Chapter Seven

The next day at school, Shawn spied Angela during their lunch period a few feet away from the senior lounge area. His lips tightened with annoyance because she wasn’t alone. Ted Brazelton standing next to her, too close in Shawn’s opinion, his head bowed as he leaned in to hear what Angela was saying. And to make matters worse, as he drew nearer, his eyes encountered Minkus off to the left, smirking at his discomfort. He mouthed, “See, I told you so,” before running off as Shawn made a knee jerk move in his direction.

He watched the little weasel for a moment, but knowing that he had heartier fish to fry, he swung back around and walked over to Angela and her obnoxious companion.

“Angela, can I talk to you a minute?” he asked quickly, rushing up to them.

“Did you hear someone say something, Ted?” Angela looked around pretending not to see Shawn.

Amused, Ted grinned smugly while Shawn fumed.

The guy didn’t know how close he was to losing his teeth, Shawn thought angrily. “Angela, I need to talk to you. Now!” he growled through gritted teeth.

“Hey, Hunter, don’t talk to her like that,” the football jock admonished him harshly.

Already pissed and jealous, Shawn got in his face. “Don’t tell me how to talk to Angela.” He moved his legs apart and took a more aggressive stance. He was close enough that the elbow he was going to smash into the side of Ted's jaw would drop him immediately. “She’s my girlfriend, asshole.”

“Yeah, well, Sergeant Moore doesn’t quite see it that way, white boy,” Ted asked insolently. “And apparently neither does Angela.”

Anticipating Shawn, Angela hastily inserted herself in between them. Ted stepped back to make room for her while Shawn stood his ground. He suppressed a groan as her butt cheeks brushed against his groin.

Angela froze a moment, her eyes widening. She opened her mouth but seemed to have forgotten what she wanted to say. Then recovering with difficulty, she turned to the side, and with a hand braced against each chest, pushed them further apart. “Do you two have to make a scene every time you see each other?” Angela asked sharply. She turned to Ted. “And Ted, I can take care of myself.”

Ted’s face fell. “I was just trying to help.”

Angela’s sternness softened somewhat. “I know, Ted, but really, I can handle Shawn.” She threw an arch glance Shawn’s way to see how he was handling that claim. His expression was undecipherable and gave away nothing. After a moment’s pause as she held Shawn’s eyes with her own, she said to Ted, “I need to talk to Shawn. Alone.” Her tone was firm, indicating that there was no room for negotiation.

Defeated, Ted nodded, and with a final acrimonious glare at his rival, he reluctantly left them alone.

“Speak,” Angela commanded just like she would a dog. She went over to her locker to get her books as Shawn trailed behind her. “You have one minute.”

Shawn ran an impatient hand through his hair. “What could I possibly say to you in one minute to make you see that I had no choice last night, Angela?” he demanded as he stood behind her.

“You have forty-five seconds left.” She opened her locker and extracted the two books she’d need for her next two classes. They had to turn them in today as today was the last official day of class. “I suggest that you try really hard Shawn,” she added, slamming her locker shut, and pivoting to fix her eyes at a point somewhere beyond his shoulder, an exaggerated look of boredom on her pretty face.

“Alright.” He folded his arms. “I didn’t make love to you the other night because you weren’t ready. You were only trying to get back at your Dad. I love you too much to take advantage of you like that. As much as I wanted you, I just couldn’t do it, Angela.” A note of desperation crept into his voice as her expression remained unchanged. “Can’t you try to understand?”

Angela transferred flashing dark eyes to his face. “Oh, I understand alright. What’s her name, Shawn?” she asked, her tone frigid.

Taken aback, Shawn’s eyebrows shot up.

“Oh, don’t look so surprised. You’ve been trying to get me in bed for months and then out of the blue you have these new found ‘scruples’. What I want to know is is she blonde like all your other girlfriends, except me obviously,” she said with a tight little smile, and added conversationally, “or have you continued to broaden your horizons?”

Shawn pressed his lips together, feeling a wave of frustration wash over him. He hadn’t looked at another girl in over six months, was even at that moment was fighting his lower nature as she glared at him and accused him of cheating. She was all ice and haughtiness all he wanted to do at that moment was drape himself over her and melt her down into a warm puddle of caramel. But here she was assuming that he was cheating or was contemplating cheating just because he was trying to do his best for her. Because he was trying to look out for her best interest at the expense of his sanity and his physical well-being. He’d never been so hemmed up by a girl in all his eighteen years, and he’d started young. The list of things that Shawn Hunter didn’t do extended to catering to parents and especially father’s of the girls he dated. Now here he was, caught in the middle this tug o’ war between the two of them: father and daughter, with the end result of both hating his guts. The irony of the situation would have been amusing if it had involved someone else. But it wasn’t someone else’s problem. It was his and this was his life and right now, the girl he loved was looking at him like she hated him. There was nothing amusing about that.

Angela’s heart sank when he didn’t say anything. She’d just been fishing, but his silence made his innocence doubtful. Why else would he just stand there without denying it?

“So I guess it’s true then.”

Shawn emerged from his musings. “Angela, there’s no one else,” he replied at last. “I really can’t believe you think so badly of me.”

Angela’s eyes fell. But she just held onto her books, her arms wrapped around them holding them against her chest in an unconsciously defensive manner. She didn’t know what to say. She was confused, hurt, jealous and about to graduate from high school with the one of the most important relationships she’d ever had in jeopardy.

Shawn threw up his hands.

