Cory and Shawn's Miracle Soap: Friday

Shawn stared at the wall during homeroom. He and Cory had been relegated to different parts of the room. As it turned out, their punishment included not sitting next to each other during class time.

"Shawn."

Shawn saw Jonathan looking at him with a frown- and standing on his head. Momentarily disoriented, he blinked.

"Audrey's that way," the teacher said quietly, pointing to the front of the classroom.

"Right," he said, still confused as to why Jon was upside down. Then it dawned on him. He was leaning his head over the back of his chair, consequently inverting his view. Once he sat up properly, his spatial orientation was restored.

Homeroom seemed to drag on forever despite the fact that Audrey was in charge of it. Cory's attention kept wandering. He wondered what kind of grueling chores were awaiting him and Shawn after school.

When the bell rang, Cory and Shawn bolted for the door.

"Shawn!"

Shawn froze just outside of the door, hoping Jon would think he didn't hear him.

"I know you heard me, Hunter."

Darn it, Shawn thought, reluctantly turning around.

"I didn't do it," he declared as he reentered the room.

Audrey shook her head in amusement.

Jon regarded him skeptically. "What didn't you do?"

Shawn opened his mouth and started to say something. He abruptly closed it.

"If you don't already know, I'm not goin' ta tell you."

Jon rolled his eyes and smiled. "I just wanted tell you to come straight to the apartment when you're done today. And make sure to tell Audrey good-bye before you and Cory start your detentions."

Shawn frowned. Why would he do that? Unless...

"That wasn't part of the punishment!" he protested.

"Huh?" Jon had no idea what the boy was talking about.

"Audrey not being able to come over was not a part of the punishment!"

"Shawn," Jon said. "Audrey's not going to be here this weekend. She's going home."

"Oh." Shawn wasn't convinced that that was any better. "Why?"

"Cause I miss it, that's why," Audrey told him.

"Do you have to?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Yeah, I kind of do."

Shawn scrunched his face up. "But who's going to cook for us?"

Jon gave him a light pop with some papers he had in his hand. "She's not your personal chef. We'll survive."

"I think I'm going to try a fast this weekend," he said seriously.

Audrey laughed. "I'll be back Sunday night."

"Bring me something?" he asked, giving her his best-puppy dog eyes.

She laughed again and ruffled his hair.

"Like what?"

"One of those 'I love NY' shirts."

"You gotta deal, mate."

"Yeah," Jon said, urging him out of the room. "You got your deal. Now get going before you're late to your next class."

_____________________________________________________________________________

"I wish I was going with you this weekend," Jon said sliding his tray next Audrey's thermos. "I miss the City."

Audrey, who said she had eaten earlier, smiled as she sipped on her water. "How long has it been since you last went back?"

"Almost three years."

"Wow," she said. "I couldn't stay away for so long." She laughed. "Of course, I didn't have much faith that I'd last a week here."

"Neither did I," he admitted with a grin. "I thought for sure you'd have been gone by now." He paused for a moment. "You going to see your dad?"

Audrey nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly.

Jon quickly changed the subject. "So does this mean you won't be doing any dancing this weekend?"

"Nope. If anything, I'll be doing more."

Jon raised an eyebrow.

"I spoke to my old teacher at ABC last night," she explained. "He invited me to attend classes while I'm home."

"You're definitely going to go?"

She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Yes, I think am."

"Even though you're not currently studying dance, you're going to be able to attend those classes?" Katherine had been sitting on the other side of Jon and couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

Audrey was caught off guard by the question. "Well, yes. Cooper knows that I've continued dancing here, so he thought I might want to take a few more lessons with my old company."

"Just like that?"

Audrey wasn't sure why Katherine was questioning her like this. In previous conversations, she never seemed too interested in Audrey's past profession.

"Um, well, I suppose so." She didn't know how else to answer. True, it was unprecedented that a dancer who quit dancing should be asked to come back to their company if only to dance a few lessons, but how would Katherine suspect that? Audrey tried to dismiss it as coincidence.

Once again, Jon felt extremely uncomfortable being in between the two women.

"So, um, Katherine," Audrey tried to think of something else to talk about. "It's really cool that you're going to New York with us in November. You've been to the City before, right?"

Katherine looked at her. "Yes, once. A long time ago."

Jon seemed surprised to hear that. "Really?" he asked.

Katherine nodded.

"What were you there for?" Audrey leaned against the table to better see her.

