The Last Thing I Need

Chapter 2, bitches.

As Always, I don't own these characters. Don't Drink and Drive.

Andrew Clarke was NOT happy. This Saturday, of all possible Saturdays, was not the time for his sister to decide she simply HAD to have a new dress. I mean, prom was still weeks away, for fuck's sake. Andy needed a tuxedo, and you didn't hear him complaining! This was Andy's off week, his last weekend before the State Championship Wrestling Duals in Calumet City, and the idea of taking his over- indulged sister to the mall to look at dresses was about second from the bottom of the "shit Andy wants to do on his day off" list, ahead of only gargling a bucket of diarrhea and stabbing himself in the dick with an unsharpened pencil.

"Will you hurry up, please?" Andy called from the bottom of the stairs. He glanced at his watch. 2:58. "Christ," Andy thought to himself, "The movie's at 7:30, and we're meeting Bender, Claire, and Brian twenty minutes beforehand at the cinema." Andy realized that the mall he was being forced to haul his kid sister to was the exact same mall he'd be at later on with Allison and the gang. He could feel the annoyance he was feeling turn to anger as he realized he'd be making 2 trips across town to the Shermer Shopping Center. "This one's gonna cost mom & dad," Andy ventured, slightly shaking his head at the idea of once again having to abide his parents' wishes, at the cost of his own relaxation. This would be the last time, for a while…………

Brian Johnson had a dilemma. He couldn't decide which shirt to wear. Brian only HAD two shirts he would consider acceptable for what was going on tonight. "Black or blue, black or blue, black or blue…." Brian thought to himself as he weighed the pros and cons of each choice of shirt, as well as which pants and shoes he could wear with each. He finally decided on the blue one, with what he considered his "coolest" jeans, and his black Converse high-tops. Brian loved these high-tops, as they were a gift from his father this past Christmas, a holiday that had seen many school supplies and gifts of practicality, but very little joy. Brian remembered with a twinge of anger in his mind how he had had to watch his baby sister open up toy after frivolous toy, only for him to be cascaded with the usual new backpack, fancy pencils and pens, and notebooks. Then, when he had resigned himself to absolutely nothing of any fun value, his father had brought a box wrapped in "Garfield" comics from the local newspaper, a longtime favorite of Brian's. Brian had unwrapped the box carefully, and he would save the paper for wall decoration. But his focus, for those glorious moments, was the contents of the shoebox he held in his hand. He slid the box top from the box, and smiled as he saw the gorgeous canvas shoes encased in cardboard. He remembered slowly removing the tissue from the inside of the shoes and trying them on, lacing them up, and smiling from ear-to-ear as he felt the perfect fit. His mother, taken aback at the idea that anyone in her household would make a purchase without her approval, began protesting such an impractical gift for her son, but his father dismissed her complaints with a wave of his hand as he watched Brian bounce from one foot to the other, testing his new shoes. No longer would he be the mockery of his gym class with his worn, browning canvas monstrosities. These were Converse All Stars, Chuck fucking Taylors, and he, Brian Johnson, would be a big swinging dick in them.

"Brian!" His mother's shrill voice calling from down the hall brought Brian back from his rather extensive daydream. "Brian!"

"What, mom?"

"What's this I hear about you going out with your friends tonight?"

Brian grimaced. This wasn't going to be pretty. "Yeah mom, me and a few friends are going to see a movie."

"And who, might I ask, is paying?"

"Um, Claire, mom. She's paying for everyone so Bender won't feel bad about being poor-''

Brian's mom's ears tingled at the mention of that name. "Bender, isn't that that horrid family that lives over on Anthony?"

"No mom, this guy's actually really nice. We met at school this past week." He conveniently left out the part about actually meeting Bender at detention.

"Oh, okay. What time will you be home?"

"Well, the movie's at seven-thirty, so maybe like eleven? We were going to eat pizza beforehand, so I need to be ready by six-thirty."

His mother slowly opened the door. "Do you need money?" She asked, with a smile that made Brian uneasy.

"Yeah, mom, maybe a little. I think it's every man for himself as far as dinner goes. Ten bucks oughta do it."

Brian's mom reached deep into her pocket and pulled out an unrecognizable sheet of currency. She handed it to Brian and smiled. Brian unfolded it cautiously. "Twenty bucks?" He exclaimed internally, afraid to let too much joy into his countenance for fear of what his mother night say.

"Your grades have been very good lately, you just turned sixteen, and your father and I think maybe it's time we took the reigns off a little bit. But, young man, there will be absolutely NO drugs! Is that clear?"

Brian nodded. "Yes ma'am." Mrs. Johnson smiled and started to leave, then turned and, almost as an afterthought, said softly, "and Brian?"

"Yes mom?"

"Have a good time."

"O-ok."

She closed the door. Brian smiled. "Yeah, there won't be any drugs in my system," he mused, "but I can't guarantee there won't be some in my underwear…….."

Chapter 3 soon! I promise I'll get to Allison! Reviews are great! Thanks to Jenifer 01, Silverwings18 and Libster 59!