*Author's Note*

I've decided that Gertie's Grandpa aka Grandpa Hatfield will have the face claim of Donald Sutherland.

School Night Party

Gertie POV:

Sadly, the only person that actually talked to me at school was Bender. Everyone else that had introduced themselves on Monday (Brian, Andy, and Claire) had ignored me. Oh hell, I was even hearing some of the popular bitches whispering and cackling behind my back 'bout how I was too pretty to be a burnout along with some rumors and theories 'bout how and why I got expelled from my old school. The jocks, well, they liked to oogle my ass. I threatened to nut one in gym and he laughed at me til I gave him a sinister smirk that made his laughter die. Creeper jock left me alone after that. The smart nerdy kids all looked at me warily whenever I passed by them (prolly cause Brian told them I was a Hatfield and they all were scared I had a mean streak cause of my family's past involvement in one of the bloodiest feuds in American History).

But Bender surprised me by talking to me in the hallways, not just under the bleachers at lunch for a smoke break. Turns out his locker, which had a noose and a threat of 'Open this locker and you die, Fag!' on it, wasn't far from mine. Bender wasn't going out of his way to be my best fucking friend forever, but he wasn't ignoring me either. Hell, it was actually quite the opposite since he seemed to get his jollies off by annoying me with sarcastic quips.

Okay, well, it's only Thursday, but I think I've figured out how my friendship circle and social scene was gonna go. Bad ass Bender and the burners seemed to be what I was gonna be spending my last couple of months of my high school career with. I mean, like my grandpa said, I can't be picky 'bout my friends since I was new. Whatever, I always seemed to gravitate towards having more guy friends then girls anyway so me falling easily into Bender's group wasn't that much of a shock to me. I mean we had things in common (same taste in music and we smoked both cigs and weed so…).

The lunch bell had just gone off a few minutes ago, which is why I was at my locker stuffing my books into it. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed John was at his locker, digging something out of it. I just shrugged and shoved my books into my locker. He wasn't an honor student; just did enough to slide on by and snag his diploma in late May or early June (whenever Shermer had graduation scheduled). I was about to put my hand on my locker door to close it whenever a shadow appeared from behind me followed by a black biker glove covered hand slamming my locker shut.

"What the fuck, Bender?" I asked, spinning on my heel to give him an arched brow look. I wasn't mad that he shut my locker, just surprised.

"Come on, Cupcake, we're gonna have a doobage sesh in Snake's car." He told me, wrapping an arm over my shoulder and leading us away from the lockers.

"Sounds good to me." I simply told him as he took his arm off of my shoulders as we began to walk down the hall.

"You know, I like how you decorated your locker."

"Of course, you do." Tuesday morning, before the school officially started, I taped some music pictures and labels on my locker door. Since Bender and I shared the same taste in music it was a no brainer that he liked the decorations. "You'd hate the chick next to me's locker. Has a big Blondie poster in it."

Bender made a disgusted face as we turned down a hall that led to the one needed to reach the main doors of the school. Yea, I knew he'd react that way to the Blondie remark. Giving me a quick look, he stated, "If you liked Blondie, I wouldn't be inviting you to my doobage sesh." I don't think he was joking, but was actually being serious.

"Good thing I don't; wouldn't want to be deprived of getting blazed with you." I shot back as we walked down the main hall with the double doors in our viewpoint. I reckon my remark could be taken either seriously or sarcastically depending on how you looked at it. I didn't know how Bender took it since all he did was give me a slight head tilt for a reply.

Silently we made our way to the main doors and outside to the parking lot that was in front of the school. Quickly, we made our way down the endless stairs of Shermer High and down to the parking lot. Since I didn't know what Snake's car looked like I was glad that Bender was leading the way. As we weaved in and out of the parking lot, I noticed a BMW pulling out and quickly speeding thru parking lot. I could've sworn that the redhead driving looked like that pink preppy girl, Claire. Bender didn't seem to notice and nearly got run over and honked at. "Eat my shorts!" Bender yelled at the BMW while flipping a bird. Yea, he's such a nice guy…

"Bender, bring your shit?" Snake asked as we reached his red clunker.

"Yea, now let's have a doobage sesh."