“Oh, okay, so now you’re giving me the silent treatment again?”

“No, I just thought I'd take a page from your book, Shawn.” Storm clouds of anger formed in the depths of her eyes. “I know how much you love doing exactly what my father wants.”

Shawn passed a hand over his mouth. “Angela—”

“The fact remains that you’ve been after me to sleep with you for weeks and then when I say that I’m ready, you bail on me,” she accused him, goaded by the remembrance of his callousness. “You called my father like I was some stupid kid you just couldn’t wait to be rid of.”

“I didn’t bail on you, Angela. I didn’t reject you. And I didn’t call your father because I didn’t want you, dammit,” he insisted. A bit of the irritation he was feeling seeped through. “I’m sure he already told you that he knew you’d snuck out of the house before I called. But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you weren’t—aren’t ready. You know you only wanted to do it to get back at your father. Why won’t you just admit it?” He shook his head stubbornly. “Whether you do or not, I’m not going to keep apologizing for doing the right thing.”

“Is that so? You seem to be just a-a fount of wisdom these days,” Angela stated bitterly. “Yet if I remember correctly, you had me pinned up against a wall with your tongue down my throat at Ted’s party a month ago.” She tilted her head. “But maybe that was just about one upping Ted. Maybe you don’t love me as much as you said you did,” she choked out, “because if you did, you would have made love to me and shown my father—

“That I can’t be trusted to keep my word, so he can feel justified in sending you thousands of miles away for college—like to Stanford where that dear old Teddy boy is going.” Shawn involuntarily moved a little closer to her, instinctively responding to the wobble he’d heard in her voice. Realizing that he couldn’t comfort her like he wanted to in a hall full of people, he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Come on, Angela. Think!” he implored her urgently.

Angela bit her lip. She hadn’t thought her plan out that far, or considered the repercussions. Yet Shawn’s logic was irrationally having the opposite effect on her. Since when did Shawn think anything out? He was just making excuses. Her deepest fears rose to the forefront. Six months ago, Shawn had been a bonafide player, and now after weeks of concentrated effort to get her into bed, he’d suddenly gone all moral and ethical on her. The real reason for his rejection although painful was apparent. He’d obviously set his eyes on someone else during the interim since her father had broken them up.

“Well, maybe Teddy boy won’t have your scruples if I give him the same chance to be with me,” she threw at him rashly.

Shawn’s gaze sharpened and narrowed at the same time. “What did you just say to me?” he asked with a dangerous and chilling softness in his voice.

Under the icy blast of his stare, Angela’s heart began to beat at a wildly accelerated rate. Thoroughly intimidated, she hedged, her eyes falling from his. “I…just said that I thought that—that if some other guy had had the same opportunity…was able to be with me—”

“Huh uh.” Shawn folded his arms and stepped closer. Their bodies were mere inches from each other. His stare was now a full-on glare as he looked down at her. “That is not what you said, Angela,” he spat furiously.

Angela’s hurt feelings erupted into a rare show of temper. The careless words she’d uttered a minute earlier bubbled up in her throat, cascading from her lips once again.

“I said that maybe Ted wouldn’t have as many scruples as you if I gave him a chance to be with me.” she snapped with an equal show of anger. The jealousy that had been eating away at her for weeks overcame all reason and tact. She returned his glare defiantly, unwilling to let him see just how much his rejection the other night had wounded her.

The hush that followed seemed almost surreal. The bustling and buzzing of the hall’s occupants went on but was muted as thought from a long distance away. An eerie quiet cocooned the atmosphere around Shawn and Angela like an embryo in its mother’s womb. Shawn’s eyes never once wavered from hers. Twin cerulean lasers bored into her brown orbs.

Angela glowered back at him, her entire attitude a challenge even as she willed her lower lip not to tremble.

“That’s what I thought you said,” he eventually uttered in clipped tones, each word coated with a layer of ice. He regarded her a moment longer before unfolding his arms as he turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving Angela to follow him with blurry vision due to the tears that had instantly filled her eyes. A stricken look on her face, she choked back a soft sob.

Topanga came up to stand next to her. She’d seen the whole thing, but hadn’t been able to hear what they’d been saying. “What happened, Ange? Shawn looks like he wants to kill somebody.”

Angela swallowed the melon sized lump obstructing her throat with difficulty and desperately fought to blink back the tears.

“I-I—he…we h-had a fight,” she finally replied, her voice none too steady. She clutched her books to her chest protectively; her chin pressed down on the top of them so hard that one’s edges dug into her skin.

Topanga snorted softly. “Well, I could see that.” Her eyes left Angela for Shawn’s form as the crowded corridor began shrouding his body from sight. “But I don’t think I’ve ever seen Shawn like that before. The look on his face was…scary.” She turned back to Angela, scrutinizing her friend curiously. “What did you say to make him react like that?”

“Topanga, I-I told you we had a fight,” she said evasively. “A r-really bad one, okay?"

Topanga refused to be put off. She came around one side of Angela and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Angela, what did you say to Shawn to make him stalk off like that?” she demanded.

Angela avoided the probing blue eyes. “I said…I said…,” she wet her lips. The words she’d blurted out so boldly at Shawn wouldn’t come forth so easily now. Nevertheless, she tried again. “We were fighting about what happened last night.”

Having had the full story from Angela already, Topanga nodded. “Okay.”

“Like I said, we were fighting about what had happened, and I-I told him…I told him that Ted wouldn’t reject me if I—if I…”

“—if you…” Topanga parroted encouragingly.

