The Way I Am

8. The One With the Argument

"Leave her alone!" Andrew defended, walking closer to Bender, who stared back at the wrestler.

"Are you going to make me?" he asked the athlete.

"Yeah," Andrew simply responded, not taking his eyes off the rebel. John walked closer to Andrew and got in his face.

"You and how many of your friends?" Bender asked.

"Just me... just you and me. Two hits, me hitting you and you hitting the floor. Any time you are ready pal," Andrew expressed. Mara's body became tense. She knew that Bender was good at street fighting. She had heard the rumors and she had seen the bruises on his previous victims, but she also knew that Andrew wasn't in the wrestling team just for the pleasure to wear tights.

When John touched Andrew's face as if he was going to slap him, the wrestler locked John's arms on his back, throwing him on the floor.

"Clarke!" Mara exclaimed, stepping closer. Brian grabbed her hand softly, making her stop. "Don't get involve. Bender wouldn't want you to get hurt, Mara," he whispered, making her look at him with confusion radiating all over her face.

What did he mean by that? She thought as she replied Brian's words over and over again. She couldn't stand there and do nothing. She didn't want any of them to get hurt, because she knew what each of the boys were capable of. She didn't want Vernon to come inside the library and bust them.

"I don't want to get in this with you, man," Bender responded, sounding calm even though he was trapped by Andrew.

"Why not?" the wrestler asked, letting go of John's locked arms. Mara calmed a little bit and stood next to Brian.

"Because I'd kill you," the bad boy said as a matter of fact.

"Is real simple, I'll kill you, and your fucking parents would sue me and there'd be a big mess, and I don't care enough about you to even bother," Bender said, retracting his steps towards the big statue located in the middle of the room.

"Chicken shit!" Andrew whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.

As Andrew turned away, Bender took out a switchblade from his pocket. Mara opened her eyes wide. This was the dangerous John Bender that she heard rumors about. She walked closer to him and touched his right shoulder lightly, making him turn his face towards hers.

"John, he is not worth it. Please, don't do this," she pleaded, looking into his eyes. They stare at each other for a while, until Bender turned his gaze to the wrestler before stabbing the blade into the table, where Allison sat.

"Let's end this right now. You don't talk to her. You don't look at her, and you don't even think about her! Do you understand me?" Andrew yelled, talking about Claire.

"I am trying to help her," John responded before they were interrupted by the janitor of the school. He walked to the library and started to clean the garbage cans around. Mara always got along with him. He helped her around every time her locker got stuck. He was a nice and funny. She smiled when he saw Carl make his presence known.

"Brian, how you doing? Hey, Mara!" Carl expressed.

"Your dad work here?" Bender asked Brian. Mara rolled her eyes. He never knew when to stop teasing, but at least he wasn't threatening to kill anyone at that moment. She was glad Andrew and Bender were able to calm themselves after their argument.

"Carl? Can I ask you a question?" Bender questioned, looking at the janitor of Shermer High School.

"Sure," Carl replied.

"How does one become a janitor?"

"You want to be a janitor?"

"No, I just want to know how one becomes a janitor, because Andrew here is very interested in pursuing a career in the custodial arts," Bender expressed as he calmly put his feet on top of the table he sat.

Mara laughed at what Bender said, because he put the wrestler on the spot.

"Oh, really? You guys think I'm just some untouchable peasant? Peon? Huh? Maybe so, but following a broom around after shitheads like you for the past eight years I've learned a couple of things...I look through your letters, I look through your lockers...I listen to your conversations, you don't know that but I do...I am the eyes and ears of this institution my friends," he explained

The room went silent as Carl checked his wristwatch.

"By the way, that clock's twenty minutes fast!" he added, making everyone groan except for the two rebels in the room. Bender and Mara smirked at Car's response.