AN- This is my first fic I've ever actually written, so cue all those pesky nerves, but I would absolutely love reviews of any kind. Construction criticism is always welcome and appreciated.
Disclaimer - Although I dream it to be true. All rights are John Hughes. No money is made from this.
Absently, Claire thumbed her earlobe; the pads of her fingers running along the bare flesh where her Grandmother's earrings once resided. The consequences would be disastrous if her mother knew the truth of its newest owner, and she dreaded such knowledge ever passing a breath near the woman. Instead the two girls could stay blissful in their ignorance - Vivian in her haze of expensive perfume and fourth burgundy glass of Pinot Noir; and Claire in her resolute denial that John would pawn the earring. Would it be worth anything to a pawnbroker without its sister? She didn't know, and dared not to find out by asking.
John Bender.
At face value, the man was good-looking. Tanned skin and piercing eyes, she found if she stared for too long she would begin to unravel. She would squirm under that stare. She would regret every single frivolity she had ever taken pleasure in under that stare and he had yet to blink. She would feel like a very silly little girl, and simultaneously an experienced woman, but by now this was past face value. Everyone knew who Bender was. And the girls in her group couldn't deny he was physically pleasing but that was as far as it went regarding attraction. He was, for all intents and purposes, scary. A loose cannon - unpredictable in his moves and unfathomable in his thoughts. Humanity feared what they didn't understand and that was John Bender.
She should fear him too, and a small part of her did, Claire supposed, but there was something so inexplicably fresh about his brutal honesty. He didn't care about her wealth or her status. He didn't pretend to be anything but himself to get her to like him. And yet, despite everything, she had anyway. In the eight hours she grew to know John Bender, Claire had developed a genuine liking to this loud, crude, asshole of a man. Figures.
This had been her Sunday. A whole free day spent worrying, and fretting, and swooning over a guy she wasn't even sure actually liked her or was just playing her. It would be a kick, she thought, to him and his friends that the prom queen had fallen for Bender. The never-been-touched-by-a-guy-before Richie rich Claire Standish with her manicured nails and gold star report-in-being-a-tease-despite-not-knowing was crushing on John Burnout Bender and getting flustered for his hands. It would be shits and giggles for the whole fucking school and yet here she was fingering her earlobe and daydreaming of dark eyes and rude words.
Alone in her room with only her thoughts for companionship, Claire scrutinized everything. She had an English paper that was due on the Thursday but every time she completed any small progress the redhead would remember something about Saturday, about John and spend the next half an hour analysing it.
This boy was both intriguing and frightening at the same time. As much as she had genuinely liked him, she still didn't know that much about him. And she wanted too - which was the frightening thing. This man could ultimately ruin her. It wasn't like she didn't know what he was like, he had told her outright that he wasn't a one guy one girl kind of person, so what did she think could come about if anything came about anyway? That he would suddenly drop everything he knew and go steady with her? Take her out and worship the ground she stood on? Join the wrestling team with Andy and become a grade A citizen?
No.
She didn't want to change him, she didn't think she was going to save him from his bad boy ways he was no damsel in distress. It was why she had never had a steady boyfriend before. Her standards weren't necessarily high; they were just different to the boys that she knew. John had his own values and beliefs that weren't influenced by anyone he didn't want too. He didn't care about what people thought of him, and he definitely didn't take anyone's bullshit. He didn't care about high school. He didn't care about people's expectations of him. He was John Bender, no questions asked, no explanations needed. She was so jealous.
Her thoughts didn't improve much come Monday morning. How was she going to play this? Leaning on the small hope that he wasn't playing her, what was her game plan? She wouldn't ignore him he was right when he said she couldn't but she wasn't about to go down under the bleachers to chop and let him cop a feel either. She would act normal, casual, like nothing bothered her. If she was Queen of this school then she was about to fucking act like it.
The redhead walked through the corridors of Shermer High. Samantha Mack, known best friend of Claire's and co-leader on the student council, walked beside her. They glided through, taking their turns around the hallways to greet their friends, flirt with the boys from the football team and catch Claire up with what happened over the weekend. Sam informed her, as if it were the most important thing in the world that Ashley Mare had hooked up the Matthew Winningham at Stubby's party, and Sarah Blake had worn the shortest skirt known to man that she had bet it was actually a belt instead.
