in which a mischievous girl joins other troublemakers in a saturday detention.
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❝ do you think that flowers have feelings? ❞
[ t h e b r e a k f a s t c l u b ]
[ j o h n b e n d e r x o c ]
mature for foul and suggestive language and dru...
EVERYONE WAS BACK IN THEIR ORIGINAL SEATS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JOHN AND EISLEY, WHEN CARL THE JANITOR ENTERED THE LIBRARY. Instead of sitting where they were supposed to, both John and Eisley sat in the front from, just in front of Brian. Eisley was reading a book she had found on a shelf, and Bender had his feet up on the table.
"Brian, how you doing?" Carl greeted.
Bender glanced behind him at Brian out of the corner of his eye, "Your dad work here?" He didn't get a response. "Uh, Carl?"
"What?"
"Can I ask you a question?" He leaned back in his chair so that it was on its back two legs.
"Sure."
"How does one become a janitor?"
Carl made a face, "You want to be a janitor?
"No," John replied, and Eisley looked up from her book to watch curiously, "I just want to know how one becomes a janitor, because Andrew here is very interested in pursuing a career in the custodial arts."
The janitor chuckled and put down the cloth he was holding, "You guys think I'm some untouchable peasant, right? Peon? Huh? Maybe so, but following a broom around after you shitheads like you for the past eight years, I've learned a couple of things. Look through your letters, I look through your lockers." At this, both Eisley and John looked up at him, eyes widened. "I listen to your conversations; you don't know that, but I do. I am the eyes and ears of this institution, my friends." Checking his watch as he headed out, he called, "By the way, that clock's twenty minutes fast."
As everyone began to groan, John and Eisley glanced at each other and smiled.
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Later, after John and Eisley returned to their seats, everything was silent for the first time in what seemed like forever. Nobody was fighting, Bender wasn't even talking. However, he was the one to break the silence at about eleven-thirty by whistling a marching tune. Brian is the first to join, followed by Claire and Andrew, and finally Allison and Eisley. It died down when Vernon walked in, and Bender whistled Beethoven's 5th.
Looking unimpressed but ultimately ignoring Bender's antics, Vernon said, "All right, girls. That's thirty minutes for lunch."
"Here?" Andrew asked.
"Here."
"Well, I think the cafeteria would be a more suitable place for us to eat lunch in, sir."
Snapping, Vernon said, "Well, I don't care what you think, Andrew!"
"Uh, Dick?" Bender said, gaining Vernon's attention, "Excuse me, Rich. Will milk be made available to us?"
"We're extremely thirsty, sir," Andrew supplied.
To top it off, Claire added, "I have a very low tolerance for dehydration."
"I've seen her dehydrate, sir," Eisley said, trying her best not to snicker, "It's pretty gross."
John stood suddenly, reaching to pull Eisley up, too. "Relax," he said, "the doll and I will get it."
"Ah, ah, ah," Vernon said before they could get too far from their seats, "Grab some wood there, bub! What do you think, I was born yesterday? You think I'm going to have you two roaming these halls alone?" John sat back down, but dragged Eisley to sit next to him when she attempted to get back to her seat. He sat her sideways in the chair next to his and brought her back to him into his chest, making her laugh quietly. "You," Vernon said, pointing to Andrew. Looking around, he then pointed to Allison, "And you! Hey! What's her name? Wake her. Wake her up! Come on, on your feet, missy! Let's go! This is no rest home!" Allison got to her feet. "There's a soft drink machine in the teacher's lounge. Let's go." Andrew and Allison both walked out, followed shortly by Vernon.
Waiting for the two to get back with drinks, the remaining detention detainees migrated to the back of the library near the statue. Claire was leaning against the statue, Eisley stood next to her. Brian sat on the railing in an awkward position, and John sat on a table a little below him.
"Ladies, you want to see a picture of a guy with elephantiasis of the nuts?" Bender asked, "It's pretty tasty."
Claire answered, "No, thank you."
"Charming," Eisley said dryly.
"How do you think he rides a bike?" At this, Claire rolled her eyes and turned away in disgust. "Oh, Claire, would you ever consider dating a guy like this?"
"Can't you just leave me alone?" Claire pleaded.
John ignored her, "I mean, if he had a great personality and was a good dancer and had a cool car? Although, you'd probably have to ride in the backseat, 'cause his nuts would ride shotgun." Eisley covered her mouth to conceal her growing smile, but he had already seen it. He smirked at her.
"You know what I wish I was doing?" Claire asked Eisley quietly.
Before she could answer, Bender said, "Oh, watch what you say, Brian here is a cherry."
"A cherry?" Brian asked.
Ignoring them both, Eisley said, "What?"
"I wish I was on a plane to France."
Eisley half smiled, "I've heard that it's beautiful there."
"Oh," they suddenly heard John say, "You and Claire, did it?"
Turning to look at them, Claire demanded, "What are you talking about?"
"Uh, nothing," Brian stuttered, "Nothing. Let's just drop it, okay?" He asked Bender, "We'll talk about it later."
"No," Claire was obviously becoming angry. Eisley pursed her lips. "Drop what? What are you talking about?"
"Well," Bender said, "Brian trying to tell me that in addition to the number of girls in the Niagara Falls area, that presently you and he are riding the hobby horse."
Claire's expression changed into one of disgust, "Little pig."
"No, I'm not!" Brian cried, nearly falling off the banister. "John said I was a cherry and I said I wasn't! That's it! That's all I said!"
"Then what were you motioning to Claire for?" John asked innocently, and Eisley frowned at him. She didn't believe that Brian would say something like that. He didn't seem the type.
"You know, I don't appreciate this very much, Brian," Claire told him sternly.
"He is lying!"
"Oh," Bender said, eyebrow raised, "You weren't motioning to Claire? Were you motioning to Eisley, instead?"
Desperately, Brian asked, "You know he's lying, right?"
"Were you or were you not motioning to Claire?" John asked again. Eisley felt bad for the boy. He always seemed to be a target for the bad boy today.
In defeat, he answered, "Yeah, but it was only... was only because I didn't want her to know I was a virgin, okay?" When John only stared at him, he defensively added, "Excuse me for being a virgin, I'm sorry."
Claire chuckled, "Why didn't you want me to know you were a virgin?"
"Because it's personal business," Brian frowned, "It's my personal business."
"Well, Brian," Bender said, and Eisley knew that it was going to be an insult, "it doesn't sound like you're doing any business."
Eisley sighed and told him, "It's okay for a guy to be a virgin." Both John and Brian looked at her, Brian hopeful and John in surprise. "It's okay for anyone to be a virgin or not. Sex is natural, and wanting to wait is perfectly fine, too."
