At Chubbies, Zoey sat next to Shawn in a booth. Topanga and Cory sat across from them as Cory talked excitedly about his birthday.

"So tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Topanga asked, grinning excitedly at her boyfriend.

"Yep. Tomorrow morning, Cory Matthews turns 16 and mobile!" Cory exclaimed proudly.

"And I have worked out all the details for our big birthday road trip." Shawn bragged.

"And I redid the whole thing after he was done so we don't end up in Mexico." Zoey added with a smirk. She turned to Cory. "You can get your father's car tomorrow night, right?"

Cory nodded. "Well, naturally. I'm 16, it's my right. He's probably filling up the tank for me right now."

"This is a life landmark." Shawn stated dramatically. "This is the first Cory drives road trip. The point is, we are merely guests of the car, the wind, and destiny."

"No, no. The point is, a license says we are adults with cars who can see R-rated movies." Cory corrected him.

Topanga shook her head. "I'm not going with you guys to some R-rated movie."

"Van Damme takes his shirt off." Zoey told her best friend.

"A-oo-ga." Topanga replied.

"And that is only the beginning. The best part is, we are seeing it in Atlantic City." Cory announced.

Zoey frowned. "Why would we go to Atlantic City when we can see it right here?"

"Because we can!" Shawn exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table.

"Because we can go anywhere." Cory added, slamming his fist on the table. "Because tomorrow I got wheels. I am free and independent. Tomorrow I am a man!"

The waitress walked over to then. "Who gets a clown burger?"

The clown burger was a favorite for the kids since it came topped with a mini party hat.

Cory's hand shot up before he smiled sheepishly, seeing the contradiction to his previous words.

"I collect the little hats." Cory defended, plucking the hat off the burger.

••••

Cory's birthday arrived quickly. Topanga, Shawn, and Zoey tagged along to support him as he got his license. When they returned, Cory's parents were in the kitchen and he couldn't wait to share the good news with them.

"Hey. I passed my driver's test. I got my license!" Cory announced proudly. "Well, my temp license anyway. See?"

"Honey, that's great." Mrs. Matthew's replied. "Alan, isn't that great?"

"Yeah, that's-that's great, Cor. Uh, happy birthday. Yeah, that's really great." Mr. Matthews said, his tone implying the complete opposite. He patted Cory on the shoulder before he left the room.

"Uh, mum? Is it just more or where they happier for me down t the DMV?" Cory asked.

"Of, actually, Cory, your dad's a little let down. He kind of thought you might want to do this with him." Mrs. Matthews explained.

"He did?" Cory asked, surprised. Mrs. Matthews nodded. "Yeah, but he never said anything. We didn't have anything planned."

"But, I went with my dad." Shawn spoke. Zoey walked over to where he was sitting on the arm chair and patted the top of his head.

"Just go talk to him, Cor. It's a simply misunderstanding." Zoey insisted.

Cory nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.

After a moment, Topanga, Zoey, and Shawn decided to check on Cory. The three pushed open the door and walked into the kitchen.

"So, road trip. You got the keys yet?" Shawn asked.

Mr. Matthews' face fell. "Oh, uh, you meant your friends. Okay."

"Well, no, no. You could come, too." Cory suggested.

"What?" Shawn exclaimed. Zoey simply elbowed him in the side. He winced in pain. "Kind of road trip would it be without good old Mr. Matthews... was what I was gonna say and now I'm done."

"Hey, I'll tell you what. I do have a couple errands to run. I'll take a couple of hours but then when I come back the cars is your, alright buddy?" Mr. Matthews told his son.

"Yeah. If you're alright. I'm alright." Cory agreed, handing his father the keys. As Mr. Matthews walked out, Cory turned to his friends. "Hey, I've watched sixteen years, right? I can wait a couple hours."

••••

As it turned out, the wait wasn't a couple of hours and eventually, Cory sent his friends home with disappointment evident on his face. While Zoey wasn't happy to leave him alone, Shawn convinced her he would be find as they made their way home.

To make up for disappointing his father, Cory had agreed to a regular party and now the four of them were at Chubbie's. The awkward atmosphere would be clear to anyone even if they just walked in the room that minute.

Shawn leaned over to Cory. "I don't want you to think that I'm not having a dandy time at Chubbie's where we always went cause we could walk here but could we just do the cake thing and hit the open road?"

Topanga leaned over. "Will you stop telling Cory to ditch his own birthday party?" She turned to Cory. "And you, put a smile on your face nd behave yourself."

Zoey leaned into their huddle. "Can you pass the ketchup?"

