The rest of the day passed with little happening. I napped through the next two periods. My last class was shop where I ran into Big Bri. Mr. Denison gave us a new assignment. We were supposed to make a cuckoo clock. Didn't sound that hard but Brian turned a lovely shade of green upon hearing it. "So because this last project will count for fifty percent of this nine weeks grading period I'll give you today off. Think of it as the calm before the storm, boys. Tomorrow I'll show you different woodworking techniques that you can use on this clock. I expect to see at least three of those used on your project. Wednesday we will discuss clock works. You will learn the principles behind them and then it's up to you to select the appropriate pieces and put them together. When finished the clock must keep relatively correct time, use three different wood cuts, and the bird must come out at the top of the hour." He went and sat down, propped his feet on his desk and pulled out a magazine. The cover said Popular Mechanic but from snooping though his desk in the past I knew that that was only what the cover said inside were pictures that would put the one in Brian's wallet to shame. But that was usually how he showed us he was done talking and we could do what we wanted so he could do what he wanted. Boomer promptly went to sleep and Spike lit up a cigarette. Mr. Denison was cool about that. He only requested two things, that if someone came to the room it was put out and that if you smoked you had to do it next to an open window.

I wandered over and took the chair next to Brian and sat on it backward. He had his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. "You look like you're going to be sick." I'm pretty sure I surprised him by talking to him. No one usually paid him much attention in this class. Speaking up in class usually earned him a ball of paper to the back of the head or worse. I should know I did it to him in the past.

"I don't know if I can do this." He whined. "What if it you know; it turns out like the elephant lamp? If I fail again my mom will kill me." I didn't say anything. "You think I am joking right? Exaggerating? Well you don't know my mom. Once she gets done yelling at me for failing and how I blew my chances at getting into Harvard or Yale or whichever her choice for me this week is then I'm really in for it."

"She gets physical? Gives you a cigar burn?" I asked hoping to set things in perspective for him.

"No."

"And what does Mr. Johnson do?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" There had to be something that they did.

"Nothing. Well he gives me the silent treatment."

"And that is it? Lucky you." He looked at me in disbelief. "Bri man relax you have your panties so far in a bunch they are cutting off circulation to your brain. So she yells at you and he does nothing and then what? It last a few days and they tell you to study more which you do. You are a sophomore you have two more years of this dump to bring your marks back up and reclaim your position and boy wonder."

"But I won't be valedictorian. And I've got to start applying for schools next year and if they see..." His eyes began filling with tears and that filled me with horror.

"Brian, if you cry I will get every guy in here to stomp your ass so don't embarrass me or yourself." He put his head back in his hands. "Fine." I said and he didn't respond. "I said FINE!" Questioningly he looked up at me. "I'll help you with the stupid clock so you don't fail. If you need help. I will not do your homework for you."

"Thanks Bender." Yeah he was surprised that I volunteered to help. I surprised myself volunteering to help, but although was a nerd he was also pretty okay once you got talking to him. "So what happened with Allison and Andy?" He asked looking concerned Brian's problem is he is too sensitive. If he could just toughen up he probably wouldn't get half the crap he gets for being a brain. If he toughened up then he wouldn't worry so much about his parents.

"I don't know guess we will find out."

"But what did you say to her?"

"That is between Allison and me."

"Do you think they will get back together?"

What was it with Brian and questions? "How the hell am I supposed to know? Do I look like I've got my crystal ball with me?" I snapped at him. Right now I was a bit more concerned with Claire. Where did we stand? Okay so Bri confirmed that she tried to come after me when I left gym. Point for Claire. She said she was on her way into the lunchroom when the Allison crisis took place. Would she have sat with us? I would assume so since she did help Ally to the bathroom. But we all know what they say about assuming. Then she said that we would meet after school. Guess in about thirty minutes we will see how that turns out.

My thoughts were interrupted by the snorts and whispers of the two sports that were in the class. They kept looking my way. "Something funny, gentlemen?" I asked.

"Bender, I don't think that is a good idea," said Brian looking concerned.

"Yeah", the one said standing and making his way toward me with his boyfriend following closely behind. "I laughing at the fact we believed the rumors about Andy Clark and that whack-job and the even funnier one about you and Claire Standish."

"And what rumors might those be?"

The first jock just stood there and stared defiantly at me but the boyfriend couldn't resist. "That Andy and Clair had been slumming with you and the freak."

"And how do you know that it isn't true?"

