The Pretty Boy (Breakfast Club)

"I Like Those Earrings, Claire."

     "That's like me with my grades," Brian said, making everyone turn their attention to him. "Like, when I step outside of myself, and when I look inside myself, y'know, and I see me, I don't like what I see, I really don't." "What's wrong with you? Why don't you like yourself?" Claire asked. "Because I'm stupid...'cause I'm failing shop. See, we had this assignment to make this ceramic elephant, and um...It was like a lamp, and when you pull the trunk the light's supposed to go on...my light didn't go on, I got an F on it. Never got an F in my life...when I signed up for the class, I thought I was playing it real smart, y'know. 'Cause I thought, I'll take shop, it'll be an easy way to maintain my grade point average..." "Why'd you think it'd be easy?" Bender asked. "Have you seen some of the dopes that take shop?" "I take shop, you must be a fuckin' idiot..." "I'm a fuckin' idiot 'cause I can't make a lamp?" "No, you're a genius 'cause you can't make a lamp." "Bender, what do you know about Trigonometry?" "I couldn't care less about Trigonometry." "Bender, did you know that without Trigonometry there'd be no engineering?" "Without lamps, there'd be no light!" "Okay, so none of you are any better than the other," Claire proclaimed, interrupting the two. "I can write with my toes."

     Everyone turned to Allison, confused expressions on their faces. "I can also eat, brush my teeth..." "With your feet?" Claire asked. "...Play Heart And Soul on the piano." "I can make spaghetti," Brian stated, wanting to be a part of the conversation. "I can knit a sweater," Alan added. "What can you do?" Claire asked the jock. "I can, uh, tape all your buns together..." Andrew said, shyly. Cute. Allison thought. "I wanna see what Claire can do," Bender requested. "I can't do anything." "Now, everybody can do something." "There's one thing I can do...no, forget it, it's way too embarrassing..." "You ever seen Wild Kingdom? I mean that guy's been doing that show for thirty years." "Okay, but you have to swear to god you won't laugh." Bender crossed himself. "Do it!" Alan cheered. "I will, I will! God, I can't believe I'm actually doing this..." They watched as Claire pulled one of her many lipsticks out of her purse and put it in between her breasts, applying it from her cleavage. When she perked her head back up, they all applauded. "Alright! Where'd you learn to do that?" Andrew asked. "Camp, seventh grade," she answered, putting the lipstick back in her purse. It seemed like it was going well, until Bender and Alan started clapping slower.

     "Real nice, Claire," Alan teased. "My image of you is totally blown..." Bender added. "You two are little shits! Don't do that to her, you both swore to God you wouldn't laugh!" "Are we laughing?" Bender asked, smugly. "Both of you are fucking pricks, you know that!?" Andrew yelled. "What do you care what we think, anyway? We don't even count, right? Either one of us could disappear forever and it wouldn't make any difference. We may as well not even exist at this school, remember?" Andrew hung his head in shame. Bender turned to Claire. "And you...don't like us anyway!" "You know, I have just as many feelings as you do and it hurts just as much when somebody steps all over them!" Claire began tearing up. "God, you're so pathetic! Don't you ever, ever! Compare yourself to me, okay? You've got everything, and I got shit! Fuckin' Rapunzel, right? The school would probably fucking shut down if you didn't show up! Queenie isn't here!" tears began falling down Claire's cheeks. "I like those earrings, Claire." "Shut up..." "Are those real diamonds, Claire?" "Shut up." "I bet they are...did you work for the money for those earrings?" "Shut your mouth!" "Or did your daddy buy those for you?" "SHUT UP!" "I bet he bought those for you...I bet those were a Christmas gift, right?! You know what I got for Christmas this year? It was a banner fuckin' year at the old Bender family! I got a carton of Cigarettes! Old man grabbed me and said 'Hey, smoke up, Johnny!' Okay, so go home and cry to your daddy, don't cry here, huh?"

The room stayed silent for a bit before Andrew asked a question so simple, yet so chilling. "My God, are we gonna be like our parents?" "Hell no..." Alan said, trying to hold back tears. "Not me...ever..." Claire said, crying to herself. "It's unavoidable," Allison said. "Just happens." "What happens?" "When you grow up, your heart dies." "Who cares?" Bender asked. "I care..." Allison began quietly crying before the room went silent.