Snake just nodded his head before opening up his door and flipping his chair up so that a greasy dirty blonde named Erik could get into the car. The guy that reminded me of Motley Crue's drummer was named Bobby and he opened up the passenger's door and flipped the seat up so that Bender and me could slip into the back.

"After you, Cupcake." Bender told me with a slight hand gesture.

I didn't say a word, just climbed into the backseat of the car. I wasn't even settled good yet in the backseat whenever Bender got in and sat next to me. Bobby quickly pushed his chair back, sat in it, and closed the passenger's door. Bender quickly produced a large bag of weed out of his pocket while Snake popped open his glove box. "Here, man." Snake said while passing some rolling papers into to back seat.

Bender slightly leaned over me and snatched the papers. I noticed that he had a grey streak in his dark brown hair. It was in front, framing the right side of his face. Damn, his home life must be rough to be having premature grey at 18 (I think he was 18, but I wasn't really sure since I didn't know his birthday.). I adverted my eyes from the lone grey strand since I didn't want to embarase him or offend him by staring at it. I decided to play it off like I never even noticed it. After leaning back in his seat, Bender looked at me and said, "Everyone rolls their own. Can you handle that, Cupcake?"

"I can handle that just fine, Bender." I told him, taking the sheet of paper he was holding out to me.

Bender just nodded his head at me before tossing a piece of paper at Erik.

"I don't think she'd be hanging with us if she couldn't roll a joint." Snake told Bender, earning him an eye roll from the man next to me as said man took a pinch of pot out of his bag before passing it over to me.

"Rolling a good joint's a very important life skill, which is why my brother taught me it when I was a freshman." I remarked, to no one in particular, while taking the bag from Bender and getting some weed out of it. "Oh, and the reason I'm even here hanging out is cause Bender boy here's the only one that seems to give me the time of day in this hell hole." I honestly told the guys, nodding my copper hair covered head at Bender as he was rolling his joint, while passing the bag over to Erik.

"Can't say I'm surprised these fucking dildos here are ignoring you, Cupcake." Bender shrugged, lighting up his joint, as I started rolling mine while Erik tossed the bag of weed into the front seat; making it land on the console between Snake and Bob's seats.

"Yea, your jacket's a dead give way that you're not going to be making any friends with the nice kids." Snake chuckled, grabbing the bag off the console before Bob could snag it.

I lit up my joint and took my first puff off it before remarking with a slight smirk, "Who wants to befriend the nice kids when the bad ones got the good dope."

Bob let out a laugh as he snatched the bag of pot from Snake, who was starting to roll his joint. Erik just took a big hit of his joint and nodded while Bender just smirked at me and let a cloud of smoke billow out of his mouth and nostrils.

Near The End Of Lunch…

"So, my cousin told me there's a big party happening in Tinley Park tonight. Anyone wanna go?"

Bob and Erik just nodded their heads while Bender gave the answer of, "Sure I'm going. I can make money selling my doobage." Looking at me, since I was silently sitting like a bump on a log, Bender asked, "Ya down to party with us, Cupcake?"

"Sure." I answered, even tho it was a school night and I shouldn't be going out to party. I'd have to lie to my grandpa about why I was going out or I could always sneak out.

Looking at me via the rearview mirror, Snake asked, "I'm everyone's chauffer so where you staying at?"

Smoke wafted out of my mouth as I gave the simple answer of, "15 Middleton Ave."

"You're not far from me." Bender told me with a smirk. Before taking a hit off his joint, he told Snake, "Pick me up at her place instead of at the usual spot."

"Okay." Snake nodded, smoking his joint. "Be by round 8 so be on the curb. Tinley Park's a long ride and I don't wanna be late for this party."

"Man, it better be good to travel that far." Erik scoffed in a blazed tone before taking a hit.

"Why, where's Tinley Park at?" I asked curiously with a raised brow. Hey, I was new to Shermer and the Chicago metro area in general so I had no idea how far this town we were going was. I mean if a stoner's complaining then it's probably far. I just hope not too far.

Smoke blew out of Snake's mouth and nose, much like a chimney, as he flatly answered me with the remark of, "Clear across Cook county; border lining Will."

My cornflower blues went wide as I blurted out, "Shit, that's like an hour away."

"What, to far to go party with us?" Bender asked in a sneer, giving me a slightly pointed look.

