The John Hughes Club

Chapter Three

I had thought about hiding myself in the toilet, eating my lunch in there, surrounded by the smell of bodily functions and fragrance sprays, but thought better of it. Besides, hiding myself away in the cubicle of a loo, isn't exactly going to help me make friends in this place...so here I am, about to eat my sunblush tomato pasta for one, waiting for Chas Summers to arrive. As I'm beginning to eat, I'm drawn to a crack on the ceiling above me in the lunch hall. The large fracture in the otherwise smooth plaster seems to have my attention with each and every one of my chews. I'd give anything to be that crack on the ceiling—there, but not really noticed.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not wanting to be completely ignored, either. It's just I wish the constant staring would stop. I'll give the kids this though; they're at least trying to do all of their staring a little more discreetly now. As I'm about to put another forkful of pasta into my mouth, someone comes and sits themselves down beside me.

"Alright, Mindy." It's Chas, whose brought along that cutely obscene smile of his again with him.

"Hey." After greeting him in a friendly way, I'm oddly now feeling relieved to have his company. Eating alone, in my new school, is not exactly the nicest way to spend my lunchtimes.

As Chas is getting out his own lunch from the bottom of his bag, he's staring back at all those who are so obviously staring at us. "Ignore them. They're so busy growing pubic hair and personalities, they've not yet grown some maturity."

Making me laugh, I'm glancing his way, swallowing down my pasta. "I'll bear that in mind." I tell him, the last of my laughter now just a faint curl around the corners of my lips.

Biting into his sandwich, Chas then drags his eyes away from mine, casually allowing his eyes to roam on all the many eyes that are still looking in our direction. "They mean no harm, really. They want to say hi, but don't yet have enough juice in their genitals to actually do it...it's an adolescent curse." Again, he takes another bite of his sandwich, chewing with conviction.

"I shall equally bear that in mind." The fading curl to my lips, begins curling more with my amusement.

As one half of his ham and mustard sandwich has almost been devoured, Chas has a long sip from his water bottle. Once he can talk again, he does. "So I'm guessing that the kids around here, haven't yet gotten all of your deepest darkest secrets from out of you yet, then?"

Smirking, my shoulders gently rise with the gentle shake of my head. "Not quite." I say, rolling my eyes with sarcastic amusement. "They'll not get much out of me, anyway...I don't open up to just anyone."

Agreeing, Chas nods. "Yeah, they're quite a nosey bunch around here. Like you, I'm a closed book...I don't open my pages for just anyone."

In his eyes, I see a tale that many probably don't know. I recognise that tale hidden behind the lens of both his brown eyes, because it's a tale I have within my own pair of brown eyes. A part of me would love to know his tale, but if it's anything like mine, it's one that's just too hard to put into words. Instead, I focus on why we are here—his club. "About The John Hughes Club, what is it?" I ask, needing to prise away my intrigued gaze that's too curiously still upon him.

Sitting taller in his seat, Chas runs an excited hand through his dark and quirky quiff. "John Hughes was quite simply, a genius of a director. His films, brilliantly identified adolescence with timeless humour and understanding. His films aren't just about the story, the characters and the setting—they're also about the music." The tale from his eyes has now completely gone, only passion is what's sitting so brightly within them.

"I don't think I've ever watched any of his films." I admit, now opening up my packet of crisps, offering Chas some.

Sinking his fingers into the depths of my Salt and Vinegar Discos, Chas happily retrieves a couple, popping them into his mouth with a lighthearted grin. "That's why The John Hughes Club would be perfect for you, Mindy. You'd not only be learning about the brilliance of his films, you'll be learning to make new friends here as well."

"What do we do at this club?" I ask, still not totally sold on the idea of it.

"Every Wednesday lunchtime, we watch some of a film, then simply chat about it...that's it." Having more of his water, he's eager to tell me more. "We've not long started Pretty in Pink. Hughes created the perfect love triangles, he really did. It's great dissecting his scenes, dissecting his characters. I started the club because I really think that what his characters go through, in whatever film, kids really have gone through it...and will continue going through it."

Hearing him explain why he enjoys John Hughes films, makes him even more intriguing. He talks with such passion, such natural enthusiasm, this boy is quite simply...wow! "So we watch a little bit, then talk a little about it?" I need to be sure I'm not signing up for anything too heavy going. As intriguing as Chas is, I'm not up for anything too intense.

Again, he nods; this time, smiling broadly at me. "That's it! I'm not going to get you to write a five thousand word thesis on it, I promise." Yup, there's that cutely obscene smile of his again!

The more that comes out of this boy's mouth, the more appealing he becomes. What I like about Chas, is that he's attractive in a non-boy-bandy way. His attractiveness stems from how he carries himself, his easygoing charisma and his not-in-your-face intellect. He's got brains, but isn't intimidating with it. Yeah, I'm already beginning to like him.
His maturity is something I can easily relate to, as well. He certainly has an old head on young shoulders. My time at Archleigh High has so far felt complicated, but in this boy's company, it feels easier.

Having now made up my mind, I turn my head to look directly at the boy who I know is going to become a really good friend of mine. "Okay, I'll come next Wednesday."

From ear to ear, Chas is grinning. "You won't regret it, Mindy. You're gonna love it!"

Watching him pick up the other half of his sandwich, he happily takes a big bite from out of it, smiling while he's chewing. Sticking my fingers back into the packet of crisps, my eyes wander back up to the often ignored crack in the ceiling. With Chas, he's made me realise that I don't want to be just like that crack—there, but not really noticed. No one wants to be an outcast. In my case, the new girl outcast. All of us want to belong, to belong somewhere. I may not have wanted to move to Minehead, yet here I am. After leaving my dad, I began trying to not need anybody. I ushered into my life, a stubbornness that all too often cuts me off from people. But while I'm sat here eating with Chas, a stupid smile on both of our faces, I'm beginning to accept that I do need friends. I've still got my old friends back in Stratford, but it's time to make some new ones. In four days, I've made three new friends at Archleigh—Ella, Zigs and Chas—and mere moments ago, I agreed to joining a lunchtime club. That's right, I'm Mindy Diaz, and I'm now a fully approved member of The John Hughes Club.