Title: Testing Fate
A/N: Yes, I know, another ten year reunion story. And yes, another Claire/Bender story. But it's my take, and I hope it's slightly unique. Please, let me know what you think.
"Has it really been ten years?" John thought to himself. Ten years. And what a difference those ten years made. Nothing amounted to much out of the Breakfast Club except for Andrew and Allison, which he guessed was enough as where she was six months pregnant.
Other than that though, they had kept in loose contact, an occasional note or message on the machine, but nothing too committing. Just the way he liked it.
After that fateful Saturday, John had dutifully gone to his required classes and numerous Saturday detentions, but Claire went her way, and everybody else went theirs. He couldn't blame her, really. Thinking back, she had the most to lose. She was the head of several committees and, in all honesty, head of her group, who were head of the school.
So she went her way, and won Prom Queen, as he expected. But somehow she was surprised, genuinely surprised, when she won. He would know, because he was hiding out in the corner, trying to distract himself with Holly Carter, or was it Heidi? Who cared? Long story short, he had failed in his plan because he had spent his entire evening miserable and wanting. Or at least almost his entire evening.
When Claire had won Prom Queen he needed air. He couldn't sit around and watch her be all beautiful and insecure. He couldn't sit and watch her as she spent her evening with some guy who could never give her what she needed. So Heidi went for some punch, and he went for the door.
Exiting the right side of the gymnasium put him directly onto the field. He was half way across toward the bleachers when she came running after him. "John! John!" Claire yelled running in her pink satin pumps on the wet, muddy field. He turned as she approached, flushed from the run, or the excitement. "Are you leaving?" She asked. She had this look in her hazel eyes that made his want to grab her and shake some sense into her, or grab her and kiss her senseless, he couldn't decide.
"Yeah," he replied, wondering if she knew the weight of those words.
"I heard a rumour that you're going to New York City." She stated, avoiding his eyes and looking over his shoulder instead at nothing in particular.
He paused at this, wondering how much to tell her. "I leave tomorrow morning, my uncle is picking me up." He responded.
A heavy silence was held between them. Neither breathed, not wanting to break the spell. "Okay then. Have a safe trip, I guess." She said, picking up her skirt to make her exit.
"Yeah, thanks. I, ah, I guess I'll see you around." He responded, turning and quickly walking away. Looking back on it, he probably didn't want her to do it first.
"Listen!" She called after him. When he turned around he was a solid ten feet from her and she was exactly where he left her. "I know I've been a total bitch, okay? For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Looking at her there, with the light fog hanging between them, and the field lights casting an almost romantic glow, he never thought anybody could be more beautiful. "Yeah, me too." Another pause, and he considered his options. He took the only one he had. "See you later, Claire." He said, turned on his heal and continued on his way.
"See you …" He heard her call after him. His heart broke a little more that day, and he realized he had nothing keeping him in this town.
So he left the following morning giving Andy and Brian his contact information and never looking back.
Thinking about it now, he thought it was the best decision he has ever made. It's easy to stay where you are. He could have easily stayed in his house with his parents, learned a trade, and have a family. But he felt like he was destined for more. Granted, he was no optimist, but at the end of the day, he had to take a chance. Test fate, to see if it was so cruel as to disappoint him again.
Somehow, the whole reason why he took that chance was because of Claire Standish. After all, she was the one who got away. The one who he wanted to prove himself to. At least he was smart enough to realize he had to get away from her. And everybody knows the best place to escape something or someone, is in New York City.
He learned fast that the City could be ruthless and cruel. But he also realized that it could be incredibly supportive if you were willing to work for it. And he was.