In Mr. Turner's class, Zoey tapped her foot against the floor nervously as she waited for her paper to be graded. Mr. Turner walked up and down the isles, returning papers they had written a few weeks ago.

"Lawrence, good." Mr. Turner, handing the paper to her. Then Cory. "Matthews, not bad." Then Zoey. "Francis, brilliant." Finally, Shawn. "Hunter, bad."

The bell rang.

"Turner, bell." Shawn replied.

While everyone packed up their bags and rushed out of the classroom, Mr. Turner held Shawn back. Zoey noticed and stood behind Shawn.

"Wait, hold on. Hold on." Mr. Turner said. Shawn stopped, looking impatient. "Y'know, you're a junior in high school now, Shawn. You have no goals as far as I can say. Have you even thought about college?"

"I'm going to college!" Shawn protested.

"Oh, you are? Where?" Mr. Turner asked.

"Hawaii. I figure I have a better shot outside the country." Shawn explained.

"You know, Shawn, the people who care about you in this life, you can count on one hand. So don't-don't blow me off, okay?" Mr. Turner told him.

Cory and Topanga lingered behind Zoey as well.

"John, I've got people who care about me." Shawn assured.

"You know, Shawn, I think Mr. Tuner's right." Cory said, gaining his best friend's attention. "Okay, I mean, we've got one more year of high school and the humidity in Hawaii is gonna make my hair go-" He then demonstrated an effect, raising his hands above his head. "Whoo!"

"Well, I want to go to Penn State." Topanga added.

"And I wanna go where she goes." Cory announced, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend. "Anyone surprise by that?"

Zoey stepped forward an wrapped her arms around Shawn's torso. "I wanna go where Shawnie goes."

"That's the power of love." Shawn said, leaning down and pressed a kiss on her head.

Zoey smiled at Mr. Turner. "We're in love."

"I see that." Mr. Turner said. He turned his attention back to Shawn. "Tick tock, the clock is moving and you're running out of time to figure out your life."

"Hey, John, you're not my guardian anymore. I'm back with my parents, I'll be fine." Shawn said.

"Yeah, Shawn, but I'm one of the handful of people who cares about you." Mr. Turner repeated. "Y'know? Now your parents are busy, trying to work out their marriage. So are they." He nodded to Cory and Topanga who walked slowly out of the classroom. He turned back to Shawn. "And, you know, you had four years of security in these halls, but they throw you out next year, Shawn. What're you going to do then? Huh? Who are you going to be?"

Mr. Turner left after the, leaving only Zoey behind. She turned to face Shawn and captured his lips into hers. Her lips brushed his, softly, delicately, like butterfly wings, just long enough that he could inhale her breath, feel the warmth of her skin, and the taste of her lip balm lingered far after she had gone.

Shawn grinned against her lips, unable to help himself.

"It's gonna be okay, Shawnie." Zoey assured when they pulled apart.

Shawn frowned. "Yeah, I know."

She placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Shawn replied.

Zoey nodded and exited the classroom, passing a dark-haired girl hanging out by the doorway on her way out.

••••

After school, Cory and Zoey were decided to go to Chubbie's for a quick snack. The two walked down the stairs to see that Shawn was sitting in a booth with three other girls.

"Should I be concerned?" Zoey wondered.

"I wouldn't think so. Shawn would never do anything to hurt you." Cory assured her as they approached the booth.

"Hey, Shawnie." Zoey greeted hesitantly.

Shawn jumped up and quickly wrapped his arms around Zoey in a hug. Surprised by pleased, she hugged him back. To her confusion, though, he moved next to Cory.

"Hey, hey!" Cory exclaimed, pushing Shawn away. "What the heck are you doing?"

"Just saying hello." Shawn answered.

"Well, hello, and let's never say hello like that again." Cory insisted. He turned to the three girls in the booth. "Hey, three girls."

"Are you centered, Zoey, Cory?" Shawn asked.

Zoey furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What?"

"Obviously not like you." Cory replied, glancing at the three girls.

