There was more silence for another few beats. Samantha had calmed down with the help of Andrew. Even Bender felt bad for her because he hadn't realized that her home life was just as shitty as his was. Brian then speaks up after the silence became too heavy.

"I was just thinking, I mean. I know it's kind of a weird time, but I was just wondering… What's going to happen to us on Monday? When we're all together again? I mean, I consider you guys my friends. I'm not wrong, am I?" Brian asked. "No…" Andrew assured him.

"So, so on Monday… what happens?" he asked. Claire looks over at the brain. "Are we still friends, you mean? If we're friends now, that is?" she elaborated. Brian nods at her. "Do you want the truth?" she asked. "Yeah, I want the truth…" Brian asked.

"I don't think so," Claire whispered, a moment of silence following her words. "Well, do you mean with all of us or just John and Sam?" Allison asked. It was common to know that Bender and Samantha were outcasts in this school.

"That's a real nice attitude, Claire!" Andrew snapped. "Oh, be honest, Andy. If Brian came walking up to you in the hall on Monday, what would you do? What would you do if your friends saw you with Samantha? I mean, picture this, you're there with all the sports. I know exactly what you'd do, you'd say hi to them, and when they left you'd cut him all up so your friends wouldn't think you really liked them," Clare snapped.

"No way…" Andrew firmly said. Samantha looks up at him, he returned the look. There was no way that Andrew would ever do that, especially since he's got a girl he's fallen head over heels for.

"That's real nice, Claire. Andy's a good person. He'd still be with me," Samantha defended. "You actually believe that he will?" Claire asked. "Yeah…" Samantha scowled at her

"'Kay, what if I came up to you?" Allison asked her. "Same exact thing…" Claire said. Bender became furious at Claire's statement. "YOU ARE A BITCH!" he roared at her, leaning forward a little. Claire's attention went back to him, her eyes wide in surprised-anger.

"Why? Because I'm telling the truth? That makes me a bitch?" Claire demanded. "No! 'Cause you know how shitty that is to do to someone! And you don't got the balls to stand up to your friends and tell 'em that you're gonna like who you wanna like!" Bender snarled back, pointing a dangerous finger at her.

"Okay, what about you, you hypocrite! Why don't you take Allison or Samantha to one of your heavy metal vomit parties? Or take Brian out to the parking lot at lunch to get high? What about Andy for that matter, what about me? What would your friends say if they saw us walking together? Or if they saw Andy and Samantha walking together? They'd laugh their asses off and you'd probably tell them you were doing it with me so they'd forgive you for being seen with me," Claire shouted.

Bender becomes furious at Claire, his face starting to become red with rage. "Don't you ever talk about my friends! You don't know any of my friends, you don't look at any of my friends and you certainly don't condescend to speak to any of my friends so just stick to the things you know! Shopping, nail polish, your father's BMW, and your poor, rich, drunk mother in the Caribbean!" Bender roared at her, throwing a harsh finger at her.

"SHUT UP!" Claire bellowed, kicking at him. But he continues on. "And as far as being concerned about what's gonna happen when you and I walk down the hallways at school, you can forget it! 'Cause, it's never gonna happen! Just bury your head in the sand and wait for your fucking prom!" Bender roared.

Tears were streaming down Claire's face by this point. "I hate you!" she cried, shaking her head. "Yeah?! GOOD!" Bender shouted. Samantha looked down for a moment, squeezing onto Andrew's hand.

"You wouldn't ignore us next Monday, Claire," she spoke, her eyes directly at the red-head. "What do you mean?" she asked me, her voice a broken whisper. "You may not know this about me, but I know people change by other people. We were all strangers this morning, but I see clearly that we've all changed. Andy won't ignore us, I won't be able to. I know that much," Samantha explained, making a good point.

"Then, I assume, Sam, Allison, and I are better people than you guys, huh? Us weirdos?" Brian trailed off, turning to Allison and Samantha.

