The Fighter // The Breakfast Club

It runs in the family

"I can write with my toes! I can also eat, brush my teeth..." Allison said.

"With your feet?" Claire cut in before Allison was done.

"... play Heart & Soul on the piano." Allison finished.

"I can make spaghetti!" Brian said.

"Uh..... I can do a backflip." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

Andy looked over at me with an impressed look on his face. Before he could say anything, I started talking.

"What can you do?" I asked him.

"I can... uh... tape all your buns together." Andy said, causing me to laugh slightly.

"I wanna see what Claire can do!" Bender said, looking over at the girl.

"I can't do anything." She said.

"Now, everybody can do something." Bender told her.

"There's one thing I can do, no forget it, it's too embarrassing." She said, shaking her head slightly.

"You ever seen Wild Kingdom? I mean that guy's been doing that show for thirty years." Bender said.

"Okay, but you have to swear to God you won't laugh.... I can't believe I'm actually doing this."

I watched as Claire took her lipstick out and opened it. She stuck the lipstick tube between her breasts and leaned down, applying it to her lips. She looks up and the lipstick is on perfectly. All of us clap for her, but Bender's clap is slow and sarcastic.

"Alright, great! Where'd you learn to do that?" Andy asked her.

"Camp, seventh grade." She answered.

"That was great, Claire... My image of you is totally blown." Bender said.

"You're a shit! Don't do that to her, you swore to God you wouldn't laugh!" Allison said to him, anger in her voice.

"Am I laughing?" Bender asked her.

"You're such an asshole!" I yelled at him.

"Oh, really? I'm so sorry. I guess it just so happens to run in the family. News flash princess, it runs in yours too." Bender said to me with a cold look in his eyes.

"Don't worry Bender. I know I can be an asshole. But at least I only am to the people who deserve it! I don't run around being a dick to everybody living and breathing!" I yelled at him.

"Like I said, runs in the family, right? Wonder which one you got it from? Huh? Was it mommy? Or maybe it was the big bad father Vernon's been talking about? Who knows, you might've got it from both parents!" Bender yelled to me. I was looking down at my hands, fumbling with them while he talked. I looked back up at him with an emotionless look in my eyes. I had nothing to say back to him. He was completely right.

"You fucking prick!" I heard Andy yell at him.

"What do you care what I have to say anyway?" Bender asked Andy. "I don't even count, right? I could disappear forever and it wouldn't make any difference. I may not even exist at this school, remember? And none of you like me anyways." He said to us, his eyes landing on Claire.

"You know, I have just as many feelings as you do, and it hurts just as much when somebody steps all over them!" Claire yelled at Bender.

"God, you're so pathetic! Don't you ever, ever compare yourself to me! Okay? You got everything, and I got shit! Fuckin Rapunzel, right? School would probably fucking shut down if you didn't show up! 'Queenie isn't here!' I like those earrings Claire." Bender yelled at her, his voice lowering towards the end.

"Shut up." Claire mumbled.

"Are those real diamonds, Claire?" Bender asked her.

"Shut up!" Claire yelled angrily.

"I bet they are! Did you work, for the money to buy those earrings?" Bender asked.

"Shut your mouth!" She yelled.

"Or did your daddy buy those?"

"Shut up!" Claire yelled, before she burst into tears.

"I bet he bought those for you! I bet those are 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. The old man grabbed me and said, 'Hey! Smoke up, Johnny!' Okay, so go home and cry to your daddy, don't cry here, okay?" Bender finished.

"My God, are we gonna be like our parents?" Andy asked.

"Not me... ever." Claire said.

"Never in a million years." I mumbled.

"It's unavoidable. It just happens." Allison said.

"What happens?" Claire asked.

"When you grow up, your heart dies." Allison answered.

"Who cares?" Bender said, annoyed.

"I care." Both Allison and I whispered at the same time.