doll ; john bender

one

part one
the artist

Saturday, March 24, 1984.

Marley Clark rode to the school on her skateboard, adorned in a long-sleeve white shirt paired with denim short dungarees and white knee high socks, covered by her worn out converse. She scoffed as she saw her brother getting out of her father's car in front of the school, of course he had given her brother a lift. She raised her middle finger up at her dad as he drove past before entering the school herself, seeing Claire Standish, her brother and Brian Johnson.

Marley rolled her eyes before taking a seat at the front of the class, on the table opposite her brothers, waiting for John to enter.

Her and John Bender had some sort of fling, she wasn't sure what to describe it as, they weren't in a relationship but they acted like they were. It was confusing, but Marley found it comforting.

The boy entered soon after she did, walking over to the table that Brian sat at and pointed to a different table, making the boy move, before he came over to Marley's table, leaning over the desk to place a hard kiss on her forehead. John moved around the desk to tug at her arm to try and make her stand up and come sit with him, but when she didn't move he pouted and tugged her arm harder before giving up and just lifting her as if it was nothing, causing Marley to squeal as John took her over to his desk, propping his feet up on the other chair and placing Marley in his lap facing him, peppering kisses to her nose and cheeks.

"Well, well," Vernon started, walking into the detention room, "here we are. I wanna congratulate you for being on time. "

"Excuse me, sir. I think there's been a mistake. I know it's detention, but I don't think I belong in here." Claire stated, causing Marley to chuckle when her statement was ignored by the teacher.

"It is now 7:06. You have exactly eight hours and fifty-four minutes to think about why you're here, to ponder the error of your ways." Marley recoiled in disgust from the boy in front of her as he spat in the air and caught his saliva in his mouth. "You may not talk. You will not move from these seats. And you," he came round to John and Marley, "will not show any public displays of affection," he pulled the seat away from John's legs and roughly grabbed Marley's shoulder, pulling her into the other seat, "and you will not sleep. We're going to try something a little different today. We are going to write an essay of no less than 1000 words, describing to me who you think you are."

"Is this a test?" John asked, but he was only ignored.

"When I say essay, I mean essay. I do not mean a single word repeated 1000 times, is that clear, Mr Bender?"

"Crystal."

"Miss Clark, I do not want to see any paintings instead of an essay, you understand?"

"'Course, babe." She winked, sending him a finger gun.

"Good. Maybe you'll learn a little something about yourself. Maybe you'll even decide whether or not you care to return."

Brian Johnson stood up, "I can answer that right now, Sir. That's 'no' for me, because-"

"Sit down Johnson." The man dismissed.

"Thank you, sir."

"I'll definitely be back for you next week, sweetheart." Marley stated in an attempt to take any embarrassment or unwanted attention off Brian.

"Good, Miss Clark, because you will be here next week."

"Can't wait." The girl winked at the teacher again, causing Andrew to roll his eyes. "Y'know, while we're at it why don't you give me another one, it'll be great to spend more time together."

"That's another one right there, Clark. My office is right across that hall. Any monkey business is ill-advised. Any questions?"

"Yeah. I got a question," John told the man, gaining the attention of everyone in the room, "does Barry Manilow know you raid 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."

"That man is a brownie hound." John stated once he left, causing Marley to giggle under her breath slightly, earning a smile from John.

Marley rested her head on her desk but soon lifted it as she heard a clicking sound, everyone looked over to Allison, who was biting her nails, causing Marley to wince and hold her hands close to her body as though it caused her physical pain.

"You keep eating your hand, you won't be hungry for lunch." Bender commented, causing Allison to to spit her nail at him. "I've seen you before, you know."

"Wow, Bender, you have eyes?" Marley feigned shock as she looked at the boy next to her who had a smirk on his face.

"'Course, otherwise how else would I be able to describe every part of your body when you call me at midnight because you're all hot and bothered." Marley's cheeks flushed at the boys words, she didn't know what was worse, the fact that there was other people in the room as he said this, the fact that her brother was in the room, or the fact that she did call him at midnight last night.

Marley looked over at Brian when she heard him talking to himself, "who I think I am. Who are you?" Brian put his pen in his mouth, "who are you? I am a walrus." The boy looked over to see both Marley and John staring at him.

John looked him dead in the eye as he took off his scarf, Brian took the pen out of his mouth under his gaze. Brian went to take off his jacket, unfortunately at the same time as John, both boys stopped until Brian pulled his back on, pretending to be cold.

"What is this, Bender, a strip tease?" John winked at the girl before leaning over her to stare at Brian.

"It's the shits, huh?" Brian asked the boy, causing Marley to let out an unattractive laugh. Bender turned back to face the front, rolling up a paper ball and throwing it past Andrew and Claire.

Unimpressed with the reaction from the two, he started humming. Marley ran her hands through her blonde hair, yawning.

"Didn't get much sleep, doll?" John whispered in her ear, causing an uninvited shiver to roll down her spine, "maybe you would sleep better if I was there with you, I'd make you real tired." Marley's eyes widened and she abruptly slammed her head onto the table to hide her heated cheeks.