Zoey was clearly too focused on her French fries to pay attention to their conversation. Topanga gave her a look before handing her the ketchup bottle.

"Guys, we rented the room. You don't have to whisper." Mr. Matthews said as he leaned in.

"Sorry, dad." Cory apologized, smiling tightly. "Um, listen. Thank you guys for the party. It's really nice but there's this movie we're trying to make."

"What movie?" Mr. Matthews asked dryly.

"101 Dalmatians." Cory answered, clearly lying.

"Would you finally grow up?" Shawn told his best friend. "We're going to see the new Van Damme movie."

Mr. Matthews pursed his lips. "Ah, well, wouldn't that be an R-rated movie?"

"Dad, come on. I'm sixteen." Cory said with a huff. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"Here's your clown burger." The waitress said, approaching the table with the kids meal. "I told them it was your birthday so they threw in an extra hat."

"Whoo-hoo!" Cory cheered with child-like enthusiasm and threw his hand up. He cleared this throat. "I mean, whoo-hoo."

Mr. Matthews sighed. "Cory, I understand you're sixteen and yet you have to be seventeen to get in without an adult."

"Fine, no movie." Cory declared.

"Thank you." Mr. Matthews said.

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "No biggie, no biggie. There's got to be tons of other stuff we can do in Atlantic city. Let's hit those tables, huh?"

Zoey pressed her lips into a line and glared at her boyfriend. "You really don't want to do anything at all, do you?"

"You want to sneak into an R-rated film in another state?" Mr. Matthews questioned in disbelief. "I'm not just gonna give you my blessing."

"Alan, it's his birthday." Mrs. Matthews reminded.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. Dad, I wasn't asking you for your blessing here." Cory snapped, getting irritated. "I just wanted to go somewhere with my friends."

"You think because you got a license, you can do whatever you want." Mr. Matthews hissed.

"No!" Cory exclaimed, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "I just want to go somewhere with my friends. I don't care where I go. I just want to go."

Mr. Matthews paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "I'll tell you what. You want to take a road trip? You want to go off with your friends? That's the first adult decision you're gonna make?"

Cory nodded. "Yeah."

Mr. Matthews pulled the keys out of his pocket and slammed them on the table. "Fine. There you go, pal."

Cory stared at his father for a moment and grabbed the keys. "Come on, let's go."

Shawn rushed after him, having been counting down the seconds to leave he's sat down.

"Thank you for dinner, it was great." Zoey said, smiling politely before she followed after the boys.

••••

An hour later, they hadn't made much progress on the road. Zoey was slumped against the car door on the passenger's side with her pressed up against the cool glass as she watched the road lights pass by them slowly. Shawn was in the back with her and Topanga was up front with her boyfriend.

Cory grinned. "So, here we are, on our own, driving the open road. Just me, my Topanga, my Shawn, and my Zo. And a big full moon right behind us."

"Cory, those are headlights." Zoey pointed out with a frown.

Car behind Cory began to honk.

"Come around me. Come around me, please!" Cory begged.

Shawn sighed. "Cory, can you drive a little faster? Cause there's like twenty cars jammed up behind us."

"Shawn, I happen to be cruising at...." Cory trailed off as his hands tightened on the steering wheel and he stiffened. "What's it say? I can't look down or we'll crash."

Topanga leaned over to check. "18 miles an hour."

"I'm up to 18." Cory stammered nervously. "I hope this things has airbags."

A chimed outside prompted Zoey to crane her head and looked out. "Cory, a bicycle just passed us."

"Come around me, come around me, please." Cory begged, waving his hand outside the window. Zoey closed her eyes and didn't bother to correct him. "Fine, fine. I'll go faster. How much father to Atlantic City?"

"What's the difference? We're all gonna die here." Shawn sassed dejectedly.

"Speaking of that, I think we should call your folks and let them know we're okay." Topanga suggested.

"Forget it. I'm not calling my dad, okay?" Cory snapped. "Kids have to call. That's just what my dad expects his little kid to do."

Zoey frowned. "Cory, I don't get it. You and your father have always gotten along great."

"Yeah, cause I've always been safe and dependable Cory. Well, tonight, a new Cory is born. Dark, wild Cory, built for speed." Cory said with a wick smirk as his he slowly pressed his foot down on the accelerator. "24, 25, 26.... look at me. I'm breaking the law."

Then all of a sudden the wail of a sire was heard behind them with red and blue flashing light.

"Great." Zoey muttered.

"Well, we all sat that coming." Cory complained, pulling the car to the side.