"Oh, they're from The Center." Shawn explained. "I like The Center."

Zoey gave her boyfriend a doubtful look, suddenly not enjoying their interaction as much. There was something off about Shawn that she couldn't put her finger on.

"Uh, excuse us, three girls." Cory said before he pulled Shawn off to the side, Zoey following along. "Um, listen, Shawn.... what exactly is this Center of which you speak?"

"It's not a cult." Shawn said defensively.

"That's what a person in a cult would say." Zoey pointed out with a wary expression.

"Don't judge us, guys." Shawn told them.

"Shawn, you're talking crazy." Cory said. "I mean, you were there for what? An hour?"

"The length of a journey has nothing to do with its ultimate value, Shawn." He replied, his words seeming to have obvious practice to them.

"That's nice." Cory complimented as he and Zoey exchange apprehensive looks.

Shawn sighed. "Guys..."

"Shawn, listen." Zoey began, grabbing his hand. "Throughout our entire friendship and relationship, we've talked about everything, right? I mean, we've talked about movies, we've talked about music, but we've never talked about what you believe in."

"I believe that I've finally found a place where people let me be who I am. Y'know, without trying to change me or, uh, need to know what my goals are in life." Shawn simply explained, getting frustrated. "I mean, why do I need that?"

"Shawn, what do you believe in?" Cory asked.

"What do you believe in, Cory?" Shawn snapped back. "Do you believe in a mother and father? A comfortable house in a comfortable street because that's what you have? Well, I don't have that so I've found something with these people."

"But who are these people, Shawn?" Zoey questioned, motioning to the booth filled with girls.

"Stop trying to take away what I have. I don't do that to you!" Shawn said defensively.

"We really have to be going." A brunette girl announced.

Zoey clenched her jaw as she watched Shawn and the three other girls walked away.

"Y'know, I have a lot of questions about this place!" Cory called out after him.

Shawn stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Then you should check it out sometime."

••••

Cory and Zoey quickly decided to go down to The Center and try to talk some sense into Shawn together. Eric decided to tag along as they walked down the stairs leading into The Center.

"Well, this is it, Eric. This is The Center. Where Shawn is." Cory said as the three looked around the place.

"Con men. Fakes and charlatans, I'd say." Eric scoffed before he held up their parking ticket. "Which one of you brain-washed nuts validates parking?"

"Eric, listen. I would not underestimate these people, okay? I mean, they did get Shawn." Cory said.

"Cory, no offense to Shawn or anything, okay, but it takes a pretty weak-willed and gullible individual to succumb to this kind of blatant scam." Eric said confidently, brushing him off.

A girl walked up to Eric with a bright smile. "Hi, I'm Alicia. Welcome to The Center."

Alicia hugged him.

Eric quickly held up his wallet. "Here's money. Where's my room?"

"Uh, yes, he has his conflicts, but we're not staying. We're just here for a visit." Cory explained, leaning over and grabbed his older brothers' wallet.

Alicia nodded sympathetically. "I understand. You're feeling lost, alone, abandoned."

Eric nodded and gave her a dazed smile. "Yes. My emotional palate is missing yellow and blue. Where's my room?"

Zoey and Cory groaned when Alicia began to pull Eric away from them.

"Eric! Eric!" Cory called, disappointed in his brother.

Eric held his hand up to stop Cory. "No, no, no, no. My new nut name is Sunflower Fortunato."

Before they could say anything else, Shawn noticed them and walked over to them.

"What're you doing here?" Shawn asked.

Zoey threw up her arms for a hug. She frowned sarcastically when Shawn didn't go for the cult greeting. "What, no hug?"

Shawn sighed. "Guys, The Center isn't the kind of place for someone like you, okay? You have something to believe in, I'm still looking. You should go, I belong here."

Cory and Zoey shared a look, this was going to be harder than they thought.

"So that's it, huh?" Cory asked, arching an eyebrow. "You've chosen The Center? You're gonna live here with these jujyfruits? You can't see through this?"

Alicia then dragged Eric past them.