Angela looked at her then in silent anguish.

A furrow appeared between the Topanga’s light eyebrows for just a second before she gasped as the logical conclusion of the unfinished sentence dawned on her.

“...if you offered to sleep with him like you did with Shawn?” The answer, so written plainly on Angela’s face, caused her to groan loudly. No wonder Shawn looked like he’d been kicked in the stomach and wanted to break somebody’s neck. She squeezed her shut for an extended moment, an involuntary shudder shaking her buxom form. “You actually said that? To Shawn?” she gasped, her voice rising in patent horror. “Oh Angela!!”

Thae tears Angela had been fighting won. They spilled over onto her cheeks. Topanga hurriedly took her friend by the arm, carting her off to the bathroom for some privacy. Mercifully, it appeared to be empty, but she checked the stalls one by one anyway. When she was done, she went to her friend, gently pried the books from the death grip she had on them, sat them on the little bench near the door and wrapped her arms around her friend in a comforting embrace.

Angela cried on her shoulder. “I don’t know what came over me. I-I’m just so angry at him.” She pulled away to look at Topanga, her eyes wet and her face streaked with tears. “Ever since the night Cory got drunk, Shawn’s barely come near me. He w-won’t meet me anywhere so we can spend time together.” She angrily dashed the tears away with her hands. “And then when I tell him I’m ready to have sex with him…when I shamelessly throw myself at him, he refuses. What kind of love is that?”

Topanga blinked at Angela, slack-jawed. “What kind of love is that?” she said blankly. “Are you kidding me? We’re talking about Shawn Hunter, Angela. I didn’t think he knew the meaning of the word abstinence until he met you.”

Angela folded her arms. “Exactly! We’re talking about Shawn. Who, I don’t have to remind you, until six months ago had a new girl every two weeks,” she said bitterly. “I’m not stupid, Topanga.” She flopped down on the bench. “He’s seeing someone else.”

Topanga came over to sit beside her. She studied Angela’s face for a minute and sighed. Besides Cory, Angela was one of the most stubborn people she’d ever met. Donkeys, both of them. Stubborn, hard-headed donkeys. And with Angela it was worse because she was normally so even-tempered, so logical and restrained in her behavior and thought patterns. There was only one person she knew of that could bring out this emotionally driven, reckless Angela. And that person was Shawn Patrick Hunter. 'A Titan against a Titan', she thought rather whimsically, quoting a favorite classic film of hers, Clash of the Titans. The title certainly fit her two strong-willed friends these days. Still, Topanga felt it was her duty…oh, hell, forget duty. Angela was her friend and so was Shawn. They deserved to be together. Were obviously made for each other. Two commitment shy, passionate people who’d fallen hard for each other in spite of their relationship phobia.

Yet even knowing them as well as she did, she realized that trying to reason with someone who was crazy in love for the first time and who was under the supreme stress of being, to all intents and purposes, a star-crossed lover, kept from the guy she loved by her over-bearing father was g'oing to be something of a challenge. Hopefully not an insurmountable one, but a definite challenge nonetheless. However, Topanga was nothing if not a skillful maneuverer of people. She liked to think of herself as a sort of chess player except one who substituted the small, wooden images for life size, full blood pieces.

With this mindset, she said firmly, “I hate to keep repeating myself, but I’ve known Shawn a lot longer than you have, Ange. I’d say he was in pretty deep to take a pass on having sex with you. The boy’s needed a hosing down since you two started going out,” she pointed out dryly. “He’s not with another girl, Ange. He’s in love with you, and that’s why he just about went ballistic out there.”

Angela barely heard her. She was remembering how he’d led her on. How he’d made her think that he wanted her: kissing her and caressing her so passionately before cruelly pushing her away.

“Well, he shouldn’t have pretended to want me, Topanga,” Angela said peevishly. She unfurled her arms and turned her body sideways to look at the other girl. “He shouldn’t have acted like he was all hot and bothered if he wasn’t.”

“Um, I don’t want to be unnecessarily crude, or anything, but how exactly was Shawn pretending?”

Not completely comprehending her meaning, Angela tilted her head, frowning. “I don’t’ follow.”

Topanga got up, turning around to face Angela, her arms flung wide.

“I mean, how does a guy pretend to be turned on? I would think it’d be easy to figure out. He either has a hard-on, or he doesn’t.” She folded her arms and stood over Angela. “Did Shawn or did Shawn not have a hard-on the night you came onto him?” asked the future attorney.

Angela averted her eyes. A tell tale rosy color appeared beneath her chocolate skin. “He may have been a little excited now that I think about it,” she murmured diffidently.

Topanga bent over her. She hadn’t missed the faint but noticeable tinge of red in her friend’s cheeks. “What’s ‘a little’ excited, Angela? What’s that look like on a scale of one to ten? One being itty bitty and ten being ginormous.” She was going to make Angela see how foolish she was being if they had to miss the rest of their classes that day, a sacrifice that would have shocked Angela speechless if she’d have known. Topanga was nothing if not anal about her grades and attendance.

One of Topanga’s favorite shoes lightly tapped the linoleum floor of the girl’s bathroom

“I’m wait-ing,” she said in sing-song. The knowing expression on her face made Angela squirm.

After staring at her helplessly, Angela jumped up, and Topanga moved out of harm’s way before Angela’s head could collide with her chin.