"No, I'm going." I told him, wanting him to know that I wasn't going to flake out on the party plans. "Just didn't think I'd be stuck in a car with you jackasses for that long tho."

"Those three are jackasses." Bender pointed to his friends with his hand that was holding his roach. "I'm not tho." He smirked before taking one last hit off his roach.

"Of course." I sarcastically smiled, taking my last hit as the bell sounded out loudly on the school grounds marking the end of lunch.

The rest of my day at school was fine. After being picked up by my grandpa I did my homework, ate dinner, and then spent the short hours leading up to 8 in my room watching tv. Whenever it was 'bout 7:55 I made my way downstairs clad in my leather jacket with my bag slung over my shoulder. I decided to lie to my grandpa instead of sneaking out so I went into the living room, which was near the front entryway, and told him in a sweet informative tone, "Grandpa, I'm going out to study with my new friend."

"Okay, but remember you're going to school tomorrow hungover or not." Grandpa told me with a nod, not once taking his eyes off of his 25-inch color tv.

"Grandpa, I told you I'm going out to study." I innocently said, stressing the word study, since I didn't want my cover blown. I mean I didn't want him to know I was going to a party on a school night.

"At 8 o'clock at night? Sure, if you say so." Grandpa deeply chuckled. Cocking his head and giving me a cutting look with his icy blue eyes, as he sat in his easy chair waiting for Magnuim P.I. to come on, my grandpa told me in a know-it-all tone, "I wasn't born old ya know. You're going out somewhere with the lil shit, who might I add doesn't look like the type of boy that has study meets after dinner either."

My eyes widened as I stumbled out a squeaky, "Yea…and you're cool with it?"

"You're 18, Gertie. Grown and old 'nough to join the army if you wanted. I'm not your dad, I'm your grandpa, so it's not my job to watch you like a hawk. Just don't do anything stupid to make me call up your dad, understood?" I was speechless at hearing my grandpa say that. All I could do was stand and stare at him while slowly nodding my head. Damn, I was flabbergasted to say the least. Grandpa shook his head and chuckled, "Now go on before your lil shit friend wears out the sidewalk from pacing back and forth all night on it."

"What?"

"Your friend's outside pacing and waiting for you. He's been out there for 'bout 5 minutes now too."

"Grandpa, were you snoopin' out the window?" I asked incredulously as I placed a hand on my hip and furrowed my brows slightly.

"What? He didn't see me." Grandpa said, trying to feign innocence while arching a white brow up at me. Shrugging, he grabbed his pack of smokes off his side table and pointed to the front window while saying, "Besides, I always snoop outside whenever the cat slips her head 'round the curtain and makes a little hole."

I just shook my head at him. "Bye, grandpa, I'm going now."

"Remember, you're going to school tomorrow hung over or not." He reminded me as he took a cig out of his pack and stuck it into the side of his mouth.

"I know, grandpa." I sighed, trying not to sound annoyed, before leaving the living room and making my way to the front door.

As soon as I walked out onto the front porch, I saw that my grandpa was right, Bender was pacing up and down our sidewalk. He only stopped pacing when he heard me walking down the porch steps. He looked at me from over his shoulder, watching me make my way over to his side. As soon as I came to a stop next to him, he took a drag off his cigarette and told me, "You're late, thought you were standing me up."

"I'm not late, it's just turning 8 now." I told Bender, rolling my eyes at him, as he tossed his cig butt onto the sideway. "Not my fault you got here early."

Before Bender could come up with a snarky retort Snake's red clunker barreled down the street and came to a screeching stop at the curb right in front of us. The passenger's door flung open and out popped Bob as loud rock music was heard blaring from the car's radio. "Get in, we've got a party to get to." Snake told us as Bob flipped the seat up, revealing the backseat and Erik, who was sitting in his usual spot behind the driver.

"After you, Cupcake." Bender teased, pointing to the car like he did early today in the school's parking lot.

I didn't say a word, just climbed into the back. Once Bender had gotten in and sat down next to me, squishing me between him and Erik, Bob flipped his seat back and sat down. Bob didn't even have his door shut good whenever Snake took off speeding down the road. Damn, this guy drives like a maniac.

"Dude, roll one up for us." Bob told Bender, looking at him via the mirror, as Snake took a sharp turn onto the main road.