"Guys, I want to spend the rest of my life here. And the beauty part is, during winter, I can go to their tanning and hugging center in the Bahamas!" Eric exclaimed happily.

Cory ignored him and stared at Shawn. "Lemme tell you something, Shawn-"

"Cory! Cory! Leave me alone, okay? It's not like I'm doing drugs!" Shawn argued.

"It's just like you're doing drugs, okay?" Cory snapped. "I mean, you're having your mind messed with, you're not the person I know, and everything you say is artificial. Okay, you're not going to find what you're looking for here."

"Shawn, what you believe in is supposed to be what you really think is right." Zoey told him ardently. "Not what some nutcase tells you is the right thing. Look, I know it's easier to listen to some guy than to figure out for yourself but there are some things that no one can figure out for you, okay?"

"Sixteen years of being out there, I haven't found anything at all." Shawn deadpanned, clearly not listening to a word they said.

"This guy, Mr. Mack, can't help you find what you're looking for because you don't know what you're looking for, alright?" Zoey argued, getting frustrated. "You're sixteen years old! That's what this guy does. He makes you think you're lost so he can find you, and once he has you, he will never let you out of his sight. He will be there every time you turn around." She stiffened when she felt someone come up behind her. "Allow us to demonstrate."

Cory turned around and held up the Vulcan salute. "Hello."

Mr. Mack smiled warmly. "Welcome to the Center."

Cory stared at him and turned to Shawn, dumbstruck. "Okay, he's very powerful." He turned back to the cult leader. "Who do I make the check out to?"

"Seriously, Cor?" Zoey questioned, glaring at him.

"You're here to see that your friend Shawn is making the right choice for himself. So check us out. I think you're gonna like what you see. Nobody judges who you are or where you come from. Everyone here is the same." Mr. Mack said.

"Can I go in that room?" Cory asked, pointing to a room on the other side.

"No, that's the celebrity room." Mr. Mack replied before he walked away from them.

"That is the slickest guy I have ever seen." Cory hissed.

"So you see, guys? I'm not a prisoner here. I can leave anytime I want." Shawn said.

"Okay, then I think we should go now. I think we should leave right now." Cory suggested.

Zoey grasped Shawn's wrist and stepped towards the door, intent on dragging him out of there if she had to. Before they could go very far, the lights dimmed and everyone's attention turned to the podium where Mr. Mack was standing under a spotlight.

"Children of The Center. Welcome to our family, our new life member: Shawn Hunter." Mr. Mack announced.

Everyone in the room apart from Cory and Zoey clapped. Then, a long procession began of everyone hugging Shawn to congratulate him.

Shawn gave them a pointed look. "Goodbye."

••••

Cory and Zoey were back at the Matthews house after Shawn asked them to leave. He was way more attached to The Center than they'd ever thought. The two began to complain to Mr. Feeny and Mr. and Mrs. Matthews about what was happening.

Zoey frowned. "Y'know, guys, I'm his girlfriend and it's like he doesn't hear me anymore. I mean, why does he have so much faith in this Center?"

"Okay, let's get in the car, go down and drag him out ourselves." Mr. Matthews suggested.

"I'm going with you. I'm well acquainted with The Center. I've been trying to close it down for some time now. This Mr. Mack is a frightening man." Mr. Feeny explained gravelly.

Before they could go to Shawn, Shawn came to them with Eric in tow. He smiled at everyone and greeted them all but everyone could tell he wasn't his usual self.

"Shawn, are you alright?" Mrs. Matthews asked softly.

Shawn nodded with a bright smile. "Of course I am. I'm totally centered."

"Thanks, Eric, for bringing him back." Mr. Matthews told his son gratefully.

"Actually, I brought Eric back." Shawn corrected. "Mr. Mack felt that Eric wasn't sincere and that he was just in it for the hugs."

"Well, yeah." Eric simply responded and went inside.

"Okay, everyone have a peaceful night. I'm going back to The Center." Shawn said.

Mr. Matthews quickly jumped to stop him. 'Oh, no, whoa, whoa. No, you're not. While your parents are out of town you are our responsibility."