••••

The four of them followed the officer to the nearest police station for going one mile over the 25 mph speed limit. It was a speed trap. The officer who apprehended them told them they could avoid trial by paying a fine. A $200 fine. Cory refused to even think about paying since he'd only been one mile over the limit.

Then the officer brought out the Judge and was currently reading Cory's violation.

"I clocked the vehicle, your honor, traveling in excess of the posted speed limit." The officer informed.

Cory stood up from his seat and slammed his hands on the table. "One mile over!"

"The law is the law, boy." Judge Lamb said sternly. "And we obey the law in my courtroom, and if you speak out of turn again." He held up a small noose. "I'll hang you."

"You would hang me on my birthday?" Cory asked nervously.

Judge Lam leaned over his bench. "It's your birthday under oath?"

Cory raised his right hand. "Under oath, your honor."

Judge Lam hit the gavel against the bench. "You want a dog or a hat?"

"What?" Cory questioned in confusion.

"Hey, how about..." Judge Lamb trailed off as he pulled out a red long balloon and blew it up with the air next to his desk. "A sword?" Cory turned to his friends with a questioning look but they were just as confused. "Here have a sword."

"Wow, cool." Cory said in amazement as he grabbed the balloon. He turned to Shawn with a grin. "Look what I got."

"Yeah, yeah, that's cool. Sidebar, your honor?" Shawn asked. Judge Lam nodded and he quickly pulled Cory aside. "Cory, the first thing I learned on the street is that any judge who spontaneously makes you balloon toys will, at the end of the day, actually hang you."

"It's my sword and I'm not sharing it." Cory snapped.

"So, what brings a freshly licensed 16-year-old kid from Philly all the way out here?" Judge Lamb asked.

"Well, I wanted to drive. They said I could drive, so I just drove, but my dad refuses to accept that I'm not his little kid anymore. Y'know, he wants to keep me at home, watch games, play football. So I just got my friends, got the keys, and drove. I feel I did right." Cory explained.

Topanga stood up and nervously walked to the Judge's bench. "Your honor, sir, hi, Topanga Lawrence. Um, I just wanted to say I can pay for Cory's fine if you'll just tell me where the nearest ATM is located."

Judge Lam chuckled. "There's not ATM. You're in the middle of nowhere."

Topanga frowned. "In that case, all I can say is that Cory is a very nice boy who never hurt anyone, and if you do anything to him on his first day of driving, then I just think you're a mean, mean-"

Judge Lam hit the gavel down again. "Dog or hat?"

"Can it be a princess hat?" Topanga wondered as her eyes lit up.

"You got it." Judge Lamb replied and quickly made her a purple princess hat. "There you go."

Topanga smiled widely and placed the balloon hat on her head as she made her way back to the courtroom gallery.

Zoey rolled her eyes. "Oh, god."

Mr. Matthews then walked into the courtroom quietly.

"Um, tell you what I'm gonna do, son. Gonna drop all the charges right now if you'll take this quarter and go to that phone there and call your dad and tell him you were wrong." Judge Lamb decided.

Cory shook his head. "No."

"Cory." Zoey warned with a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I don't believe I'm wrong." Cory responded.

"Well, I don't believe I'm wrong either, Cory." Mr. Matthews spoke.

Cory turned around to face his father. "You didn't have to come here, dad."

"George Feeny told me you called. You should have called me." Mr. Matthews told him.

"Why?" Cory questioned. "So you come to the rescue again? Prove once again what a little helpless kid I am?"

"Cory, you are my son." Mr. Matthews snapped earnestly. "You'll always be my son, whether you're 6 or you're 60, and your problem is my problem. Now, I'm always gonna be there for you. Now, that is never gonna change."

"I just want you to treat me as someone who can handle his own problems, dad. I want you to treat me like an adult." Cory responded.

Judge Lam hit the gavel. "All right, I've heard enough. This court is ready to pronounce sentence. Cory Matthews and Cory Matthews' father, approach the bench. I hereby sentence you to, uh, two years."

Cory furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"Today is your sixteenth birthday, son. That means you have two more years of being a kid. Now I know that seems like hard labor when you have a license in your hand, but from what I can surmise of your home life, you're luckier, Cory, than most who appear before me. And you, dad, I sentence you to take those two years and cherish them because they go by too fast." Judge Lamb explained.

Mr. Matthews nodded. "Yes, they do, don't they?"

Judge Lamb smiled. "It's a speed trap."

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PUBLISHED: June 20, 2018
WORDS: 2612