“Oh, alright, Ms. Prosecutor, it was huge,” she said, her voice rising on the last word. She remembered enormous bulge that Shawn had ground between her legs and the way it had felt against the heart of her. A slight frisson shot down her center into her private place. “It was humongous. Is that what you want to hear? It was so big that it almost scared me.”

“Did you see it?” Topanga asked, curiously.

Slightly embarrassed by the question, Angela shook her head as heat suffused her brown skin. “No. I was going for his boxers when he flipped off the bed.” She’d neglected to mention that she’d sort of seen its outline in the murky light of the car on the night they were pulled over and didn’t feel like going into just then.

“So you really wanted to have sex, and it wasn’t just to get back at your father?” She eyed Angela, a speculative gleam in the blue-green eyes. “Or because you were afraid of losing Shawn?” she asked shrewdly.

“Yes…no...maybe.” Angela dropped her face into her hands. She was ashamed of herself. Her fears weren’t so much steeped in insecurity as they were in the uncertainty of their situation coupled with Shawn’s seeming coldness and rejection of her overtures. She knew that she had to get it together or really risk losing Shawn on account of her own actions.

When she raised her head, she was composed once more. “I don’t know. I mean, I do want Shawn. I love him, and there’s no one sexier. But I guess he was right about the timing being a-a little suspect.” Dispirited, she let out a long breath. “And I guess you’re right about me being afraid that Shawn was, well, slipping away from me. It’s just that he’s been acting so weird…so distant—even cold,” she tried to explain, frustration writ large on her face, “ever since the night Cory got drunk, and Daddy overreacted and decided to ruin my life.”

Topanga ignored that last piece of tacked on dramatics. “Maybe Shawn’s has a simpler reason for avoiding you,” she offered. “One that doesn’t involve cheating.”

“What’s that?”

“Maybe Shawn can’t get it together around you.” She shrugged. “Look, he’s always been very sexual, so it must be really hard, no pun intended,” she grinned wickedly, “for him. By nature, Shawn’s an impulsive, do what he wants, take what he wants kind of guy. I think he’s trying to cope with not getting what he wants until he can get himself under control.”

Angela thought about that. “I guess that’s reasonable,” she commented slowly. And she preferred to believe Topanga’s theory rather than the horrible alternative of him cheating with some big breasted blonde. Then as suddenly as her distress seemed to be abating, it kicked into high gear again. Her hand flew up to cover her mouth. Wide dark eyes stared out above them.

“Oh my God, Topanga, if that’s true then I’ve been so mean to him.” She winced when she thought about the taunt she’d flung at him. “He’s never going to speak to me again.”

“All you have to do is talk to him and apologize, Ange. Talk to Shawn and find out what’s really going on with your man.”

Angela nodded, her eyes clinging to Topanga’s like a lifeline. She exhaled slowly, took in another deep breath and repeated the process.

Then feeling calmer, she said, “You’re right. When he calms down, he’ll realize that I couldn’t…I wouldn’t ever have sex with anyone but him,” she said fiercely. “I need to find him though before he does something stupid.” She chewed on her lower lip, wondering what Shawn would do. He was so sensitive. But she had to believe that he wouldn’t break his promise and start drinking again. She also had to believe that he wouldn’t dig out his old black book and sex up the first girl whose number he called. She pushed those unwelcome thoughts aside. Only saying, “I doubt that he hung around for his last two classes.”

Topanga nodded. She very much doubted it, too. In fact, she kept her very real fears to herself, hoping against hope that Shawn wasn’t going to drown his sorrows in beer and throw away the sobriety he’d worked so hard to achieve in a moment of anger. That was her only concern. Having been friends with Shawn most of her life, she couldn’t see him cheating on Angela in a fit of pique. She knew how much he loved his 'purse girl'.

“I’m sure he’s heading to his apartment to sulk,” she offered consolingly, and then brightened as another thought occurred to her. “He may have even gone to work.”

Angela marched over to her books before heading for the door. “Topanga, I need you to turn in my books for me. Just tell my teachers that I had an emergency. I’m going to find Shawn.” As she thought of him, she smiled softly. What they had was too precious to ignore, too. She just hoped that it wasn’t too late, and that Shawn would forgive her.

“I can do that,” Topanga said readily, agreeing to her request for help as she started after her.

But Angela suddenly stopped, her head falling back as she sighed. She slowly turned, lowering her head. Her dark gaze came to rest on Topanga who’d stopped just behind her and was regarding her curiously.

“I promised myself that I wasn’t going to say anything,” Angela said reluctantly, “but I can’t just stand by and watch my best friend make the biggest mistake of her life any longer.”

Topanga groaned internally, having an inkling of what was to come, but she didn’t break the connection of their eyes.

“You know, you’ve been all reasonable and clear headed about my problems with Shawn and my father, so why haven’t you applied any of that wisdom to your own situation with Cory?” she asked coming back into the room. “The guy could use a serious break right now, Tee.”

“Angela, Cory kissed that girl and then lied about it.” It was Topanga’s turn to flop down on the bench. “How can I trust him now?” she whined, staring woefully at her expensively clad feet.

Angela snorted disdainfully. “Shawn saw the whole thing, and it wasn’t that big a deal. According to him, it was about as exciting and meaningful as the one Dana Pruitt forced on him back in February,” she added curtly.

“Humph!”

