her heart raced as she watched the teacher approach. Mr. Feeny took Cory's hand and gently removed the radio earpiece from his ear, revealing the forbidden device.

"What's this Mr. Matthews?" Mr. Feeny asked, his tone calm but firm as he held up the earpiece for all to see.

Cory, caught completely off guard, blinked at Mr. Feeny and tried to play it off. "Huh? What did you say Mr. Feeny? You took my hearing aid."

Without missing a beat, Mr. Feeny placed the earpiece into his own ear, listening to the game's live broadcast.

"Smolts delivers, Daulton swings. Oh, he got a piece of that one. It's a long drive deep to center... Otis Nixon back, back to the warning tracks, climbs up the wall and...." Mr. Feeny's voice trailed off as he turned off the radio and handed the earpiece back to Cory, who now had to face the consequences of his distraction.

There was a collective groan from the back row. Zoey, Shawn and Cory all leaned forward in their seats, eager for the result of the game, but Mr. Feeny's interruption had left them in suspense.

"Ohh!" The three of them moaned, frustrated by the untimely disruption.

"Mr. Matthews, Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's ultimate testament of love between a man and a woman." Mr. Feeny began, his tone serious.

"Help! Help! Mr. Feeny! Help!"

Zoey's attention was drawn to the front of the room, where Nicholas was once again making a spectacle of himself. This time, he was lying dramatically on the desk and Vanessa was on top of him, pretending to stab him with a fake knife.

Mr. Feeny quickly intervened, pulling Vanessa off Nicholas and bringing the chaos to an end.

"Miss Kincaid, thank you. For that vigorous interpretation." Mr. Feeny said dryly, causing the class to stifle their laughter. Vanessa nodded and returned to her seat, ready for the lesson to continue. However, he wasn't finished with Cory yet. "Mr. Matthews, you do not listen to the ballgame in the middle of my class."

Cory stood up from his seat. "Mr. Feeny, who cares about some guy who killed himself over some dumb girl?"

"The tragedy here, Mr. Matthews. Is not about a dumb girl, or the boy who kills himself because of her. It's about the all consuming power of love. And the inevitability of its influences on each of our lives."

"Are you aware that I'm only eleven years old?"

"Are you aware that you have detention Friday afternoon?" Mr. Feeny asked, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Cory shook his head. "No, actually, I did not know that."

Zoey rolled her eyes. "Oh, my God."

••••

The glorious light of the sun pierced through the wispy clouds, heralding the arrival of a brand new day. The delicate clouds, like soft whispers, slowly parted, revealing a sky painted in a gentle blue. The sky, acting as a canvas, welcomed the light and swiftly began to paint a beautiful scene- a story unfolding with every stroke.

The clouds, like characters in a narrative, drifted and expanded, telling their own tale in the vast, open sky. With each passing moment, the picture grew, becoming more vibrant, more alive. It was the kind of sky that made you believe in new beginnings, in possibilities yet to be discovered.

At Jefferson Elementary, lunch in the cafeteria was a different story entirely. The stark contrast between the celestial beauty outside and the cafeteria's mundane offerings was impossible to ignore.

Zoey, sitting at the lunch table with Cory, Shawn and Nicholas, glanced up from her meal and saw the familiar grimaces on Cory and Shawn's faces as they inspected their food.

"Well, mine's got fuzz." Shawn announced, poking at his tray with a disgusted look.

"Mine's got lips." Cory chimed in, holding up a suspicious piece of his sandwich like it was some foreign object.

Zoey rolled her eyes and let out a soft chuckle, but before she could say anything, Nicholas pulled out a small brown paper bag and placed it on the table with a quiet thud. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he carefully pulled out a small, homemade cake and a bottle of soda.

"Hey, bag man, rough life being the only child, huh?" Shawn asked with a frown, eyeing Nicholas's indulgent lunch with mild envy.

Cory scoffed. "Yeah, rougher life being an orphan which is what I am as of last night."

"What happened?" Nicholas wondered.

Cory shrugged nonchalantly, though his tone suggested something more serious. "I dumped my family, and my family dumped me. It was mutual. They're keeping the house."

"Well, we're here for you, Cory." Zoey assured, giving him an encouraging smile.

"Thanks. You're my new brothers and sister." Cory said, leaning over and patted Shawn and Zoey on the shoulders before brightening at an idea. "Hey, how about we go to the game Friday night?"

"I thought the game was sold out." Nicholas pointed out, eyeing Cory suspiciously.

"It is." Cory confirmed with a grin. "So we go down early. There's always guys with extra tickets."

Shawn raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't you have detention Friday?"

"Ah, don't worry about detention. I can handle Feeny. Feeny loves me." Cory said confidently

Zoey huffed, unable to contain her skepticism. "Feeny hates you."

"Well, it's one of the two. We'll see who's right." Cory replied with a grin, standing up and making his way across the cafeteria to where Mr. Feeny was seated, absorbed in a book. "Mr. Feeny, may I sit down?"

"I'd rather you didn't." Mr. Feeny replied bluntly.

Cory turned back to his friends and nodded. "Hates me."

Mr. Feeny looked up from his book. "Mr. Matthews, I spend thirty-five to forty hours a week dealing with the perceived problems of whiny little people like yourself. Now, this is my lunch period, my respite from the fray. I spend four hours with you every morning and three hours with you every afternoon. Now, for God's sake, get out of my face." He demanded. His expression softened when he turned his attention to a woman approaching the table. "Evelyn."

