Boy Meets Girl (Shawn Hunter from BMW Love Story)

chapter five

For three whole days, I was prohibited from leaving the house and talking on the phone all because of something as negligible as eating pizza on a school night. My blood boiled at the thought that other kids my age were genuinely reckless and irresponsible, yet they rarely ever got punished. For some reason, I was labelled a disobedient kid for eating junk food.

What tyranny!

Nevertheless, I felt relieved that my mom had not found out about Shawn. If she had, I surely wouldn't have lived to tell the tale. The only reason why I still had a butt to sit on was because of Shawn's unique ability to climb out of windows, an ability I was planning on questioning him about later. Oddly enough, our relationship took on a new form ever since we hung out. Shawn seemed to let his guard down around me. He treated me like I was actually his friend; he enjoyed having me around. In return, I came out of my shell and revealed a bit more about myself and my personality.

Friday came fast and our English presentations were due. Shawn and I were forced to do the bulk of the work during school hours since I was grounded. Yet, I was impressed by the way we were able to put our heads together (without the head cramps) and illustrate a compelling perspective on the ruinous nature of love. I was genuinely excited for our presentation. Tapping my foot in apprehension, I patiently waited for Mr. Turner to call on us. Cory and Topanga had already presented their project on the dichotomy of love and lust, and how the two concepts powerfully shaped the novel. Unsurprisingly, Topanga did most of the talking while Cory managed to reiterate her thoughts, but in a less intelligent way.

At the end of their presentation, the class applauded and Cory mischeviously took a bow. "As always Topanga, very nice job on the project! Cory, you would've done well too if you just would've read the stinkin' book and not repeated everything Ms. Lawrence said," Mr. Turner said as he folded his arms and shook his head in disappointment.

"But the movie was so much better, Mr. Turner! Why would I waste my time reading that when I could just watch Olivia Hussey be beautiful on screen for two hours and thirty minutes?" Cory replied as he shrugged his shoulders. Topanga whipped around in her chair and shot him a dirty look.

"You know, the man has a point," Shawn chimed in smiled mischievously, supporting his friend. Mr. Turner sighed and brought his palm to his face dramatically.

"Hunter, you're up. Yours will be the last one for the day," Mr. Turner noted as Shawn stood up confidently.

"Mr. Turner, you've saved the best for last," Shawn smiled before making eye contact with me. I stood up from my seat and pulled down my black pinafore dress.

"Yeah, let's see if I'll still have a brain cell after this presentation..." Mr. Turner muttered, causing the students in the back of the class to snicker.

"Ladies and gentleman," Shawn began as he recited the introduction I wrote out for him. "Love, perhaps the most indomitable force known to man, has a powerful duality. Love has the capacity to build us and break us. Shakespeare's classic tale of star-crossed lovers highlights the chaotic and ultimately destructive nature of love. Love, Shakespeare says, can be so devastating that it ultimately causes the demise of the protagonists. Throughout this presentation, we will take a look at the disastrous aspects of love through an analysis of Romeo and Juliet."

I scanned the class as Shawn introduced our presentation. Faces filled with surprise and disbelief dominated the room. Even Mr. Turner had an astonished, but impressed look on his face. I was proud of Shawn; he killed the introduction and it was my time for the analysis of Juliet. For about five minutes, I delved into the mind of Juliet and highlighted every instance in which love had negative implications on her life. I managed to speak up boldly and clearly, enunciating my words efficiently. I cited evidence from the play to support my reasoning and made sure I captivated the audience's attention while doing so.