I do not own any of the breakfast club characters (wish i did though) this is purely recreational reading of which i will derive no profit etc.

Make take on monday and what happens afterwards. Please read and review, this is my first fanfic. Will write more.

Bittersweet

1

Claire Standish slid into her fathers BMW, closing the door behind her. Her father pulled away almost immediately. She kept her eyes on John Bender as they drove past, even turning in the seat, watching him until her father turned a corner. She returned her gaze to the front, her lips still tingling from her brief but extremely potent kiss that she had shared with Shermer high's most notorious rebel. Due to her own giddy musings, it took her a moment notice that her father was frowning, his hands gripping the steering wheel with more force than was necessary. She glanced over at him.

"Who was that boy, princess?" he was attempting to sound casual and failing miserably.

"Oh just a guy I was in detention with." She shrugged nonchalantly, attempting to sound flippant.

"Detention … of course." He muttered under his breath. Claire sat up.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, he just seemed a little …" He sighed "Scruffy. He looks like trouble."

"Trouble?" He was growing ever more uncomfortable under her glare. He said nothing more but she knew that he wanted to. But that would conflict with his desire to be the 'cool' dad, which he could use as ammunition while quarreling with his wife. He glanced at his daughter.

"Claire where is your other earring?"

"Oh!" Her hand flew up to her ear, "Um, I must have dropped it."

"Really, Claire, you should be more careful. They cost money." Yeah like they hadn't got more than enough.

"I'm sure it'll turn up."

"Well I should hope so."

"Maybe." But she was too distracted to care. What would Bender do about the earring?

She didn't know why she gave it to him. She guessed she just wanted him to have something of hers. She hoped he would keep it. She rested her head against the chair back, her mind alive with thousand thoughts. And every one was about John Bender and what Monday would bring.

------

John Bender lifted up the window and tumbled into his bedroom, he could hear raised voices from the kitchen as usual. Walking through the front door was a mistake that he'd long since avoided, he had the scars to remind him... a memory came to him, himself as a child curled up under his bed, terrified, he refused to acknowledge it. He had learned early on not to get in his father's way. The school nurse had been a problem. There was only place that he'd dreaded more than his home back then and that was a foster home. At least here, if he was careful, he was usually left alone, for most of the time.

He clicked on his stereo, turning up the volume to drown out the seemingly constant stream of insults being exchanged behind the closed door. Heavy metal blasted from the speakers, moderately soothing the frustration and anger that was beginning to rise up inside him.

His thoughts turned to the days events. He was still in shock, Claire Standish! What was wrong with this picture? He should hate her; he should want to hate her. She was …

Suddenly there was a loud thump at the door.

"Turn that shit down, dye hear." The door rattled again. Bender sighed and leaned forward, flipping the off switch.

"Fuck this." Grabbing his coat, he left through the window. He needed to go somewhere anywhere but there.

-----

Claire sat on her bed in the dark. She listened silently to her mother's slurred accusations and her father's spiteful jibes flying through the air as barbed arrows intent on causing the maximum amount of damage. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, 7:30. Where had the time gone? She wanted to get out of the house. She'd go crazy if she had to sit listening to her parents a moment longer. She glanced at her clock again. Stubby's party would have started by now. She could still go; it wasn't as if her parents would even notice that she was gone anyway. They were too wrapped up in their own poison – filled lives to notice.

She locked her door though, just in case. She didn't bother changing, what she had on would do well enough. She stepped out through her window onto the balcony. She closed the window behind her. It was warm outside, for March at least. She climbed over the balcony railing and onto the ivy covered trellis to the side. In two minutes she was on the ground. She'd been using that to sneak out since her fourteenth birthday. She made her way down the gravel path, her feet crunching on the driveway. The streetlamps were just beginning to glow. She turned at the gate; Stubby's was only a few streets away.

She heard the party before she saw it. Music was booming out of every orifice. She turned the corner and was presented with a celebration in full swing. She pulled her hands from her pockets and sighed. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

She left her coat on a growing pile by the door. Immediately she was joined by two of her cohorts, Sarah and Ellie, two quieter members of the group. One of them placed a red cup in her hand containing the usual cheap beer concoction. Sarah spoke up first.

"Andy didn't think you'd show. Glad you could make it."

"Yeah well, I got kinda bored at home." They had to shout over the music.

"Detention go ok?" Ellie piped up. Claire nodded.

"Yeah, I actually had a lot of fun." Her friends were skeptical.

