Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing, not the movie, not the characters, not the plot. NO LAW SUITS!
Summary: Can Claire and John stand up to the pressure of dating someone outside their own social groups?
A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers. I know the last chapter was short so let's hope that this one is longer. Also, I have a tendency to be a little melodramatic, so if you're sensing that please let me know. R&R.
Claire stared blankly ahead as Mrs. Miller droned on endlessly about the colonials drove back the British at Bunker Hill. She could really care less about people she had never heard of and what they did 200 years before she was born. All she could think about was Bender. "Sit with me at lunch?" He was definitely into her, but would it last? Something flew past her face, narrowly missing her nose. Looking down she noticed a folded piece of paper on her desk. Careful not to draw any attention to herself she unwrapped it slowly. Claire, what the hell is up? You like totally ignored us this morning, and now it almost looks like you're actually paying attention to what the old bat is talking about? Did something happen that we should know about? There's even a rumor going around that someone saw you kissing John Bender a.k.a. Stoner, right before class. Who would make up a vicious lie like that? LYLAS, Anita.
Claire shot a sideways glance at Hannah and Anita, her two best friends who looked at her expectantly. Shaking her head she returned her gaze to the front of the room, but did not reply. What was wrong with them? True, there was a lot that had happened, but none of it was any of their business. Also, who were they to determine what was truth and what was lies? They obviously didn't know her all that well. She sighed, deeply lost in thought. In fact, she was so immersed in her own mind that she barely even heard the bell ring, and almost didn't notice the rest of the student body filing out into the narrow hallway. Most of the morning went like that. It wasn't until the bell that signaled the end of 5th period and the beginning of lunch rang that rushed out with her peers.
Normally she would stand around outside the cafeteria and chat with her friends or touch up on her makeup, but not today. Today she had other, more important things to do. As she struggled to pick out John in the constant murmur of voices and the endless hum of priceless energy only found when teenagers are having fun with their friends, she felt her heart stop. What if this were all some sort of cruel joke? What if John had only asked him to sit with her so he could cut her up in front of his friends. The thought made her shiver. He would never do that, she chided herself, there's more to him than meets the eye. She'd found that out for herself.
She breathed a sigh of relief. There he was, sitting at a table in the corner, feet propped on the seat next to him, like he was saving it for someone, like he was saving it for her. Again finding herself grinning from ear to ear she made her way over to him. She plopped down in the seat beside him somewhat less than gracefully, barely missing his feet. "Nice earring," she said, breaking the ice and the silence.
"The pawn shop wouldn't take it," he joked.
She hit him playfully on the side of the arm and asked, "Really?"
He shook his head and replied, "Naw, a pretty girl gave it to me. And not to be presumptuous, but I think she likes me."
"Do I get any hints as to who this mystery girl is?" Claire asked with mock surprise, "I might have to have a talk with her. I mean you don't go around giving priceless jewelry away to just anyone."
"Just one," said Bender, cover her mouth with his.
When Claire finally pulled away she came to several realizations. One, that was practically dizzy from being deprived of oxygen for that long, but she would have gladly fainted if she could have kissed him for even a minute longer. Two, that Bender was panting, and it made him even more sexy than usual. Three, that a hush had fallen over the cafeteria. Last but not least, that there were at least 100 pairs of eyes on them, all watching intently, like the next episode of survivor had just come on, and they were already voting someone off.
"Shit!" John muttered as Hannah and Anita pushed in their chairs and threaded their way through the overly compacted mass of bodies toward he and Claire. "Here goes nothing."