NOTE: I do not own American Girl or the Breakfast Club! I intend no copyright infringement.
PROLOGUE: Five young girls meet at a Saturday detention on April 25, 2009. The school is at George Lane County Park in Quartz Hill, California. West Avenue L8.
Molly McIntire: Andrew Clark [Athlete]
Mrs. Ziminsky: Principal Richard Vernon
Kit Kittredge: Brian Johnson [Brain]
Charlotte Campbell: The Janitor
Rebecca Rubin: John Bender [Criminal]
Samantha Parkington: Claire Standish [Princess]
Felicity Merriman: Allison Reynolds [Basket case]
Saturday, April 25, 2009. 6:55 AM American Girl Elementary School. Quartz Hill, California 93536
Dear Mrs. Ziminsky,
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. Even though what we did WAS wrong, we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. What do you care? I mean, you see us as you want to see us. In the simplest of terms, the most convenient of definitions. You see us as a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal. Correct? That's the way we saw each other at 7:00 this morning. We were brainwashed.
Samantha and her uncle were sitting in their 1904 Packard. Samantha is wearing her blue holiday coat with a hat.
"I can't believe you can't get me out of this, it's so absurd that I have detention on a Saturday, it's not like I'm a defective or anything," Samantha groaned to her uncle.
"I'll make it up to you. Sweetie, ditching class to go shopping never makes you defective. Have a good day," her uncle said. Samantha rolls her eyes and gets out of the car and walks up the school front steps.
Kit and uncle Hendrick were in their car, Kit is wearing blue overalls with a white shirt underneath and Uncle Hendrick was wearing a black suit and maroon tie. "Is this the first time or the last time I do this?" he said angrily to Kit.
"Last," Kit said.
"Well, stop pouting and get your worthless little butt in there!" Uncle Hendrick barked.
"But uncle Hendrick, not supposed to study; we just have to sit there and do nothing," Kit said.
"Well, you figure out a way to study!" Uncle Hendrick said.
"Go on, now!" Uncle Hendrick finished. Kit walks towards the school.
Molly and her father were in their car. Molly is wearing her Miss Victory tap outfit.
"I know, Olly-Molly. Girls like to screw around, I screwed around when I was your age. There's nothing wrong with that. Except you got caught, sweetheart," Molly's dad said.
"Yeah, Mom already reemed me, all right?" Molly said.
"You want to miss the show? You want to blow your ride? Now no school's gonna give a scholarship to a discipline case," Molly's dad said angrily. Molly gets out of the car and walks into the school. Rebecca was walking her way to school, she is wearing a red drop waisted dress with black velvet trim and gold buttons. A car is coming towards her but she doesn't stop walking. The car slams on its breaks directly in front of her. Felicity got out of the car. She is wearing a yellow tea lesson gown. She steps forward to look in the car's front window and the car drives away.
There are six tables in two rows of three. Samantha is sitting at the front table. Kit comes in and sits at the table behind her. Molly comes in and points at the chair next to Samantha at the front table. She shrugs and she sits there. Rebecca comes, she touches everything on the checkout desk and takes a few things in the process. She walks over to where Kit is sitting and points to the table on the opposite side of the Library. Kit reluctantly gets up and moves. Rebecca sits at the table where Kit was and puts her feet up. Felicity walks in. She walks all the way around the library and sits in the back corner table, just behind Kit. Molly and Samantha look at each other and snicker. Kit looks at her in confusion and then turns away.
Mrs. Ziminsky walked into the room, she was holding 5 papers and pencils. Looking serious as she walks in.
"Well, well," she replied in a dull, cold tone. "Here we are. I'd like to congratulate you all for actually being on time." The library clock read 7:04.
Samantha raised her hand. "Excuse me, Mrs. Ziminsky," she said. "I think this is a mistake. I know this is detention, but I don't belong here."
Mrs. Ziminsky ignored her. "It's now 7:04," she said, checking her watch. "You have exactly 8 hours and 55 minutes to think about why you are here. Ponder the error in your ways."
As she talked, Rebecca spit into the air and caught it back into her mouth. Samantha groans in disgust.
"You may not talk," Mrs. Ziminsky replied to Samantha. "You will NOT move from these seats," catching Kit moving from seat-to-seat.
"And you will not sleep," Mrs. Ziminsky said to Rebecca as she pulls the chair away from her. Mrs. Ziminsky continues, "All right girls. We're gonna try something a little different today. We're gonna write a 2,000-word essay telling on who you think you are," Mrs. Ziminsky said, passing out papers and pencils.