"That means you're staying here, in this house." Mrs. Matthews added with a pointed look.

Shawn's face fell as he looked at everyone. "Yeah. Mr. Mack told me that people like you would try to talk me out of my beliefs."

Mrs. Matthews stared at him in disbelief. "Shawn, we love you."

"He said you'd say that." Shawn responded.

Mr. Matthews threw his hands up in exasperation. "Alright, that's enough. Get him in the house and tie him up."

"Shawn, these aren't beliefs. This is just way to escape a life that doesn't have believes." Mr. Feeny explained, hoping to get through to him.

"That's a judgment." Shawn snapped.

"You're damn right it is!" Mr. Feeny countered.

"What's wrong with me trying to find something to believe in?" Shawn asked heatedly.

"Shawn, I'm all for your search for spiritually, okay? But you don't seem to realize that Mr. Mack is conducting his own search. For lost souls that he can influence and manipulate." Mr. Feeny explained.

Shawn chuckled dryly. "He said you'd say that."

"Yes. I'm sure he has given you a thought for every occasion." Mr. Feeny scoffed before he heard his landline rang inside. "Excuse me."

"Look, Shawn, I don't say this very often, but... Feeny's making sense." Cory said.

"Not to me!" Shawn argued. "I mean, why would Feeny feel the need to attack what I believe in?"

"Shawn, why do you need to believe in The Center so strongly?" Mrs. Matthews asked slowly.

"What?" Shawn asked.

"Shawn, before you met these people at this place, what did you believe in?" Mr. Matthews asked.

"I don't know. Nothing." Shawn answered.

"Do you believe in God?" Mr. Matthews wondered, leaving Shawn stumped. Before they could say anything else, Mr. Feeny came back out with a worried look. "George, what is it?"

Mr. Feeny gulped nervously. "Jonathan Turner. He's been in a motorcycle accident."

Zoey's eyes widened in worry. "Is he okay?"

"Uh, no, he isn't." Mr. Feeny admitted quietly. "Alan, would you give me a lift down to the hospital?"

"We'll all go." Mrs. Matthews decided as her husband quickly went inside to grab his keys.

Cory and Zoey were the last ones to follow the adults but they paused when they noticed Shawn hadn't moved an inch. They shared look and frowned.

"Come on, Shawn." Cory called.

Shawn shook his head. "I'll meet you guys there."

••••

A while later, they were gathered in the hospital's waiting room spread out among the various chairs. The adults were sitting along the wall while Cory and Eric sat in a pair of seats close by. Zoey sat as near as she could in the first chair across the gap.

Topanga arrived and chose to sit on the table. "How's Mr. Turner?"

"The doctors are with him. We're waiting to hear." Cory replied.

"Where's Shawn?" Topanga asked.

Zoey pursed her lips. "I have no idea."

"But Mr. Turner and Shawn are like brothers. How could he not be here?" Topanga questioned in disbelief.

"I don't know." Cory answered flatly.

Zoey sighed in relief when Shawn finally walked into the hospital waiting room. "Shawn." She quickly stood up but stopped when someone else appeared behind him. "Mr. Mack."

"Shawn thought I could be of some help." Mr. Mack explained. He turned to the adults. "Hello, I'm Phillip Mack." He features grew cold when he noticed their teacher. "Feeny."

"Mack, you don't belong here." Mr. Feeny said.

"One of my children invited me, and as always I'm here for him, as well as any other child who calls for me." Mr. Mack responded.

Eric stood up dutifully. "I wanna come back."

"No, no, no." Mr. Mack denied.

"What is he doing here?" Cory whispered to Shawn in disbelief.

"Cor, I couldn't face this alone." Shawn answered as if it was obvious.

"But you're not alone, Shawn." Zoey reminded him. "We're here. You know, your best friends, the people you've known all your life. How could you think you're alone when we're here?"

Cory breathed out sadly. "I am beginning to see that you are more alone than I ever knew."

"What does that mean?" Shawn asked.