"Only one, man." Bender said while pulling his large bag of weed out of his pocket. "I gotta make sure I have enough doobage to sell tonight." He remarked as Bob opened up the glovebox to grab a rolling paper.

"Dude, get my Scorpions tape out. We need something good to listen too on the long drive down the toll road." Snake told Bob right as the guy was getting ready to close the glovebox after getting a rolling paper and passing it over his shoulder to Bender.

"Wait, we gotta take a toll road? I thought we were using the highway." I blurted out, not really liking the idea that I might have to dig around my purse for change to give Snake to toss into the toll coin collector thing.

"Highway 294 is a toll road, Cupcake." Bender rolled his brown eyes at me as his fingers nimbly worked their magic at making a joint.

"Oh, I didn't know that." I told Bender as Snake shoved his Scorpions tape into his radio's cassette player.

Bender didn't say a word, just stuck the freshly rolled joint in his mouth and lit it. Erik quietly sat next to me, waiting for the game of puff puff pass to begin. As the musical intro of Rock You Like A Hurricane began to fill up the car Bender took the first hit of the group joint. He let out a small lungful of smoke before taking his second hit. As smoke wafted out of his mouth and nostrils, he passed me over the joint. As soon as I took it, Bender started banging his head to the beat of the music. Okay, actually all of us were head banging. After taking my two hits off the joint I passed it to Erik, who greedily stuck the joint in his mouth and inhaled.

So, while passing a doobie around and banging our heads to the Scorpions latest album, we rode to our party destination clear across the county.

The ride to some split-level home in Tinley Park felt like it took more then an hour, but whatever. The house party was in full swing when we arrived. Snaked parked on the curb by the house that had a front lawn full of numerous teens drinking beer. Yep, that's always a good marker of where the party is.

After we all scrambled out of the car, we made our way to the house. Most likely we wouldn't know anybody there (well Snake would know his cousin if he was there), but we didn't care since we just wanted to party. I mean nobody gave a shit about who was throwing the party, just the fact that there was tons of free beer and snack foods. A porchlight was on as we walked up to the front door of the house. It looked like a nice house, maybe a bit too nice to be having heavy metal parties… Snake entered the house first followed by Bob, then Erik, then me, and Bender. Oh my god, the party was really in full swing whenever we walked thru the door. By full swing I mean the living room (and the other rooms in the house too I bet) was crowded full of people drinking beer; some people were dancing to a power ballad that was loudly playing on the stereo too. Other people were sitting on chairs and couches blazing up. Hell, one guy was leaning against a doorway while sucking on the tail end of his roach.

"Snake, man, glad you guys could make it." I tall guy with a bronze mullet, which looked like a gift from the rock gods it was so big, said as he came up to us. Ah, bet this guy's Snake's cousin.

"Wouldn't miss a big party, cuz." Snake chuckled as his cousin was making eyes at me. Oh great, he noticed I'm new…

Mr. Mullet looked between me and Bender before remarking, "Who's your girl, Bender? Never seen her before."

"I'm Gertie." I told Snake's cousin my name before quickly adding in, "I'm new to Shermer."

"She seemed cool, I invited her to smoke with me." Bender added in, even tho he didn't have to, as he stood by my side in a lazy stance with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ah, cool, cool." Snake's cousin nodded, his massive bronze mullet rocking back and forth on his head. "Beer's in the fridge." Snake's cousin, who I didn't know the name of, told us with a half high tone. "I'll go tell people to buy from ya, man." The guy told Bender, causing him to nod in approval. "Nice meeting ya, Gertie. Oh, I'm Brick by the way." Brick, Snake's cousin, told me with a sly smile before quickly taking off. Brick, Snake, what the hell is with their family? I really hope those are just nicknames cause if not…well…their parents must've dropped a lot of acid or something.

"I don't know what you guys are gonna do, but I'm gonna go do her." Erik said in a chuckle, pointing to a blonde wearing bright blue eyeshadow that was in a tight red mini dress that showed off her hourglass shape.

"Have fun, I'm grabbin' a beer from the kitchen." I shook my head at my greasy blonde friend before taking off for the kitchen, which was upstairs since the house was split level.