Angela went on undeterred. “And Lauren's the one who initiated it...just like Dana did with Shawn," she stressed, shooting her point home. "Besides, Shawn’s the one who encouraged Cory to lie, and you’ve forgiven him,” Angela added craftily. “Are you gonna continue to throw away all the years you and Cory have been together because one desperate man stealing schemer came onto your man?" She didn't even give Topanga a moment to respond before adding, "Because if you are, then you don’t deserve the kind of devotion Cory has for you.”

Topanga looked up to stare at Angela in amazement. “Wow, Ange,” she blurted out. “Where’s all this aggression coming from?

Angela shifted her books in her arms. “Where do you think it’s coming from? It comes from weeks of being kept away from my boyfriend by my father and coerced into a bogus relationship with a guy that I refuse to have any part of,” she replied, her voice colored by frustration. “When I think of everything that we’re going through, and you’re just sulking—”

Topanga glared and scowled.

“—like a big baby because some girl might have briefly pried his eyes off you for a millisecond. You had his undivided attention for so long without challenge that this so-called kiss shook you up, Topanga. It made you doubt yourself more than you doubted Cory’s fidelity. It hurt your pride to go from being envied and looked at as the girl who had everything: beauty, intelligence and a perfect relationship to someone who was pitied and who some were glad to see taken down a peg or two. And the perfect Topanga Lawrence, girl extraordinaire, can’t have that,” Angela ranted.

“I-I…that’s not—” Topanga stuttered, trying to protest only to be cut off.

“It is that. That lame kiss is only a deflection from the real problem. It’s time to come clean about this, Tee,” Angela declared relentlessly. “You bailed on your relationship willingly for the shallowest of reaasons, and it makes me mad,” Angela added, undaunted. “I mean, you’ve been seeing other guys while Cory’s been faithfully waiting for you to come to your senses. He hasn’t so much as looked at another girl when he could have run to Lauren, and frankly, with the way you’ve been acting these last few months, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he had!”

“Angela!” Topanga gasped, looking hurt.

Angela’s soft mouth firmed into a resolute line. “Well, it’s true, Tee. I totally get how hurt you were in the beginning, but I can’t support what you’re doing any longer. It’s stupid, petty, mean and-and just plain cruel, especially since you seem to have such compassion and understanding when it comes to Shawn. Where’s your compassion for Cory?” she demanded forthrightly. “He’s hurting, Topanga, and you don’t seem like you care at all.” She paused and drew in a deep breath while her friend gawked at her. “So either tell him it’s really over and put him out of his misery once and for all, or give him another chance. Even though you’ve morphed into a…a social butterfly these last months, we both know that you haven’t moved on. It’s all an act meant to make Cory pay for hurting you.”

Angela’s eyes narrowed as Topanga’s face grew flushed with guilt.

“You know as well as I do that you have about as much interest in Dillon Abercrombie and the rest of those faceless boobs you’ve been deliberately parading in front of him as I have in Ted Brazelton, which is zero, ziltch and nada. I love you, girl, but if you don’t handle your business and soon, I’ll have lost all respect for you.”

“I-I didn’t know you felt this way,” she stammered as she looked up at Angela.

Angela shrugged. “I didn’t want to interfere, but you’re my best friend. We’ve become as close as sisters, and this thing between you and Cory needs to come to a head,” she declared darkly. “I just felt that I needed to say something before it’s too late and you wind up more even miserable then you are now.”

Topanga pushed a deep breath out through her nose and briefly closed her eyes. She knew that everything Angela had said was true. But acknowledging her advice and acting on it were two differently things.

Angela read the indecision in her friend’s expressive face with fond exasperation, and having said her piece, she headed for the door again. “Oh, and my Dad’s fixed me up with Ted, so we can’t go to the Prom together. That’s another reason I’m pissed with you.” The statement was tossed over her shoulder at Topanga as she began to rise from the bench. “You can end your high school years on the right note with the man you know you still love, while I have no choice but to allow Ted to be my escort,” she said, her voice growing unsteady and sounding like she was on the verge of tears, “or I won’t even be able to see Shawn on prom night.” She jerked the bathroom door open. “Our lives are about to change forever, Tee. High school is over for us. And this game you’re playing needs to end, too. You need to think about what I’ve said.” And with that she was gone, leaving a stunned Topanga with a lot on her mind to follow.

~*~

Shawn slammed into his photography lab, pissed off, and wanting to hurt someone so badly that he could taste blood: specifically Ted Brazelton’s blood. And a part of him wanted to hurt Angela, too. Not physically, but… how could she say—even think about having sex with that bastard, he thought agitatedly, running his hands through his thick hair, or with anyone other than him?

Shawn stalked over to his work table, knowing that he had to do something to occupy his mind. He reached for the bottles of developing solution only to discover that because his hands were shaking so hard he couldn’t hold the bottle still long enough to hold it still enough or muster up enough strength to twist off the cap. In a fit pique, he threw it across the room. It slammed into the wall and hit the floor with a heavy thud.

Unable to work and aware that he couldn't destroy Jonathon's photo lab, he paced around the photo lab like a caged animal, his head thrown back and hands behind his head. His heart was beating so fast and hard that he thought it might burst from his chest as an overload of adrenaline coursed through his system. His breathing was ragged, and his face flushed. The light blue eyes were still dark with emotion.

He exploded in anger, batting a set of empty solution pans against the wall with a vicious swipe of one arm. The met the unyielding white surface with resounding clangs before hitting the hard linoleum floor where they clattered some more until finally they lay still.

