WE DO NOT OWN THE BREAKFAST CLUB. SHOUTOUT TO MY CO-AUTHOR POPPY471.

Monday. April 2, 1984. Standish Family Home. Clarendon Hills, Illinois.

(Claire)

Luke looked at me and I looked at him. I found myself walking forward and taking Luke's hand. No one had ever loved me this way. I felt such tender affection for him, touching me deep in my heart. I opened my mouth to say...

The garage door started grinding up. Mother and Daddy were home. Why were they home so early?

"Quick, get out!" I pushed Luke out of my bedroom.

"But-" Luke started.

I shook my head furiously, put my finger to my lips and gently shut the door. I listened to Luke's footsteps retreating. When I heard his bedroom door open and close, I sat down at my vanity table. I looked in the mirror and saw my runny makeup, puffy eyes, red nose. I was mortified Luke had seen me like this. But he didn't seem to notice or care. He said, "I love you." He said he loved me, despite my horrible behavior before the Breakfast Club.

I automatically picked up a square of cotton and started removing my makeup. I had mopped up most of the mascara and eyeliner on my cheeks, when someone knocked on my door. Without waiting for me to answer, my mother opened the door.

"Claire, darling, have you seen my wallet?" She looked around, obviously hoping to catch Luke in my bedroom. That was why they were home so soon. My mother wanted to catch Luke violating me.

"No, Mother. It's probably where you always put it, on top of your dresser."

"Of course, dear. I'm sorry." She was quietly closing my door, as if this was normal behavior. My first instinct was to accept this as I accepted everything from my parents. After a moment, though, anger jerked me up out of my seat and pushed me to the door and out into the hallway.

"You didn't find Luke touching your pristine daughter, as you expected. You made all of this up to prove Daddy wrong, to prove you were right to not trust Luke. Well, I am sick of being between you two and you are not going to drag Luke in between you as well. He is not a pawn!" Somehow, I was able to defend Luke where I could not defend myself.

My mother covered her open mouth in shock, the same way she covered her mouth when she was receiving scandalous gossip from one of her church friends. It was all fake.

"You don't give a damn about anything but getting the upper hand. Go ahead and get divorced, I don't care!" I slammed my way back into my bedroom, leaving her there.

I expected her to burst in, following me, but instead I heard her calling down to Daddy, "I found it, Joshua."

Not long after, I heard the BMW starting and the garage door coming down. So her plot hadn't worked and she was hiding her failure from my father. She could go stick it. Both of them could go stick it.

Makeup removed, I lay down on my bed and recollected Luke and our interrupted conversation. The warm glow that came when I thought about his love made me curl up on my side, hugging a pillow to my chest. I had never felt this, this warm feeling of being cared for and treasured. My parents treated me like a treasure, but only as a thing to be admired and traded on and possessed. Gratitude and affection welled up in me. He saw the real me and still loved me. No one ever saw the real me. I spent my whole life living behind a facade.

And it was Luke I had to thank for my escape. I owed so much to him. He pulled me out of my selfish world and made me see what life is like for others, made me care about others. I really was a self absorbed bitch and he forgave me, saw good in me. I valued his opinion so much more than I have ever valued anyone else's opinion.

Knowing my parents were now gone for the evening, I went to Luke's door and tapped. He opened the door with a look of apprehension on his face. I gently pushed him into the bedroom and closed the door. He started to speak, but I shushed him with a finger on the lips. I continued to guide him backwards until he reached the bed. I pushed him onto the bed and followed him. We laid facing each other and I took his face in my hands. We gently kissed and I could taste my cherry lip gloss on his lips. Something was expanding in my chest and heating my stomach, making me run my hand up Luke's back, urging him closer. His taut muscles were firm, but his mouth so soft. He ran his hand down my waist to my hip, pulled me against him. Heat continued rising in my stomach and I wanted more. I kissed him more fiercely, pressed against him. This seemed to go on forever.

He broke away, to slide his lips down my neck, gentle open-mouthed kisses. I sank back into the softness of the bed, and he was above me now. My breath was fast and an amazing tingling was starting, something I had never felt before.

"Let's get in bed," he whispered. I complied. More kisses, more heat. I felt feverish and the tingling turned to throbbing. I lost track of time, running my hands over him. I slipped my hand under his untucked shirt and it felt so good, smooth skin like silk, strength beneath. He groaned.

"Claire," he said. I stopped his mouth with more kisses. "Claire, stop." I didn't ever want to stop. "Claire, we need to stop." His insistent voice finally pierced my passion.

"Why, Luke?"

"I need to know. " He looked deep into my eyes, into my soul.

"You need to know what?"

"Do you love me, too?"

"Yes. Yes, I do. I love you, Luke."


Tuesday. April 3, 1984. Shermer High School. Clarendon Hills, Illinois.
It was hard to believe only one day had passed since Michelle and Cindy put the ketchup in my locker. Tuesday morning, I felt like a different person. Michelle and Cindy seemed unimportant now. I had the love of someone I respected and admired. And I felt tender love for him.

Seeing Brian, Allison, Bender and Andy again gathered and waiting at my locker, Cindy and Michelle seemed even less important. I had good friends, real friends. I had the Breakfast Club. But coming closer, they all looked so serious.

"Are you OK, Luke?" Brian immediately asked.

"Why wouldn't I be ok? What's up?"

Brian said, "You didn't hear?"

Luke looked confused. "Hear what?"

"On the news last night." Brian seemed to think this explained everything.

"What? We didn't see the news last night. What happened?"

Bender broke in, "Just tell him, squirt."

Brian swallowed. "It's your dad. They caught him."

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO LUKE NOW? REVIEWS NEEDED AND APPRECIATED.