For all other author's notes and the disclaimer see Chapter One. Please read them before reading the fic. Thanks. Send feedback to nova_mist@yahoo.com Please read and review.

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The Altered View Monday Can Bring

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March 26^th, 1984

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Chapter Seven – The Basket-Case and The Athlete

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As Andy pulled his books out his locker, he noticed that Allison was standing very self-consciously, aware of all the looks they were getting. To his right, Andy could see Victoria Sanderson standing on the other side of the hall, trying to engage in a conversation with Hannah Newnham. One of the biggest bitches in the school, Victoria was always trying to weasel her way into Hannah's group: The Princesses.

Andy frowned; wondering about what Claire was doing right now.

"Who's that?" Hannah snapped at Victoria, cutting Victoria off in mid-sentence.

"Who?" Victoria responded quickly, excited that Hannah was asking her a question.

"The girl with Andy Clark." Hannah replied snappily.

"I dunno." Hannah admitted. "She looks familiar, though." She added, squinting slightly at Allison.

"Yeah, you're right." Hannah said.

"That's Allison Reynolds." Geena Smith butted in, opening her locker. Geena had walked up behind the other two girls, and was currently reapplying her lipstick using the mirror she had inside her locker door.

"The quiet girl who' s always wearing black?" Hannah asked Geena.

"But she's wearing normal clothes today." Hannah interjected, trying to be helpful. "A blue zip-up jumper-jacket, leather gloves, a long skirt an-"

"Who cares?" Hannah snapped, cutting Victoria off. "I just wanna know what the hell she and Andy Clark are doing together!"

Andy rolled his eyes and looked to Allison. "Just ignore them." he whispered to Allison. "They aren't worth worrying about."

Allison looked at him indignantly. "I'm not worrying." She said quickly, looking away from then group of girls. "They're just a bunch of bitches, right?" she asked Andy, looking him right in the eyes.

Andy smiled at her. "Right." He replied. "Come on," he said, gently tugging on the sleeve of the blue jacket that Andy had given to her on Saturday. "Let's get out of here."

Allison hesitated a moment, and then smiled and followed Andy down the hall.

"So…" Andy said awkwardly. "How was your weekend?" he asked. Oh, your questions are getting better by the second, Clark! Andy snapped at himself. You must be the King of Stupid Questions.

Allison looked at him for a moment before answering. "Pretty boring." she acknowledged. "I spent Sunday thinking about Sunday, and perfecting the make-up techniques Claire showed me." she told him. "I'm not wearing eye-liner, though. I was reading a magazine over the weekend, and it said that using eye-liner all the time can give you a lot of wrinkles around the eyes."

Andy smiled at her. "And which magazine was it where you read that?"

Allison grinned and looked embarrassed. "Vogue." She admitted.

Andy laughed, and Allison glared at him. Andy's mouth shut with a snap. Allison's glares, like John's, were very intimidating. "Read anything else in Vouge that was of interest?" he asked her.

"Well," Allison considered, revelling in the attention that Andy was giving her. "Apparently only 71% of women shave or wax their legs and/or underarms." She said matter-of-factly.

Andy laughed. "Is that so?" he asked, as he opened the front doors of the school and began to walk down the steps.

"According to Vogue." Allison replied. She looked at him very seriously. "And we all know how very reliable Vogue's sources are."

Andy burst out laughing. "Yeah, right up there with National Enquirer."

Allison laughed. "What did you do over the weekend?" she asked Andy as they stepped back into the parking lot.

Andy's eyes darkened. "Well, I spent Saturday night being yelled at by my father for getting a detention, and then got yelled at again when he remembered seeing you and I kissing."

They both blushed scarlet at that comment.

"Sorry I got you into trouble, Andy," Allison whispered, stopping in the middle of the car park.

Andy stopped walking as well, and grasped Allison by the upper arms. "It' s nothing, believe me," he told her quietly. "Besides," he added, grinning. "it was well worth it."

Allison smiled coyly. "Really?"

"Yeah, really." Andy replied with a smile.

