Status: [updated 12/07/14]
The Brat Pack
Don't You Want Any Respect?
At 8:37, Mr. Jupiter is going over instructions for tomorrow's lab when the door bangs open. Claire looks up, watching as Bender walks in.
"Ah, Bender," Mr. Jupiter says, glancing up from the chalkboard. "How nice of you to join us. Please, take a seat and start copying notes from your lab partner."
Bender smirks at Claire as he walks by her table, heading for the back. Beside her, Ella, Claire's best friend, gasps.
"Such filth," Ella mutters, turning to watch Bender sit next to Curtis. Behind him, Stacey, one of Bender's girls, leans forward over her table and throws her arms around him, massaging his shoulders. Ella turns back.
"How was detention with him, anyway?" she whispers to Claire, picking her pen back up and scribbling in more notes.
Claire shrugs. "It was so…practical of him, if you know what I mean."
Ella nods vigorously, as if she completely understands. Which, no, she doesn't.
"Now then," Mr. Jupiter calls from the front, finishing writing an equation on the board. "Who would like to come up and give this a shot? Anybody?"
"I would!" a faked, girlish voice calls from the back. Kids start to snicker.
Mr. Jupiter turns around, searching for the voice. "Who was that? Claire?"
"What?" Claire nearly jumps in her seat. "No, sir, that wasn't me."
"Oh, come on! Don't be shy! I know you can do it!" He motions for her to come up to the board. More snickering.
"Okay, I guess."
Claire stands up, smoothing down her skirt. Cat calls start up in the room.
"Now, now, fellas. Let's have some respect," Mr. Jupiter warns.
Claire takes the chalk from him and stares at the writing in front of her. What the hell does any of this mean? The numbers and letters start to swirl together in front of her.
"Well?" Mr. Jupiter asks. "Go on, take a crack at it. What do you think?"
"I, uh," Claire starts, trying to look at the writing above for something helpful. What was wrong with her? Mr. Jupiter tilts his head at her.
"Anything?"
Claire can feel herself sweating as she stares where the answer should go. "Uh."
"Mr. Jupiter!"
Everyone turns to look. A black manicured hand shoots into the air. Stacey.
"I'll try it. I think I have the answer."
Mr. Jupiter nods, motioning for Stacey to come forward. When she gets to the front, Claire reluctantly hands her the chalk, head hanging low as she heads back to her seat. Ella pats her back reassuringly as Stacey starts to write on the board.
Stacey smiles as she drops the chalk back into its holder. Mr. Jupiter rubs his chin and nods at her results.
"Wonderful, Stacey! Well done!"
Some kids off to the left start clapping. Stacey smiles again and heads back to her seat, pausing at Claire's table. She leans down.
"Money won't get you out of this class, sweetheart," she whispers.
"Yeah, but it sure will get you out of those clothes, hooker."
Stacey gasps as she jumps up, offended.
"Claire!" Mr. Jupiter yells. "That's enough out of you. Apologize to Stacey, or go to the principal's office."
Claire smiles sweetly at Stacey.
"Sorry, Stace. I was just kidding around. Like you!"
"It's Stacey to you. And no, you were not," Stacey huffs, her tall black boots click-clacking the floor as she storms off back to her seat.
More snickering.
"Ah, Bender," Mr. Jupiter says, glancing up from the chalkboard. "How nice of you to join us. Please, take a seat and start copying notes from your lab partner."
Bender smirks at Claire as he walks by her table, heading for the back. Beside her, Ella, Claire's best friend, gasps.
"Such filth," Ella mutters, turning to watch Bender sit next to Curtis. Behind him, Stacey, one of Bender's girls, leans forward over her table and throws her arms around him, massaging his shoulders. Ella turns back.
"How was detention with him, anyway?" she whispers to Claire, picking her pen back up and scribbling in more notes.
Claire shrugs. "It was so…practical of him, if you know what I mean."
Ella nods vigorously, as if she completely understands. Which, no, she doesn't.
"Now then," Mr. Jupiter calls from the front, finishing writing an equation on the board. "Who would like to come up and give this a shot? Anybody?"
"I would!" a faked, girlish voice calls from the back. Kids start to snicker.
Mr. Jupiter turns around, searching for the voice. "Who was that? Claire?"
"What?" Claire nearly jumps in her seat. "No, sir, that wasn't me."
"Oh, come on! Don't be shy! I know you can do it!" He motions for her to come up to the board. More snickering.
"Okay, I guess."
Claire stands up, smoothing down her skirt. Cat calls start up in the room.
"Now, now, fellas. Let's have some respect," Mr. Jupiter warns.
Claire takes the chalk from him and stares at the writing in front of her. What the hell does any of this mean? The numbers and letters start to swirl together in front of her.
"Well?" Mr. Jupiter asks. "Go on, take a crack at it. What do you think?"
"I, uh," Claire starts, trying to look at the writing above for something helpful. What was wrong with her? Mr. Jupiter tilts his head at her.
"Anything?"
Claire can feel herself sweating as she stares where the answer should go. "Uh."
"Mr. Jupiter!"
Everyone turns to look. A black manicured hand shoots into the air. Stacey.
"I'll try it. I think I have the answer."
Mr. Jupiter nods, motioning for Stacey to come forward. When she gets to the front, Claire reluctantly hands her the chalk, head hanging low as she heads back to her seat. Ella pats her back reassuringly as Stacey starts to write on the board.
Stacey smiles as she drops the chalk back into its holder. Mr. Jupiter rubs his chin and nods at her results.
"Wonderful, Stacey! Well done!"
Some kids off to the left start clapping. Stacey smiles again and heads back to her seat, pausing at Claire's table. She leans down.
"Money won't get you out of this class, sweetheart," she whispers.
"Yeah, but it sure will get you out of those clothes, hooker."
Stacey gasps as she jumps up, offended.
"Claire!" Mr. Jupiter yells. "That's enough out of you. Apologize to Stacey, or go to the principal's office."
Claire smiles sweetly at Stacey.
"Sorry, Stace. I was just kidding around. Like you!"
"It's Stacey to you. And no, you were not," Stacey huffs, her tall black boots click-clacking the floor as she storms off back to her seat.
More snickering.