Katherine stirred her applesauce with a spoon. She stared at it before answering.

"Dance scholarship competition," she replied quietly.

Jon's astonishment was obvious, and Audrey seemed shocked.

"Really?" Audrey asked excitedly. "That's so amazing that you're a dancer, too. What company?"

Katherine gave her a thin smile, wondering why she had ever said anything.

"The scholarships were sponsored by ABC," she said.

"Wow..." Audrey sat back amazed that a fellow company member was here at this school.

"Where'd you study at?"

The question was inevitable, Katherine knew. And it made her wonder all the more why she had brought it up in the first place.

"I didn't make it."

"Oh." Audrey seemed embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

Katherine tried to be flippant about it. She smiled at Audrey. "It's fine. Besides teaching brings in more of an income than dancing ever would."

There was a brief period of silence.

"Could I ask why?" Audrey said, trying to choose her words carefully. "You had to have been outstanding to get as far as scholarship auditions."

Katherine studied her sharply, but Audrey wasn't being condescending; she was serious.

"Flat feet," she said simply.

Audrey nodded in understanding. "I see. It was one of those 'you're a beautiful person and brilliant dancer, but you just don't have the body type we're looking for' speeches, right?"

It was Katherine's turn to be surprised. "You," she said in disbelief. "You've gotten one of those before?"

Audrey gave her an "are you kidding" look. "They give you that speech whether you have flat feet or a thick waist. And, yes, I have gotten that speech before. More than once."

Katherine smiled a real smile this time. Maybe she had been wrong about Audrey being a spoiled little rich girl. Maybe everything hadn't been handed to her.

Jon sensed that the women had made a connection, which should have made him feel better. Before he wasn't convinced that Katherine like Audrey, and now that they seemed to have something in common, he wasn't sure if he was happy about it or not.

___________________________________________________________________________

"Miss Andrews! Hey, Audrey, wait up."

Audrey was getting ready to leave the high school. She had to get home and pack before Jon took her to the airport. She turned around and saw Shawn jogging towards her.

"You're not leaving yet, are you?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yeah, Shawn, I still have to pack."

"Oh. How long before your flight leaves?"

"Three hours. I leave at six."

"Oh," Shawn said again. "Are you going to come over before you go?" he asked hopefully.

Audrey shook her head regretfully. "I can't," she said apologetically. "There won't be time. And besides, Jon's taking me to the airport." She paused a beat then added, "Why don't you see if Jon'll lift your grounding just long enough for you to come, too?"

Shawn couldn't help but smile at the invitation. He assumed that she wouldn't him tagging along if she had a chance to be alone with Jon. "Really? You don't mind me hanging around?"

Audrey gave him a funny look. "Of course, not! I love having you around, Shawn. How could you think otherwise?"

He wasn't sure, actually. She often went out of her way to include him in things. It was nice not to be overlooked for once.

"Cool," he grinned. "Then I don't have to say good-bye right now."

"Nope," Audrey winked at him. "Now you better get going before Mr. Feeny comes looking for you."

Shawn's smile diminished. "Oh, right. Well, I'll see you later."

Audrey waved and Shawn watched her leave before trying to find Cory. His friend was standing by his locker with a melancholy look on his face.

"Have you seen Feeny yet?" Shawn asked.

Cory shook his head. "Not yet. But that creepy Solomon kid ran by and told me to watch my back."

Shawn tugged at the hem of his jacket. "You say good-bye to Miss Andrews? We won't see her all weekend."

Cory looked at him. "I always say bye to her on Fridays after English. And I never see her on weekends."

"Oh, yeah," Shawn shrugged. "She's going back to New York for the weekend."

"Really?" Cory's eyes lit up. "You think she'd bring me back an 'I love NY' shirt?"

Shawn looked at him smugly. "I already asked. But when Jon and I take her to the airport, I'll ask her to get you one too."

"Cool!"

"There they are!"

Cory and Shawn looked for the source of the shout. Their eyes widened in surprise. Gathered in the hallway was the crowd that had bought miracle soap from them.

"Uh, oh," Cory gulped. "They don't look very happy."

"What's with them?" Shawn asked. "They got their money back and we're out of business. What more do they want?"

"We want you to try out your own product."

The boys turned around to see Solomon Tiegs standing behind them looking smug.

"What?"

Without warning, Cory and Shawn were overtaken by their classmates. They had no opportunity to defend themselves. After several minutes, the crowd disbanded, and the halls were empty again.

