Ceasefire of Hostility (a.c)

BARBIE IN THE BEAT UP CONVERSE

"Um," Brian says, breaking the silence. "I was just thinking, I mean. I know it's kind of a weird time, but I was just wondering, um, what is gonna happen to us on Monday? When we're all together again? I mean I consider you guys my friends, I'm not wrong, am I?"

"No..." Andrew hums.

"So, so on Monday... what happens?"

"Are we still friends, you mean?" Claire asks. "If we're friends now, that is?"

"Yeah..."

"Do you want the truth?

"Yeah, I want the truth."

"I don't think so..."

Allison furrows her eyebrows. "Well, do you mean all of us or just John?"

"With all of you.

"That's a really nice attitude, Claire!" fumes Andrew.

"Oh, be honest, Andy! If Brian came walking up to you in the hall on Monday, what would you do? I mean picture this, you're there with all the sports. I know exactly what you'd do, you'd say hi to him and when he left you'd cut him all up so your friends wouldn't think you really liked him!"

"No way!"

"'Kay, what if I came up to you?" huffs the basketcase.

"Same exact thing!"

"You are a bitch!" Bender screams.

"Why? 'Cause I'm telling the truth, that makes me a bitch?"

"No! 'Cause you know how shitty that is to do to someone! And you don't got the balls to stand up to your friends and tell 'em that you're gonna like who you wanna like!"

"Okay, what about you, you hypocrite! Why don't you take Allison to one of your heavy metal vomit parties? Or take Brian out to the parking lot at lunch to get high? What about Andy for that matter, or Barbie- what about me? What would your friends say if we were walking down the hall together? They'd laugh their asses off and you'd probably tell them you were doing it with me so they'd forgive you for being seen with me."

Claire just keeps making Bender angrier. "Don't you ever talk about my friends! You don't know any of my friends, you don't look at any of my friends and you certainly wouldn't condescend to speak to any of my friends so you just stick to the things you know, shopping, nail polish, your father's BMW and your poor- rich- drunk mother in the Caribbean!"

"Shut up!" the redhead sobs.

And as far as being concerned about what's gonna happen when you and I walk down the hallways at school, you can forget it! 'Cause it's never gonna happen! Just bury your head in the sand and wait for your fuckin' prom!"

"I hate you!"

"Yeah? Good!"

There is silence until Brian speaks. "Then I assume Allison, Barbie and I are better people than you guys, huh? Us weirdos..." He looks at Allison and Barbie. "Do you, would you guys do that to me?"

"I don't have any friends..." Allison whispers.

"Neither do I," shrugs Barbie. "Not any real ones at least."

"Well if you did?" Brian asks.

"No... I don't think the kind of friends I'd have would mind."

"Mine either."

"I just wanna tell each of you that I wouldn't do that," announces the nerd. "I wouldn't and I will not! 'Cause I think that's real shitty..."

"Your friends wouldn't mind because they look up to us," Claire states.