A/N Okay, so things have been pretty heavy for the members of the Club lately. Especially Andy. So I wanted to lighten things up just a little with some more trivial fun and some girl drama.

There's something about you that I couldn't tell
And you were always crazy and I didn't like that
There's something about you that I knew so well

To all those questions, I have no answers

-Hard To Live In The City, Albert Hammond, Jr.

For Claire, there had been many moments since detention where she'd felt completely alone in the world, and misunderstood. Even with Bender, even with her brother Cooper (who she'd become even closer to after telling him about detention and Brian—because of course the one time he decided to pay attention to his clothes would be right after Claire had stolen his jeans and given them to Brian—and he'd told her how proud he was of her for trying to grow as a person), and even with Brian. Sometimes she still felt like no one completely understood her perspective on things, try as they might.

If only she had known that she wasn't alone; that there was someone out there just like her who'd have understood perfectly where she was coming from with things, because they were going through the exact same thing.

Annabelle McClain had been trying to get Claire alone since Claire had gotten home from Paris. She'd had lots of things on her mind that she'd started thinking about over the summer, and judging by Claire's behavior ever since the latter part of the second semester last school year, she had been almost sure Claire would not only understand but support her. But when she'd found it impossible to get Claire alone because she was always blowing her off (without really meaning to), Annabelle had wondered if it were a sign that maybe she should just forget about what was going on in her head, and let it go.

But after that lunch where Claire had told off Steff McKee, Annabelle had not only come to have a whole new respect for the girl, but she'd been more assured than ever that her first instinct to confide in Claire was correct. So, no matter how many times Claire accidentally bailed on her or postponed, she wasn't going to give up.

She finally got her chance one day at lunch when Charlotte was out of school for a great-aunt's funeral and Erica had to run home during lunch to change clothes because she'd gotten her period in the middle of class. (Annabelle, usually a very sympathetic and compassionate person deep inside even when she didn't show it, couldn't help but laugh at that. She'd been sworn to secrecy since no one else had seen, and she'd had to rescue Erica).

So Claire and Annabelle were all alone (as alone as they could be, sitting at the opposite end of the table where Ferris Bueller sat, regaling his admirers with his latest story) at lunch that day. Claire had made a point for them to sit at one of the popular, middle tables that were as far away from the jocks and from Benny's friends as they could get, without venturing into the land of the unpopular kids.

She hadn't known where to begin, but Claire had been picking up on Annabelle's distant nature lately the same way she'd secretly been picking up on some kind of change in Claire.

"Annabelle? Are you okay? You're so quiet lately, and you always pick at your food and stare off into space." Claire asked.

Annabelle just shrugged, trying to find the words to start. Claire's face drained and her eyes got that odd protective, caring look that was usually only reserved for her brother or Bender or Brian. "You're not, like, anorexic or something, are you?" she asked in a panic voice.

Annabelle gasped. "No! Of course not. God, Claire. No way. It's just…I've had a lot on my mind lately. Especially here at school….Actually, Claire, that's why I've been trying to get together with you."

Claire put down on her fork and gave Annabelle her full attention. "Okay. What's up?"

Annabelle looked down and went back to playing with her food as she talked. "Claire…do you ever wonder about all this popularity stuff? All this girly stuff? Like, what I really mean is, do you ever wonder what's going to happen to us around this school when Erica leaves?" (Erica was a senior. Since she was older than her close knit group, it was why Claire was forced to tolerate people like Benny sometimes. Sometimes Erica's senior friends hung out with them.)

This certainly hadn't been what Claire had expected Erica to say. "Um, what do you mean?" Claire asked her friend.

"Well, I mean, our group. I mean, this is Erica's last year. What is going to happen to our group, to us, when she's gone? Charlotte doesn't seem to be all that fond of you and me lately—not that she ever was crazy about us. She mostly only puts up with us for our popularity and because of Erica. And once Erica's gone, she'll probably just start hanging out with one of Erica's and Benny's younger wannabes."

Claire nodded. She knew this was probably exactly what would happen, too. "Uh-huh…" she said, encouraging Annabelle to continue.

"So, then, it'll just be you and me next year. And I was thinking. I mean, I'd like to continue being friends with you, Claire, you're definitely the best one in our group. But, I was also thinking, will all this popularity stuff even matter next year? I mean, it'll be our last year in school, and we'll be all worried about exams and colleges and career prep and all of that. So, when we do have free time, we should make it count in our senior year. I don't want it to be all about worrying about what the other popular kids will think. Because it won't even matter anymore. I think that I'll want my senior year to be memorable; to be about doing what I want, not what everyone else wants. "

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Annabelle? Hon? What, like, brought this on? Why are we talking about this now? We're not even a month into our junior year."

