Disclaimer: Do I really have to keep doing this? I OWN NOTHING!
Summary: It really hasn't changed.
A/N: I'm trying to listen to my reviewers (who btw are awesome!) and make the chapters longer and include more of Bender's friends. Enjoy!
"Oh my God!" Hannah didn't even try to hide the look of surprise and disgust that now dominated her usually pleasant features. She and Anita were now cautiously eyeing Claire as though she had some rare tropical disease they would catch if they got too close. Before they had a chance to lay into Claire about her somewhat less than up-to-snuff social affiliations John grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out the door.
"Thank you so much," Claire breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the hallway. The moment was ruined however when a group of Bender's friends noticed them standing there and decided to go over and investigate why one of their own was fraternizing with the enemy. "We're not out of dodge yet," she muttered.
"Hey dude," one of them called out, "Check out Malibu Barbie."
"No way it's Disco Barbie," another chimed in.
They all broke into peels of drug-induced, drunken laughter, which normally Bender would have been all too inclined to take part in. "Meet me after school by the bleachers," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on Claire's cheek. Feeling slightly miffed, but not wanting to make a scene, she simply nodded and trudged off down the hall. This was not going to be an easy relationship.
The rest of the afternoon seemed to take days rather than hours, and several times Claire almost raised her hand to say that the clock had stopped, only to find that, to her dismay, its ever present hands were still moving, albeit their incredible lack of speed. Despite this she was so startled to hear the final bell ring that she nearly fell out of her chair. She struggled to gather up her books in a timely manner, while still looking inconspicuous and avoiding the ever-curious glances of her fellow students. To hell with it all she thought as she raced down the hallway to her locker. Who did she think she was kidding? She was far too preoccupied to worry about the extra and unwanted attention she was attracting. She had get outside to the bleachers! What if John thought she was standing him up? She couldn't bear the thought of it. "Shit!" she cursed loudly as most of her books cascaded down the side of her locker onto the floor. Why was fate so against her? WHY?
Claire Standish threw her books unceremoniously over her shoulder as she hurried toward the football field. It wasn't in very regular use this time of year, sot it was unlikely that anyone would be hanging about. That was, anyone unexpected. A smile lit up her face as she saw John Bender's boyish figure lingering in the distance. She quickened her pace even more, almost breaking into a jog as she did so. She was so out of breath when she finally reached him that it took all the air she could spare just to choke out, "Hey," when she got within earshot.
"Slow down, Princess," he said laughing at her disheveled state, "I'm not going anywhere." She rarely had even a hair out of place. There was an awkward silence.
Gathering all of the courage she could muster Claire spoke, "Did you really mean all that stuff you said in detention?" she asked.
"About what?" Bender replied caught off guard.
"About kissing with shoes off, and eyes closed, and shirts open?"
At this remark John actually blushed. He'd only said most of that stuff to get a rise out of her. He hadn't meant for her to take any of it to heart. "I, well I, uh," he was at a loss for words.
She had to laugh. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. It's just that my parents are going out of town tonight and they won't be back until Friday morning. I was wondering if you wanted to come over."