Cory and Shawn were left sitting on the floor leaning against the lockers for support. Their faces were smeared with foul-smelling green goo and a minty aqua paste.

"Ow," Shawn said weakly.

Cory merely groaned and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, both boys sat bolt upright.

"F-f-f-fire!" they cried in unison, frantically fanning their faces. Jumping up and scrambling blindly about, they attempted to gain their bearings.

"That way," Cory pointed.

Without another word, they made a mad dash to the boys' bathroom.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Shawn's face was still bothering him when he finally got back to Jon's apartment. He smelled like cleaning chemicals and floor wax.

Jon was waiting for him.

"Whoa, do you smell!" he greeted him. "Go take a quick shower. We've got to get Audrey in an hour."

"I won't argue with you about that," Shawn said greatly relieved to be able to clean himself up.

His hair was still damp when he and Jon left to get Audrey. They were walking to the parking garage of the apartment complex when a realization dawned on Shawn.

"How are we going to fit three people on your bike?"

Jon looked at him. "We're not." At the puzzled look on Shawn's face he added, "We're taking the truck."

Shawn was even more confused. "When did you get a truck?"

Jon shook in head in amazement that the boy could be so oblivious to certain things. "About a year ago. Didn't you ever wonder how I would have gotten groceries back here on my bike?"

Shawn shrugged. "Hey, I don't ask where the food comes from or how it got here, as long as it is here."

Jon laughed. "You're a real piece of work, Hunter."

Shawn smiled. "I try."

"I believe you."

"Which one's yours?" Shawn asked as they neared several vehicles.

"Blue Chevy," Jon said pointing to an older, but well-kept truck.

"Blue's Audrey's favorite color," Shawn commented.

Jon gave him a funny look. "Is it now."

"Hey, extended cab." Shawn jogged over to the pickup. "Not bad for a teacher."

"I don't think so," Jon said, opening the door. "Buckle up."

Shawn was kneeling in the front seat so that he could check out the back. He turned around and slid into the seat.

"So," Shawn turned slightly so he could better see his guardian. "You going to miss her?"

Jon glanced at him. "Who? Audrey?"

"Yeah."

Jon took a deep breath, trying to decide the best way to answer. How honest should he be with Shawn? He was concerned that being too open about his feelings towards Audrey, whatever they were, wasn't wisdom. And he was already worried that he wasn't exercising enough wisdom with Audrey.

After a brief hesitation, he replied, "Well, sure."

His answer didn't satisfy Shawn, who suspected that it went deeper than a simple "well, sure".

"Com'n, Jon," he said. "With all time that we've spent with her- that you've spent with her; you're around her even more than me- and you're not going to miss her more than that?"

Sometimes Shawn Hunter could be remarkably astute. And it could be remarkably irritating.

"Yeah, I am going to miss her," Jon admitted hoping that would be the end of it.

"A lot?"

"Shawn!"

"What?" Shawn couldn't help but smile. He'd struck a nerve and he knew it.

"Could we talk about something else, please?"

Shawn shrugged. "Okay, fine. Let's talk about something else."

"Thank you."

"Let's talk about how gorgeous Miss Andrews is." Shawn grinned. He'd hit upon something. Jon was blushing.

"Let's not." Jon reached over and turned on the radio to a local soft rock station.

"She is," Shawn prodded.

"I'm not blind," Jon muttered.

That was good enough for Shawn. He leaned back in his seat and watched the scenery fly by the window.

Before long they were at Audrey's place. It was a small white two-story house with a rickety picket fence that had once been white many, many years ago. Audrey rented the top floor from a sweet, old widow who lived in the lower portion.

Audrey opened the door before they could ring the doorbell.

"Hi," she greeted them with a huge grin.

"Ask them in," said a hoarse voice. "I won't keep them but a second."

Audrey motioned Jon and Shawn to come inside. "This is Mrs. Dupree," she introduced them to her landlady. "Mrs. Dupree, Jon and Shawn."

Mrs. Dupree was a tiny woman, her posture bent with age and probably osteoporosis. She had to be at least eighty. Her perfectly permed white hair was cut short and she wore light pink rouge on her withered cheeks. She looked Jon and Shawn over with intelligent blue eyes that sparkled with mischievousness.

"My, what a handsome young man you have to chauffer you about, my dear," she winked at Audrey.

