Disclaimer: I own a Spooky squeak doll, and a guitar….Nope, no rights to Breakfast Club here!

Chapter 4

"11. Push!" Andy yelled down.

"12! Push!" he yelled again

Clang! The sound of metal being dropped onto metal echoed through the weight room.

"12? That's it?! What are you a god damn girl?"

"Yes, Andy," Claire panted. "I AM a god damn girl." And she promptly burst into tears.

"Shit, Claire, I'm sorry! Don't cry! 12 reps is really good with 80 pounds! Stop, I didn't mean it!" Andy pretty much went into panic mode when girls started crying, especially girls who were his friends.

Claire shook her head and ran her hands over her sweaty, tear stained face. "No, it's not that. I know it's good, and I know it's more than I could do a month a go. It's…." she breathed out in a huff and sat up on the end of the weight bench. She picked at her shirt, trying to say it out loud.

"John's here," she finally whispered.

Andy stared at her, jaw dropped. He almost wished he had been the one to make her cry. That would have been better than hearing the world of hurt that lingered behind her words.

"Uh…Are you sure?" he asked.

Claire gave him her best "are you shitting me?" glare.

"Yes, Andy, I'm fucking sure. He came up to me after class today…I don't think he recognized me."

Andy looked at his friend. At the moment, she was in pretty nondescript work out clothes: cut-off black sweats, running shoes, and a gray t-shirt. Normally, however, between her blue hair, piercings, and crazy clothes, he could see why anyone who hadn't known Claire wouldn't recognize her new look. He sat down on the floor next to her and patted her knee awkwardly.

"Well," he said after a minute. "That really sucks. I'm sorry Claire."

Claire nodded. Really sucks didn't even begin to address how she felt about her interaction with John Bender today. The look of shock on his face had been pretty priceless, but then he'd followed her when all she had wanted was to get away. To make it worse, he'd kissed her, and she had responded.

Claire Standish found herself suddenly wanting to die on the spot. Just lay down and….stop breathing. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be working out like she wanted that day.

Now, she had an idea how Andy and Alison had felt after their break-up. They had tried to make it work but in the end, their personalities got in the way. Alison had discovered that she really wasn't ready to be a one guy one girl type, and Andy had discovered that he wasn't a one "girl" type. Of course, after the world had ended when John Bender and Claire Standish had been seen talking, let alone sucking face in the hall, Andy's realization that he genuinely liked guys had been almost no big deal.

"So," Andy piped up. "Do you have any other classes today?"

Claire shook her head. After she had gotten home, and discovered that she could still breathe, she had headed to the secondary campus for her Fabrics class. Friday was her light day.

"You still thinking about going to Megan's party tonight?"

"I don't know," Claire whispered. "It's been…a hard day."

"Well," Andy reasoned, "That's all the more reason to go, isn't it? Hard days can always be cured by hard drinking. Right?"

Claire couldn't help but giggle. Andy was a light-weight, a Two Beer Tommy, so the thought of him drinking hard was hilarious.

"I don't know… Maybe. I'm going to see what Ali and Brian are up to." If they weren't going, Claire certainly wasn't about to.

"Well, last I talked to them, they'd be there. Want to all just go together? Bronco's got plenty of room," Andy offered. He pretty much knew that, to be on the safe side, he should be the designated driver.

Claire thought it over. On the one hand, she wasn't really in the mood for bad music, cheap beer, and the idiot parade that she seemed to attract at parties. On the other…she really wasn't in the mood to stay home, listen to the Cure, and cry herself to sleep. Decision made, she nodded.

"Alright, that sounds good," she smiled at Andy.

"Alright," he smiled back. "Now, get to those Up-Downs!"

Claire groaned.

John paced his living room floor nervously. This was a bad idea. This was a really fucking bad idea. He sniffed and pulled a cigarette out of his pack on the table and lit it. He crossed to the window as he took a deep drag.

It had been one thing to sit and talk to Alison and Brian today about going to a party, "accidentally" bumping into Claire, and finally getting a chance to explain himself. It was entirely another to be staring at the clock, waiting for Brian to show up, and actually be on the way to that party.

"Shit," he murmured to the cactus on his windowsill. The cactus was unimpressed by his profanity.

He stamped out his cigarette and lit another, glancing at the clock. It was 7:30, and Brian would be here soon. John was tempted to fake sick, tell Brian he had too much homework. Hell, may he just wouldn't answer the door.

Knock, knock.

Speak of the devil…

John opened the door, and Brian stood there wearing a very much not trademark smirk, and a completely not trademark jacket.

John waved him in and shut the door behind him.

"Nice threads," he said in opening. The leather jacket was fitted and decorated here and there with bright silver chains that matched the one on his black jeans.

"Thanks. Alison and Claire made it for me for my birthday," Brian grinned.

John found himself momentarily dumb-founded. The Claire Standish he'd known (fucked over) in high school would have vomited before she ever even touched this kind of jacket, let alone helped make it.

"Well," Brian's grin widened. "They didn't make it, per se, but yeah, they modified it. Claire found it in a thrift shop, and found the chains in a hardware store." Brian had worn it on purpose, hoping to see the idiot look that currently graced Bender's face. He certainly hadn't been off.

John, meanwhile, was pretty sure he'd been having an out of body, since he'd just heard the words Claire, thrift shop, and hardware all in the same sentence.

"So, you ready? Andy's picking up Claire. They might already be there, I'm not sure," Brian mumbled this last part a bit.

"So, those two are still good, then?" Somehow, thinking Alison and Andy were still together made him feel more like shit.

"Who? Alison and Andy?" Brian knew damn well who he'd meant, but this was kind of fun.

"Yes, dweeb, Alison and Andy." John let murder slip into his face, but new and improved Brian just laughed it off.

"Actually, they broke up a couple months into freshman year. Alison wasn't ready and Andy," Brian paused, not wanting to out his friend. "Andy wasn't either," he finished lamely.

"But Alison and I got together, and we've been going out since, so I can't really say it's upsetting."

Huh. So not only was he the only one who couldn't hack a relationship, he'd apparently missed a lot as well.

"So now…what? Andy and Claire then?" John couldn't stop the words coming out of his mouth.

"Yes, John, Claire's actually completely happy, and in love with one of my best friends. That's why I'm trying to help you out here, 'cause it's been too long since I've had the chance to really see someone get fucked over and get their heart broken." Brian's words came out with a little more venom than he'd intended, but he watched them hit home and couldn't find any regret.

"Shit, man. I guess I deserved that. I just had to ask, ya know?" John hung his head and closed his eyes. Finally, he shook his head to clear it.

"So, we goin' or what? I'd like to see big Bri cut loose." When he picked his head up, the smirk was back in place, and there was a hint of mischief in his eyes. Brian smiled and lead the way out to his car.

This would either be great…or it would be the single worst idea he and Alison had ever had. Only one way to find out…