"I don't have any friends," Allison answered softly. "Yeah… I really don't either. I've never opened up about my problems at home. Andy was the first one to ever know," Samantha added with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Well, if you guys did?" Brian said. "No. I don't think the kind of friends I'd have would mind," Allison replied. "I agree. What's the point of being friends with people that hate you being out with people outside of that friend group?" Samantha asked.

"I just wanna tell each of you, that I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't and will not! 'Cause I think it's real shitty," Brian firmly said. Claire just shakes her head at him. "Your friends wouldn't mind. They look up to us," Claire said, trying to act sincere.

"That's bullshit, Claire and you know it. Most people of a lower status than you think you're a bitch because of how you treat us," Samantha scowled, knowing that this wasn't true in the slightest. Brian started to cry, wiping his eyes. "You're so conceited, Claire! So conceited. You're so, like, full of yourself. What are you like that?" Brian laughed tearfully, wiping both eyes.

"I'm not saying it to be conceited! I hate it! I hate having to go along with what my friends say!" Claire exclaimed in tears this time. "Well, why do you do it?" Brain asked. "I don't know, I don't...you don't understand..you don't. You're not friends with the same kind of people that Andy and I are friends with! You know, you just don't understand the pressure that they can put on you!" Claire accused tearfully.

Brian was stunned by her words before becoming angry. "I don't understand what? You think that I don't understand pressure? Well, fuck youl Fuck youl" he said tearfully, hlding his eyes in his elbow. He started crying by this point.

"Know why I'm here today? Do you?I" he shouted, his voice muffled by his arm. Samantha felt Andrew's arm slink around her waist, tears rising in her eyes. Brian lowered his arm but kept his gaze on the

floor.

I'm here because Mr. Ryan found a gun in my locker" Brian continued. Samantha's head turned towards him, a concerned look on his face. "Why'd you have a gun in your locker, Brian?" she asked him softly.

Samantha knew the answer to that but she wanted to hear it from Brian.

"I tried to pull the fucking trunk on it, you know. The-The light's supposed to turn on, and it didn't turn on, I mean, I.." Brian answered through a stutter. "What's the gun for?" Andrew asked him.

Brian shook his head defensively. "No, just-just forget it," Brian said "You brought it up, man!" Andrew argued. Brian sniffled and wiped his eyes from oncoming tears.

I can't have an F, I can't have it and I know my parents can't have it! Even if I got an A for the rest of the semester, I'm still at a B.

Everything's ruined for me!" he cried.

Oh, Brian... Claire said, sounding concerned. Brian started to breath

heavily before knocking a chair over harshly. "I've considered many options, you krnow? he sternly said.

Brian, killing yourself isn't the answer It's the cowardly way out. Its running away from your problems, Samantha said, saying it to him and to herself.

"You.. You were doing the same thing.. Besides, I didn't do it, did I? No, I don't think so!" Brian bitterly. You're right. I did try, but Andrew convinced me not to do it," Samantha sald, talking Andrew's hand.

Bender glared at Brian for a moment. Was it a handgun?" Allison asked. It was a flare gun actually. It... went off in my locker," Brian corrected. Samantha started to snort-laugh, unable to stifle it. "Really?" Andy laughed.

"Fucking elephant was destroyed." "Why are we laughing then?" Samantha laughed. "It's not funny," Brian pouted, but he started to laugh too, it was something that she hadn't done in so long. Just the simpliestthing made her laugh this hard. It felt so good.

"You wanna know what I did to get in here?" Allison spoke. Both Andrew and Samantha looked over at her, big smiles on their faces. Allison then smiles at them sheepishly. Nothing. I had nothing

better to do," she laughed, a big smile on her face.

Samantha, as well as everybody else started to laugh hysterically. Samantha was hunched over, rying from laughing so hard. " You're laughing at me," Allison said. "No!" Andrew exclaimed, undermining the answer. We definitely are!" Samantha laughed excitediy, shoving him slightly.