"I think you know what it means." Zoey said.

Mr. Mack turned to their teacher. "I just want you to know that I forgive you for trying to shut us down."

Mr. Feeny stood up aggressively which caused Cory's parents to jump up and try to calm him down.

"You forgive me?" Mr. Feeny asked in disbelief.

"Easy, George. He's just trying to get a rise out of you." Mr. Matthews told him. He then stood in front of Mr. Mack. "Look, you're not dealing with gullible little kids here now, buddy. Now you brought Shawn down, thanks, but why don't you just take a hike back to Conland?"

Mr. Mack looked over to meet Shawn's eyes. "Now do you see how judgmental these people-"

Mr. Matthews roughly shoved him against the wall. "No, listen. You see! A judgement I made a long time ago is that Shawn Hunter is the best friend that my kid ever had and I will kill to protect Shawn Hunter from people like you."

"Alan, he would love a lawsuit." Mrs. Matthews reminded him worriedly.

Cory grabbed onto Shawn's left arm while Zoey grabbed the right. They pulled him into Mr. Turner's room, followed by Topanga while the adults continued to fight with Mr. Mack.

The sate Mr. Turner was in shocked Zoey, having never really seen the result of a vehicle accident before. She gulped nervously as they all stared t Mr. Turner, broken and bruised, laying in the hospital bed looking lifeless.

"I-I can't be in here. This is too intense." Shawn stuttered out anxiously.

"It is for all of us, Shawn." Zoey countered softly. "But this is life and this is what's really happening right now."

Shawn shook his head. 'I need Mr. Mack."

"No!" Zoey snapped. "He can't help you with this! Shawn, what is the matter with you?!"

"I don't know but I can't look at him like this." Shawn replied. He turned on his heel only to have Cory shove him back gently. "Cory, come on, let me go."

Cory shook his head. "No."

"Cory, let me go!" Shawn demanded.

Cory continued to stand in his way before wrapping him in a tight hug. "Shawn, this is a hug, okay? This is a hug! And this is when you hug somebody when you care about them. And when you want them to know that. Now you cannot leave here, do you hear me? Turner took care of you, he loves you and you love him. Is that real? Or are Mr. Mack and the Center real? You decide, but you cannot go. We can go."

Cory slowly pulled away from the Hug and gave his best friend a reassuring smile. He held his hand out to Zoey so they could give Shawn a moment alone. She patted her boyfriend's shoulder comfortable and took Cory's hand, walking out of the room

••••

Topanga, Zoey, and Cory left Shawn alone in the room as they retook their seats. A few moments later, Shawn had exited the room which caused them to stand up.

"How is he?" Zoey asked.

Shawn smiled warmly. "He's gonna be fine."

'Really? Is that what the doctor said?" Cory wondered.

"No, I just know he is." Shawn answered.

Mr. Mack strolled over to the teenagers. "Shawn, it's obviously been a very stressful day for you and I think you should come back to The Center."

Shawn nodded. "Yeah, I think I should, too."

Zoey's eyes widen. "What?"

"I want to pack up my things, and then, if it's okay, come back and stay with you guys." Shawn explained, turning to Mr and Mrs. Matthews.

Zoey breathed out a sigh of relief while Cory's shoulder dropped in relief as well.

Mrs. Matthews smiled warmly. "Yeah, it's okay."

"Shawn...." Mr. Mack called out.

"You know, I see you right in front of me and I hear what you have to say and it's nothing. And, if I was an empty person who didn't have anything to believe in, I might go with you, because that would be easy. Well, I'm done with easy and I'm done with empty. I'm done with you." Shawn told him.

"We'll always be here for you, Shawn." Mr. Mack said.

"Yeah, I know." Shawn responded.

Mr. Mack nodded to him and then to the group before leaving.

Before Shawn could follow him out, Zoey had jumped into his arms. Shawn caught her and held her as tight as he could to himself, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"I'm so proud of you, Shawnie." Zoey whispered happily.

_____________________
PUBLISHED: September 2, 2018
WORDS: 3715