The Wallflower [Andrew Clark]

Chapter 4

"Wake up!" I hear. My head shoots up and I look to see everyone else was sleeping, too. "Who has to go to the lavatory?" Vernon asks. I raise my hand along with everyone else. After the bathroom break I sit at my table. I look at the clock, it now says 10:22. I see Andrew stretching and sigh. He sees me and nods his head in a "What?" sort of way.

"Nothing..." I mutter. I hear a ripping sound and see Bender tearing pages out of a book. He is tossing them around. "That's real intelligent." Andrew says. "You're right...it's wrong to destroy literature." Bender says and continues to tear pages out.

"It's such fun to read...and, Molet really pumps my nads!" He says. "Mol-yare." The redhead corrects. "I love his work." Brian says.  Bender tosses the rest of the pages at Brian. He picks up the card catalogue drawer and begins to take cards out.

"Big deal...nothing to do when you're locked in a vacancy." He says. "Speak for yourself." Andrew says. "Do you think I'd speak for you? I don't even know your language!" Bender says. I get up and walk around the library aimlessly. Andrew turns to the redhead. "Hey, you grounded tonight?" He asks. I become interested.

He's asking about her 'plans'. Are they dating? I act like I'm not listening. The redhead shrugs. "I don't know, my mom said I was but by dad told me to just blow her off." She says. "Big party at Stubbies, parents are in Europe. Should be pretty wild." Andrew says.

"Yeah?" The redhead asks. "Yeah, can you go?" He asks. "I doubt it." She says. "How come?" Andrew asks. "Well 'cause if I do what my mother tells me not to do, it's because my father says it's okay. There's like this whole big monster deal, it's endless and it's a total drag. It's like any minute... divorce." She says.

"Who do you like better?" Bender asks. "What?" She asks confused. "You like your old man better than your mom?" Bender asks. I don't make an effort to seem oblivious anymore. "They're both strict." The readhead says. "No, I mean, if you had to choose between them." Bender says.

"I dunno, I'd probably go live with my brother. I mean, I don't think either one of them gives a shit about me...it's like they use me just to get back at each other." She says. Suddenly, from the back of the room. The dark haired laughs. "Ha!" Everyone looks at her shocked. She blows her hair out of her eyes and grins. "Shut up!" The red head says. "You're just feeling sorry for yourself." Andrew says. "Yeah, well if I didn't nobody else would." She says. "Aw...you're breaking my heart."

Andrew says. "Sporto." Bender says. "What?" Andrew asks. Bender jumps down and goes next to Andrew. "You get along with your parents?" He asks. "Well if I say yes, I'm an idiot, right?" Andrew asks. "You're an idiot anyway...But if you say you get along with your parents well you're a liar too!" Bender says. He turns and walks away from him. Andrew follows and pushes Bender. "You know something, man...If we weren't in school right now, I'd waste you!" Andrew says.

Bender points his middle finger at the floor. "Can you hear this? Want me to turn it up?" Bender says. He flips his hand around so he is now giving Andrew the bird. Brian comes over and puts a hand on each of the guy's shoulders.

"Hey fellas, I mean..." He says. Andrew pushes away from Brian. "...I don't like my parents either, I don't...I don't get along with them...their idea of parental compassion is just, you know, wacko!" Brian says. Bender turns to Brian.

"Dork..." Bender says.  "Yeah?" Brian says back. "You are a parent's wet dream, okay?" He says.  Bender starts to walk away. "Well that's a problem!" Brian says. "Look, I can see you getting all bunged up for them making you wear these kinda clothes. But face it, you're a Neo-Maxi-Zoom-Dweebie! What would you be doing if you weren't out making yourself a better citizen?" Bender says. "Why do you have to insult everybody?" Brian asks.