Shawn sank down onto the small black leather sofa that sat on one side of the door. He’d always hated having it in his lab, feeling that it encouraged people to come in to sit and chat when he wasn’t actively developing film and the light on the side of the door forbade them to enter. Now, he welcomed its presence as he leaned back, head on the ledge, staring up at the ceiling. This girl had him so wound up that he felt like a coiled spring lately. Here he was trying to do his best for them, and she couldn’t support him. Couldn’t or wouldn’t understand that he was trying to be strong for the both of them. He was tired of being the only one fighting both her father and that jerk, Brazelton, in addition to his own raging carnal nature.

Shawn lost track of time, unaware of how long he’d been sitting their, staring at the little balls of dried plaster that decorated the popcorn ceiling concealing its flaws from the naked eyes when someone rapped tentatively at the door. He lifted his head and brooding light blue eyes, darkened by his inner turmoil, met the equally blue gaze of one of his boss’s models.

Janet Poplanski was a twenty-two year old, leggy blonde who worked part-time with Jonathan as a model. She was first year graduate student at Pennbrook, majoring in psychology. Shawn had enjoyed the few conversations he’d had with her between photo shoots, but this was the first time they’d been together alone that he could recall.

Shawn watched her enter dispassionately, still numb from his and Angela’s quarrel.

“I hope you don’t mind some company, Shawn,” Janet said in lieu of a formal greeting. “Jonathan’s working with Shondra right now. The light wasn’t on, so I didn’t think you were developing film—”

“Come on in, Janet.” He sat up and made room for her on the couch before sprawling on it near the other end. “Take a load off.”

Janet happily came over and sat next to him. She was wearing a thin silk robe that hit her legs at mid-thigh. Its baby blue color complimented her pale ash blonde looks. Shawn took in the sight of her long slender legs as the robe rode up her thighs barely covering bikini bottom he knew she wore under it. She was big breasted and leggy. Before Angela had entered his life, Shawn would have gone after her with single-minded purpose, undeterred by her age. She was his type in every way, coloring, body structure and older women were known to be a lot more advanced sexually than girls his own age.

As they sat next to each other, he could tell that she was attracted to him. He’d been aware of that since he’d started working at Jonathan’s photo studio, and knew too that she wouldn’t have turned away his advances. But he’d never made a move because of Angela. He had what he wanted. Or at least, he’d had what he’d wanted, he thought unhappily. Now, he didn’t know where he stood with Angela, and that depressed him more than he could have ever thought possible.

“Shawn?”

His eyes focused, and Janet’s face came into view. Her expression was one of concern.

“You okay?”

“No, not really.” He sat back and let his head fall back onto the sofa ledge. “I’m not having too good a day.”

“You wouldn’t be having girl trouble, now would you?” she asked astutely. After all Shawn was a teenaged boy and usually counterparts, teenaged girls, were the reason for any substantial change in behavior or mood. She didn’t need her studies to tell her that. She’d been a teenager herself not too long ago.

She laid a sympathetic had on his arm. “Want to talk about it?”

He shrugged off-handedly. “Not particularly. Besides, you wouldn’t be interested.”

Suddenly the space between them disappeared. She was pressed up against his side. Shawn was usually pretty stand-offish with all of the models, Janet being no exception, even though she was the one closest to his age. Nice, cordial but he definitely kept his distance. Yet she could sense a chink in his customary amour. The female in her told her it had something to do with another female, probably his girlfriend, and also sensed that this was possibly her last and best chance to get a crack at the deliciousness that was Shawn Hunter.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Shawn. I’m very interested in you,” the model whispered. “Every thing about you fascinates me.” She slowly ran her hand down his arm.

Shawn raised and turned his head then to find Janet’s face only inches from his. He could feel her warm breath on his lips.

He wet his just as she pressed her lips against his mouth. As he closed his eyes, she wasted no time sliding her tongue between his lips. She was an expert kisser, exploring his mouth with precision and mixed with passion. He felt her warm hands on the skin of his chest before one began its downward descent. After kissing for several minutes, with both angling their heads in different directions, drawing the kiss out and heightening the experience, Shawn grabbed her hands, pulling them his chest and the front of his pants. He broke the kiss and moved away from her.

“I’m sorry, Janet.” He sat back, and pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing a long breath. He’d tried to get into the kiss, tried to enjoy her hands on his body, but it was no use. It was an exercise in futility. Even after some fairly intense foreplay, he was barely semi-erect. “I-I can’t do this.”

Shawn got up and rolled his shoulders. He buttoned his shirt as he modestly turned his back. Never a prude, he couldn’t believe that he didn’t even want her seeing his chest especially after she’d just fondled him so intimately. But none of it was hers to touch or look at. Crap! What was wrong with him? Angela was clearly thinking of moving on with Ted. Why couldn’t he do the same? he asked himself frustrated and angry, even though he already knew the answer. He was Angela’s just as she was his even if she was so angry at him right now that she’d forgotten.

Janet rose and walked around to face him. She smiled slightly as he gazed at the knockout.

“Is it because of Angela?”

A slight furrow appeared between his thick dark brows. “How’d you know about Angela?”

She spread her hands. “I cornered you in here one night. You told me you had a girlfriend,” she replied in surprise at his forgetfulness, but without any attitude or huffiness. “I always wanted to apologize for coming on so strong,” Janet added with a self-conscious little laugh.

Shawn blushed. He didn’t even remember her coming on to him, he thought a little guiltily. Damn! He rubbed his face wearily. Angela had him tied up like a calf in a rodeo, as his father would have said. So much so that he didn’t know if he was coming or going to the point where he was forgetting a beautiful woman’s advances no less. All other females had ceased to exist for him. He met Janet’s eyes remorsefully.