Bootsteps echoed right next to me as I made my way upstairs. I turned my head around subtly, only to see Bender by my side. He didn't say a word and neither did I since we both knew why he was walking upstairs with me. He wanted a beer, simple as that. Once we reached the top of the stairs we were in the kitchen, which was crowded with people.

"God, did Big Bird puke all over this place." I scoffed as my eyes took in the entirely yellow décor of the kitchen. When I say entirely yellow, I mean it. Everything from the walls to the floor to the cabinets and counters; hell, even the appliances were different bright shades of yellow. Even the goddamn sink was yellow. The sink!

"Better then Oscar The Grouch puking up the place." Bender sarcastically quipped as he headed over to the fridge to grab some beer.

I didn't say a word, just followed him over to the fridge. After opening the SMEG fridge, Bender grabbed a couple of cans of Coors. "Here, Cupcake." He tossed me a can before slamming the mustard colored fridge shut.

"Thanks." I told him, quickly catching my beer.

Bender just shrugged and popped his can open. He took a swig of his beer while I popped mine open. "I'm heading back downstairs, do whatever you want." Bender told me as I took a sip of my Coors. Oh, wasn't my new friend a peach? He knew I didn't know anyone, except for him and his crew, here and he was just taking off to go sell his shit. Hey, I know that's the reason he's going downstairs even if he didn't say so.

"Yea, I'll join you." I simply told him, getting into step with him as he walked over to the staircase. Bender just cocked his head slightly at me before taking another sip from his beer can. I felt like he was silently mocking me for going downstairs with him. "Hey, I don't know anybody here so that's why I'm going downstairs. Don't act like I'm going with you to keep ya from getting a piece of ass tonight or something. You can go do whatever you want to."

Bender just smirked at me as a low chuckle vibrated in the back of his throat. "You're a blunt one, Cupcake. Guess that's why we're hanging out."

"Yea, cause only a blunt chick can buddy it up with a sarcastic dude."

"Come on, let's go smoke while we for some assholes to ask about buying my doobage."

I just nodded my head and followed Bender as he walked around the main room of the first floor. He stopped when he reached a far corner. Bender leaned his shoulder nonchalantly against the orange and red floral wallpaper as he pulled his pack of smoke from his pocket. I just stood by him, staring at the crowd of party guests in the room, and pulled my own pack of Reds out of my bag. Silently, we stuck our cigarettes into our mouths and lit them with one hand while holding our beers with the other. As he tucked his pack back into his pocket, I dropped mine back into my bag.

Silently, we took our first drags off of our cigarettes and let the smoke blow and billow from our nostrils and mouths as we exhaled.

Without saying a word, we smoked and drank together. As Dio's Rainbow In The Dark loudly played from the stereo, filling up every room in the split level house no doubt, a tall gangly boy with straight black hair tucked behind his ear walked up to Bender. "Hey, you Bender? I heard you got weed, man." The guy remarked to Bender as he came to a stop in front of us.

Bender just nodded. Taking a drag of his smoke he told the potential buyer, "Yea, 5 bucks for a dime."

The boy quickly pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and grabbed some money to buy the weed with. Once Bender had the money in his hand, he gave the customer his dime bag and watched him take off to go smoke. Thus began Bender's night of being the candy man.

The party was loud and bitchin'. Totally worth going out on a school night for. We were half drunk (ok we were drunk) and high whenever we left. Hell, I had no idea what time it was when we left either. The ride down the desolate highway back to Shermer was long and endless. Once and a while a semi would pass by us, but other then that not many people were on the highway toll road with us. Rock music loudly blared out of the stereo as Snake drove the car (most likely weaving the car cause let's face it we were all drunk…). When we reached the toll stop by Shermer, Snake whipped his head 'round and barked in a slight slur, "Need some change, man."

Bender didn't say a word, just ignored Snake while taking a drag off his smoke. Bob was sleeping in the front passenger's seat, so I think that's the reason why Snake was asking us in the back for money. I let out a sigh while bending down to pick up my bag from its spot on the floor by my feet while Erik slightly stretched and began to dig a hand inside of his pocket. My cig dangled out of the corner of my mouth as I plopped my bag onto my lap. "Here." Erik placed some coins into Snake's awaiting hand before taking a drag off his smoke.

