Disclaimer: I do not own any of the breakfast club characters
Within minutes of being at the bonfire every single member of the group had managed to get separated from each other. It was probably the biggest trash pit of the year; every single scum bag from the poor part of the city was there. It was like a god damned Woodstock gathering.
John considered looking for the others. It was safe to say Allison had never been to any gathering where there was more than ten people around her, and when most of them were actually looking at her. She probably had no idea what the fuck was going on. He suspected Clair and Andrew to be used to the party scenario, but this was no house party. John had seen at least four couples full out fucking and he'd only been at the event for twenty minutes.
On the other hand, he really didn't want to find them. It was like fucking babysitting, and he really wasn't in the mood. He was so fucking sick of everything. He was fucking tired of the one person who's supposed to give a shit about him turning around and throwing him around like a pillow. He was fucking tired of going day by day scared shitless because he had no idea what he was going to do about his future. He was watching himself get trapped in a hell hole and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. He was fucking tired of never being able to get ahead.
Before the company of the members of the breakfast club, John was able to just look past these thoughts. Now, it wasn't so easy. They were giving him a taste of their life. A taste of actually being scared to walk down the ghetto. It was like being able to sit in the coffee house and smell the java beans, but not having enough money to buy a cup. He didn't want to be the street smart one. He wanted to be normal. Like them.
Bender sighed and rolled his eyes. He'd brought them there. It didn't matter how much he wanted their normal lives or how much the secret jealousy he had grew, he brought them there. They were his responsibility. He couldn't let them just get ass raped or something.
It wasn't like John was ever really able to enjoy those types of parties anyways. He always had to watch how much he drunk, and after a while, being the only sober one really got irritating. If he did get trashed, he expected he'd probably go home with some whore and pick up some type of disease, or at the very least, she'd see his scars. It pissed him the fuck off when someone would ask him about any of his injuries. Like it was anyone else's fucking business. Even if they didn't say anything; they knew. He knew they knew.
In the place John lived in, he felt he needed the "hard ass" ego. It was what kept people from breaking into his house, or slitting his throat and leaving him in some dumpster. Without it, it was impossible to get by. If someone knew he'd let his old man beat the living shit out of him on a regular basis and that he was too much of a chicken shit to ever do anything about it.
Not that anything John could do would work. Joe Bender had a weight advantage on his son. He was almost two hundred pounds of pure muscle. Even if John didn't mentally shut down whenever he was around his father, he'd only get the shit beaten out of him more if he tried anything. And the police were a fucking joke. They didn't give half a shit about anything that happened in John's neighborhood. He doubted if they really even looked into their murder cases, or just put police tape up to decorate the otherwise gloomy street.
As John made his way through the crowd, he saw something that immediately brightened his grouchy mood. It was like a present from God. All that was missing was the note that said "dear John, sorry I gave you a shitty ass life, I'm handing this to you to make up for it." John couldn't stand up to his father, but he'd be damned if he'd let anyone else get an edge over him.
He watched as Richard Vernon examined the perimeters of the party, remaining cautious and stiff. He was surrounded by pretty much every student who he had ever given multiple detentions to before they ultimately dropped out. It was like a frenzy of people who hated him. There was only one thing that could persuade Richard to take the courageous step into the scenes of the bonfire; the sweet piece of ass he was with.
She was tall and had long blond hair. It didn't matter she was a party animal, and it didn't matter she was too young for him, this women looked like one of the swimsuit models in the dirty calendars he kept in his office, and she liked him. Some party was just a small price to pay for such a wonderful women.
Bender smiled to himself. Though he wanted to take Vernon up on his threats and knock the cock out of him, he'd only find himself in jail. The police would side with a principal long before they went with some juvie. Both Richard and John knew that; but now a situation had presented itself where John could teach the asshole who was fucking with without even getting physical.
"Hey toots, I thought you were working late." John said, using the same voice he often used to imitate his bitch of a mom. His lips spread to form the biggest smile possible as he moved in on Vernon's cheek; silently laughing as the principal hesitantly pulled away, before John grabbed his head in a hold and planted a convincing kiss on his cheek.
"Richard…you didn't tell me you had…a cousin?" the woman asked, bluntly confused. He had told her that he had no children, so why was this high school student going up to him and pecking his cheek as casually as if he had given him a handshake? The kid didn't even look French…
"No, Kate, this is a student of mine." Richard said, feeling somewhat uneasy. By now, John had his arm around his neck, and Kate was only looking at him with eyes of a prosecutor even more now. He should have lied. Should have told her that yes, John in fact was her cousin. Anything other than student.
"Oh, sure, now I'm just a student. Just an ordinary student, right?" John asked, sounding appalled. He pulled his hand away from Vernon, who was glaring at him and trying to read his every move. Sweat practically poured from his hairline, and John was loving it. He had no fucking idea what was happening.