"Uh- Bender? I think we should just work on planning our clocks." Brian said quiet and nervously. I knew these two had given him trouble in the past including one particular stunt that was reminiscent of what happened to Allison today. Funny how they think they are so cool yet resort to the same lame tricks time after time.

"Shut up Brian. So?" I continued, "What makes you so sure now the rumors aren't true?"

"Common sense. Look at the two of you; you and that girl. Why would two of the most popular people in school stoop so low? And now they are going to prom together the rumors are put to bed." I didn't say anything. Jock number 1 high-fived his little friend and they sat back down. I watched them for a few more seconds then sat myself.

"You don't believe that do you?" Brian asked anxiously.

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to believe. Andrew was crazy about Allison even I could see that and despite what happened earlier I knew she was crazy about him. Claire? She might be a princess and before it wouldn't have surprised me if she stole another girl's guy but this was different. I absentmindedly twisted the diamond stud in my earlobe. If they were going to the prom together was it really my business? I didn't even want to go to the prom. It certainly wasn't my thing. If they wanted to go together was it my concern. I knew why it way my concern because it didn't just affect me it affected Allison and she didn't deserve to be treated like garbage.

Before I knew it the half hour had passed and the bell rang. Brian followed me out to the parking lot where those old enough to drive and well off enough to have a car, like Andy and Claire would head. He didn't say a word which was probably a good thing. He tended to ask too many questions. People gave me a few strange looks. Whether it was because of the rumor or I was with Brian and not beating the crap out of him I wasn't sure. We waited for the rest of them to show up. Andy was the next to arrive looking tired. "Hey," was all he said and leaned against the side of his Ford Bronco. "So what are we waiting for?"

"The girls I guess," said Brian.

"We need to talk."

Andrew looked at me confused, "About what?"

"I'll tell you. Where can we go?"

Claire then appeared. She walked out of the main door with her princess friends. They giggled the sound carrying all the way over to where we were standing. "How do they do that?" I wondered out loud causing Brian to begin to expound on the acoustical properties of our surroundings and the frequency and pitch of their voices. "It was rhetorical," I told him and he shut up quickly. He could tell me why I could hear their shrill giggle and show me all the equations but when it came to shop...I just shook my head and watched as Claire talked with her friends and kept glancing our way. One of the girls tugged on her blouse trying to get her to follow them but she shook her head and trotted down the steps and jogged to where we were standing.

She was all smiles. "So what's going on?"

"I don't know. John said that he had something he wanted to talk to me about."

"What? Something we can all hear?" She moved so she was standing next to him and a surge of jealously went through me. What the hell was going on? I spent a day in detention with the girl, a girl I never would have considered dating or hanging out with and now I was jealous at her standing next to another guy. "Bender, get a grip," I told myself but she said something to him which I missed, and put her hand on his arm. Ally wasn't there yet. I could have just confronted the two of them about it and not had her involved. I opened my mouth to ask if they thought it was fun to hurt people but then I saw her coming around the corner of the building. She was walking slowly; her dark hair was still down in her face. I wondered how she could see where she was going. "It can wait. It's not that important."

"But..." started Brian.

"But it CAN wait." I think Bri got the clue because he didn't say anything else. I know the kid had to feel as though his loyalty was being torn but it really had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the four of us. "So what is the plan, people?"

"Well my mom has a garden club meeting until at least six and my dad is will be pulling another late night at the office 'working' with his new secretary so I thought maybe we could just hang and listen to music."

"Sounds good," said Andy.

"Yeah I guess I could for a bit but then I need to meet up with Spike and Boomer. What about it, Allison?" We all looked at her waiting for her reply and just when I was about to answer "yes" for her she spoke. "No, I don't think that is a good idea today." With that she turned and left. She looked okay when we left the bathroom and now she didn't.

"Brian?"

"I better go to. My mom will be upset if I miss the bus," and he took off running.

"So that makes the three of us," said Andrew.

"Still practicing counting I see. I think I'll go too. Wouldn't want to interrupt anything." Both of them glared at me.

"What is wrong with you Bender? I thought we were friends and there you go being...being ...boorish," she yelled. She was so cute when she was mad and her face flushed. Too bad that thought was taking my mind into areas where I didn't want it to go.

"Boorish?" I couldn't help but snicker at that one. I had been called a lot of things but I don't think I had ever been called boorish before.

"Yes Boorish."

"Better a boar than a tease," I said and headed off across campus with her cry of "Asshole," ringing in my ears.