"Really? Who was there?"

"Um, Andy of course. Brian Johnson, Allison Reynolds and John Bender." In response to Sarah's grimace she continued. "They're actually not that bad."

"If you say so."

"I do say so." Just then she spotted Andy by the stairs, a beer in his hand. "I'll be back in a minute." Andy had a far away look in his eyes as she approached him. "Hey."

"Oh hi Claire, I thought you weren't coming."

"Parents." He nodded sympathetically. "Thought you weren't allowed to drink alcohol. Isn't that against your dad's rules?" She gestured to the beer bottle. Andy shrugged.

"Yeah well, I figured screw my dad and his rules."

"Good for you." She nodded approvingly.

"Um, have you seen Allison?"

"No, did you invite her?" Andy looked sheepish suddenly.

"Yeah." She smiled; at least Andy was being true to his word, so far.

-----

Bender stared up at the house, suddenly feeling uneasy. Strange that he would end up here of all places. He didn't even know if she would be there. He was reluctant to go in. It wasn't as if anyone would notice. Pretty much everyone turned up to these parties and there was always a gatecrasher or two. He took a deep breath and walked purposefully into Stubby's party.

-----

Claire sat outside, at the back of the house, on the steps that lead out onto the patio surrounding the pool. She stared down at the brown, watery liquid swilling around the red and white cup in her hand. She had closed the door behind her so the music was somewhat muted. She took an experimental sip. It tasted bitter and malty, personally she preferred white wine but she needed something to take her mind off her parents. She took another sip. She heard the door open and close behind her. She didn't turn around but continued to slowly sip the drink in her hand.

"Well, Cherry, never would have taken you for a drinker." She flushed instantly at the familiar voice. She'd know it anywhere; she'd just spent nine hours listening to it.

"What are you doing here?" Bender slumped down beside her.

"Nice to see you too princess."

"Sorry, um hi." She deposited her cup on the step beside her and crossed her arms over her knees. Bender promptly picked it up and downed the contents, she had a feeling that he was in a similar position to her. It struck her that their home lives were equally as 'unsatisfying' but in very different ways. "You ok?" He shrugged.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason." She shivered involuntarily.

"Cold?" She was about to deny this when her teeth chattered.

"A little but I'm ok." But he was already shrugging out of his long grey coat. "Thank you." She smiled as he handed it to her.

"My pleasure, Cherry." They sat in companionable silence for a while. Bender pulled a cigarette from his pocket which he promptly lit with a match. He threw the match into pool. It sizzled as it hit the water. He took a drag then slowly blew out a cloud of smoke. After a moment he offered it to her, she hesitated then took it, she pulled in a little then handed it back. What was a little tobacco after trying drugs? She coughed once then exhaled. She looked over at Bender who looked glum to say the least. She decided to distract him.

"Why 'not saved'?" She pointed at his right hand which at that point rested on his knee, a thin wisp of smoke rising from his cigarette.

"Why not?"

"No, what does it mean?" He hesitated then stubbed out the cigarette on the step beside him, before throwing it away.

"It doesn't mean anything." He sighed then stood up, she looked up at her. He offered her his hand. She took it. He pulled her up but she stumbled and fell against him. "Well, Cherry you're falling for me already." Claire looked up at him, her cheeks already beginning to grow red. At least her favourite smirk was back where it should be. She righted herself, while trying to avoid staring at the lips she had kissed just hours before. She felt weak at the knees. She cleared her throat and strode towards the door.

They weaved through the crowd; the party was in full swing. Claire spotted Andy by the keg; it looked like Allison had found him. She was looking extremely uncomfortable but happy to be with Andy. Monday was looking interesting.

They stepped out into the slightly cooler night air. They stood in silence for a moment, then Claire began to take off his coat.

"Come on Cherry, I'll walk you home."

"Oh, it's ok; I only live a few streets away." He shrugged.

"Doesn't matter." She hesitated.

"Um, ok."

She wasn't lying, it was just around the corner practically.

"Um thank for walking me home." Claire took of the jacket and gave it back to him.

"No problem." He was a bit preoccupied with trying not to stare at the huge structure in front of him. Claire hesitated for a second then quickly planted a kiss on his roughened cheek before legging it towards the house. He watched as she sprinted down the gravel driveway, scaled an ivy trellis on the side of her house before disappearing into a window behind her balcony. He reached a hand up to his cheek. He turned around and began walking toward home. Monday would be interesting, that was for sure.