I stopped looking for my wallet in the bottom of the purse whenever Snake turned 'round in his seat and tossed the coins into the toll collection, causing the rail to lift up and free our car. I relaxed back in my seat and took a long drag off my cig as Snake drove off. "You guys up for breakfast at Ruby's to sober up with?"

"Yea." I nodded while Bob snored up front next to Snake, his dark hair pressed up against the window.

"I could use a black coffee." Bender shrugged, snubbing his cig butt on the side of the car's interior plastic covered frame.

"I got the munchies, bad." Was Erik's answer, which more or less was a yes to breakfast at Ruby's.

Snake just nodded and made the remark of, "Ruby's here we come.", as he got into the right lane that's merge of into the exit.

After driving off the exit, Snake drove us back into down town and pulled in front of a small railcar diner that was next to a car garage. The red neon sign in the front window read Open as the large neon red sign on top of the roof flickered Ruby's 24/7 Diner. Dragging out asses, all of us got out of the car and trudged up to the front glass door of the diner. The door chime went off as Snake pulled the door open, causing the middle-aged waitress behind the counter to stop filing her nails and lift her head up to look at us. As we walked into the aisle, tiredly and half drunkenly dragging our feet, I noticed that we were the only ones inside the diner other then the waitress and the cook. "Take a seat anywhere you want." The waitress told us in a flippant and nasally tone.

"Looks like Miss Sunshine's on tonight." Bender sarcastically told me as we followed our friends to a booth not the far from the door.

I let out a little giggle while biting my lip to hold back a loud laugh. For some reason I found his remark funny. Maybe cause I was buzzed and blazed, who knows? Whenever we (and by we I mean me and Bender) reached the table we had to sit together on one side of the booth since Bob, Erik, and Snake were on the other side. Bob looked like he was about to pass out again as he leaned against the window he was sitting by. Silently I slid into the booth, Bender getting in next to me.

"Coffee?" The waitress asked us in a nasally shout from her spot behind the counter, not even bothering to come over to the table and ask us like a normal waitress would.

"Yea." Our group answered in a chorus of voices. Well, all of us except for Bob (he just mumbled a yea or at least I think he did).

We all pulled our packs of smokes out and lit up while waiting for our waitress to bring us over our coffees. Erik grabbed the red plastic ashtray, which matched the entire red diner décor of Ruby's, and placed it in the middle of the table so all of us could use it. Bob had officially drifted off back to sleep, snoring softly, as the rest of us took drags off our smokes. Smoke formed over our table like a cloud as our waitress appeared at our table, balancing a tray full of coffee cups. "Here's your coffee." The middle-aged woman, whose nametag read Susie, told us as she placed our cups down in front of us a bit roughly. A drop of coffee spilled over the rim of Bob's cup, startling him awake. She tossed a pile of menus as us before stalking back to her spot behind the counter.

"That waitress is a royal bitch." Erik remarked, grabbing his mug and taking a sip of his coffee.

"I ain't tipping her, she spilled coffee on my hand." Bob grumbled, most likely upset that the spilt hot coffee woke him up, as he grabbed his menu.

"Shut up, Bob, not like you were planning on ordering food since you were dozed off." Snake barked as he read his menu front to back as if it was a book and not a plastic covered pamphlet holding food choices.

"I wasn't dozed off, I was resting." Bob groggily protested.

"Mhm…" I sing songed, sipping on my coffee, as I scanned my menu.

Bender wasn't even opening his up, instead he was just sitting and sipping on his black coffee. I wonder if he already knows what he's buying or if he's not buying anything at all.

Suddenly, without much of a warning, our bitchy brunette waitress appeared at our table with a nasty look on her face. Pulling a pad and pen out of her white apron, Sue asked us in a bored nasally tone, "What're you kids having."

A sarcastic grin spread over Bender's face as he told her, "Are you on the menu, Miss Sunshine? If not I'll just have the toast combo with the 2 bacon and 2 fried eggs, sunny side up."

"Oh, I'm too tired to be dealing with your shit this morning." Susie muttered as she quickly scribbled down Bender's order. Pointing her pen at me she asked, "And what about you, hun?"

"I'll have the pancake platter, but can I have extra bacon instead of the eggs? I don't really like eggs." I politely ordered, hoping that I wouldn't get stuck with eggs. God, I hated them. I don't know why, I just thought that they were nasty. Ever since I was little I always turned my nose up at them.

