A/N: Hi guys! I hope you're doing well. As always, I'm Bambi and I'm very happy that you're here. Welcome to chapter nine of, "The Gossip Around Shermer". See, I told you guys we'd be back to our regularly scheduled programming. As always, I don't/ haven't/ probably, nor will I ever own the rights to the "Breakfast Club" or its characters and themes. Those rights belong to the estate of John Hughes and Universal Pictures. However, Xia Hart belongs to me Now, onto the chapter. Enjoy!
Ch. 9 To Catch a Notebook Thief
Xia's nervous eyes shift back and forth between the five bodies of her fellow detainees. What type of lunatic steals a notebook? Especially a notebook where they had no clue what its contents were. If any of them read that, it could lead to VERY bad things for Xia. Specifically, if it got into the hands of Andy, Bender, and Claire. She needed to figure out who took it. Xia gets up from her seat to further the investigation.
The first person she approaches is Claire. Most likely, Claire had no idea that Xia had that notebook. On the other hand, Claire wasn't a dumb girl. Maybe she saw Xia writing in it and was curious as to what was inside. Claire was also in the room when it likely got taken. "What's up?" Claire asked Xia as looked up from her lunch. Relax, Xia. Don't go in too hot. "Uh have you seen a notebook?" Xia asked. Claire stares at her in confusion. "A notebook? Xia, you're gonna have to be more specific." Claire suggests. "It's medium sized, red, heart shaped, it has a plastic hot pink spiral, and inside the spiral is a fuzzy white pen." Xia describes. "I haven't but I'll keep an eye out." Claire assures.
Either Claire has a very good poker face, or she really doesn't know. Then again, if Claire did have it, she'd more than likely read it. And she absolutely would confront Xia. She crosses Claire off of her mental list and turns her attention to Andy. Andy is in a similar boat to Claire. He more than likely had no idea about her notebook either. Even if he did, Andy wasn't the type to violate someone's privacy. Xia used to leave her diary around him all the time when he would come see her and he never read it.
He was also still mad at her. Asking him about this notebook could be a bad idea. She just had to know. "Andy have yo-" Andy cuts her off. "No." He quickly replied. "Are-" she's cut off again by Andy. "Yeah." Andy nodded. "Could you just tell me if you see it?" Xia asked. She slowly backs away from Andy. It was stupid to ask him anyway. After all, he was with her when they got sodas. There was no way he could've taken and hid it.
Another name off the list. Xia shifts focus to the next and most likely subject in this case, John Bender. He hadn't said anything about it, but Xia knows he heard her scribbling behind him. He probably got annoyed with it. Couple that with a pension to steal mundane things, the fact that he was in the room when the notebook got taken, and his overall hatred for Xia. You have the perfect cocktail for theft.
"Bender, have you seen a heart shaped notebook?" Xia asked. "A what?" Bender replies confused. "A heart shaped notebook. MY heart shaped notebook. Do you have it or have you seen it?" Xia grills gruffly. Bender's eyes narrow in disgust at Xia's audacity. "You think I stole a notebook?" Bender questions. "Well if the thief fits." Xia shrugged. "Who the fuck are you calling a thief you bitch?" Bender snapped.
"The one who stole the screw." Xia replied. "Why would I steal a fucking notebook?" Bender grilled. "I put nothing past you." Xia explained. "Well guess what? I didn't take it. It's paper. There's millions of them in the world. Just like you, it's not that fucking special or imporant. And the next time you accuse me of stealing something so fucking stupid I'm getting a chick to jump you." Bender dismisses.
Xia bites down hard on her bottom lip. He looks so convincing. Then again, she's watched him lie to Vernon all day. This could be another front. It's still a notebook though. Nobody places value on a notebook. He couldn't even see her writing in it. No way the sound of a pen against paper drove him that crazy. Not fully convinced, Xia moves onto Brian.
"Hi, Brian." Xia greeted him softly. In truth, Brian is the one that Xia thinks took her notebook the least. He seems like a nice guy, he probably hasn't stolen anything before, has no way of seeing or knowing what she was writing, and likely respects notebook privacy. "Hi, Xia. Apple slice?" He asks, offering her an apple slice from a tupperware container. "Oh no it's okay. I brought my lunch. I was just wondering, have you seen a heart shaped notebook with a fuzzy pen?" Xia wonders.
Brian starts looking around his table and the floor. "I haven't seen it over here but I'll keep an eye out. Is it important?" he asks. "It is. It has a.. Book report! It's due Monday and I worked REALLY hard on it. Xia lies hoping he'll buy it. "Oh no. I'll definitely tell you if I see it." Brian promised. "Thank you." Xia thanked him. "You're welcome. Good luck finding it." Brian wished her. Hopefully he wasn't covering for Bender.
