Aleksandra

I hummed a tune walking in to the hell hole some people were insane enough to call school. The only school I see as a school is the one back home before a moved here two months ago. Not this shit hole I only had two friends, this freaky chic called Alison (once you got past her being a basket-case she was pretty cool) and the janitor, Carl. I'm friends with Alison because she walked into me in the halls and because we're next door neighbors. She's a real sweetheart to me, I adore her. Then with Carl, I spend my time after school so I don't have to go home to my deadbeat father. He taught me better English seeing as my dad never bothered to teach me how to speak correctly. I moved from Germany, from a small town I'd rather not name. Anyways, I walked towards the library, I knew the drill. Go the library, sit behind Bender, do nothing for 8 hours, go home, and become a human punching bag. Nothing new, nothing special. Though there is a plus side, I actually get to eat something I bought from the convenience store on my two mile walk to the school. I could have gotten a ride from Alison, but if my father saw me, then all hell would break loose. I walked into the library ignoring the scoff I got from the princess because my skirt was so short. Hey bitch, mind your own fucking business! I walked to the back and sat down, dropping in backpack on the floor and tugging off my black beanie to let loose my blonde, black streaked hair.

Brian took the seat in front of me, John Bender's seat. Brian and I were in Latin together. I know why he's here, but I'm not gonna say anything, its his business ... and Cassie's. I looked up and in walked Andy, the wrestling champ, he glanced at me but did nothing. He took a seat by Claire, the princess, of the school. Bender came in and began touching things on the desk as he walked in. He slowed when he saw Brian in his seat and then motioned him to beat it, which he did. Bender sat down in front of me, propping his legs up on the chair in front of him. He turned to me and gave me a smirk. See, Bender and I sort of have this love-hate relationship. He loves to piss me off and I hate it when he does that. I gave him a very weak smile in return causing him to frown. Normally, I would roll my eyes at him, but after last night ... ... ... I just wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone.

It was quiet for a moment before Alison came into the room. She seemed a little surprised to see me there, but went to her seat in the far back corner. She threw her bag down and faced away from us. I frowned softly, giving a tug on the black mesh material under my thigh length, blue plaid skirt. My legs were covered by ripped black fishnets up to my ankles, where black converse high-tops joined them. I wore a black vest that zippered in the front diagonally and had a zipper pocket over my right breast. Black fingerless lace gloves covered my hands, my wrists covered by black and blue rubber bracelets. Ya, I'm sort of pulling a bit of a Madonna look with a bit of Cyndi Lauper thrown in there, but I didn't care. Slowly, I laid my head on my arms and watched the doors, waiting.

Then Mr. Vernon came in, walking in his 'I am the king of this castle' kind of way. I rolled my eyes, keeping my head in my arms, not bothering to raise my head for 'his highness'. "Well, well," he said. "Here we are. I wanna congratulate you for being on time." Claire rose her hand and interrupted. I didn't bother to pay attention to what the hell she said, it was probably something self-centered and degrading towards Brian, Alison, John, and myself (like she would ever rag on Andy he's one of her kind). Vernon's monotone voice filled my ears and I listened again. "It is now 7:06, you now have 8 hours and 54 minutes to think about why your here, ponder the error of your ways." I looked to Bender when I heard him spit and watched him catch it in his mouth again. Claire made a disgusted noise as I smirked, well that's Bender for you. "You may not talk," Vernon said. "You will not move from these seats." He walked towards John and I, taking the chair from under Bender's feet, and said, "And you will not sleep." He looked at me and I raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'what are you gonna do about it?'. Well apparently something, he actually took some of my hair and gave it a tug. Tears welled up in my eyes, he didn't tug that hard but after what happened last night my scalp was pretty sore. I rubbed my head as he walked towards Alison saying, "Alright people, we're going to try something a little bit different today. We are going to write an essay. No less than a thousand words." He placed paper and a pencil in front of Alison, who looked up at him quickly. "Describing to me who you think you are." he continued giving the same materials to John and myself.

"This a test?" John asked but was ignored.

"And when I say essay," Vernon said as Bender put his feet on the table. "I mean essay. I do not mean a single word repeated a thousand times."

"Damn," I muttered. I swore I saw John smirk, but it must have been a trick of light or something like that.

"Is that clear Mr. Bender?" he asked.

"Crystal," John said absently.

Vernon then looked at me. "Ms. Kale?"

I shrugged with a smirk. "I guess it'll just have to be two words." I said, sarcastically.