Evelyn returned the gesture with a casual salute. "George."

"I saved a place for you." Mr. Feeny said, gesturing to the empty seat next to him.

"Oh, aren't you sweet." Evelyn said warmly, sitting down next to him. As she glanced around the table, her gaze landed on Cory.. "And who is this young man?"

"Um, my name's Cory Matthews." Cory stammered, offering a handshake "Mr. Feeny's my teacher. He hates me."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the admission. "Now, Cory, I'm sure that Mr. Feeny doesn't hate you."

Cory and Mr. Feeny exchanged forced smiles.

••••

After school, Zoey walked back home, her footsteps echoing down the quiet street as the sun began to dip lower in the sky.

The house she walked towards was long and narrow, barely twelve feet wide at the front but extending some thirty feet back. It resembled a giant shoebox, standing tall at two stories with a one-story extension at the rear, where the kitchen lay nestled in a small, cozy alcove.

As Zoey stepped inside, the house welcomed her with the familiar scent of wood and warmth. The front door creaked open and the sight of the cozy space instantly made her feel at home. Photographs adorned the walls, each one capturing memories of times passed- smiles, celebrations and small moments frozen in time, forever etched into the family's history.

The floor beneath her feet was an eclectic patchwork of smooth, flat stones, laid out in a way that resembled a crazy quilt. The walls were made of rich, warm wood that seemed to embrace the space, lending a sense of tranquility to the house. In the corner of the room, a beehive-style fire smoldered gently, the low flames flickering slowly, casting a soft, golden glow.

Zoey set her bag down on the couch, her eyes scanning the room before she headed towards the kitchen. The familiar sound of papers rustling reached her ears before she saw her mother, Lucy, sitting at the table, a look of stress etched across her face as she reviewed a stack of bills.

"Hey, Mum." Zoey greeted her softly as she opened the fridge, the cool air drifting out with the faint scent of the food stored inside

"Hey, sweetie. How was school?" Lucy asked, her voice tired, her eyes glancing up briefly from the bills in front of her.

Zoey shrugged nonchalantly as she grabbed a can of soda from the fridge.

"You know, just the usual. Pretty boring." She said, her eyes briefly flicking over to the papers spread across the table. It didn't take long for her to notice the stressed expression on her mother's face. "Mum, are you okay?"

Lucy sighed, putting down the bill she was holding and rubbing her forehead. "Oh, Zoey, it's okay. There's nothing to worry about. Ever since your father left, money has been tight."

"Maybe... you should consider finding another job?" Zoey suggested hesitantly, wanting to ease the burden her mother carried.

Lucy looked up and smiled faintly, standing up from the table and walking over to Zoey. She wrapped her arms around her daughter in a warm embrace.

"I love you so much, Zoey." Lucy whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You know that, right?"

"I know, Mum." Zoey said, pulling away gently, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "You remind me every day."

Lucy chuckled lightly, the sound of her laughter filling the kitchen with a sense of calm. Zoey smiled back at her mother, feeling the love that radiated from her. After a moment, Zoey gave her a final smile before turning to head back into the living room.

Without hesitation, she rushed up the stairs, her thoughts turning inward as she headed to her room. The quiet of the house, combined with the lingering warmth of her mother's embrace, gave Zoey a brief sense of peace before she closed the door to her bedroom behind her

••••

The next morning at school, Zoey, Cory, Shawn and Nicholas sat together at their usual table in the cafeteria, the hum of conversation filling the air around them. They were all distracted, though, by a curious sight: Mr. Feeny was sitting across from Evelyn again, deep in conversation. The four of them exchanged glances, surprised to see the older woman still talking to their teacher.

Nicholas squinted, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Two days in a row."

"She just doesn't learn." Shawn muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. His eyes fixed on Evelyn as she leaned forward, hanging on Mr. Feeny's every word.

The conversation took a sudden turn that made all four kids sit up straighter. Mr. Feeny, looking unusually confident, addressed Evelyn with a slight tilt of his head.

"Evelyn, I hope not being forward but instead of cafeteria lunch, maybe one evening we could have dinner together?" He asked, his voice a bit more suave than usual.

The kids exchanged wide-eyed glances. Zoey, who had been absentmindedly sipping her drink, almost choked on it. Dinner? With Mr. Feeny? This was new territory.

Evelyn smiled, her face lighting up at the invitation. "Of course, George. I'd love it."

The kids were taken aback. The usually no-nonsense Mr. Feeny had just asked someone out to dinner? Was this really happening?

As Mr. Feeny stood up from the table, he looked genuinely pleased with himself. "Good. I'm quite the cook you know?"

Evelyn and Mr. Feeny walked past the kids' table on their way to the rubbish bin, still chatting amicably. The group watched them in stunned silence, trying to process what they had just witnessed.

"Really?" Evelyn wondered.

"Oh, yes. And just the other night I prepared a lovely salad nicoise for my sister. But she had to cancel at the last moment." Mr. Feeny explained. He paused as if savoring the moment before turning to Cory, who was still staring, his face a picture of confusion. "Confused, Mr. Matthews."

Cory nodded. "Yes, I am, sir."

Mr. Feeny smiled slyly. "As it should be."

_______________
PUBLISHED: 8.10.17

A/N: I hoped you liked this chapter!

Votes and comments are very much appreciated!