Claire nodded. "Least she has the legs to pull it off," she replied indifferently, which earned her a groan from the girl next to her, knowing that that's what pissed her off more than the skirt itself.
"I know. But, like, if I can't pull a skirt like that off than no one else should be allowed too. Life is just so unfair."
Samantha wasn't a bad person. In fact her words were said with the undertone of jest more than anything. Despite the girl being jealous of Sarah's legs, she hadn't technically said anything bad. She was joking. She was being purposely over-dramatic and using humour to hide behind her insecurities. Claire knew this, because this was a common social dynamic with all girls her age. But her last few words struck a nerve. Unfair. Unfair was going home to have your father burn his cigar into your skin. Unfair was having a principal who got off on locking you up and talking you down. Claire stayed quiet, suddenly feeling sick in her stomach. Unfair wasn't Samantha's life.
"So, how was detention?" her head snapped up, green eyes searching for any kind of knowledge expressed by her best friend, coming up blank. She tried to shrug it off, "It didn't turn out too bad, y'know. Andy was there, so I had someone I knew. And we, uh, like, made friends with the other people in," Casual. That's what she was doing, Queen Casual.
"Oh, is that where Andy met that girl? Jessica's gonna be so pissed when she sees," eyes sought out what where Samantha was looking. "She swore he was about to ask her out."
Without a doubt there stood Allison and Andy, his patch sewed on the ratty bag that she was hell-bent on carrying around. Andy looked like Christmas had come all at once. How was he so…casual? Everyone was staring. Girls all around them narrowed their eyes at the strange girl smiling at Andy. Who was she? Why is she with him? How did they meet? Why her? What the fuck is on her face?
Claire took a big breath in. Samantha was her best friend. They had grown up together. She had faith in her. They walked closer to the new couple. "That's Allison. She's actually pretty cool. Weird as fuck, but definitely cool to hang with," she shrugged and examined one of her nails as if her heart wasn't beating a bit faster than it usually was. How pathetic was she? She couldn't even tell her best friend that Allison was cool enough to hang around without having a mild panic attack.
She smiled, and greeted Allison. "This is my best friend Sam," Claire introduced, "She's on the student council with me," Samantha waved, a little hesitant and perhaps slightly intimidated by Allison's impassive expression. The girl didn't blink.
Claire rolled her eyes, and nudged her, "Stop tryna freak everyone out."
Allison nudged back harder, "This is just my face, Claire, whatcha tryna say?" but she eventually grinned. Claire poked out her tongue girlishly, Samantha laughed. Everyone seemed casual.
"Have you seen Bender yet?" Uh oh. Her chest constricted at the name as she looked at Andy in panic. Casual, casual, casual.
She shook her head shyly, looking down at her shoes. Was he going to tell everyone what had happened? Just because he was ready didn't mean Claire was. It was totally different bringing a girl into your group when you were a guy- especially one that had so much to offer to the school. You had more power over your peers when you were a boy. That testimonial proved itself a hundred times over with the fact Allison was standing right there next to him holding hands. Sure people were going to talk, and question and probably bitch about them, but Andy would still keep the same status he's always had.
The amount of shit that would hit the fan if Claire suddenly walked up to John Bender and held his hand was exponential. Not because she was more popular than Andy but because she was a girl. The entire dynamic changed. She didn't like it, and it was the biggest fucking double standard there was, but it was true.
"Bender? As in Bender Bender?" Samantha's voice rose with shock, already implementing Claire's fears in social science. She was pretty sure his first name wasn't common knowledge. The redhead nodded, it seems that's all she could do today. "Yeah, he was in detention with us too." Or they were in detention with him, would be more accurate. Claire kept up her fascination with her shoes.
Samantha was sceptical. Not without good reasons though. It was one thing being Allison's friend, but the girl didn't have a reputation that scared the shit out of everybody. Well, not in the-I'll-fucking-pummel-you way Bender's was. She, without a doubt, thought Allison could probably hold her own against these girls any day.
