John walked a good 15 minutes before deciding he wasn't going to go home and instead took a few shortcuts to get to Jack's house. He couldn't help but think of Claire even though he tried to keep her out of his mind. Even though he acted like he didn't care he was going to show up at the mall and he was looking forward to it.
John finally made it to Jack's house and though he earlier decided against going he just didn't want to try and sneak into his house he was having such a good night that he didn't want to ruin it. He got to Jack's window and started lightly tapping on it. It was dark in the room he wasn't sure if Jack was asleep or not.
"Pssst, Jack." He whispered. He then started tapping a little louder. "Hey Jack, come on man wake up." Still nothing, finally, John began getting up and started knocking on the window. He was about to give up when he saw the door to the room open.
"Goodnight mom." Jack said as he closed the door leaving the lights off. John took this opportunity to get his dear friends attention. He started banging on the window.
"Jack open this damn thing up." In the next instant the window opened.
"Hello there Johnny boy, now what do I owe for this honorable visit?" Jack asked with a smile on his face.
"Just let me in." John said.
"Aww did someone have a bad night?"
"No actually I had an extremely good night."
"Really please do share with the class."
"Not till you let me in." John said waiting for his friend to move out of the way.
"Well Johnny boy that's where we has a problem because I ain't going to let you in until you tell me why you had a good night, because" he said while examining his nails, "I do like people to have rotten days, as it just makes me feel better, but as you had a good night that may just ruin my night, and you see I can't have that going on in my life." He said returning his attention back to Johnny.
"Well since you put it that way, let me the fuck in before I pulls you out the damn window and make you stand out here." Jack rolled his eyes and moved out of the way.
"You ain't any fun anymore Johnny, you ain't no fun." John was pulling himself through the window and swiftly made it into Jack's room. "Once again welcome to Jack's room, if you mess it up clean it and if you stay the night in Jack's messy room you clean it anyways."
"There ain't anything to clean you dope you always have a messy room."
"Not when you stay the night. You want any food? Mom took me out tonight we got a lot of left over food."
"Nah it's alright I'm full." He said looking around the familiar room.
"Full, you?" Jack asked with a horrified look on his face. "John what the hell happened to you tonight?" John just turned at his friend and smiled.
"You are going to flip when you hear this." He said, sure guys don't really talk to each other, but John and Jack were like brothers they grew up together. They knew more about each other then anyone else, Jack was there when John's dad first laid a finger on him. John was there when Jack's father left and his mother started going out with the all the wrong guys. They were thick and told each other just about everything, these two were true best friends. Even though know one really knew it.
"Please enlighten me."
"You remember that girl we saw in the cafeteria, Miss Prom Queen?" Jack just nodded his head. "Her name is Claire Standish."
"Sounds like a fat person's name."
"That's what I said. Well she lives up on the "Richies" boulevard."
"What you stalking her now? Johnny come on I didn't think you would ever steep that low."
"Shut up, and no after school I was trying to get the hell out of there in hopes that Dick wouldn't catch me."
"So you got away with pulling that alarm then."
"Hey I didn't do anything."
"John come on I know it was you, because I told you that the teach was going ta screw me over by not giving me enough time to prepare myself for the brief demonstration I was going to give, and right when she was about to call on me the fire alarm went off which gave me time to present it on Monday." John just shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks man."
"Don't worry about it but Claire, it's a family name by the way, she pulls over in her daddy's BMW and asks if I need a ride."
"That's all bullshit Johnny none of that is true."
"No?" John asked taking off his scarf, coat and jacket then rolled up his sleeve. "Look this was a dark bruise till Claire gave me ice for it, some swellings gone down too."
"I don't believe you." Jack said even though he did believe his friend.
"I sat in her room she has her own bathroom and she uses her money from working with her daddy who is a doctor. We had Chinese for dinner and her mom drinks a lot, plus her parents can fight. She closed her bedroom door and you can still hear the yelling and even some glass breakage."
"Damn so then I guess all families are fucked up in some way."
"She invited me to the mall tomorrow Jack, the fucking mall, where everyone goes." John said sitting on the bed.
"A richie invited you John Bender to the mall?" John just nodded his head. "Moving up in life are we now?"
"The thing is her dad was pretty cool really laid back, her mom didn't like me."
"So you gonna to go tomorrow?"
"I don't know," John lied, "I haven't really thought about it."
"You got to be shitting me John you got to go."
"And why is that?"
"Because just think of it this can be like a turn around for you, I mean like you know."
"She's too good for me Jack." Jack just looked at Bender with a serious look on his face.
"Bender, don't do that to yourself."
"It's true though I mean you think she will stick around when she finds out about my mom and dad, she will end up thinking that I'm going to end up like my old man, a fucking screw up."
"You need to stop that because you ain't your old man Bender and you will never be like him."
"You don't know that."
"But I do John, you ain't your dad I know that much."
"Well enough of that huh, how was your dinner?"
"Nice, mom took me to this place that just opened up. And man do they give you tons of food. We have leftovers to last us about four days, you sure you don't want any?"
"Nah, I'm fine." The room stayed silent for a bit. "Hey, you wouldn't mind letting me borrow a shirt would ya?" John asked after convincing himself he should.
"Why for?" Jack asked as he began to pick up the fallen pillows and place them back onto his bed.
