Author's Note: Just a real quick post-movie John Bender blurb. It's kind of scatterbrained but enjoy anyway!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Breakfast Club or any of its characters

Principal Vernon had predicted that John Bender would either be in prison or dead. And had he continued down the path he was going, surely he would have been. But he'd defied the expectations of his dickwad of a principal. Not only had John found himself a steady job, but he'd gotten himself into college – community college, yes, but that was still better than he'd ever thought he could do. This was not to say that he'd completely changed. No one can do that of course. He was still the reckless, sarcastic, asshole he'd been back in high school.

Only now his life seemed to be on track. And he couldn't give himself all the credit. That fateful Saturday detention had proven quite helpful.

At the end of the day they'd all been wondering: what would happen come Monday?

Would the brain be noticed by any of them?

Would the athlete give up his trophies?

Would the basket case find the courage to speak?

Would the princess take off her crown?

Would the criminal even care?

The first four convened. For John it took time. And patience. But the others waited and eventually – sarcastically unenthusiastically – he came around.

Vernon had said to give him five years. So five years was what John Bender gave him.

The friends he made – specifically one red-headed princess – kept him on the straight and narrow, for the most part. There was no controlling John Bender, of course. But influencing him was another thing. Or perhaps inspiring and encouraging was what it really was. Either way, John was thankful. He'd defied the odds; beat fate, so it seemed. Then again, who was Vernon to John other than some asshole thinking he had control? John had learned from each of his friends that it was he who controlled his life; he was destined for anything he decided.

Proving Vernon wrong was just an added bonus.

Though John may never admit it to anyone, in his mind he would be forever grateful for how big of a dick Vernon was and for the Breakfast Club. Both changed him, both had been good for him in their own way. And he could always look back five years and laugh. Once an asshole always an asshole, though neither dead nor in prison. And that was enough

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