"Yes, John, just an ordinary student. Now if you don't mind," Vernon started before John's face twisted in shock. This, of course, did not fail to capture Kate's attention. It was quite obviously he wasn't taking her anywhere. His little piece of ass was too interested in what John had to say, and so was Vernon. Whatever John was doing, it was the most bizarre behavior he had ever seen from him.
"So I guess I'm only special to you when you want to get your dick wet, is that it? All those fucking times you had me in that closet with you, and I was just another fucking ordinary student?" John shouted, finally revealing his scheme. He was making it seem like Richard was having homosexual relationships with students, and he had walked right into it.
"What is he talking about Richard?" Kate asked, looking at her dumbfounded date with total rage. He was some sick fuck and she was out with him! Her friends had advised her not to go out with a cradle robber, as they referred to him, and she had actually convinced them that he was harmless!
"Nothing Katie! This kid obviously needs a shrink or something! Look at him, he's dirt! Look at where he lives, look at how he dressed, who he is!" Richard rambled, truly at a loss of what to do. No student had ever been able to pull off such a clever plan. And what would he do in return? He couldn't give him a detention for being an ass at a bonfire that Richard wasn't even supposed to be at. An under-aged drinking spot was like a two weeks notice served in a patchy ghetto form for any school official caught within the area.
"Excuse me? He lives in the same place I live in! My brother has the same coat as him! So what, am I dirt Richard?" Kate asked, appalled that the man who had told her that he loved her no matter how much money she had on her or how broken down her house was, was actually calling someone just like her the same thing everyone else did; dirt.
"No! He's scum, not you! This kid is the biggest problem child at the school! He's a pain in the ass to deal with!" Vernon shouted, throwing an accusing finger at John, who played off like he was sick to his stomach by what was being said. This was probably the greatest moment of the infamous Bender's life.
"Well, dick, last time I checked you liked the pain in the ass I dealt you! Or is that not good enough for you anymore? I gave you everything, and all that time you were just taking advantage of me?" John asked, watching with pride in himself as Kate stumbled back a little. This was better than the fire alarm thing by a long shot.
"Oh my God. You can't mean…" Kate trailed off, her mind involuntarily creating an image of the young boy and the old man together. It was like walking in on her parents having sex. Leather costumes and all.
"Well, sweets, all I'm saying is that there have been chats between us out of school involving his party knocking around my dick, and lets not forget you trying to figure out how tough I am, hot buns." John mentioned, the cocky smile starting to form on his lips despite the fantastic acting job he was giving off.
By this point, Richard could just stammer and sweat. John had taken his threat to beat the shit out of him and turn it all sexual. The shock of being able to do that, and reciting the very words that could land him in a shitload of trouble whether they were taken for what they were or what John had made them, was enough to make Richard unable to reason.
"You know what? You're a fucking sick-o! You need fucking help! I'm done, don't ever come anywhere near me again or I sweat to fucking God I'll call the cops. Fucking creep!" Kate exclaimed as she took off, running in the direction of the beat up car she had insisted instead of taking Vernon's nicer model. Apparently, it drew attention from the wrong crowd. Thus, Richard had not taken his car, and was left stranded.
"She was nice." John said casually, not taking his eyes off the running girl. If Bender had the ability to have sex with the events that had just unfolded, he would, that is how pleased he was with how everything that went down. It was all perfect. He felt better about his shitty life, because now Vernon's was shittier. At least John could get girls that looked like that, and they were replaceable if they ran off. Vernon wasn't so lucky
John took off to find his entourage before Vernon's face was even finished going through the transformation of sweaty and red to soaked and crimson.
"It's late, where were you?" Nina asked as John entered the living room. The girl was sprawled out on the couch smoking a cigarette and watching some crappy chick flick on the television. For her to be doing this boring action instead of sleeping, an action she only did when she had some purpose to stay up, she had to have been legitimately waiting up for him.
"None of your damn business." Bender replied as he checked around the corner of the doorframe to the hallway to see if his father's light was off, which signified that he was asleep. To his pleasure, he found the hall darker than Vernon's chances of ending up with another beauty like Kate.
"It is my business. You're my little brother; excuse me if I don't want you growing up to be some burn out in the ghetto!" Nina practically shouted, taking over a drastic mood swing. This meant one of the two things; she was either drunk or pregnant. John was willing to bet it was the first option. She was a slut, but she had a strict no glove no love policy.
"Are you new? I am a fucking burn out in the ghetto. You're not my fucking mom Nina, so mind your own fucking business. I could have been out fucking whores and eating up their VD and it's still none of your fucking business." John whispered coldly, trying to remain angry but while keeping his father a sleeping risk factor.