She turned and gazed steadily at Shawn who returned her smile. He liked the old woman.

That's what a grandmother should be like, he thought.

"Is this your husband and son?" Mrs. Dupree had a wicked gleam in her eyes. She knew full well that they weren't. But she figured that she was old enough to have a little fun with the young people.

"Maudie!" Audrey yelped in surprise. Her cheeks flushed crimson. Yesterday she had been mistaken for Jon's girlfriend and now his wife. Audrey wanted to hide. Maybe she'd just go to New York and stay there.

Shawn now loved Mrs. Dupree. Jon and Audrey looked as though someone had dumped ice water on them. Shawn chuckled. While he was pestering Jon, Mrs. Dupree must have been doing the same to Audrey.

"I like the way you think, Mrs. Dupree," he grinned.

Mrs. Dupree merely winked at him.

Jon had the feeling that, if left alone, Mrs. Dupree and Shawn would start plotting something. They both had that look in their eyes.

"It was really nice to meet you, Mrs. Dupree," Jon said genially, shaking the woman's hand. "But we're going to have to be leaving if Audrey's going to catch her flight."

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Dupree said merrily. "Go, go." She kissed Audrey's cheek and stroked a lock of her hair fondly. "Be careful and don't let that airline lose your luggage, angel."

"I won't," Audrey returned the kiss. "Good-bye, Maudie!"

Jon picked up Audrey's suitcase and the trio headed out to the truck.

"Oh." Audrey's eyes lit up when she saw the vehicle. "I love that shade of blue. It's my favorite."

Shawn shot Jon an "I told you so" look. Jon ignored him.

As it turned out, Audrey's flight was delayed an hour due to inclement weather. To pass the time, they wandered around the airport. T-shirts hanging in the gift shop window reminded Shawn of something.

"Hey, Audrey."

Audrey draped her arm around his shoulders. "Hmm?"

"Cory wanted to know if you'd bring him back an "I love NY" shirt, too."

Audrey nodded. "Will do," she said.

With fifteen minutes left to wait they headed back to Audrey's gate and sat in the nearby waiting area.

Shawn noticed that neither Audrey nor Jon had spoken much to each other since arriving at the airport.

"Do you think you could get me a barf bag and those airplane peanuts?"

Audrey and Jon regarded him through narrowed eyes.

"Do I want to know why you want that?" she asked suspiciously.

Shawn thought about it for a moment. "Probably not."

Jon shook his head and laughed.

"I'll see what I can do," she chuckled.

"Is there anything else you want her to bring you?" Jon asked sarcastically.

"How 'bout Ellis Island?"

"I don't think it would fit in my bag," Audrey replied.

Eventually Audrey's flight was called. After a bit of an awkward moment, Shawn wrapped her in a big hug. Then he stood back and shoved his hands into his pocket and stared at the floor. When he looked back up at her, he had a pained expression in his eyes.

"Promise you'll come back," he said in a barely audible voice.

Audrey wasn't certain why he was asking such a thing. She looked at Jon who didn't have an answer for her.

"Of course, I will. It's only a few days. You'll hardly know I'm gone."

"Will you call?"

"Sure."

It was the most serious she had ever seen him, and it disturbed her.

"Promise."

Suddenly, Audrey realized the reason for his graveness. His father. Poor Shawn was still waiting with hope for that call from his dad.

Audrey took his chin in her hand. "I promise," she said, matching his seriousness. "You can count on it, bud."

Shawn smiled. "Have fun. Dance 'til your feet fall off."

Audrey smiled. "That's more like it."

She turned to look for Jon. He stepped forward to hug her.

"Be careful," he said into her hair, trying to memorize her perfume and the silkiness of her hair.

Audrey found it hard to smile. All of a sudden she didn't want to go. Without thinking, she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks," she said. "For everything."

Quickly picking up her carry-on, she headed for the gate, turning around one last time to wave good-bye.

Shawn wandered over to the window to watch the planes take off. Rain droplets splashed against the window and ran down the glass, making his reflection look like it was crying. Jon stood beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She'll be back," he said.

"How do you know?" There was forlornness in the boy's voice.

"She promised."

"So did my dad."

Jon sighed. He didn't know what else to say- he didn't think there was anything he could say. The only way Shawn would be convinced that not everyone in his life would leave for good, would be for him to see Audrey return on Sunday.

This is going to be a long weekend, he thought.

They stayed at the window until they could no longer see Audrey's plane.