Wednesday Week 3

2 weeks passed since Bender broke up with Claire and Allison mentioned she could help him gain visitation of his daughter. During the passing weeks, Brian began helping Bender and Alice. When he wasn't doing that he was keeping to himself and avoiding everyone. Claire and Andy talked to each other a little bit and spent a few lunches together. Claire and Alice would exchange pleasantries but that was it. Andy kept clear of Bender.

Bender and Allison were leaving school and heading to the public library when they bumped into Claire. She stopped and stared at Bender while he glared back at her. She gave them a look over and took a deep breath.

"Hello Allison," she greeted awkwardly. "I guess you're off somewhere with, John?"

"Yea. We're heading to the... library, to finish a presentation," Allison nervously answered.

Claire looked taken aback, "I'm sorry it's just, John and the library. I would never expect that is all."

"Fuck you Queenie," Bender said with disdain.

"John! Please," Allison scolded. "Claire, that was uncalled for. We're going now. I have nothing more to say to you. Come on John," she angrily said to Claire before grabbing Benders hand and walking away..

"Allison," Claire tried to call out only to be ignored.

As they walked away, Bender said, "bitch." Making sure that Claire heard him. They made the walk to the library in silence. They found a table and got their presentation out. They put the finishing touches to it before looking it over again.

"It looks great Alli. I can not wait to present this to the case worker and then at court. Thank you for all your help and for doing all this for me," Bender thanked her.

Allison shook her head, "Don't thank me Bender. I just want you to be able to see your little girl. I'm just glad I was able to help you."

Bender placed his hand under her chin and looked into her eyes with a smile on his face. "It means more than you know."

A blush crept up her cheeks and she smiled back before backing away.
"There's one more thing Bender. I'm kind of surprised you forgot but I do have one more thing for you. Follow me," she told him and grabbed her bag.

They went outside and around the corner. She started going through her bag. Bender watched and waited. He know it could take a while for her to find whatever she was looking for. A moment later she stood up with her back to him. He looked at her curiously and a little afraid of what she could have.

She turned around with her bag covering her hands.

"I guess with everything you've had going on is how you forgot or you just don't want to acknowledge it, but I got these for you," she said and pulled set her bag down.

In her hands she had two packs of cigarettes and a long sleeved blue shirt. He graciously took them and then looked at her slightly confused. She smiled and held up her index finger. She turned around and took out something from her bag the she then unwrapped. He tilted his head when she brought out and flicked a lighter. She turned around again with a piece of cake with a lit candle in it.

"Happy birthday John," she said and bit her lip.

Bender smiled and looked at her chuckling, "How'd you know?"

She let out a nervous giggle, "That's not important. Make a wish."

He blew out the candle and looked into her eyes.

"I have one more thing," she said and handed him the switchblade that she had taken during their detention together.

"I've been looking for this. You had it?"

"Yea. I'm giving it back to you. I hoped you knew I had it."

He chuckled and then leaned towards her. She bit her lip but then leaned towards him. Suddenly they were interrupted when they heard Brian's voice "Hey guys. What uh... are you... um.. doing here?"

They both jumped and then glared at him.

"What?" he asked and backed away.

Meanwhile

Andy was at wrestling practice getting ready for an exhibition match. Ever since the fight in the library with Bender, he had been suspicious and became non trusting of everyone on the team. He was being careful while wrestling his exhibition match for the weekend meet. At the same time, he couldn't stop thinking about Claire and how different she was from Allison. He got ready and after the whistle blew, he made quick work of his opponent who was also his only friend left on the team, Daniel Sheedy. He pinned him one, two, three.

After sharing a laugh and playful trash talking, they hit the showers. Once out of the shower, Andy was at his locker getting dressed. He looked three lockers down to his left. He couldn't help but remember what he did to Larry Lester, almost a month ago. He fought back tears as he continued to get dressed.

Behind him he heard the coaches talking from inside the office.

"Where was Lester?"the assistant coach asked.

"I didn't tell you? They have withdrawn him from here. They enrolled him at Ringwald High.

Hearing that, Andy finished getting dressed, grabbed his bag and stormed out of the locker room. He went to his truck in the student parking lot and just sat in it for a little while. Eventually he broke down. He began began to repeatedly hit the steering wheel and then grabbed it while he shook himself back and forth. Then he just sat and stared off into space.

Not long after there was a knock at his window. He jumped and came to. When he looked out the window of his truck to see Claire standing on the other side of it. He rolled down the window so she could talk to him. For the first time since that fateful detention, he caught himself really admiring her.

"Are you alright Andy?" Claire asked. "I was told you rushed out here after practice and then I saw you shaking the truck."

He heaved a heavy sigh and then shook his head remaining silent.

"Andy please. Talk to me," she pleaded.

He exhaled and then looked at her.

"Alright. Fine. You really want to know," he asked coldly.

"I asked," she answered.

"Fine," he said and took a deep breath. "I found out that because of what I did to Larry Lester, his parents have moved him to a school across town. God damn Ringwald High School. I know it's because no one there knows him. That way he doesn't have to live with the humiliation, the fucking humiliation I caused him!" he shouted.

Claire put a hand on his shoulder, "Are you sure about that Andy?"

"Yes. I heard Coach Bunker talking about it with Coach Tooms," he snapped back.

"I'm sorry Andy," was all she could say.

"I came here to the truck when it sank in. Then I began to reflect on everything. Even what happened between me and Allison. I deserve everything that has happened to me. From being embarrassed by Brian yelling at me in front of everyone and no one stepped up to back me up, to the way I feel. I deserve it," he admitted.

"Why would you think something like that?" she asked in surprise.

His cold blue eyes looked dead into her dark brown eyes for several moments before he responded.

"Because I'm a bad person Claire. I am a shitty, fucking, person"

"No Andy! No you're not. Don't think that."

"Why? Why shouldn't I? It's true."

"How"

"Other than the fact I humiliated some kid who didn't deserve it, just for my dad? I finally met people who gave me a chance and I was able to open up to. I even had a girl that cared about me for me and not my image. What do I do? Ditch all but one of them. All because I decided my image was more important than having friends who actually give a shit."

"Andy, you didn't do that because of your image. You did," she was cut off.

"Yes it was. You were right a month ago at detention. I wouldn't want my friends to actually think I like all of them. Only to find out they were the only friends I've truly had were the ones I pretended to like."

"You didn't push all of them away. I'm still here."

"You haven't admitted it though."

"What?"

"You're just as shitty a person as I am. You pushed them away too and broke it off with Bender because of your image."

She looked away and remained silent for a few minutes before looking at him again after he finally got out of the truck.

"I did a shitty thing to good people. I don't think I'm a bad person for it Andy. I don't think you're a bad person either. We both just made a mistake."

"I wish we hadn't. I wish we hadn't done like we said."

"Then let's figure out how to fix this. We can find away."

He looked at her further confused.

"Why do you keep saying we?"

She gently held his chin in her hand.

"I know together, we can reunite the Breakfast Club. I'm still a friend that cares about you. We both made the same mistake. Lets fix it together."

"Get it. We'll go to Sheedy's Restaurant and figure out how to pull off that miracle. Bender isn't exactly a forgiving person."

"Just let him say what he has to say. We have to try."

The drove off to discuss and figure out how to get the group together again.

Please excuse the excess dialogue. It all leads into the next events though :)