AN: This is a series of one shots based on my story 'The Art of Friendship' so you may want to read that first to fully understand things. These one shots take place on no particular time line. Hope you enjoy and if you have any ideas for a one shot I'd be happy to hear them.

Changes

The cafeteria was bustling with life but Brian welcomed it; it showed just how much soul was hidden in the place. Brian had previously hated Shermer High school, it was a place where he was viewed as an outcast and accepted only by other outcasts but on one Saturday in March, a small miracle had happened and Brian had been accepted by people he never thought would accept him. It had been three months since that fateful day in March but it felt like years.

From where he sat at the back of the canteen, Brian had a perfect view of the rest of the cafeteria, which remained almost unchanged; accept for the group who occupied a table not far from Brian's. It was a group that Brian usually sat with but today he had substituted his new friends for his old ones; a group that most considered nerds.

He finished what he had been saying and let one of his science club friends take over. The canteen was packed with people, sticking to the groups they 'belonged' to but his eyes fell on the table he usually sat at. All of his new friends were sat there, laughing about something.

Claire had her short red hair pushed behind her ears and was holding a strange sandwich that Brian guessed was one of Allison's creations. Claire's friends had been outraged when Claire had announced her new choice of friends and she had been immediately excluded from their company. Allison was sat opposite the red head, a small smile on her face and her dark hair pushed back from her face. Andrew Clark was sat with his arm around her, smiling down at his girlfriend. They were an odd couple and one that had been met with much hatred. Andrew's old jock friends had ostracized him when he'd introduced her to them but he was happier with his detention friends and had started hanging out with Larry Lester on the odd lunchtime. He was talking to John Bender who also spent the majority of lunches with this crowd but still sat with his burner friends, who had oddly not been mad when he'd broken the news about his new friends (although they'd been wary of Claire and Andrew). In one hand, John had a sandwich and he had the other one linked with his girlfriend's. Charity was drawing and her knee through a tear in her jeans and laughing as Claire attempted to try Allison's concoction.

Brian laughed at the repulsed look on his friends face and watched as Claire demanded to know how Allison could eat something like that. John made a retort and Brian watched as Andrew's back shook with laughter.

"You okay, Brian?"

Brian turned to his friend and smiled, "Yeah, fine."

"You wanna sit with them?"

"Maybe later." Brian said as he returned the wave Claire had just given him.

"We're going to the library. Do you want to come?"

Brian considered for a second. He did have an essay he promised his mother he'd finish writing but his attention was drawn back to where his friends were sat engrossed in something Claire was saying. He bid his friends goodbye and strolled over to the table where he settled himself down next to Andrew and facing Charity. Everyone greeted him with a quick 'hello' and filled him in on their conversation: a story of Claire running into her ex best friend Cheryl Allen the previous Saturday.

"Got any plans for summer?" Andrew asked the group once Claire had finished telling her story.

Summer vacation was only a week away and Brian realised he had no plans. He wasn't the only one; Claire had confided in him that she had no plans either. He wondered what it must be like for Claire, being popular one day and the next having no plans for the summer.

"I don't know," Claire shrugged, "I'm gonna see my brother at some point but that's all I know."

"I was thinking," Allison said, her voice barely more than a whisper, "I could borrow my dad's old car and we could drive down to the beach for a few days."

"Great idea, Allison." Andrew smiled, "What do you guys think?"

"I don't know," Charity sighed, "I will if my folks let me."

"Tell 'em you're staying at my place for a few nights." John said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'd much rather I was spending the night at a guy's house." Charity said, "Especially when that guy is you."

"Don't they like you, John?" Claire asked.

"They do, they're just wary with Jess being pregnant." Charity replied, "I'll find a way to come."

"Me, too." Brian nodded his agreement.

They continued to eat, making random conversation and jokes. Andrew screwed up a tissue and started a small game of catch with Claire. John swiped a chip from Charity's plate and, with a roll of her eyes, she pushed her lunch tray in front of him.

It wasn't long before the bell rang and announced the end of lunch. Everyone went their own ways to homeroom (although Brian had a strange feeling that John was going outside for a smoke). Brian's homeroom also happened to be the homeroom of one of Claire's ex-friends, Lisa. Lisa pushed a strand of dark hair and gave Brian a little smile, something she'd been doing for weeks.

Brian chose a chair at the back, away from everyone else because only when he was with the Breakfast Club- as he'd nicknamed them- did he have to courage to stand out. He spent the rest of his time blending in but he longed for the weekends and lunchtimes when he could be with them and forget about the stares of others. With a sigh, Brian pulled his essay from his bag, figuring he might as well put five minutes of work into it while he had the chance.