She smiled ruefully, disappointment showing in her own. “Don’t sweat it, Shawn. You were honest with me, and I appreciate it.” She backed up and one hand gripped the door handle behind her. “I hope everything works out between you two.”

Feeling like a schmuck and a dope, Shawn summoned up a lackluster smile for Janet’s benefit. After all, none of this was her fault. His smile faded as the door closed behind her. He laced his fingers and placed his hands behind his head, heading for the wall at rear of the room where he let it fall against the hard plaster.

No, it was all Angela’s fault. It was her fault that he had no interest in any other women. Her fault that he was completely whipped, he groaned, and raised his head to let it fall again…and again and again. And they hadn’t even slept together yet, his mind raged at the cruel irony. He was whipped before he’d even gotten the pussy. Him. Shawn Hunter. He was so absorbed in his own brand of self-castigation that he failed to hear the gentle knock at the door or its gradual opening.

“Shawn?”

Simultaneously, jerking his head from the wall and dropping his arms, he whirled around at the soft sound of the tentative voice at his back. His ears knew it well, and his heart started to hammer in his chest. He cursed silently under his breath at having been caught at a disadvantage.

The dim lighting of the lab cast light and shadows onto his face from where he stood. Unaware of that somewhat camouflaging effect, he schooled his features and shoved his hands deep into his pockets.

“What do you want?” he asked coldly, yet his heart started racing as it always did whenever he was around her.

Angela’s felt the sting of moisture rise in the back of her eyes. Shawn had never used that unfriendly tone with her before. He seemed distant and detached unlike earlier when his ire had been palpable. She discovered that as intimidating as Shawn was in a temper, she preferred hot anger to this icy indifference.

“I-I wanted to talk to you,” she replied, her voice husky with the unshed tears, "about what I said this afternoon.”

With potent stabs of anger threatening to break his cool as her words replayed in his head, Shawn attempted a nonchalant shrug. His mouth made a little moue that he hoped conveyed his disinterest.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Angela. You were clear.” He pulled his hands from his pockets and came forward, but stopped at his work table. “I have work to do, so you can let yourself out,” he added, picking up a bottle of developing solution to pour into an inch high aluminum pan.

Angela bit her soft under lip and shifted her weight. “Shawn…” Her voice cracked and after a pause she tried again. “I’m sorry for what I said. I d-didn’t mean it,” she quavered. “I would never do anything like that.”

Shawn’s hands stilled. They came to rest on the edge of the table, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. He was still so very hurt. She had shaken him to the core with her threat to proposition Ted. Here he was trying to do his best for them, and she could tell him some shit like that. Yet in spite of it all, all he wanted to do was pull her close, bury his face in her neck, feel her warmth and breathe her sweet essence until the pain went away.

He felt a timid hand on his arm. He opened his eyes and turned his head to look at her.

“How could you say something like that to me, Angela? Huh?” he railed, a note of pain and anger resonating under the low pitch of his voice. “I don’t see how you could have any feelings for me and say some foul shit like that!”

He jerked his arm away to stand with his back to her. She could hear the rasp of his harsh breathing.

Her eyes followed him anxiously. “I was angry and…and jealous.” He whipped around at the admission, scowling at her. “I didn’t even know if you’d care after the way you rejected me,” she cried agitatedly.

Shawn stared at her. Why were women so difficult? Why couldn’t they just take things at face value and not make a situation more complicated than it already was, he wondered suddenly exhausted and more than a little depressed by all the recent drama.

“Angela, I tried to explain why I did what I did!” Shawn exclaimed with exasperation, sounding more like his old self.

Angela seemed not to have heard him.

“Do want to break up with me so you can be with someone else?” she asked in a small voice. “Is-Is it because of that woman I saw coming out of here?”

Shawn studied her forlorn form for a moment: eyes downcast with the crescents of long eyelashes and the soft under lip caught between her white teeth. He covered the physical distance between them. Now if only he could as easily bridge the schism that marred their relationship.

Shawn groaned and grabbed her, his arms sliding around her waist.

She looked up at him. Large pear shaped tears hung from the ends of her lashes. She was breathing through slightly parted lips, her breath catching delicately

He couldn’t help himself. Lowering his head, he kissed her. The feel of that soft mouth, the warmth and sweet taste of its interior, so long denied him, made his blood sing. This was the feeling that he craved.

“Does that feel like I don’t want you?” he asked hoarsely, grinding into her stomach a little. He was hard enough to chisel stone. “Does it feel like I want anybody else?”

“Then why did you reject me last night?” she asked, sniffing and cuddling in his arms. Her head lay just under his chin.

“Baby, I explained that already. Because I won’t have our first time being about your father and this mess we’re in,” he replied firmly. “And that’s what it was about: you showing him up. Don’t say it wasn’t because I know it was.” He tried to mitigate the severity of the scold by laying a soft kiss on her curls.

Angela didn’t try to deny it this time. They stood together seeking and receiving comfort and reassurance from each other.

“Are we okay now?” she asked, her voice slightly muffled by his shirt.

Shawn tipped her head back and gazed down at her, running the pad of one thumb over the crest of her cheekbone, slowly tracing her jaw line and finally her bottom lip. He dipped his head for another kiss. He deepened it, his tongue inside her mouth, stroking hers. He knew he shouldn’t but he couldn’t help it. She was so pretty, inside and out, and everything he wanted.

