TEENAGE DIRTBAGS ❇ SHAWN HUNTER

wake up, little shawn

The sound of Shawn falling to the floor woke me up. "You know these chairs really aren't the best for sleeping." He said crawling back into his chair.

"Oh, come on. You got this innocent girl and somebody says that she slept with this other guy right? And her reputation is shot and we think she's killed herself. Now, where are you going to find this kind of stuff?" Mr. Turner asked the class.

"Melrose Place?" Topanga suggests.

"My trailer park?" I offered.

"NYPD Blue?" Shawn asked.

"Barney?" Cory said earning some stares. "My sister says he's gotten edgier."

"Mr. Turner we like your teaching but we just can't relate to these characters." Topanga told him. "Why not?" He asked. "Most people don't act like this." Shawn answered.

"Just because some guy says something about some girl, the girl wants to kill herself over it?" Cory asked. "They say that stuff about Heather Locklear every week and she doesn't want to kill herself. She's on the cover of TV Guide."

I gasped as Turner agreed with him. "I'm right?"

"No, you're exactly right." Turner said. "So am I done with my education? Can I go?" Cory pointed to the door.

"In Shakespeare's day the play's the thing. In our day I guess the thing it TV. So, maybe we should put ourselves on TV and ask ourselves what we think about love, sex, and slander." Mr. Turner said.

"You mean like a documentary?" Topanga asked. "Exactly."

I chuckled. "You know my uncle Ralph was in a documentary with Mandy's cousin. They put blue dots on their faces and changed their voices.

"Sweetie, you usually don't tell people about that stuff." I told him when everyone stared at us. "Oh."

"Okay, so the school's got the video equipment. Let's wear it out. We'll split into partners, I want a video report. Interview your friends, your families, and each other. Let's just see who's got the more mature attitudes, Shakespeare or us?"

Cory answered. "Us."

"Really, okay. Mature young friends pick partners." I smiled up at Topanga who turned back and nodded. "Uh, boy-girl pairs."

I changed my direction to Shawn who was already staring back at me.

_______________

"I wanna be camera man." Shawn whined pulling it from my hands. "Fine."

He smiled tossing me the microphone. "Just make sure your careful okay? Neither of us can afford to replace it if-" I started but Shawn pressed record.

"Today we will be asking friends and family how the feel about love and sex." I said into the microphone. "Now, lets stop some kids in the hall and get their opinions." I said just as the bell rang.

I frowned turning to Shawn. "There's nobody in the hall."

"Ask Cor and Topanga." He pointed to the pair who were also filming. "Hey."

"Topanga how do you feel about sex?" I asked holding the mic to her. "Me? Well, some people say 'sex great anywhere, anytime'." She started. "Like who?"

I rolled my eyes. "Every boy ever."

"To boys let's face it, sex is just a goal. Something they're after and they're not really sure why. I think sex is a part of a special kind of love that you feel for a very special person."

"Thanks Topanga." I told her. "Now you. How do you feel about love?"

I sighed. "Well, I think love is something very special that you can only feel for the right person. It's rare and the people who experience have lived the best lives."