"You weren't fucking whores, Johnny. We both know that." Nina assured as she relaxed. If John had to lie about his whereabouts to make it sound like he had gotten into trouble, then he really hadn't. Otherwise, he'd have just told her the truth like he had before just to see how pissed he could get her.
"And just how the hell would you know? You fucking stalking me now?" John asked, though he didn't need an answer. Nina knew everything about him. She'd devoted her life to trying to be John's "mother figure". She knew the way he thought and the actions he would take in any situation. She didn't need to stalk him to know his whereabouts.
"Cut the crap. You're a cherry and you're always going to be a cherry. Getting intimate with someone would mean you'd have to actually drop the asshole thing long enough to get to know someone, and I've seen the way you talk to whores. You're fucking lucky one of those crazy bitches hasn't tried to stab you yet." Nina replied, smiling to herself as she remembered some of her late night walks with her younger brother. John was pretty much hated anything that breathed, but whores were on a whole other level. They pissed him the fuck off.
John glared. If anyone besides Nina ever discovered that he was a virgin, all hell might break loose. Of course, everyone's fist assumption would be that he was queer, and nobody was going to be afraid of some fudge packer walking down the street late at night. His street credit would be gone, and he'd be fucked. He took precautions to make sure it seemed like he had slept with plenty of women throughout his life just to avoid this.
"I found this in the yard. It looks real; I bet it's fucking worth a ton. If you ask me, I think it looks really queer on you, but I figured you'd want it back anyways." Nina replied as she handed John the diamond stud that had been carelessly ripped from his ear.
"You didn't sell it?" he asked, amazed that she had not pawned such a treasure for cash. Nina basically made all the money for the family, which was the main reason Joe Bender never bothered her anymore. She was prettier than most other girls her age, and could gold dig off any man.
"Jesus Christ, no John, I didn't sell it. I wouldn't pawn my own brother's things. Besides, I got some new rich prick who completely adores me. He's got no kids, a decent income, and would do anything for a younger woman. I'm gonna milk this ass for everything he's worth." Nina explained, her scam smile very evident on her face. It was like she thought she was the only woman alive who knew how to take advantage of men.
"Big deal. I'm going to bed." John declared, unable to form the words to thank her for returning the earring. It seemed stupid, but the tiny stud was a symbol that he had made somewhat of a difference on someone's life, even if it was just getting some frigid richie to give up her diamond earring to what she classified as dirt.
John Bender lay bare chested in his bed, unable to sleep though he was overcome with fatigue. He traced each scar with his eyes, remembering most of the stories that explained how he got each scar. A match, the shower head, the railing to the staircase, his own switchblade; every form of punishment left a very unique print on his skin.
John sat up as he heard a his name whispered through his open window. The name came again, this time louder, which surprised Bender for the moment causing him jump, which resulted in him falling to the ground. It wasn't particularly a far jump, considering his bed was actually just a mattress on the floor, but it was irritating nonetheless.
"God dammit Sporto, this better be fucking good!" Bender snarled, picking himself off of the ground and glaring at the jock. He had just put up with his ugly mug for a good portion of the night, for what reason could he possibly have fabricated for their late night meeting?
"I can't sleep. Wanna go do something?" Andrew asked in an uncomfortable manner, shifting his leg and looking at the ground. He really had never intended on ever relying on John as someone to hang out with, but after practically being killed in the very neighborhood he now called his own, it was near impossible to catch a beat of sleep, and he refused to invite any of his friends to his new quarters.
"What, and miss out on everything happening over here?" John asked sarcastically, throwing his cigarette in a nearly empty beer bottle and kicking it off to the side. Truth be told, as boring as it could get, John liked it when his house was uneventful. It was better than the alternative.
Nonetheless, Bender slipped on about three shirts and a coat before hopping out his window and leading the jock to a small diner he knew of. Besides the beer and dope, he really hadn't eaten anything all day and he knew he'd never fall asleep when his stomach was practically eating itself.
After Andrew had managed to order just about everything on the menu, and John got a small burger that he was sure was past his expiration date and was probably going to kill him, Andrew started yapping about something or other, something that Bender didn't really care enough to pay attention to.
"You know Bender, you really should start going back to school," Andrew said, finally earning himself John's attention, "this isn't the kind of place you want to be stuck in. I've only been here a few days and I already want to go back to my own fucking home." He explained, evoking unintended anger in John.
"Screw that. Mind your own fucking business, Sporto. You think I don't know all that? I'm not a fucking moron; I know what I'm doing, so mind your own fucking business." John declared. Lies. All lies. He had no idea what he was doing. He was watching his own future get destroyed, and there wasn't a lick of help he could support to the situation.
"Whatever, it was just a suggestion. You don't need to get all bunged up about it." Andrew remarked as he took a large bite of one of the three cheeseburgers he had ordered. It was times like these that made John understand why they had suddenly went poor.