When he raised his head, he sighed and determinedly put her away from him before his libido got the better of his good intentions.

Angela’s eyes and face were glowing from the passionate kisses and tender caresses. She whispered softly, “I guess that means yes.”

Shawn favored her with a lopsided grin and pecked her lips once more before having her to sit and wait for him while he developed film for Jonathan. After he’d finished, they left, heading for Shawn’s apartment. He’d called ahead to see if Jack would loan him his car so that he could take Angela home.

They traversed the six blocks from the downtown studio to the apartment within minutes. They didn’t spend much of that time talking, preferring to just enjoy being together for the first time in weeks.

Shawn held the entrance door open for Angela and went in behind her. He slipped an arm around her shoulders as they crossed to the elevator. The ride to his floor was short and soon they were at Shawn’s door. He let them in with his key.

“You can’t just attack me like you did in the car,” he was scolding Angela as she went ahead of him into the apartment.

Angela smirked. “You seemed to like it at the time,” she said coyly.

“You caught me off guard,” he protested. “In-In a moment of weakness, I gave in to my baser nature. Besides,” he said, eyeing her sternly, “I couldn’t do anything about it since I was driving. I was at your mercy.”

Angela draped herself on his chest, curling her arms around his neck. “I know, baby, but I couldn’t help it,” she cooed, and gave him a look designed to wheedle her way into his good graces. “After what you were doing to me at the Ted’s—don’t scowl like that every time I say his name, Shawn— at Ted’s party,” she went on, “how did you expect me to behave?”

Shawn carefully removed her arms from his neck and put her away from him. “For one thing, I don’t want to think about that scumbag much less hear his name coming from those pretty lips, and for another,” he sighed, flashing her a look of contrition, “I apologize for my behavior at the party.” He hung his head. “I just couldn’t seem to control myself that night.”

Angela gazed at Shawn with wonder. Topanga was right. He had been holding her at arm’s length and avoiding her because he couldn’t trust himself around her.

“What?” he asked anxiously. “Why’re you looking at me like that?”

“Topanga said—”

“Baby, please don’t believe everything Topanga says!” Crap! All he needed was man-hating Topanga poisoning Angela against him. “She doesn’t have all the answers. I don’t care how smart she thinks she is,” he declared anxiously.

Angela rolled her eyes. “Relax, Shawn. Topanga loves you like a brother. All she said was that you were avoiding being alone with me, not only because of my father, but,” her eyes fell under his steadfast albeit curious gaze, “because you don’t quite trust yourself to be around me.”

Shawn’s thick eyebrows rose. “Topanga said that?” Then thinking about it, he smiled reluctantly as Angela nodded somewhat bashfully. “Well, she’s partially right,” he admitted, scratching his ear. Angela grinned at this sign that he was telling the truth.

“What?” He raised an eyebrow.

Angela edged closer. “It’s just that even though I understand how difficult this is for you, you can’t keep treating me like a stranger, Shawn.” She pouted adorably, her bottom lip jutting out in the way that he loved. “I need some kind of affection,” she asserted and began flirting with him with her eyes, gazing up at him through her lashes.

His breathing quickened. “Stop that, dammit!” He felt himself rise instantly. Crap! Was this how it going to be for the rest of his life? Shawn stiffened in surprise at the thought. Where had that come from? The rest of his life…with Angela? His mouth moved as he silently mouthed the words. The rest of his life with Angela.

Shawn stared at her so long with such a look of amazement on his face that was quickly followed by one that she didn’t recognize at all that Angela became concerned. She waved a hand in front of his eyes.

“Shawn, baby? Is everything alright?” she asked anxiously. “You look—weird.”

Recognition returned, and Shawn blushed, feeling shy and looking really cute in his confusion. He was beginning to understand his behavior a little better now. In fact, it explained quite a bit. Nevertheless, he couldn’t talk about this with her yet. One day, but not now. Instead, he grabbed Jack’s car keys from table where the phone sat in the kitchen and walked back to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Now that we’ve both decided that we’re abstaining from sex for the near future, you’ve got to help me out, baby.” He turned them around and guided them toward the front door. “Okay, for starters, there’s gonna have to be some ground rules laid around here, since I’m not going to be,” he quipped. “All joking aside, I’m serious about the ground rules.”

“Ground rules,” she repeated, sounding doubtful. “What kind of ground rules?”

“Rule number one: no tempting little Shawn—”

“Little Shawn!” Stunned, Angela blinked and then giggled. What a misnomer that was! “Is that what you call…?” She glanced down at the front of his pants.

“Yeah, that’s what I call ‘him’,” Shawn replied firmly. He cleared his throat while opening the door for her to pass through, adding, “Now, as I was saying, no tempting little Shawn when big Shawn clearly can’t control…” The door closing cut of the rest of Shawn’s statement. Seconds later, Jack and Eric cautiously came out from their hiding places: Eric from the pantry and Jack from the coat closet in the hallway on the second floor.

Shawn's two roommates had seen him and Angela from the balcony where they’d been sitting over a couple of beers. They’d high-tailed it inside so that they could find strategic places to hide and eavesdrop. Presently, they looked at each other, their expressions deadpan, and then allowed the laughter that had been building for some time to overflow.

Finally, Eric said with a shake of his head, “That Shawn has the most entertaining life for high school kid.”

Jack agreed, nodding. One thing he’d also noted was that his little brother was finally growing up. And it was a welcome surprise.