"What did you do on Sunday, then?" Allison asked him. "Surely your father didn't yell at you all weekend."

"He would have if he could." Andy muttered darkly.

Allison gave him a worried look.

"But he couldn't, you see, because I had a wrestling meet on Sunday." Andy cut in before Allison could say anything.

"But I thought your wrestling meet was next Saturday." Allison said.

"Oh, it is. It's just that my father decided to also enter me in this particular one without telling me first. In fact, he didn't tell me I was going in the damn thing until it was about twelve hours before I was due to compete." Andy continued. "You see, my father seems to think that he can live my life for me. He has it all planned out."

Allison grimaced. "Ouch," she said. "Well, how did you go at your meet?' she asked Andy.

"I won." Andy replied shortly.

BBBBRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG! BBBBRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGG!

"Aw, fuck." Andy complained as the bell rang. "I hate that stupid bell! It always reminds me that I only have five minuted of freedom left before first period."

"What do you have first?" Allison asked him.

Andrew paused for a moment, trying to remember. Then, he groaned loudly. "Aw, shit! I have PE!" he moaned. "With Coach Sheldon!" he added. Wow, today is just getting worse by the second! Andrew thought to himself.

Allison looked at him sideways. "I though you were Coach Sheldon's Golden Boy." Allison said, smirking slightly.

Andy rolled his eyes. "That's only when I win." he told her, stopping again.

Allison stopped as well, and stood facing him. "But I thought you did win on Sunday." Allison said, confused.

Andy smiled at her. "Yes, but you see, apparently my attitude is worth shit. Unless I 'get down and focus' I could 'blow me whole ride'." Andy said, mocking his father's voice. "I just don't get it, you know? I mean, why me? Why couldn't I just be someone else? What did I do to deserve this?" he sounded self-pitying.

Allison squeaked in slight annoyance. It was a good situation compared to a lot of other peoples'. "Nasty." she observed. "But, look at it this way," she pointed out. "it could be worse…"

"Worse?" Andy shrieked. "How could it be worse?"

He is so self-absorbed! Allison thought angrily. She looked at Andy, angry as well as annoyed. "You think you have it tough? Try having your parents ignore you all the time like mine do!"

"Ignore you?!" Andy yelled. "I wish to God that my parents would ignore me!"

Allison's dark eyes flared angrily. "Oh, so I don't have problems?" she spat at him. "Or, if you do happen to acknowledge that fact that I do, they aren't as big or as important as yours?!" she yelled. "Well, you could have a father like a certain someone we know has!" she snapped at him. "That would mean not just having your father yell at you and nag you, but make you feel like shit! And beat the shit out of you in a drunken rage! Or…" she leaned in closer to him, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "you could have him burn you on the arm with a cigar for spilling paint in the garage!" she hissed. "Are you really that caught up in your own problems that you can't see anyone else's?" she asked him, and turned on her heel and quickly walked away.

Andy stood there in shock, mouth gaping open. She's right, you know! He snapped at himself. You really are so caught up in your own problems that you can't see what everyone else is going through is just as bad, and a lot of people have it a hell of a lot worse. "Allison!" Andy yelled, running after her, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from everyone who was watching. Allison had stormed over to the oak tree on the other side of the parking lot, away from everyone else. "Allison! Wait!" Andy cried, running over to her.

Allison spun around. "Keep. Away. From. Me!" she yelled at him. "Try looking at reality, Andy! Other people have problems as well as you! You noticed that fact that I have problems on Saturday, didn't you?" she asked him. Then, she scowled. "Or was that nothing but an act?"

"No, Allison, I-" Andy protested.

"Well, if you saw them then, why can't you see them now?!" she snapped. "Everyone here has problems, no matter how petty or insignificant they may seem!"

"Allison, I-"

"Goodbye, Andrew!" she snarled, and stormed off.

Andy glared at her retreating back for a moment, before angrily kicking the tree-trunk. "FUCK!" he yelled, before turning and running back over to the school doors. Damn, I know I'd fuck this up somehow. But the problem is…how in God's name do I fix it?