Vernon pointed a finger at me. "Don't fuck with me little missy," he growled. "One phone call," he threatened causing me to shut the fuck up. Only Alison and John were looking at me, so only they noticed how quickly I shut up. I gave Vernon a nod and looked at the paper in front of me. "Good," he said. "Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe you'll decide weather or not you'll care to return."

Although it was directed towards Bender, Alison, and I, the familiar faces for Saturday detentions, Brian raised his hand and stood saying, "Ah, ya, I can answer that right now sir. And that'd be 'no', no for me cuz-"

"Sit down Johnson," Vernon said to Brian, who did as he asked like a good little boy. "My office," Vernon continued, "is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised. Any questions?" Wow, dumb thing to ask with Bender in the room.

"Ya," John said. "I got a question. Does Barry Manilow know you raid his wardrobe?" I giggled.

"I'll give you and Ms. Kale the answer to that question next Saturday." Oh shit, I guess he heard me laugh. "Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns." He walked out.

"That man," John said when Vernon was far enough away, "is a brownie hound." I smirked, knowing that it was 100 percent true. Just about everything Bender said about Vernon was true. And then, the clicking started. I rolled my eyes and looked to my left to see Alison biting at her fingernails. I took a quick glance around to see that the whole room was watching her and apparently she did too because she stopped for a moment before starting up again. "If you keep eating your hand you wont be hungry for lunch," John said. Alison bit her nail one last time and spit it at him. Not that it reached, but she tried. "I've seen you before ya know," Bender said. "You too." He turned to me.

"Oh really?" I asked. "Good for you, Bender." I rolled my eyes at him and he smirked. I placed my head in my arms again and watched everyone. I could hear Brian muttering to himself about ... being a walrus? I don't know. Then Bender and Brian made a move to take their coats off, well Brian stopped and John continued. I kicked Bender's chair and gave him a look, one of the same looks that Alison gives others. I guess I picked it up from her.

John turned away from me and my glare of doom to throw a paper ball at Claire, missing terribly I might add. And then, start the music. John began to hum a guitar part of a song I recognize but can't name for the life of me. Claire then said something, too soft for me to hear very well but it was probably another comment like before so I wont even bother. "Oh shit!" Bender cussed. "What are we supposed to do if we have to take a piss?" He shrugged. "Well, you gotta go, you gotta go." The sound of a zipper going down caused me to sit up right.

"Oh my god," Claire said.

Andy turned and said, "Your not urinating in here man."

"Don't talk," John said. "It makes it crawl back up."

"You whip it out and your dead before the first drop hits the floor." Andy said.

Bender looked up to him and said, "Your pretty sexy when you get angry. Grrrrr." He turned to me and winked causing me to roll my eyes. John turned to Brian and said, "Hey homeboy, why don't you close that door we'll get the prom queen and punk impregnated." Although, what he said only made Claire turn to glare at him, I, however, froze up. I was snapped out of it when something hit me in the arm. I looked down and smirked. Ah, one of Alison's 50,000 tampons in her purse-o-doom. I looked up to her and mouthed 'thank you', she just nodded and continued drawing whatever it is that she's drawing.

"Hey," Andy growled. "Hey! If I loose my temper your totaled man."

"Totally?" John joked.

"Totally," Andy confirmed.

"Why don't you just shut up no one here's interested." Claire said.

John turned to me. "Little Punk hasn't said anything yet."

I glared at him. "Fuck you, John."

Bender smirked and said, "With pleasure, babe."

That name caused me to freeze and Alison to slam her hand down looking straight at Bender. She gave him one of her looks, I think it was look 4.6; 'cut-the-shit-or-I'll-cut-it-for-you'. Slowly, I stood and walked to Alison, whispering in her ear that he can't hurt me here. Alison gave me a hard look before turning back to her picture like nothing had happened. I rolled my eyes at her and walked back to my seat, giving John a dark glare. Bender made a move to say something to me, but I interrupted.

"Leave me alone," I gave him a look that I knew would make him turn away, which it did. It was my own look and it was something you couldn't duplicate. The look where you can only hope that the person you give it do never had to deal with what you had, but they only can truly understand if they have. And John Bender has, I've been passed his house a few times on my way home. I hear all the screaming, all the crying, all the painful beatings. It was always the same when I passed. I've yet to tell Bender I know and that I've been through the same things. But I know he knows, because of the look and what's hidden under those rubber bracelets.