Annabelle took a deep breath. "I'm getting to it. See, after that, I started thinking, why wait until senior year? Why can't I do what I want now? Why can't I hang out with who I want to hang out with and date who I want to date and why does it all have to mean risking social status…"

Claire, smiling, cut Annabelle off. "Annabelle! Is this about a boy? Do you have a crush?! Oh my gosh!"

Annabelle blushed under her brunette hair. Claire would know that look anywhere. She stopped teasing.

"He's not from our crowd, is he?! And that's why you've been so quiet and all distant. You're afraid to do anything about it because you're worried what other people will say if you pursue this thing with this guy." Claire blurted out.

Boy, did she know what that was like.

Annabelle nodded. "It's… this guy who was in my class last year. He seemed really nice. I don't think he's in our year; it was an elective class. But, I thought he was kind of cute, and… I don't know, interesting. And then I saw him at the beginning of this school year, and Claire, oh my god, he got even cuter. He's actually kind of hot. And so sweet. He's not in our group; in fact, most of his friends hate us just as much as ours hate him, but I've never liked a guy like him before. He's so different from all the boys we know, you know?"

Claire nodded. "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. So, what's he like? Tell me everything about him."

Annabelle smiled dreamily. "Well, he's tall and handsome and he has an incredible smile, and he's really talented and he's bl—"

She was cut off by the arrival of Erica. "Who are we talking about, ladies?"

Claire and Annabelle exchanged looks. "Um, no one. Just what our dream guys would look like." Claire covered for her friend. "So, you made it back before the end of lunch."

And that was the end of that conversation. But Claire made a silent promise to herself to be a better friend to Annabelle and to help her figure out what to do about this guy, whoever he was. She definitely knew what Annabelle was going through.

Andy had spent the first few nights of the school year staying at Brian's house. After that, because he didn't want to get Brian in trouble, he let Brian and Bender talk him into going back home. Brian was convinced that Andy would take it out on himself if he didn't face his father and instead kept carrying all those emotions around. And Bender told Andy that as long as he let his dad get to him, keep him away from his home, from his brothers, that his dad was winning.

And Bender was right. He went back home to face the music, and he let his dad ream him, but things were different now. His dad no longer had the same hold on him. Not as much as he once did. Because Andy had gotten that first taste of doing things for himself, and there was no coming back from that.

As far as school, Andy had not made up with his friends at all. Not even close. If anything, they completely avoided him, and he completely avoided them.

He'd thought that maybe Bender and Brian would eventually invite him to join them for lunch, but no such thing had happened. Some days the two of them ate lunch together, but just as often Bender would make Brian go eat with his brainiac friends ("If you put them down for me, you'll be just as shitty as we all thought Cherry was going to be after detention", Bender had said) and Bender would either spend lunch on the burnout wall or duck off somewhere to make out with Claire.

Andy had gotten to enjoy Saidie's company. It had been awkward after they ate in his car that day; Andy hadn't wanted her to feel like now she had to eat lunch with him or something. But on some days, every now and then, when she wasn't hopping off to have lunch with her beloved father, she'd eat in the car with Andy.

"Your company is definitely better than trying to maintain an appetite while listening to my mother criticize everything about me if I go eat at home like I normally do," she joked, and Andy could tell that she didn't want him to feel like he was a charity case or something.

She said to him, "You should try to make up with your friends. Sure, they're not perfect, but maybe they miss you. Maybe they could learn from you and you could rub off on them or something." Andy admired her optimism.

But he shook his head. "I don't see that happening."

But Saidie could tell that he missed having guy friends to talk to. She knew that she and Andy weren't exactly friends; she was just some girl who was dating his friend; and they were just two people who happened to share a meal and a conversation from time to time.

But seeing what Andy was going through made Saidie realized how they definitely had one thing in common: a sense of longing. Andy longed for the friends he had lost, and she longed for the female companionship that she had never really had.

She'd been thinking a lot on what Andrew had said about her and Allison having a lot in common.

And that was why she'd smiled happily when she was coming out of her 5th period math class and saw Allison on the wall, waiting to get in. In fact, she practically walked right into her.

"Hi, Allison. Sorry about that."

Allison smiled at her and squeaked.

Saidie tried to think of something else to say. "So, you have Cassadine for geometry, too, huh?" Allison nodded.

And then Saidie noticed one of the books that Allison was holding, that she had almost knocked out of the girl's arms.

Emma. By Jane Austen.

Saidie smiled to herself. "No. Way." She pointed to the book. "Are you reading that for a class?" she asked.

Allison shook her head, and this time, she responded with words as well. "I… I just like her work."

Saidie nodded, happily surprised. "Are you kidding? I'm obsessed with Austen! Although, I have to say, I'm surprised to hear you like her as well. I never would have imagined you as an Austen fan." She said, just trying to be friendly and keep the conversation going.

