Here we were again. The brain and I were sitting in the school library at two separate desks once again. He sat diagonal from me, chewing on the end of his pen cap, looking as though he were thinking about what he had gotten himself into. His long face was slightly remorseful, which was perfectly fine. I mean, if I hadn't demanded the answers to the algebra final, he wouldn't even be in here. It was all my fault, and I did feel a bit guilty. Geeks like him weren't OCD over getting stuck in Saturday detention.

I, on the other hand, couldn't really care if I was in here. Actually, I was probably–no, definitely–safer here in the high school library than I was on the streets, at some pothead's party, at home. I was much safer here than at home. My dad probably doesn't even know where I am during the seven hours of school each day. All he knows is that if my mom doesn't cook, clean, or cater to his ever whim, she might not live to see the light of day. And if I actually exist around him, the same will go for me.

I stopped myself. Brainy didn't need anymore stress than what was already troubling his over-achieving mind. Besides, I didn't wanna lash out on him. He was the one who wanted to help me. So, to avoid any danger, I kicked my feet up on the desk and pulled out a cigarette.

"Deja vu, eh little buddy?" I muttered to Brian, lighting up my fifth smoke of the morning.

Brian, taking the pen out of his mouth, looked back at me and nodded. He opened his mouth to reply, but Vernon's incompetent rambling interrupted him. The crotchety principal came through the doors with a girl following behind. She seemed to be rolling her eyes as he went on without even looking at her.

"And you realize that just because you were absent half the school year, you can't slack off at all. This is school, not your job, not your home, not your cult of rabid fangirls who sleep with the band. Got it?" He grumbled, his eyes narrowed as he pointed to the desk in front of me.

The girl nodded, replied with a sullen, "Yes, sir.", and sat down in her assigned seat.

"You two already know what goes on here, especially you, Bender," the annoying disciplinarian went on, pointing at Brian but keeping his gaze fixed on me. "No talking, no moving, no interacting whatsoever. My door WILL be open, and I WILL hear whatever goes on."

He then left all three of us to an uncomfortable silence. Brian sighed and placed the pen cap back in his mouth. The girl slouched down in her seat and took out a nailfile. I was about to pull my smoke back out, but I found myself intrigued by what the unfamiliar chick was doing.

She was engraving something in the wood of the desk, something that I couldn't make out at all. I leaned a little bit forward to improve my vision, causing her to turn her head slightly. Her brown eyes glanced at me with the impression that she wanted her privacy. She must have been absent for a good, long while because at this high school, everyone knows that John Bender doesn't care what others want or think.

"Can I help you?" She asked in a somewhat hoarse voice. I looked her over for a moment. She had long, slightly messybrown hair that ended in the middle of her back. She wore a black AC DC t-shirt and a pair of torn jeans. Her jeans weren't the ones you'd buy in the store. They were ripped by her, I could tell. She was actually kinda cute.

She snapped her fingers in my face. "Hello? I'm guessing all the lights are on, but no one's in the house."

"Ha ha. Really funny." I snapped back. "Where'd you write that one down? Seriously, you don't look like the kind of person who can remember a full sentence let alone a comeback."

The chick turned around even more, a grimace planted on her face.

"It's comments like those that keep you in here, huh Bender?"

How did she know my name?

"Why are you in here, anyway? Oh, wait, I know. You slept with the teachers to maintain a good GPA. Is the reason you aren't passing science because you don't put out enough? Or did you forget the pill and now you're pregnant with Mr. Brewer's baby?"

I glanced at Brian, who was now indulging in this ongoing feud with some girl I didn't even know. Without hesitation, the broad went on.

She laughed sarcastically, saying, "You know, I don't even think you're worth this. You don't even know me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"It turns out I do know you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I do." I looked at Brian quickly, causing him to shudder in surprise. "Who is she?"

The little nerd swallowed a minute, cleared his throat, and looked at the girl, hoping she wouldn't attack. His face was priceless.

"Um...Riley." He said in a small voice. "Riley Scott."

With a sneering smile, I looked back to the chick. "You're Riley Scott. See? I know you just as well as I know Brock here."

"Er, it's Bri-,"

Riley Scott turned around and sighed in annoyance. I didn't mean to have anything else to do with the girl, but it was hard to look past her. She was wearing a pair of low jeans, and being a male, I couldn't resist a look.

She abruptly turned around, causing me to sit back in a flash and shout, "I wasn't doing anything, get off my back!" But I found that she was already talking to Brian, and she didn't even notice my outburst. I listened to their conversation casually.

"How do you know me?" Riley asked him curiously.

Brian straightened in his seat and replied, "Well, um, you were in my Literature class last year. We were partners for the Shakespeare unit. We had Romeo and Juliet-,"

"Ohhhhhhh." interrupted Riley. "You were the guy I had to kiss in front of the class! The one with the house on 42nd and Main."

Brian, apparently aroused with the fact that she remembered him, smiled and nodded. But soon the smile began to fade.

"Do you still have that freaky obsession with Barbara Streisand?" Riley asked with a raised eyebrow and an amused gleam in her eyes.

I couldn't contain myself. I burst out laughing like crazy. Brian had a crush on Barbara Streisand!

"Wait, wait, wait." I stifled through my laughs. "You had a thing for Funny Girl?"

Pleadingly, Brian defended himself. "Cut it out, it was just a phase. Leave it alone, okay?"

"What, did you get horny listening to her music? Or was it the curly afro in A Star Is Born?" I went on, hardly breathing because I was in such jest.

Brian's face went completely red. He hit his head on the desk repetitively as Riley spoke.

"You weren't that bad a kisser, though. The braces ruined the moment a bit, but it was still enjoyable."

I nearly guffawed at this comment. "You kissed Geek Bait and liked it?"

"What's wrong with that?" She questioned.

"First off," I began with confusion. "He's turned on by Barbara Streisand. Secondly, he's Lord of the Geeks. Thirdly, he wears a pocket protector. Enough proof?"

Riley shook her head and turned back around. "You know, you're just like all the other morons here. Shallow. Can't anybody like anyone because of their personality?"

I didn't want to give in to her dumb dogma, but I truly felt the same way. I made fun of myself constantly for thinking that. I hated the way regular girls would look at me and turn away because of my rep or my appearance. And I hated even more when the slutty girls, the ones who were druggies and poor like me, would like me because of my appearance and my rep. So I gave in to them because I knew I would never find a girl who's different.

Well, there was Claire, but she and I would never be on the same page. I liked what she didn't, she hung out with people who didn't like me, and vice versa. And heaven knows neither of us would've given up our lifestyles for the other. We weren't meant to be.

I laid my head on the cold surface of the desk. I was pretty tired. I had been up all night at a party, selling alcohol to earn enough money for some dinner. My mom had lost her job because she couldn't stay awake during her shift. Now I was the provider.

I almost fell asleep when Riley shifted in her desk.

"I'm bored. Truth or dare, anyone?" She asked dully, twirling a strand of her dark hair.

My distant expression hid my loathing for that dumbass game. It was dumb and immature, just like Junior High. But I knew I was going to be outvoted the minute I saw Brian nod. Both he and Riley set their gazes upon me, waiting for my response.

"Aww, jeez...fine." I mumbled, caving in. "But on one condition. None of that cheesy shit like kissing on the cheek or picking truth all the time."

Riley raised an eyebrow. "Alright, then we'll raise the bar a little bit. No truth, only dares. And no backing out. Deal?"

"Now that's my kind of game. Deal." I replied.

Brian gulped, closed his eyes, and stammered softly, "...I guess...deal."