"Oh, you're a bigger pain in the ass then your boyfriend." The waitress muttered under her breath, causing Bender to give her a cold cutting glare with his brown eyes. Like Bob said, Susie's a bitch so no tip for her rude ass. I narrowed my eyes at her, causing the waitress to sigh while scribbling down my order, "Yea, you can have a couple more bacon slices in place of the eggs."

"Grand Slam platter, scramble the eggs." Snake said as our waitress looked at him.

"And you?" Susie asked Erik, tilting her head at him in annoyance.

"Three Waffles with a side of bacon." The greasy blonde told our waitress while tipping some cigarette ashes into the ashtray directly in front of him.

Bob stared at our waitress, who he didn't like, while telling her, "Toast, black like my soul."

Instead of telling us something nice like 'That'll be out soon' or 'I'll go put in your order' our waitress just snatched our menus off the table and stalked off towards the kitchen.

Silently, we just sat and smoked. My eyes darted around the diner as I took in my surrounds. I read a few of the old-fashioned poster ads for burgers, fries, shakes, and breakfast items before my cornflower blues landed on the red plastic clock that was mounted above the counter. Holy it, it read 2:25 am. Oh god, I had no idea it was that late. Hell, never even stayed out that late partying back in Mate Creek. Oh lordy, seems like my new group of friends are the partying bad boys. By time we're done eating and I get home it'll be after 3 o'clock in the morning. Hell, I'm lucky if I'll get a couple good hours of sleep before I gotta get up and ready for school. Yea, going out on a school night in hindsight prolly wasn't the brightest thing to do, but oh well I did it so no use mulling over it now.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" The waitress asked us as she appeared at the table, balancing a large tray that had our order on it.

Bob just stared daggers at her, waiting for his plate a toast, while the rest of us rolled our eyes at her. Well, all of us except Bender that is. He just had to open up his mouth and make the sarcastic remark of, "Oh, no, our mommies forgot to tuck us in with teddy bears. I guess we just have to eat here; give you a reason to take home a paycheck, Miss Sunshine.", as the waitress began to place our plates in front of us.

Looking right at me after putting our plates down, Susie the graveyard shift waitress gave me the advice of, "If you're smart, girl, you'd drop him like a bad habit and find a nice boy who won't keep you out all night when you got school the next day." Pointing her nose at Bender, who was digging into his breakfast like a starving man, she told me, "Boys like him are headed nowhere, take you down with him."

Bender's head shot up, making his dark brown hair rustle a bit around the collar of his jacket, and he gave our waitress a stone-cold stare. "Eat my shorts." He hissed at her, clearly bothered by what he heard her tell me.

Bob just leaned against the window nibbling on his black toast while Erik and Snake ate their breakfast while looking between Bender and the waitress. Hmm, I take it this isn't the first time Bender's been insulted while out in public.

"Little brat's gonna end up in jail like his uncle." The middle-aged waitress muttered under her breath before storming off back to her hovel behind the front counter.

I could see out of the corner of my eye that Susie's remark had an effect on Bender. His hand shook slightly in anger, or at least I think it was anger, as he forcefully dipped his toast into the yolk part of his sunny side up egg. His jaw was clenched and his gaze was locked on his food. Yea, his nerves were shot and he was pissed at the waitress. Clearly, her muttered near whisper of a remark got under his skin. After a few seconds Bender took a large bite out of his yolk dipped toast and leaned back, a bit tensely might I add, into our booth.

I didn't pay him any mind, just ate and secretly hope that I'd be able to survive my morning classes tomorrow at Shermer High since I was up and out all night long. Hell, grandpa's not going to be too happy with me either if he finds out how late I stayed out. Great...

AN:

Bender doesn't live far from Gertie (they're on the same street, but she doesn't know that) so instead of being picked up at a bus bench on the side of the main road he just had his friend pick them both up together. Yea, I really don't see Bender ever having people over to his house considering his dad beats the shit out of him on a daily basis (or just about it). Oh and yea Gertie and Bender ran into Claire skipping to take off to get lunch and to go shopping (ditching some afternoon classes and earning her Saturday detention). I just had to toss that in there. Anyways, I may do a Bender POV next chapter. I'm not sure yet, but yea.