"I'm being honest, asshole! I would expect you...to know the difference!" Bender says. "Yeah well, he's gotta name!" Andrew says.  "Yeah?" Bender says. "Yeah," Andrew says. He turns to Brian. "What's your name?" He asks. I laugh. "Brian..." He mutters.

"See." Andrew says. "My condolences." Bender says to Brian. Bender walks away. Andrew turns to me. "What's your name?" He asks. I open a book and pretend I wasn't listening. He snatches the book from me and looks me in the eyes. He has pretty eyes... "I asked you a question, Minnie Mouse." He says. I look down at my red and white polka dotted dress.

I guess I looked like Minnie Mouse. The black long sleeve underneath didn't help my problem. "Kathleen." I say. "What's your name?" The redhead asks Bender. "What's yours?" Bender asks right back. "Claire." She says. Claire! That's it. I voted for her for prom queen but the name slipped as soon as the vote went in the box.

"Ka-Laire?" Bender says. "Claire...it's a family name!" Claire says. "Nooo...It's a fat girl's name!" Bender says. Well thank you." Claire says. "You're welcome." He says. "I'm not fat!" Claire says. "Well not at present but I could see you really pushing maximum density! You see, I'm not sure if you know this...but there are two kinds of fat people. There's fat people that were born to be fat, and then there's fat people that were once thin but they became fat...so when you look at them you can sorta see that thin person inside! You see, you're gonna get married, you're gonna squeeze out a few puppies and then, uh..." He mimes becoming fat, making noises.

Claire gives him the finger. "Oh...obscene finger gestures from such a pristine girl!" Bender says. "I'm not that pristine!" She says. Bender bends down closer to Claire. "Are you a virgin?" He asks her. I turn my attention to them. "I'll bet you a million dollars that you are! Let's end the suspense! Is it gonna be a white wedding?" He says.

"Why don't you just shut up?" Claire says. "Have you ever kissed a boy on the mouth? Have you ever been felt up? Over the bra, under the blouse, shoes off...hoping to God your parents don't walk in?" The blood rushes to my cheeks at the very idea of what he's saying.

Claire is getting upset. "Do you want me to puke? Claire says. "Over the panties, no bra, blouse unbuttoned, Calvin's in a ball on the front seat past eleven on a school night?" Bender says. My jaw drops slightly and I cover my face to hide my embarrassment.

"Leave her alone!" Andrew says. Bender slowly stands and faces Andrew. "I said leave her alone!" He says again. "You gonna make me?" Bender challenges. "Yeah." Andrew says. Bender walks over to where Andrew is standing. "You and how many of your friends?" He says. "Just me, just you and me. Two hits. Me hitting you, you hitting the floor! Anytime you're ready, pal!" Andrew says and I'm sitting here thinking he's gonna get his ass kicked.

Bender goes to hit him but Andrew gets Bender down on the ground with a wrestling move. "I don't wanna get into to this with you man." Bender says. Andrew gets up. "Why not?" He says. Bender gets up. "'Cause I'd kill you." I freeze at the sudden words. "It's real simple. I'd kill you and your fucking parents would sue me and it would be a big mess and I don't care enough about you to bother." Bender says.

"Chicken shit." Andrew says. He turns and walks away. Bender takes out a switchblade and opens it. He stabs the switchblade into a chair. "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! You understand me?" Andrew says.

"I'm trying to help her!" Bender says. We see the janitor, Carl come into the room. "Brian, how you doing?" He says.  "Your dad works here?" Bender asks. Brian is embarrassed. "Uh, Carl?" Bender asks. "What?" Carl asks. "Can I ask you a question?" Bender asks. "Sure." Carl says.

"How does one become a janitor?" Bender asks Carl. "You wanna be a janitor?" Carl asks skeptically. "No I just wanna know how one becomes a janitor because Andrew here, is very interested in persuing a career in the custodial arts." Bender says.

"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. By the way, that clock's twenty minutes fast!" Carl says. Everyone groans. Bender smiles. "Shit!" Andrew says.