No, if anything came about anything, she would have to ease into it. Not just for her own sake, but it seemed the rest of the school too. She finally glanced up to find Allison giving her a strange look. Didn't she realise? Claire had nearly gone into an anxiety attack introducing her to Samantha. She couldn't imagine the response she would get trying to explain she had not only snuck into a broom closet with John but let him touch her mouth with his mouth and then gave him an earring worth God knows how much.
"You made friends with Bender?" Samantha voice asked, incredulity lacing its tone.
She met her eyes, feigning confidence because one ounce of fear and the world would pummel you. "Yeah," she laughed it off flippantly, having time to regain her composure, "He's actually, you know, like, pretty cool too once you get to know him." She shrugged again, acting casual. And she definitely got to know his mouth...
"Wow, this must have been one hell of a detention – I'm kind of jealous," Samantha's replied, laughing, "You'll have to introduce me to him one day." Claire frowned at this. What? Why? Did she like him or something? Would he like her over Claire?
"You want to meet Bender?"
"Yeah, sure, why not, I always thought he was kind of hot."
Allison stifled a laugh at the sudden expression on Claire's face. Andy was badly retaining his grin too. Just moments before she had gotten all flustered at his name, and now she looked like she was ready to punch out her best friend for wanting to meet him. This girl had it bad.
The bell rang, unfortunately interrupting the showdown everyone but Allison and Andy were oblivious of. The girls waved goodbye while still arguing over John Bender, and walking to their next class.
"Why? Don't you think he's attractive?" pushed Sam. She had seen the look on Claire's face, and she had been her best friend for eight years too.
"Yes, of course," she replied without fail, before hesitating, "I mean, y'know, he's alright – kind of got that Mick Jagger look about him if you think about. Oh! Did you hear? They're supposed to be bringing out a new album soon!"
It wasn't hard from then on to distract Sam from the thoughts of John Bender. The Stones were something you definitely had to squeal about. And they quickly met up with their other friends, all gossiping and wanting to know who Allison was – but Sam, thankfully not bringing up John Bender again. She knew there was a reason why she was her best friend.
Between classes, Claire found herself uncharacteristically alone. Not a very common thing when you had friends in all your classes, and moreover when you had so many friends wanting to go with you – it was an unspoken rule, really. But Simone hadn't been in her Fashion Studies class today, and Samantha had Gym on the other side of the school, and Claire really just took her time suddenly grateful for the solitude. She walked up to her locker – there had still been no sign of Bender, and the redhead wasn't sure if she should be relieved or disappointed. She'd walk the hallways between her classes scanning the students pretending that it wasn't him she was looking for. Lying to herself that the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach was maybe just indigestion not butterflies, not tightening of knots, not worry or excitement laced into one. And it had gotten to the point now where she was just wanting to get it over and done with. If she saw him, and he didn't acknowledge her – well at least she could get over it simple enough and no one would know. Whatever, she wouldn't car-
She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She was bending over her locker, getting her books out for the next class, but suddenly she felt static. Those knots beginning to tighten, and closing her locker, Claire looked up.
John Bender.
Her heart felt like it was beating so loud the entire school would be able to hear it. The corridor wasn't empty. Students scattered everywhere, laughing, rushing, groaning about an upcoming exam, but there he was. Long coat trailing around his ankles as he moved through the crowds – well, they moved for him – with some guy just as tall walking next to him, cigarette in his ear, no doubt heading towards the parking lot. John stared at her, and she leaned against her locker while she stared back, pale skin flushing red faithfully clashing with her hair. She couldn't keep the coy smile from reaching her lips though, clutching her books to her chest shyly. He flicked his hair out of his face, smirking right back at her like he had just been caught checking her ass out when she was bent over in her locker. The thought of that flustered her even more, and almost like her could read her thoughts, his smirk widened to a leer.
He winked at her, all fucking sexy Mick Jagger like, before he turned the corner with his friend. And she felt like she could have melted right then and there.
John Bender was trouble.
And she was into so much trouble.