A continuing unease filled Claire as she stepped through the doors of Shermer High, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened over the weekend.

What she knew for sure was that she'd blacked out Saturday night at Benny's house. Of course, she'd heard stories of kids getting wasted and passing out, but all she'd had was one glass of champagne. Next, she remembered waking up in Benny's bed, sneaking out of her house, and walking home alone in the wee hours of the morning. The rest of that Sunday, she stayed in bed, feverish and nauseated, trying to remember the lost hours, but to no avail.

Thankfully, morning classes passed by in a haze. And before she knew it, it was lunchtime. Usually she ate with Jessica and Paul, but as soon as she walked into the cafeteria, Benny and Jena waved her over to their table. How she hated them, but when Queen Benny summoned you, you went.

"Hey," Claire said sitting down. Quickly she unpacked her lunch – a watercress sandwich, a salad, and a Diet Coke. The sooner she finished eating, she reasoned, the sooner she could make up an excuse to leave.

"Claire," Benny said looking into her eyes. The intensity of her stare made Claire's blood run cold. There was something unsettling, sinister almost in the way Benny looked at her.

"Yes." She could feel sweat forming on her upper lip.

"Remember when we talked about teaching the freaks a lesson?"

"Yeah," Claire said, placing her sandwich back in her lunch bag.

"We're getting back at that bitch Allison and you're going to help us do it."

Claire's heart stopped, terror gripping her as she wondered what Benny could possibly have in mind.

"You're going to make a play for Andrew Clark," Jena said, a smile spreading across her face.

"What?" Claire sputtered. She couldn't have heard correctly. There was no way she could put the moves on Andrew. Number one, she didn't think of him that way, and number two; she couldn't do that to Allison.

"We have it on very good authority that Allison likes Andrew," Benny said, exchanging a look with Jena. "And there's no better way to put her in her place than for you to do Andrew and rub her nose in it."

Claire looked from Benny to Jena, horrified.

"I can't," she stammered. "Andy is like a brother to me. We've been friends since freshman year."

"Are you refusing to do this?" Benny asked lowering her voice and leaning forward. "Because if you are Claire, I can make your life a living hell. I can fix it so that no one at this school will have anything to do with you. You might as well not even exist."

"But …," Claire began.

"Think about it," Benny said cutting her off. Without another word, she and Jena stood, after which they walked away leaving Claire sitting alone.

The next morning passed without incident and though she saw Benny and Jena that afternoon when she entered the cafeteria, they didn't call her over and she didn't approach them. Naturally, she made her way to her usual lunch table, but as she neared, Jessica McDonald, her best friend since the sixth grade, the person she'd told about her first menstrual period, the girl who she'd gossiped with about the boys she liked, put her Louis Vuitton bag on the empty seat next to her preventing Claire from sitting down. Paul Hargrove, with his easy manner and amazing smile, someone she considered a friend, turned his back on her.

"Hey guys," Claire said looking perplexedly from one to the other. Neither said a word. "Hey," she said again.

As if in slow motion, Jessica and Paul gathered their trays and moved to another table. Dumbstruck, Claire turned her head away, willing the tears not to fall. She felt both alone and as if she was the center of attention. But when she looked up, everyone else was looking away except for Benny and Jena who smiled spitefully at her.

She couldn't take it. Rushing from the cafeteria, Claire caught Brian Johnson's eye. He looked at her, pity mixed with glee on his face, but said nothing. Then he too turned his back to her as he leaned in to listen to something his friend was saying.

"Tell me the truth Brian," Cliff said as he stuffed fries into his mouth. "Do you think I have a chance with Claire Standish?"

Glancing once more at Claire, he said, "No."

"C'mon Brian. It's our time. The geeks are inheriting the earth."

"What?" Brian asked, a smile spreading across his face. Cliff's unwavering enthusiasm about life never ceased to amaze him. He was a stone cold geek and proud of it, into computers, UFOs, aliens, and Dungeons and Dragons.

"Listen," Cliff said leaning towards Brian and waving his hands excitedly. "Ted is dating Caroline Mulford. The prom queen, Brian. Ted is dating the freaking prom queen! Wyatt has a girlfriend. You know Gary had to have been making time with that chick he created. The way I see it, geeks are the new sex symbols. So I repeat, do you think I have a chance with Claire Standish?"

Brian shot a quick glance at Larry Lester and Bryce. "No," they all said together then started laughing.

"Despite his ridiculous obsession with Claire Standish, I think Cliff is on to something," Larry said taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

"Thanks man."

"Have you seen the blonde Duckie Dale is hanging with?" Larry asked.

"Kristy," Cliff said dreamily.

"Well I know the Kristys of the world aren't my type, but I do have my eye on someone far more accessible and a lot more exciting."

"Who?" Brian asked.

"That girl who walked down the hall naked last week."

"Allison?" Brian spit out, almost choking on the Coke he had been drinking. He coughed, his eyes watering, as he fought for breath.

"Allison," Larry continued unperturbed. "Can you hook us up?"

Brian couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had the entire world gone crazy? First Allison walks down the hall naked and now this.

"Well," Brian hedged. "She kinda likes someone."

"Who?"

"I can't say." There was no way he was going to tell Larry that Allison liked Andrew Clark. It had been weeks since Andy had taped his butt cheeks together, and except for him, Cliff, Bryce, and a few other guys, he still couldn't bring himself to look people in the eye.

"You know who my dream girl is?" Bryce asked as he pushed his tray away from him. Half eaten pizza lay in its wake.

"Sloane Peterson," they all said in unison.

"Bro, there's no way she'll leave Ferris Bueller for you," Cliff said.

"Weren't you the one who just said the geeks were inheriting the universe?"

"Yeah, but from the assholes. Ferris is cool."

"What about you Brian?" Bryce asked. "Who would you go out with?"

"No one. All the great girls are taken." Andie Walsh, Samantha Baker, Sloane Peterson.

"You know who would be the perfect woman?" Cliff asked.

"Who?" Larry replied.

"Smurfette."

"Dude, she's a cartoon character," Brian said.

"And your point is," Cliff and Bryce said together.

Claire barely made it through the rest of the day. On Tuesdays, she had social committee meetings, but she knew either no one would show up or they'd be uncooperative. Benny had said she'd make her life hell and she was a woman of her word. So Claire went home. Thankfully, her mother was out, probably at some charity board meeting. Her father was at the office. Francine, the housekeeper, had the day off. Once in her bedroom, Claire turned on her Sony stereo, a Christmas gift from her father, and cranked up Blondie. After taking off her jacket and kicking off her shoes, she plopped down on her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, a Police poster (Sting was a god), and a picture of her and Jessica taken over the summer at Glencoe Beach.

What was she going to do? She couldn't sleep with Andrew. But if she didn't, Benny would crush her. Hell, she'd already gotten to Jessica and Paul. And Benny's wrath was legend. Two years ago, she'd lied and gotten the biology teacher fired because he'd embarrassed her in front of the class for talking to Caroline Mulford instead of paying attention to the lesson. Last year, she'd nominated Jeanie Bueller for Homecoming Queen as a joke and Jeanie hadn't been the same since.

As Blondie's "Call Me" played on her tape deck, Claire suddenly realized how alone she was. If Benny was able to turn her two best friends against her so easily, what choice did she have but to do her bidding?