Status: [updated 12/07/14]
The Brat Pack
We're All Pretty Bizarre
Early Thursday afternoon, April 5, 1984. Shermer High School, Shermer, Illinois.
Allison dips her paintbrush into the cup of water at her desk, watching the inky blue mix with the already murky green. She looks up again, glancing across the classroom; she can't help it. All week she's been watching Bender. Ever since Monday, his mood has seemed different. Not his usual pissy self, but more... light. Happy.
His friends, they're the ones changing. All during class, she's watched the way they look at him, though she doesn't think Bender's noticed. They look... almost disgusted. She's sure they've heard the rumors by now, of Bender and Claire sneaking to Springfield for a date. It's all the rich kids have been talking about today. Allison tunes them out, though. It's not her business. And besides that, Claire and Bender are her friends, even if they don't think so.
Today during Algebra, Allison went to the bathroom and saw CLAIRE SNOBBISH = SLUT written on one of the stall walls. She spent the rest of the period turning the words into a large landscape of flowers and trees, faking a stomach virus when she got back to class to explain her absence. Two periods later and Allison still swears it was Ella's handwriting -
"Okay, class!" Mrs. Geller calls, clapping her hands three times in succession and pulling Allison from her thoughts. "Period's almost over, time to start cleaning up!"
Allison takes her brush and cup of water to one of the sinks, pouring the water down the drain. The final bell rings as she's cleaning the bristles. She jumps when someone reaches over her shoulder and dumps a nasty cup of water on her hands.
"Was there something on my face?" Allison tenses and hunches her shoulders, Johnny Ore's breath hot on her ear. "There better have been, for the way you kept staring at me."
"Mr. Ore."
Johnny and Allison both turn to find Mrs. Geller. She crosses her arms, giving him a stern look.
"Class is over, time for you to go."
Johnny nods, hiking his leather jacket up a little higher.
"Mr. Ore," Mrs. Geller says again once he's at the door.
Johnny stops and licks his lips, swinging his head around.
"The next time you feel the need to harass Miss Reynolds, you will find yourself in detention, do I make myself clear?"
Johnny salutes, giving a grin. "Duly noted," he says, slamming the door behind him.
Allison is scrubbing paint off her hands when Mrs. Geller comes over to the sink, cleaning up discarded brushes.
"Thanks, Mrs. Geller," Allison says, switching off the water and drying her hands with some paper towels. She throws them away, rolling her sleeves back down and crossing her arms.
Mrs. Geller makes a dismissing notion with her hand. "Don't worry about it, Allison. Don't let kids pick on you like that. You're a bright girl."
Mrs. Geller smiles, heading for the front of the room. Allison goes back to her desk, grabbing her painting and setting it on the drying rack.
"So," Mrs. Geller begins, sliding her purse over her arm, "how's your scholarship essay going? Finish yet?"
Allison pauses, then shakes her head, pulling her sweater from her bag and sliding it on.
"No, I uh, haven't really had any luck with it." Allison gives a grim smile, slipping her bag over her head.
"Oh, I'm sure you will. There's still time, don't push yourself." Mrs. Geller smiles. "Well, have a nice day, Allison."
Allison smiles back. "You too, Mrs. Geller."
The halls are empty of kids as Allison wanders through them, clapping her hands together as she walks.
Who inspires you? she thinks to herself. Not Mom. Not Dad. Mrs. Geller? She's nice, yeah, but she hasn't really inspired me with much. I need something refreshing. Something no one else will do. Something like...
Allison stops at one of the lockers, tilting her head as she looks at it. It's been blocked off with yellow caution tape, the door to the locker having been completely removed. It's entirely blackened inside, with some of the red locker next to it burned as well. Allison licks her lips.
Something like Brian.
Allison dips her paintbrush into the cup of water at her desk, watching the inky blue mix with the already murky green. She looks up again, glancing across the classroom; she can't help it. All week she's been watching Bender. Ever since Monday, his mood has seemed different. Not his usual pissy self, but more... light. Happy.
His friends, they're the ones changing. All during class, she's watched the way they look at him, though she doesn't think Bender's noticed. They look... almost disgusted. She's sure they've heard the rumors by now, of Bender and Claire sneaking to Springfield for a date. It's all the rich kids have been talking about today. Allison tunes them out, though. It's not her business. And besides that, Claire and Bender are her friends, even if they don't think so.
Today during Algebra, Allison went to the bathroom and saw CLAIRE SNOBBISH = SLUT written on one of the stall walls. She spent the rest of the period turning the words into a large landscape of flowers and trees, faking a stomach virus when she got back to class to explain her absence. Two periods later and Allison still swears it was Ella's handwriting -
"Okay, class!" Mrs. Geller calls, clapping her hands three times in succession and pulling Allison from her thoughts. "Period's almost over, time to start cleaning up!"
Allison takes her brush and cup of water to one of the sinks, pouring the water down the drain. The final bell rings as she's cleaning the bristles. She jumps when someone reaches over her shoulder and dumps a nasty cup of water on her hands.
"Was there something on my face?" Allison tenses and hunches her shoulders, Johnny Ore's breath hot on her ear. "There better have been, for the way you kept staring at me."
"Mr. Ore."
Johnny and Allison both turn to find Mrs. Geller. She crosses her arms, giving him a stern look.
"Class is over, time for you to go."
Johnny nods, hiking his leather jacket up a little higher.
"Mr. Ore," Mrs. Geller says again once he's at the door.
Johnny stops and licks his lips, swinging his head around.
"The next time you feel the need to harass Miss Reynolds, you will find yourself in detention, do I make myself clear?"
Johnny salutes, giving a grin. "Duly noted," he says, slamming the door behind him.
Allison is scrubbing paint off her hands when Mrs. Geller comes over to the sink, cleaning up discarded brushes.
"Thanks, Mrs. Geller," Allison says, switching off the water and drying her hands with some paper towels. She throws them away, rolling her sleeves back down and crossing her arms.
Mrs. Geller makes a dismissing notion with her hand. "Don't worry about it, Allison. Don't let kids pick on you like that. You're a bright girl."
Mrs. Geller smiles, heading for the front of the room. Allison goes back to her desk, grabbing her painting and setting it on the drying rack.
"So," Mrs. Geller begins, sliding her purse over her arm, "how's your scholarship essay going? Finish yet?"
Allison pauses, then shakes her head, pulling her sweater from her bag and sliding it on.
"No, I uh, haven't really had any luck with it." Allison gives a grim smile, slipping her bag over her head.
"Oh, I'm sure you will. There's still time, don't push yourself." Mrs. Geller smiles. "Well, have a nice day, Allison."
Allison smiles back. "You too, Mrs. Geller."
The halls are empty of kids as Allison wanders through them, clapping her hands together as she walks.
Who inspires you? she thinks to herself. Not Mom. Not Dad. Mrs. Geller? She's nice, yeah, but she hasn't really inspired me with much. I need something refreshing. Something no one else will do. Something like...
Allison stops at one of the lockers, tilting her head as she looks at it. It's been blocked off with yellow caution tape, the door to the locker having been completely removed. It's entirely blackened inside, with some of the red locker next to it burned as well. Allison licks her lips.
Something like Brian.