What a day. I had been in Saturday detention a number of times, but the times before only ever included weed and naps. I never made friends there before, and I really never asked out a girl there before. And it wasn't just any girl, it was fucking Claire Standish.

I had only ever seen her around school enough to think she was just a typical popular girl and spoiled rotten. After actually talking with her, she seemed alright.

I carefully lowered myself out of the vent and sat back down on a pile of crap in the storage room, waiting for Vernon to let me out. I started to look for something to do when I heard the door open.

I didn't think it was three yet...

Either Vernon got a red wig, or it was Claire that came in. She closed the door behind her and leaned back, trying to hold in a bigger smile than she was already smiling.

"You lost?"

~!~!~

Usually when I start going out with a girl, we'd go to a party or something, but pretty much the moment after it was official, she hopped in her dad's car and left. That was different, and I liked it. There was more mystery there. I walked home exhilarated, thinking about all that would change by being with her. Maybe she'd help me finally move on from Jennifer.

The Monday after, we made it absolutely clear that we were a couple. Frankly, I was impressed. I kept holding her hand and she kept smirking at everyone that gave us a funny look. We ate lunch by ourselves in the corner of the cafeteria and generally acted like any other couple.

We didn't verbally tell anyone about us, they all seemed to catch on anyway. I practiced my look that I'd give to people I knew, except for Jen. I couldn't think of where to begin with her, I didn't even tell her the Saturday it happened. With other girls, she'd hear me in my room with her and that would be that, but Claire was obviously different than them. As far as I could tell, we had a real relationship going on. Or at least what I could consider real, given that all girls to me were ultimately distractions from Jen.

Thursday of that week, Claire wanted to see my house.

"No you don't,"

She held the collar of my denim jacket and stepped closer to me. "Of course I do. John, you seem so distant, maybe this'll help me get to know you better."

"It's a hole, why waste our time when you got a nice place we can hang out?"

Her big, brown eyes looked up into mine and she pouted, "Please? For me."

Fuck.

~!~!~

"Don't look now," Claire whispered on our walk to my house, "but Jennifer Henson is following us."

FUCK. "Who?"

"You don't know her? Consider yourself lucky, she's such a bitch."

WHAT. "How so?"

"She used to go out with Daniel Baker. He was so crazy for her, then out of nowhere, she dumped him. Now he's depressed and she completely avoids him."

"Well, Dan's a dick, so good for Janice."

"Jennifer,"

"Right, that's what I said."

"Daniel's not bad. Jennifer, however, is. Just believe me on this. She totally hates me, too. Maybe she's waiting for me to be alone so she can confront me or something."

I was just about ready to shove Claire into the gutter. How could I go about doing that without her knowing it was for Jen...?

"Stop it, Claire."

Her eyes widened, so I just looked straight ahead. "Stop what?"

"I don't like gossip."

"It doesn't effect any of the people you like, why do you care?"

I stopped and yanked my arm back from around her shoulders. "Claire, stop it or I'm gone. I hate gossip, I shouldn't have to justify that to you."

Claire took a step closer, hugged me under my arms and leaned her head on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Of course I was still pissed at her for saying those things about my Jennifer, but I had to give her something. I couldn't think of anything decent to say so I patted her on the back and moved on.

~!~!~

I don't know what got into me, but I felt a strange emptiness in my stomach as I fit my key into the lock of my front door. Claire knew I lived in a pretty shitty place, but I wasn't sure how shitty she expected it to be. She lived in a big, warm, two-story place, pretty much the exact opposite of mine. I didn't care if she never came over again, I just didn't want her to treat me differently because of it.

I pushed the door open and stepped in, waiting for her to follow me. "Well, this is it. Regret coming here yet?" I put my keys and binder on the coffee table.

"It's not that bad," she said, peeling her jacket off and taking a look around.

If I had known that my new girlfriend was coming over, I would have at least thrown away all the beer cans laying around and taken care of all the muddy footprints on the floor. Too bad.