Allison fixed her with a look. She hated all the stereotype bullshit.

Then she said, " 'I don't approve of surprises. The pleasure is never enhanced and—' ''

" '—And the inconvenience is considerable.' " Saidie finished the quote for her, adding, "Wow. I'm impressed. I think it's really cool that you're an Austen fan as well."

Allison shrugged. "A little girly for my taste, but I can't help it if she was brilliant writer. I'm more of a Bronte sisters girl, though." She grinned devilishly.

Saidie laughed a little. "Now that makes more sense. Doesn't surprise me at all."

Allison smiled back. "Do you like them?"

Saidie stood a little taller and said in a teasing, proud way, "Are you kidding? 'I am no bird, and no net ensnares me. I am a free—' "

"— 'I am a free human being with an independent will. ' " Allison finished, almost excitedly. Then she said, if a far off way, "That is one of my favorite quotes."

"Mine, too." Saidie said. And then she giggled. "Well, that and the infamous 'it is a truth universally acknowledged'."

Allison smiled again.

Saidie said, regrettably, "I guess I'd better get to class. But maybe we could hang out some time?"

Allison squeaked again, and stuffed part of her chin into her sweater in response.

Saidie smiled at her and walked off.

Claire, who had been walking to class (for once, alone) witnessed this exchange.

After her conversation with Annabelle at lunch, she'd been desperate to track down john Bender.

Hearing what Annabelle was going through made her appreciative that she'd been able to keep seeing Bender after detention. She had found him and pulled him back out to the parking lot and into her car and made out with him before class as furiously as ever. She wanted him to know that she really did care about him, despite all the high school bullshit, and that (while she wasn't in any rush for this to happen) if it came down to choosing between him and her girlfriends, she was pretty sure she'd choose him.

That makeout session had left her practically weak in the knees, and she'd gone back into the school as giddy as any teenaged girl had ever been.

And then she saw Saidie and Allison smiling at each other as if they were best girlfriends.

Claire huffed. What was it about this girl? Why did everyone seem to like her so much? What was it that everyone else saw in her that Claire couldn't see?

Claire knew that Andy and Saidie were now on friendly terms (he'd let it slip one morning at breakfast that they'd had lunch together once), and Bender and Brian practically acted like the girl walked on water or something. Bender trusted her with everything (Claire could tell that by the way he looked at Saidie) and Brian looked at her and drooled over her the way most boys drooled over Claire and her friends.

Not that Claire was jealous or anything. No, sir, it wasn't that she was jealous at all.

She just didn't understand what she was missing. There was something about the girl that rubbed her the wrong way. She couldn't put her finger on it.

And now it seemed she had Allison under her spell, too.

Okay, so the boys were one thing. But Allison? Allison was the one girlfriend Claire had who really meant something to her. And she had expected that Allison, of anyone, would be able to see right through Saidie and her bright eyed innocence and her naïve friendliness and her tomboyish charm. She'd expected Allison to be able to see…well, whatever it was about Saidie that Claire herself couldn't quite put her finger on.

She wasn't sure if she was just suspicious of the girl's friendship with Bender or if it was the Mama Bear in her being protective of her dear younger friend Brian.

And the girl's outfit that day wasn't helping. Today Saidie had pulled together a rebellious look of her own. She was wearing jeans that hugged her figure but were torn and ripped here and there, a cute girly shirt that had been transformed and cut so that it barely went down to cover her stomach and had rips and slits all down her arms, revealing the skin underneath, and…gloves. Leather gloves. A pair of Bender's fingerless leather gloves of all things. Claire would know them anywhere.

Claire tried to rationalize that it meant nothing. She knew that sometimes Bender slept over at Saidie's house. And she accepted that. She didn't like it at all, but there was nothing she could do about it. So she let it go.

But she thought it was at the very least weird to see someone wearing her boyfriend's gloves.

She took a deep breath and figured maybe she should reach out to Saidie. She told herself it was to get to know her for Bender's and Brian's sakes, but really it was more about keeping Saidie close until she could figure her out.

As she continued on her way to class, she noticed a familiar blonde head in front of her. She smiled to herself. Brian. Exactly the person she wanted to see right now.

She didn't call out his name, but as she walked to catch up with him as the hallways were emptying, she followed him around a corner near the library.

And before she could speak to him, she saw him being pulled into the closet by the gloved hand attached to the girl she'd seen talking to Allison a few minutes earlier.

The same closet she'd first kissed Bender in.

A/N So. Where's Bender? He's here but not really here? Well, he had good reason. More on him later. He's the only one who's been in literally almost every chapter, so I gave him a short break to focus on the others and how their worlds are all starting to collide. Don't worry. Saidie's not going to take over the story either. But she's pretty present for Andy and in Claire's mind right now.

Who do you think Annabelle has a crush on? :)