With Bender off doing Bender things, and Brian at summer camp, Allison and Andy are the only ones left from the Breakfast Club.

Tuesday night, Andy lies to his father, saying he is going to Sharkey's with the team. Instead he goes to Allison's house, where they have been hanging out during the day. Tonight they are doubly free, as her parents are on their yearly vacation to the Bahamas.

Andy is stretched out across the sectional sofa this evening, idly flipping through the cable channels. He stops on MTV. Allison is sitting on the floor drawing him, a quick sketch that captures his athletic poise and defined muscles. She is distracted by a video showing a naked Prince crawling across a floor littered with flowers. She watches for a moment, then loses interest, returning to her sketch.

Andy sits up and leans over her shoulder to see what she is drawing. Allison feels exposed, letting Andy see something that has come from her heart, but she lets him look.

He slides down onto the floor next to her. "This is really good." He continues looking. "This is what you see?"

"Yeah," she breathes. She's never let anyone look at her sketchbook. She feels unprotected, as if her chest were cracked open, showing her heart. Like those pictures of Jesus you see on prayer cards.

Andy's eyes trap hers and they lean into a kiss. She melts into him, his arms around her. He pulls her closer. Her hand moves from Andy's waist, under his shirt. She feels warm skin, smooth muscle.

Allison ignores the ringing of the phone, until she hears her own name on the answering machine. It's Bender. She pulls away from Andy's embrace and dives for the cordless sitting on the coffee table.

Before Allison can do more than gasp Hello, Bender is talking, quick in a low voice.

"Allison, is Sporto there? Does he have the Bronco?'

Allison replies, "Yes, why-"

Bender cuts her off before she can complete her question. "Look, it's my sister, I need help finding her."

Bender has a sister? And why would he be finding her? Is she lost?

"Pick me up, my place," he continues urgently. "432 Jenkins Road. Hurry." He hangs up.

Andy is sitting on the edge of the couch, waiting for a report.

"He needs help, it's his sister," Allison explains breathlessly. "Let's go."

Andy is confused. "What sister? Go where?" But he is putting on his shoes, getting ready to go.

In a few moments, Allison is hurrying them out of the house, grabbing her purse on the way out. Andy knows where Jenkins Road is and they pull away from the curb, tires squealing.

"That's a bad neighborhood, Jenkins Road," Andy says as he takes a left at a stop sign. Allison doesn't care, only that they get there as quickly as possible.

432 Jenkins Road is a dilapidated one story house, paint peeling from the wooden clapboard. One window is boarded up and vines creep up the side of the house. A step is missing from the stairs up to the porch. Bender easily jumps it in his rush to the Bronco.

Allison has clambered into the back seat and Bender takes the front seat. "What's going on, Bender?" Andy asks.

"It's my sister, she's run away from home. If I don't get her back in time for the social worker visit tomorrow morning, they'll take her away." Bender's voice cracks at the end of his rushed explanation.

Andy immediately pulls away from the curb. "Where to, Bender? Where would she be?"

Allison stifles her many questions and focuses on the immediate details necessary. "What does she look like? Do you know what she's wearing? Does she have friends she can go to?"

"She's 10. Her hair is sort of blonde, cut short. She looks like a boy, boy's clothes, jeans and an old red sweatshirt. I don't think she has friends." He pauses and collects his thoughts. "She might be at the skate park, Andy. You know where that is?"

Andy does know. He peels out again and gets headed in the right direction, towards the industrial side of town. The skate park, which Allison has never heard of before, turns out to be one block south of the down at heel end of downtown Shermer. The chain link fence enclosing the skate space is low and Bender climbs it easily.

"Alex!" Bender yells. "Al!" He disappears from view as he slides down the incline. He reappears on the far side, near a ticket booth. He thrashes about in some bushes to the right of the booth, inspects a nook to the left. He returns, scrambling over the fence, shaking his head.

"Where to, Bender?" Andy immediately asks.

"Shermer Park, down by the river. She hangs out down there sometimes." Allison puts a hand on Bender's shoulder.

They spread out when they reach the park, sweeping the area near the river. Bender calls her name. They come together again at the far side of the park. No luck.

Bender directs them to an abandoned grain elevator, a disused train siding, an empty lot. Alex is nowhere to be found. As they sit in the Bronco after searching the empty lot, Allison hears a familiar sound she can't place, a rattling, dragging sound. Bender bolts out of his slumped position and out of the vehicle. Allison looks ahead and sees what looks like a boy on a skateboard, short dirty blonde hair and a red sweatshirt. It must be Alex. She is rolling downhill, gathering speed. She gracefully guides her skateboard in gentle arcs as she approaches.

She comes to an abrupt stop in front of Bender and expertly flips her skateboard up into her waiting hand. Her hair is rumpled and Allison sees a few twigs clinging to the elbows of her sweatshirt. She has a smear of dirt on her cheek. She looks like she has been crying, but has a hard, angry look on her face now.

"Al! Where have you been? Are you OK?" Bender for once has shed his cool, nonchalant attitude and looks beside himself with worry. He grabs her and tucks her into a one armed hug.

She squirms out of Bender's embrace and says, "Jesus, get off. You're acting like Aunt Marge." She lets Bender keep one hand on her shoulder, though.

"Alex, you have to come back home." Bender's voice is gentle, almost apologetic.

"Screw that. She can go to hell. I'm not taking it anymore."

"Al, you could end up in some group home. Please come home." Alex looks adamant. "Look, I've been there, it's not some place you want to go." Bender pauses and adds, "They'll take your skateboard."

Alex has been looking off, arms folded, refusing to look at any of them, but now she swings back. She turns worried eyes up to look at Bender. "My skateboard? They'd take my skateboard?"

"Yes, Al. They'll take your skateboard and no roaming around after school. You'll be under lock and key. You don't want to end up there."

"But Ma, I can't stand Ma anymore. She won't leave me alone, she won't get off my back." Alex's eyes look ready to spill over with tears, but she blinks them back.

"Let me take care of Ma. I should've done this long ago. Alex, I promise I'll get her off your back." Alex allows Bender to put his arm around her shoulders and she leans against him. "C'mon, let's go home."

They turn back towards the Bronco and Alex seems to notice Allison and Andy for the first time."Who are these losers?"

"These are my friends, Allison and Andy."