"Are we alone?"

I tossed my coat and scarf on the sofa, suddenly realizing that it was as cold inside as it was outside. "Yeah, my dad works late and my mom is probably out with one of her boyfriends."

"Your mom's cheating?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if my dad was, too."

"You seem to be okay with it."

"Why wouldn't I be? It's not my fucked up marriage. Wait here."

I went back to my bedroom and tossed all my dirty clothes sitting around into the laundry room then called back to Claire, "The coast is clear!"

In seconds, Claire was in my room. She looked really uncomfortable.

"What's eating you?" I sat next to her on my bed.

"It feels like my house."

I laughed. "Yeah, sure. Your palace is exactly like this."

"No, I didn't mean that. It feels the same."

"How do you mean?"

"It's lonely,"

"So? Lots of parents work late."

"Not empty, lonely."

"You lost me, Claire."

"My house used to feel like a home, but since my brother left, it feels hollow, you know?"

"No,"

"Of course not, you've always been like this. Imagine having someone here with you. Someone who was always right next to you, someone who understood without you having to explain. When my brother left, a part of me did, too. When he left, I realized that he was just pretending he was okay and that he was always trying to hide my real parents from me. When he left, I realized how bad it was at home."

"Is it really that bad?"

She looked down at her hands in her lap and shrugged. "I guess it's just lonely."

I didn't know what I could say. I took her cheek and turned her face to me then kissed her. Actions speak louder than words, my friends.

~!~!~

Around six, I walked Claire home. She had some homework to catch up on, and quite honestly I did too, but instead of getting straight to it, I went over to Jen's.

Imagine having someone here with you. Someone who was always right next to you, someone who understood without you having to explain.

I found that someone in the kitchen dancing to Frank Sinatra with a bowl of mac 'n cheese. I'm sure she knew I was there, but she wasn't ready to acknowledge me in mid-song. I saw some pasta left over and helped myself.

I leaned against the wall and watched her. Even as she mouthed the words, taking an occasional bite while spinning like a dizzy three year-old, I couldn't help but be reminded of everything that I already loved about her. To this day, I keep finding new reasons why. Of course she had annoying flaws, but there were so many damn reasons of why she was so damn wonderful, I overlooked them.

Soon, her song was over and she took the needle off the record. She hopped up onto the counter facing me and scraped the sides of her bowl with her spoon. "So... Claire Standish, huh?"

I took her bowl out of her hands and gave her a fresh scoop of mac 'n cheese. "What about her?"

"You're doing it with her now?"

"Do you think I'm made of stone? We're in an adult relationship, it's more deep than just sex." I shoveled a spoonful of pasta in my mouth anxiously.

"So you mean you're not doing it with her yet?"

"Fuck you too, Jen."

"Don't talk with your mouth full. I'm sorry I just really-"

I quickly swallowed. "You hate her, right?"

She exhaled loudly and slid off the counter. "Quite frankly, yes. But in all fairness, you hated Dan too, so it's only fair that I be as cool as you were."

"Are you kidding? You hated me more in those three months than you ever have the whole time I've known you."

"Exactly,"

"Okay, I won't ask you to like her, but don't aggressively hate her in front of me." I put my bowl in the sink. "Would you be a doll and make my bed up for me? I'll be back in a while." I kissed her on the cheek and went back to her bedroom to let myself out.

"Love you too, Bender."

I lingered in her bedroom for a moment, unsure as to why. Knowing I'd be back in a few hours, I hopped the fence. I took a seat on the couch and took my binder off of the coffee table. It wouldn't be long until I wouldn't have to deal with school shit anymore and I'd have to deal with real life shit. It wouldn't be long until I was out of the house and Jennifer's former neighbor.

When he left, I realized how bad it was at home.

I glanced at the newspaper. Eagerly, I looked up the apartment listings, saying out loud to myself, "I won't let that happen to me."