"Is this a test?" Rebecca said.
"And when I say 'essay', I mean essay. Writing the same word 2,000 times will not count. Is that clear, Ms. Rubin?" Mrs. Ziminsky continued.
Rebecca smirked. "Crystal," she said.
"Good. Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe you'll even decide whether or not you care to return," Mrs. Ziminsky said.
Kit gets up from her chair. "I can tell you that right now, ma'am. That's "no", no for me, because-"
"Sit down, Kittredge," Mrs. Ziminsky ordered. Kit sits back down on her chair.
"Now, I'll be in my office across the hall, Any monkey business is ill-advised. Any questions?" She asked. Rebecca raised her hand and Mrs. Ziminsky looks at her.
"Yes, I have a question. Does Kaya know that you raided her teepee?" she asked.
"I'll give you the answer to that question in detention next Saturday, Ms. Rubin," Mrs. Ziminsky replied. "Don't mess with the bull young lady, You'll get the horns," she leaves.
Mrs. Ziminsky made a face behind her back, which made Samantha almost giggle. Mrs. Ziminsky glanced at her for a quick second, but nothing more was said.
There was silence. Suddenly, a loud snapping noise could be heard from the back of the room. Molly, Samantha, Kit and Rebecca turned their heads to Felicity, who was biting her fingernails loudly.
Rebecca said to her. "You keep eating your hand and you're not gonna be hungry for lunch."
Felicity spits a nail part at her.
"I've seen you before, you know," Rebecca said to Felicity. Mrs. Ziminsky looks out from her office. Kit plays with her pencil. "Who do you think I am?" she said to herself, quietly. "Who are you? Who are you?" she sticks the pencil to her nose and sways it back and forth. Then mimics trumpeting. "I'm an elephant," she said.
Rebecca crumbles up her essay parchment and threw it at Samantha but it missed and it flew over her head. Both Molly and Samantha noticed it, but decided to ignore it.
Rebecca decided she'd better start taking matters into her own hands. She started making noises to get their attention, loudly humming, "La, la, la, la, la, la... la, la, la..."
Samantha looked annoyed. "I can't believe this is really happening to me," she said to herself. Rebecca stops humming abruptly.
"Oh, shit! What are supposed to do if we have to take a leak?" she asked.
"Please," Samantha said disgustedly.
"If you gotta go, you gotta go," Rebecca replied, lifts her skirt and leaning over.
"Oh my god!" Samantha said disgustedly.
"Hey! You can't urinate in here, girl!" Molly said annoyingly.
"Don't talk! Don't talk! It makes it crawl back up!" Rebecca said.
"You whip it out and you're dead even when the first drop hits the floor!" Molly threatened.
"You know, you're pretty sexy when you get angry," Rebecca remarked.
Molly clenched her fist and glared at Rebecca.
"Hey, homegirl!" Rebecca said to Kit.
"Why don't you go close that door," she commanded. "Then we'll get the prom queen... impregnated!" she said, reffering to Samantha.
"Hey!" Molly snapped, guarding Samantha.
"What?" Rebecca asked innocently.
"If I lose my temper, you're totalled, girl!" Molly said.
"Totally?" Rebecca said.
"Totally," Molly said.
Samantha glared at Rebecca. "Why don't you just shut up! Nobody here is interested!"
"Really," Molly said in agreement. She turned back around.
"Buttface," Molly said to Samantha about Rebecca.
"Well, hey, sweetie! What'd you do to get in here? Forget to clean your dress?" Rebecca asked, taunted Molly.
"Uh, excuse me girls, but I think we should just write our papers," Kit said nervously.
Molly spun around to face Rebecca again. "Listen, Rubin! Just because you live in here doesn't give you a right to be a pain in the neck, so knock it off!" she said angrily.
"It's a free country," Rebecca told her, smirking.
"She's just doing it to get a rise out of you! Just ignore her," Samantha said to Molly.
"Sweets," Rebecca said to Samantha. Samantha looked at her.
"You couldn't ignore me even if you tried!" she said to Samantha.
Samantha rolled her eyes and turned her back to Rebecca.
"So... so... Are you two alike?" Rebecca asked Molly and Samantha. "Steady dates? Lovers? Come on, sweetheart, level with me. Do you slip her the hot sweet injection?"
Samantha and Molly turn around angrily to face Rebecca.
"GO TO HELL!" Samantha shouted.
"ENOUGH!" Molly shouted.