"Because I got somewhere to be in the afternoon and I don't want to show up wearing the same shit."
"Why don't you wear something out of the clothes you always bring over."
"Aren't they all dirty too?"
"Nah, ma got to washing everything the other day all your clothes are squeaky clean." Jack said tossing a blanket and a pillow to Johnny.
"What I don't get the bed?"
"You got the bed last time, besides the bed is mine so back off."
"It wasn't my fault I got the bed I fell asleep, if you really wanted it you would have kicked me off."
"But I didn't have the heart you just looked so sweet and peaceful." Jack said putting his hands together and pressing them against his face, while batting his eyes.
"Stop that it's disturbing."
"You're disturbing Johnny." John just rolled his eyes. He began looking around as though searching for something.
"Where's the cot?"
"What cot?"
"My little mattress, where is it?" Jack sat down rested an arm on his knee then placed a hand to his chin as though lost in deep thought.
"Cot I know of no cot."
"Dude seriously you can't just give me a blanket and a pillow and expect me to sleep easy on the floor, come on I have an important thing to do tomorrow and I need my beauty sleep." John said sarcastically as always.
"Johnny you would suck at finding anything without me you lazy ass, check the damn closet."
"No, you do it for me."
"Why?"
"Because, I am scared of the monster in there." John said as innocently as he could. Jack just grumbled and went to his closet to pull out the small mattress that was leaning against the wall when there was a knock at the door.
"Jack honey." Jack's mother called out.
"Yeah mom?"
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah mom why wouldn't I be?" Jack said rolling his eyes and shrugging his shoulders.
"Is John in there with you?" She asked.
"Yeah he is mom." In that moment the door opened.
"Hello John," she said with a smile on her face, "I thought I was going crazy hearing voices and all. When did you get here?"
"About eight minuets or so ma'am."
"I didn't see you come in."
"Well you see I am practicing being invisible, you know that way they stop paying attention to me in school and all."
"You came in through the window didn't you?"
"Yes I did."
"I thought so you know all you had to do was say so John."
"Oh, I know but I am really shooting for being invisible."
"John met a girl today ma." Jack interrupted as pay back for having to retrive the cot from the closet.
"Oh, I can see why he wanted to come here then, too excited to wait and tell your best friend I see."
"She lives in the nice neighborhood ma, BMW's and everything."
"John has an eye for them fancy ones I see." She said with a smile, John was smiling as well.
"I guess you can say that, and I guess you can also say that if Jack starts screaming it'll be because I put him in a head lock and if I break his arm it'll be because he wouldn't say uncle."
"I would like to see you try Johnny Boy." Jack replied.
"Now, now you two settle down." Jack's mom said still with that smile on her face. "Really you should rest up, because since it seems as though John is staying the night you two can do some yard work for me in the morning."
"Johnny can't ma he has a date with the same girl tomorrow." This time John gave Jack a look that silently said, "One more word out of your mouth and I swear it'll be your last."
"Then maybe another day. Well goodnight you two." She said as she closed the door behind her.
"Night." The two said in unison.
"Your mom is too nice, why does she get mixed up with scum bags anyways?" John asked. Jack just shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know but it bothers me, she took me out to dinner to apologize for the last guy. It's sad because I know she's going to do it again. I think it's all because she's trying to replace my dad with someone that is like my dad." John just shook his head, and laid down in the cot that he had fixed up while Jack's mother was in the room. "I don't know she's slowly doing better, I mean she got a promotion and she broke up with that one guy, she seems a bit more confident. I say as long as she doesn't get a boyfriend in the next few months her self esteem will greatly improve."
"Most likely your mom always has a way of finding good situations in everything. That's probably where you get it from."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked as he went and turned off the light then he laid down into his bed.
"Well I mean look at you, you get good grades you can be friends with anyone yet you still hang out at the stoner table with us potheads."
"I only maintain my grades for my ma's sake and you were my friend long before anyone else was, plus you aren't a pothead."
"Yeah I am and you know it."
"Well I ain't no dweeb ya know." He said putting his hands behind head and looking up at the ceiling.
"Yeah I know you drink on occasion and smoke with me at times, but still Jack you got something going for you I mean you can go to college and school isn't that hard for you."
"Is it hard for you Johnny? Or do you just find it has no purpose?"
"I don't know, what do you mean?"
"You know what I mean Johnny, I know you, you are a smart guy and you can do just about anything when you WANT to, and I emphasize want on purpose. You don't put any effort into school because you feel you won't get anything from it, but you know what? If you put a little more effort into school you can get yourself a scholarship, get out of Shermer, and you can be someone. That's all you really need, a purpose, who knows Johnny maybe that girl is your purpose, huh buddy." There was silence. "Johnny?" Jack asked lifting his head from off his hands and turning to see Johnny facing away from him. "You piece of shit falling asleep on me, I just made the greatest best friend speech there ever was and you didn't even stay up to listen to it. Yeah good night to you too ass." Jack said as he turned against the wall and slowly drifted to sleep.
"Loser." Johnny whispered while laughing quietly to himself. He turned onto his back looking up at the ceiling with his hands rested on his stomach. He heard what Jack said and he thought about Claire, but at the moment when he pictured her in his mind he also pictured Jack's mother. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes trying to think about anything else just so he could get some rest.