TEENAGE DIRTBAGS ❇ SHAWN HUNTER

band on the run

"Any luck?" I asked Cory as he came back from a girl at Chubby's. He let out a sigh. "Apparently it's not a good time to be a grandmother."

He pointed to her. "Her grandmother's coughing phlegm." He pointed to another. "Her's is hacking blood." And his point landed on a third. "And hers-" But Shawn cut him off. "I happen to know she has no grandmother."

"Yeah and someone how she blames me for her death." Cory said.

"At least you can't sink any lower." I patted his back. He sent a me a sad look as an older guy walked up. "You busy?"

"You're not gonna ask me to the dance are you?" Cory asked him. "What if I did?" The guy raised an eyebrow. "I'd say pick me up at 8, but no slow dances." Cory said sarcastically.

The guy let out a small laugh. "Just watch these for a second, all right?" He handed his guitar to Cory and another boy handed one to Shawn. "I can do that."

"I'm not going to the dance with anybody." He whined turning back to us. "What about Topy?" I asked him.

"I could, I could, but that would show no personal growth if I simply ask the girl I've asked since we were five." He said. I sent him a look. "So when are you gonna ask her?"

He sighed. "I figure tomorrow, unless by some magic girls suddenly start to notice me."

"Hi, I couldn't help noticing you." A girl from earlier said coming up to us. "Oh you're talking to me?" Cory said annoyed. "Shouldn't you be at the hospital visiting one of your many blood hacking grandmas?"

The two girls shared a look. "Well you didn't tell us you played." The other said.

"Huh?" Cory scrunched up his face. "Cor, they're onto us. They've spotted our axes. They know we play, they like musicians." Shawn lied, sending him a look.

"Oh, well then let me pull my rabbit out of my hat." Cory grinned. I sent him a nudge. "Musicians." His eyes went wide. "Well that's very different."

"You guys in a band?" One of the girls flirted.

I felt a pang of jealousy as Shawn giggled at the girls.

"Are we in a band?" Cory whispered to Shawn. "Yes, you idiot." He said through gritted teeth. "Of course they are, and I'm number one fan." I smirked leaning closer to Shawn. He let out another giggle as I sent a glare to the girls.

The two cowered back slightly, turning their attention more to Cory. "Maybe you'd play for us sometime." One asked.

"We're gonna tell all of our friends." The other said as they left.

"You know they only like us because they think we're in a band." Cory told Shawn. "We could cash in on this." Shawn countered. "We'd be phonies." Cory shouted.

Shawn grinned. "Phonies with groupies." He looped an arm around me. I blushed slightly shaking me head. "We can't pull this off."

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Matt drove us to school.

"So Shawn and Cory are starting a band?" He asked me. "Their pretending to be in a band to get girls." I rolled me eyes.

Matt made a face. "I know..." I started. "Idiots." I said. "Genius." Matt said. I sent him a pointed look. "Are you serious Matty?" I smacked his arm.

"Admit it, the only reason you thunk it's a bad idea is because you like Shawn." He teased. "Keep your mouth shut Matt, I do not." I snapped at him.

He chuckled as we walked into school. "Then you have no problem with that." I followed his eyes to see Shawn standing at his locker with one of the girls from Chubby's. I frowned slightly, but replaced it with a smirk hen my eyes caught Zach. "No problem at all." I muttered.

"Hey Zach." I called out, making sure Shawn heard. "Oh, hey Mandy. What's up?" Zach smiled walking over to me.

I glanced back at Shawn. "Do you have a date for the dance?" I smiled. "Uh, no not yet." He smirked. "Great, so wanna go?" He nodded his head, tossing an arm over my shoulder.

"See no problems." I mocked at Matt as we walked away. Shawn's face fell slightly when he saw Zach in his usual spot.

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"Mandy we need your help!" Cory shouted from outside my trailer as he pounded on the door. "What?" I asked opening the door.

He rushed inside, pacing. "We're playing the dance." I chuckled at his words. "Very funny, what's the actual problem?" But the panicked look he sent me showed he wasn't joking.

"Jesus, how are you playing the dance?" I asked him. "Sonya." Was all he said.

"Okay you need to calm down." I said shoving him into a chair. "Mandy I can't calm down, this is-" His rushing voice cut off when I tossed a cup of water in his face. "Thank you."

I sighed sitting beside him. "Can you cancel it?" I asked him. "No, it's to late."

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I questioned. "Okay, well Shawn said you knew some guys who could play." Cory told me. "Yeah, a few of my cousins do."

"Bring them to the dance." He said before leaving .

I watched him in confusion.

________________

"Check, microphone one. Test, test." Feeny said into one of the mics.

I tapped my foot nervously, I hoped my cousins would pull through. Even if I was mad at Shawn.

"You okay?" Zach finally asked me. "Yeah fine, just excited to hear them play." I lied with a smile. He was unsure but nodded.

Mr. Turner got on stage. "John Adams High, it is with great pleasure I give you, The Exits!" He cheered. The curtain opened to reveal Shawn and Cory eating chicken. "Oh God." I mumbled into my hands. Obviously my cousins bailed.

They shared a look before going to the microphone. "Good evening John Adams High!" Cory yelled. "Are you ready to rock? Are you ready to roll? Are you ready to rock 'n' roll?" The gym filled with cheers.

"Good night everybody." Shawn said trying to escape but Cory pulled him back.

They stayed on stage frozen as the room started to boo. I glared over as Zach joined in, "You suck."

Cory came up with the idiot idea of playing the name game, which quickly emptied the room. "C'mon let's get out of here." Zach said tugging on my arm.

"Seriously?" I asked him. "This is lame."

I rolled my eyes pulling my arm back. "Go without me I'm staying." He shrugged. "Whatever."

Topanga came over to me. "Your date leave?" She asked me. "Yeah." I said shortly. "Mine too."

"Topy I should've just brought you." I told her. She giggled wrapping her arms around me. "I would've said yes." I smiled hugging her back.

The boys walked out from backstage sadly.

"Should we check on them?" I asked her. "You get Shawn, I'll get Cory." She said as we split.

"How bad was it?" Shawn asked as we sat on a bench in the hallway. "It could've been worse, I enjoyed the show." I told him. "We sucked."

"The music was bad but I was more interested in who was playing." Shawn looked over with a small smile. "What about your date?"

I sighed, was really gonna tell him?

"Shawn you're the one I like, you've always been the one I liked. I got jealous okay?" I told him. His eyes went wide. "And you don't like me." I muttered.

"Of course I do." He said lifting my head by my chin.

I smiled as his leaned towards me and we kissed. Not like outside of my trailer, but a real kiss. "I really like you Mandy Keller." He said in a small breath before pulling me in again.