"HEY! What's going on in there!" Mrs. Ziminsky shouted, looking up from a paper she was grading. There was quiet once again.
"Spoiled brats," she muttered to herself.
Back in the classroom, Molly and Rebecca were exchanging glances. "Scumbag," Molly muttered, turning away from Rebecca.
Rebecca stepped out of her seat and perched herself on top of the librarian's desk. "Why don't we close that door? We can't have any fun if Mrs. Ziminsky's checking on us every few seconds."
"The door's supposed to stay open," Kit pointed out to her.
"So?" Rebecca asked.
"So why don't you be quiet! There are four other people in here you know," Molly replied.
"Very good, Molly. You can count. See! I knew you had to be a... a tap dancer."
"Who are you to judge?" Molly questioned her. Felicity and Kit looked on with interest.
"Really," Samantha added, agreeing with Molly.
"You know, Rubin. You don't even count. If you disappeared forever, it wouldn't make a difference. You may as well not even exist at this school," Molly added.
Rebecca bit her lip and shot back at Molly, "Well, then. Guess I'll go back and try out for the tap dancing team."
Samantha and Molly look at each other and snickered.
"Maybe the prep club, too," Rebecca continued.
"They wouldn't take you," Molly said.
"Aw, I'm hurtin'," Rebecca said in a falsely sad tone.
Samantha turned to Rebecca. "I know why people like you knock everything," she said, matter-of-factly.
"Oh, this should be good. I want to hear what Little Miss Perfect has to say," Rebecca said.
"It's because you're afraid," Samantha concluded, smiling at her.
"Wow! You riches are so smart! That's exactly why I don't participate in any activities!" Rebecca told her with mock enthusiasm.
"You're a coward," she said.
Kit felt a little left out of the conversation, so he spoke up. "I'm in the typewriting club," she said, but no one had heard her.
"You're afraid they won't you accept you again, so you insult it left and right because you're bitter," Samantha said.
"Well, it wouldn't have anything to do with you activities people being boneheads, now would it?" Rebecca asked.
Samantha shrugged. "Well, you wouldn't know. You don't know any of us," she said.
"Well, I don't know any lepers either, but I'm not going to run out and join one of their fucking clubs," Rebecca said with a smug grin.
"Let's watch the mouth, huh?" Molly ordered, glaring at Rebecca.
"I'm in the Physics Club, too," Kit added.
"Excuse me," Rebecca said to Samantha. She looked up to talk to Kit. "What are you babbling about?" she asked her.
"Uh, well, what I was saying is that I'm in the typewriting club, the Latin Club and the Physics Club... Physics Club," she replied.
Rebecca looked back to Samantha. "Hey, Cherry, do YOU belong to the Physics Club?" she asked.
"That's an academic club," she said, nearly rolling her eyes.
"So?" Rebecca replied.
"So academic clubs aren't the same as other types of clubs," she finished.
Rebecca pointed at Kit. "Oh, but to dorks like her, they are," he said. He looked back to Kit. "What do you girls do in your club?" she asked.
Kit cleared her throat. "Well, in the Physics um, we uh, talk about Physics and different properties of Physics," Kit explained.
"So, it's sort of social – demented and sad, but social. Right?" Rebecca asked.
"Yeah. I guess you could consider it a social situation," Kit replied. "I mean, yeah, there are other students in my club. And, um, at the end of the year, we have a big banquet in the Great Hall."
"You load up, you party," Rebecca suggested to her.
"Well, no. We get dressed up, but we don't get... we don't get high," Kit stated.
"Only stoners like you get high," Samantha said to Rebecca. Rebecca stared at her.
"And I really didn't have any shoes, so my Doctor lets me wear my dad's old shoes. He was reluctant about it, though. And my friend, Ruthie Smithens? She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio and she got high once, you know, and she started eating all these weird foods. Then, you know, she was sort of just felt like she didn't belong anywhere. You know, kinda like, you know 'Twilight Zone' kinda," Kit rambled on.
Samantha gave a small laugh as she looked at Rebecca. "Sounds like you," she said to her.
Molly looked at the open door Mrs. Ziminsky had left open nervously. "Look, if you lot keep up your talking, Mrs. Ziminsky's going to come right in here. I got to go to the 'Hooray for the U. S. A.' show next Saturday. I'm not gonna miss it on account of you lamebrains, " she replied.
Rebecca looked at Molly with mock concern. "Oh! Wouldn't that be a bite, huh?" She made a fake moan. "Missing a day to tap dance!"
