"What can you do?" I ask Andrew.
" I can...uh...tape all your buns together." he chuckled darkly.
" I wanna see what Cherry can do!" John says, turning to me.
" I can't do anything besides tattoo, Bender."
" Now, everybody can do something..." he says.
"Oh, come on. You can spin pens really fast, wiggle your ears, AND do an impression of literally anyone " Allison gives me a look.
"I forgot about the impressions one, but yea I can do pretty accurate impressions of anyone, even guys."
"Okay, do an impression of... Mr. Vernon!" Brian speaks.
"Alright, uhh" I clear my throat and turn to bender, "Don't mess with the bull, young man, you'll get the horns," I say in a near-perfect impression of our principal, repeating his words exactly. Everyone claps.
"All right, great! Where'd you learn to do that?" Andrew asks.
"I've always been able to do it I guess, it just takes a lot of practice, though."
"Do me!" claire says.
"Umm excuse me sir, but why would anyone want to steal a screw" I repeat her words perfectly. Matching her tone and pitch with ease. "Girls are always easier to do because the pitch is closer to mine but guys are still fine"
"I wanna see what claire can do!" bender calls out.
" I can't do anything," she says.
"Now, everybody can do something..." I say to her, egging her on to show a talent.
"There's one thing I can do, no forget it, it's way too embarrassing."
"You ever seen Wild Kingdom? I mean that guy's been doing that show for thirty years," bender tells her.
"Okay, but you have to swear to God you won't laugh. I can't believe I'm actually doing this..." she sighs to herself. Claire takes lipstick out and opens it. She places it between her breasts, and bends her head down, and applies it from her cleavage. When she lifts her head, her lipstick is perfect. Once again Everyone claps, but Bender's is sarcastic and slow.
"All right, great! Where'd you learn that?" Brian asks,
"Camp, seventh grade."
"That was great, Claire...my image of you is totally blown." bender says.
" You're a shit! Don't do that to her you swore to God you wouldn't laugh!"
" is he laughing?" I defend the man that I have grown to care immensely for.
"bender, you fucking prick!"Bender turns to Andrew. As he speaks, I can see the athlete's words from earlier hitting Bender straight in the heart.
"What do you care what I think, anyway? I don't even count, right? I could disappear forever and it wouldn't make any difference...I may as well not even exist at this school, remember? And you...don't like me anyway!" he says.
"You know, I have just as many feelings as you do and it hurts just as much when somebody steps all over them!"
"God, you're so pathetic!"
Don't you ever...ever! Compare yourself to people like us! Okay? You got everything, and I got shit! Fuckin' Rapunzel, right? The school would probably fucking shut down if you didn't show up! "Queenie isn't here!" I like those earrings, Claire."
"Shut up..." she mumbles,
"Are those real diamonds, Claire?" my criminal asks her.
"Shut up!"
"I bet they are...did you work, for the money for those earrings?" I taunt knowing that it would get to her.
" Or did your daddy buy those?"
"Shut up!" hot, angry tears are rolling down her face as he tells bender and me to shut up
" I bet he bought those for you! I bet those are Christmas gifts! Right? Do you know what I got for Christmas this year? It was a banner fuckin' year at the old Bender family! I got a carton of cigarettes. The old man grabbed me and said "Hey! Smoke up Johnny!" Okay, so go home'n cry to your daddy, don't cry here, okay?"
"My god, are we gonna be like our parents?"