With that, Xia mentally crosses Brian off her list. She was down to her last and second least likely suspect. This one stumps Xia. She doesn't know Quiet Girl. Yeah, she's quiet, stand-offish, and dresses a little too Depeche Mode, but that doesn't necessarily classify her as a thief. Beyond that, she's been turned to the side for a good portion of the day. Despite her being so close, there was no way she saw Xia writing or what she was writing.
However, she was one of the leftover ones in the room and it doesn't hurt to ask. As Xia is leaving Brian's table, she crosses Bender's path. They share glares as she's moving towards Quiet Girl's table. Just as she's close by, a piece of pimento loaf goes flying up in the air and lands on the statue behind the tables. Xia's eyes go to its impressive thrower, quiet girl. Who was now pouring plain Captain Crunch cereal and Pixie sticks on a piece of bread that the pimento loaf once resided on
She smashes down the sugar sandwich and proceeds to take a large bite. This big bite causes a lot of loud crunching noises that make Xia tense up. She was starting to rethink asking this girl about her notebook. She's very rough. Nevertheless, Xia needed her answer. She takes a clear breath and approaches the girl's table. "Uh hi. Excuse me?" Xia greeted, tapping her fingers against the table to get the girl's attention.
She just looks up, continuing to chew her food. "Hi. I'm sorry to bother you. I was just wondering if you've seen my notebook? It's heart shaped with a hot pink spiral. In the spiral is a white fuzzy pen that writes in purple ink." Xia continues as the girl's blank stare turns to a glare. Xia was more nervous than she was walking over here. "Right. Um just let me know if you see it. Enjoy your lunch." Xia waves before she leaves.
Worried and dejected, Xia returns to her table. Instantly going for that second slice of pizza. She was starting to freak out. No way in hell can she leave this room without getting that notebook back. Just as Xia is about to unwrap her Hostess cupcake, Bender begins to hold court.
"Here's my impression of life at big Bry's house. Son! Yeah dad? How's your day, pal? Great dad, how's yours? Super! Say, how'd you like to go fishing this weekend? Great dad. But I got homework to do. That's alright son, you can do it on the boat! Gee! Dear isn't our son swell? Yes dear, isn't life swell?" Bender acted out. It ends with a kiss and a punch to the wife's face.
"Okay. What about your family?" Andy asks.
"Mine? Easy. Stupid, worthless, no good, god damned, free loading, son of a bitch, big mouth, know it all, asshole, jerk. You forgot ugly, lazy, and disrespectful." There's a pause as the feminine voice gets slapped. "Shut up, bitch. Go fix me a turkey pot pie." Another pause comes. "What about you dad? Fuck you! No, dad. What about you? Fuck you!" Bender shouts as he acts out his own life for the other five to see. The act ends with a hit, just as the previous had done.
"Is that real?" Brian asked nervously. "You wanna come over sometime?" Bender offers sarcastically. No way in hell that was real. Again, Bender is a good liar. "I don't buy. It's bullshit. It's all a part of your image." Andy pipes up. Xia was completely on Andy's side until she saw a look of genuine hurt flash on Bender's face. "You don't believe me?" Bender asked. "Did I stutter?" Andy replied, pulling his card. Bender stalks over to where Andy had been sitting and rolls up the sleeve of his red flannel shirt.
A circular shaped burn mark is revealed. "Believe me now? Did I Stutter? This is the punishment you get in my house when you spill paint in the garage." Bender explained angrily. Xia looks over at the burn and gasps softly. Her mood turns from bad to worse as she realizes she's been making up lies about an abuse victim. Even accusing him of stealing a notebook. On top of pregnancy rumors, almost snitching about the screw, and everything she told Claire in the bathroom.
What kind of person does something like that? Granted, she didn't know. On the other hand, she knew about Claire's issues at home and still wrote about her. And Claire was someone who was supposedly her best friend. Good people, rational people don't do the things that Xia has done. Was she a bad person? She's taken out of her thoughts by Bender yelling, "You fucking dildos anymore." he proceeds to climb up to the second floor like a dejected King Kong.
"You shouldn't have said that." Claire chastises Andy. "Really, Andy. Go apologize." Xia urges. "How was I supposed to know? He lies about everything else!" Andy exclaims. "Apologize." Claire demands. "Why?" Andy asked. "Wouldn't you want someone to apologize to you after something like that?" Brian asks. "I mean y-" Andy is cut off. "Then go." Quiet Girl ushers deadpanned. Andy looks at the remaining four. "Fine." He sighs and walks over to the map table.
A/N: This is my second favorite chapter. Just between Xia's investigation and her realization that she's not the best person was great. Thank you guys so much for reading. I really hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you guys next Friday. Have a good weekend! Bye guys!