Molly gave Rebecca a stern look. "Well, you wouldn't know anything about it, dimwit! You don't even know how to tap dance!"
"Oh, I know!" Rebecca said to Molly with mock hurt and sadness. "And I feel all empty inside because of it. I have such a DEEP admiration for girls performing on the stage with other girls."
"You'd never miss it," Molly scoffed. "You don't have any goals."
"Oh, but I do," Rebecca said.
"Yeah?" Molly answered.
"I want to be just like you! I figure all I need is a lobotomy to the head and a pair of tights," Rebecca continued.
Kit looked at Molly incredulously. "You wear tights?" she asked.
Molly turned to her. "No, I don't wear tights. I wear the required uniform," she told her.
"Tights," Kit said matter-of-factly.
"Shut up," Molly snapped.
Felicity in the back smirked at her weak retort and continued scribbling away on her piece of paper. Just at that moment, Rebecca heard Mrs. Ziminsky step out of her office. Rebecca then leapt into a seat between Molly and Samantha. She folds her hands. Mrs. Ziminsky goes back into her office. Rebecca laughs gets up and walks right to the open door.
"You know, there's not supposed to be any monkey business," Kit replied.
"Young lady, have you finished your paper?" Rebecca asked her sternly.
Rebecca peered up and down the corridor cautiously and then began unscrewing one of the screws that held the door open.
"Come on, Rubin! Don't screw around," Molly warned.
"What are you doing?" Samantha asked her.
"Drop dead, I hope," Molly suggested to her.
Mrs. Ziminsky gets a drink from the fountain. She stands up and checks the way she looks in a mirror. She does a muscular pose and utters some manly gibberish... "Cobadonga!"
Back at the library, "Rubin. That's school property there. You know it doesn't belong to us. It's something not to be toyed with," Kit warned her. The door slammed shut and its echo could be heard through the corridor.
"That's very funny, Rubin. Fix it," Molly said bitterly as Rebecca made her way back to her original seat.
"You really should fix that," Kit agreed.
"Am I a genius?" Rebecca asked braggingly.
"No, you're a bonehead!" Molly replied.
"What a funny girl!" Rebecca said sarcastically.
"Fix the door, Rubin!"
"Everyone just... shh!" Rebecca ordered everyone.
As Mrs. Ziminsky walked back to her office she heard voices:
"Look, I've been here before. I know what I'm doing," Rebecca said.
"No! Go over there and fix the door!" Molly ordered.
"Shut up!" Rebecca yelled.
"Dagnabbit!" Mrs. Ziminsky yelled. Mrs. Ziminsky burst in. "WHY IS THAT DOOR CLOSED?" She yelled.
Nobody answered.
"WHY IS THAT DOOR CLOSED?!" she asked again.
"How are we supposed to know? We're not supposed to move, right?" Rebecca asked.
"Why?!" Mrs. Ziminsky bellowed.
"We're just sitting here, like we're supposed to," Samantha spoke up.
"Who closed that door?" Mrs. Ziminsky said to Rebecca.
"I think a screw fell out of it," Rebecca added.
"It just closed, ma'am," Molly lied, nearly kicking herself for defending Rebecca Rubin.
"Who?!" Mrs. Ziminsky said to Felicity.
Felicity lets out a squeak and slams her face onto the table.
"She doesn't talk, ma'am," Rebecca replied.
"Give me the screw," Mrs. Ziminsky said to Rebecca.
"I don't have it," Rebecca replied.
"Do you want me to yank you out of that seat and shake it out of you?" Mrs. Ziminsky threatened.
Rebecca continued to look calm, cool and collected. "I don't have it. Screws fall out all the time. The world's an imperfect place."
"Give it to me, Rubin," Mrs. Ziminsky demanded.
"Excuse me, ma'am," Samantha piped up. "But why would anyone want to steal a screw?"
"Watch it, Parkington!" Mrs. Ziminsky warned Samantha.
Rebecca glared at Mrs. Ziminsky as she picked up a chair and tried to hold the door open with it.
"The door's way too heavy, ma'am," Rebecca told her.
Mrs. Ziminsky ignored her and puts the chair in front of the door. The door slammed shut and knocked the chair out of the way.
"Dagnabbit!" Mrs. Ziminsky said.
The girls tried their best not to laugh as they heard Mrs. Ziminsky from the other side of the door, yelling and cursing.
