the fighter | john bender ✅

one (edited)

The sound of an alarm wakes Luis up from her slumber. She jolts, her body moving to sit up. Her hand slams against her clock, silencing the object. Her breath becomes stuck in her throat, waiting for any sounds to signal her family is awake.

When a loud snore echoes into her room, she exhales a sigh of relief, hopping out her bed and towards her dresser. Trying to move quickly, Luis throws on a jean jack on top of the tank top she slept in. She shimmies out of her pajama pants, before she has to shimmy to get her shorts on. Despite nearly falling trying to get her boots on, she succeeds, before walking out her room.

The chain attached to Luis' shorts and her keys bounce against the walls. A loud creak follows, Lui trying to open the front door as quietly as possible. She freezes a moment, hearing loud and heavy footsteps from the end of the long hall. She moves frantically, running out to her bike. She starts it up quickly, driving away from the figure in the front porch.

•••

Walking into the library, the first thing Lui spots is Vernon talking. Biting her tongue, she lets her hand drop. Gravity takes over, forcing the door shut with a bang. He jumps, turning to look at the culprit.

" Well, looks like Ms. Martin has finally decided to join us. Let's see if you'll make it here on time next week Ms. Martin." She only responds with the shrug of her shoulders, walking past the man towards her best friend.

Raising a brow, she looks at Bender's feet in her seat. Without a moment to spare, she lifts his feet and takes the seat, before laying his feet on her lap.

Allowing a moment to pass, Luis' eyes trail up Bender's body, before meeting his eyes, finding him smirking. She only responds with a two-finger salute, turning to her attention to the other people in the area.

Princess; Claire. Jock; Andrew. Basket Case; Allison. Last but not least the Nerd; Brian. This'll be interesting.

" It is now seven-oh-six," Vern declares, staring at his watch. " You have exactly eight hours and fifty-four minutes to think about why you're here. To ponder the error of your ways." Bender leans back in his chair and spits in the air. A second passes before he catches it in his mouth. " You may not talk. You will not move from your seats." From the corner of her eye, Lui sees Brian move back into his seat. It forces a quiet chuckle to pass her lips. Vern then points at Bender before saying, " And you will not sleep."

He looks over at Lui before stating, " You will not draw." She rolls her eyes dramatically, deciding to pop her neck as she does so. When her eyes land on Bender again, he makes his head, lip trapped between his teeth to his grin. Lui forces her smile away, deciding to stick her tongue out instead.

Vernon walks to the front desk, before handing out paper and pencils continuing to speak. " Alright people, we're gonna try something a little different today. We are going to write an essay, of no less than a thousand words, describing me who you think you are."

" Is this a test?" Bender questions. A giggle crawls up Luis' throat. She bites her lip quickly, forcing the giggle back down her throat.

" And when I say essay...I mean essay. I don't mean a thousand words repeated." Lui can only snap her fingers, a look of fake disappointment across her face. " Is that clear Mr. Bender and Ms. Martin?"

The two stare at each other for a moment before answering with, " Crystal."

" Good. Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe you'll even--decide whether or not you care to return. My office, is right across that hall, " Vern announces, pointing towards the exit. " Any monkey business is ill-advised." Long, drawn-out seconds pass before Vernon ends it with, " Any questions?"

" Yeah I got a question," Bender speaks, fumbling with his gloves. " Does Barry Manilow know you raided his wardrobe?"

" I'll give you the answer to that question, Mr. Bender, next Saturday. Don't mess with the bull young man, you'll get the horns." He walks out of the room without another word. Despite this, Bender still continues.

" That man...is a brownie hound," Bender states. Lui can only roll her eyes playfully, mind wandering elsewhere.