Mrs. Ziminsky opened the door and stepped back inside. "Molly McIntire, get over here!" She ordered. Molly reluctantly got up and walked over to her.
"How come Molly gets to get up?" Rebecca asked indigently. "If she gets up, we'll all get up. It'll be anarchy!"
Molly and Mrs. Ziminsky both picked up a small but heavy bookshelf in front of the door. The bookshelf was able to keep the door opened, but it blocked the doorway entirely. As Molly tried to walk back inside, she tripped over all the books inside the shelf.
"Okay, now, watch the magazines," Mrs. Ziminsky said to Molly.
"That's very clever, ma'am," Rebecca replied. "But what if there's a fire? I think violating fire codes and endangering the lives of children would be unwise at this juncture of your career, ma'am."
Mrs. Ziminsky glared at Rebecca. She looked back to Molly and snapped. "All right, what are you doing? Get- Get this out for goodness Sake! What's wrong with you? Come on!"
Molly pushed the bookshelf back to its original location.
"You know, the school comes with fire escapes equipped at either end of the library," Kit said quietly.
"Show Mrs. Ziminsky some respect," Rebecca said sarcastically.
Mrs. Ziminsky and Molly both returned back to the main part of the library. "Let's go! Get back to your seat," Mrs. Ziminsky barked at Molly. Molly sat back down. "I expected more from a varsity lettergirl," Mrs. Ziminsky said to Molly.
Mrs. Ziminsky turned to face Rebecca. "You're not fooling anybody, Rubin," Mrs. Ziminsky said. "The next screw that falls out is going to be you."
As Mrs. Ziminsky turned to leave, Rebecca mumbled, "Eat my dress."
Mrs. Ziminsky turns back around. "Excuse me?" she questioned, returning back to Rebecca.
"EAT. MY. DRESS." Rebecca said, loudly.
"You just bought yourself another Saturday, Rubin," Mrs. Ziminsky said.
"Oh, crap," Rebecca retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"You just got one more right there," Mrs. Ziminsky said.
Rebecca felt herself getting angry. "Well, I'm free the Saturday after that, beyond that, I'm going to have to check my calendar."
"Good, because it's going to be filled! We'll keep going! You want another? Say the word. Just say the word. Instead of going to Juvenile Hall, you'll come here. Are you through?"
Rebecca glared at Mrs. Ziminsky. "No," she yelled.
"I'm doing society a favor!" Mrs. Ziminsky yelled back.
"So?" Rebecca said.
"That's another one, right now. I've got you for the rest of your natural born life if you don't watch your step! You want another one?" Mrs. Ziminsky yelled.
Rebecca folded her arms and continued glaring at Mrs. Ziminsky. "Yes!" she replied, egging her on.
"You got it! You got another one right there! That's another one, Rubin!" Mrs. Ziminsky continued.
Samantha stared at Rebecca in shock, her face full of worry and concern. "Cut it out!" she exclaimed to Rebecca. Rebecca gave her a brief glance. Samantha mouths 'stop' to Rebecca.
"You through?" Mrs. Ziminsky asked.
"No way, Jose!" Rebecca challenged.
"Good. You got one more right there," Mrs. Ziminsky ordered.
"You really think I give a shit?" Rebecca asked.
"Another!" Mrs. Ziminsky offered. Rebecca continued to glare daggers at her. "You through, Rubin?"
"How many is that?" Rebecca asked.
"That's 7 including the one when you asked Mrs. Ziminsky here whether if she raided Kaya's teepee," Kit informed her.
"Now it's 8," she said to Rebecca. "You stay out of this," she warned Kit.
"Excuse me, ma'am, it's 7," Kit corrected Mrs. Ziminsky.
"Hush, Kittredge!" Mrs. Ziminsky snapped at Kit then turns back to Rebecca. "You're mine, Rubin. For the next 2 months."
"What can I say? I'm thrilled!" Rebecca said.
"Oh, I'm sure that's exactly what you want these people to believe," Mrs. Ziminsky replied. "You know something, Rubin? You ought to spend a little more time trying to do something with yourself and little less trying to impress people. You might be better off."
Mrs. Ziminsky then addressed the rest of the girls. "All right, that's it! I'm going to be right outside these doors. The next time I have to come in here, I'm cracking skulls!" Rebecca mouths (I'm cracking skulls!)
As Mrs. Ziminsky left the room and closed the door, Rebecca screamed "FUCK YOU!" at her.
Mrs. Ziminsky sighs. I don't know what I'm going to do with these girls, she thought.