SPIN THE KNIFE

a/n I always found the couples at the end of this very cliched. I prefer this. *grin*

Allison spun the knife on the table. It ended up pointing at Bender.

"What's your biggest fear?"

Bender smirked. "Psycho kleptos carrying around my switchblade."

The Basketcase's grin matched the Criminal's.

"Oh, come on, Bender. You know that's not a real answer," Claire sighed, rolling her eyes.

As usual, Andy agreed with her, but didn't say anything.

The scowl on Bender's face would have scared anyone else. Bt not these four.

"Becoming a fag wrestler like Sporto?" he joked, punching Andy's shoulder.

Brian laughed at that, then frowned when he realized he was the only one who seemed to find it amusing.

Allison twisted her mouth and leaned in to give Bender a serious stare. "John Bender, Criminal, Detention Addict, what is your biggest fear?"

He met those dark eyes and groaned. Somehow Allison knew them all better than they knew themselves. And it was only the compulsive liar who could get the truth out of her friends.

Bender looked down at his boots, fingers picking at a hole in his jeans. His answer was subdued and grim. "That I'll end up just like my old man. A sorry, alcoholic bastard who's failed everything he ever tried."

Allison dropped her head softly on his shoulder, trying to show comfort without real body contact. Only a month ago, it would have been Claire sitting at Bender's side. But things had changed. And when the Claire/Bender, Allison/Andy pairings had refused to work, the Basketcase and the Criminal had drifted together, recognizing in each other what had been missing in their previous relationships. So far, they had just been casually hanging out together.

And somehow, the Breakfast Club had endured, remaining friends despite the awkwardness of the breakups, the amount of time Bender and Allison spent with each other and the shock of the school's different cliques.

In an effort to support Bender on his year long detention streak, they had all made it a point to either just show up on Saturdays, or do something to get assigned detention.

Allison brought everyone back into the moment as she popped up off Bender's shoulder with a squeak that meant Bender had pinched her. She spun and glared at him, then reached for the knife, and passed it to Brian on her right. "Your turn."

Brian plunked down the knife and gave it a good spin. This time it pointed at the Athlete. The spinner tried to decide. "I don't...Uh. Who was the first girl you kissed?"

"Lame, Big Bri," Bender commented, and the other nodded agreement. Brian shrugged and stuck to the question, looking across at Andy.

He laughed. "Patty Marshall, I guess."

"Your dad pointed you her way, didn't he, Sporto?""

Frowning, then nodding, Andy confirmed Bender's words. "It was sixth grade and my dad told me Patty was a cute girl. And that she'd make a good girlfriend. Next class party, I planted one on her. But everyone teased us."

"I remember that!" Claire laughed. "You two wouldn't even sit next to each other the rest of the year."

Andy smiled wryly.

Allison made a squirelly noise, then pointed from the knife to Claire. The Princess rolled her eyes, but twisted the knife.

When it stopped, Claire looked at Allison, trying to decide what to ask. Finally she sighed. "What's something you've always wanted to steal?"

Allison hunched into herself, biting her lip. Her eyes darted around the circle, and her mouth spread in a fox's grin. "Scary Harry's Harley."

That surprised them all. Bender snorted. "You're psycho, Psycho. Even my old man wouldn't wanna fight Scary Harry, no matter how trashed he is."

Allison just shrugged.

Looking confused, Andy quietly asked, "You like motorcycles? I didn't even know."

She shrugged again, before pointing at the knife.

Slowly looking away from her, Andy spun the knife, which stopped on Brian.

The Brain grinned. At this point, they knew pretty much everything about him. There wasn't anything else to be embarrassed about.

Andy stared pensively at Brian, trying to think of something to ask. "Favorite movie or movies, I guess."

"Star Trek!" was Brian's immediate answer. They all laughed. The Brain was a nerd, through-and-through.

Bender picked up the knife, and didn't spin it, but simply pointed it at Allison. "Are you really psycho, Psycho? Or do you act like it to get attention?"

She frowned, answering with an angry squeal. Bender poked her shoulder with his finger. "Answer the question, Ally-may."

Her mouth hung open for a moment, then she snapped her jaw shut. From between her clenched teeth came the truth. "My parents ignored me, I acted crazy. But I really am crazy, because I'm happy and comfortable and myself now."

Brian spoke up and asked, "Wait. Do you, or do you not, like the weird food you eat?"

She shook her head vigorously. "It's yummy!"

That got a laugh. Then Claire pouted.

"Is anyone ever going to ask me anything?"

Allison grabbed the knife out of Bender's hand and laid it on the ground to point at Claire. "If you could make one person at this school disappear forever, who would it be?"

Claire glared. "I didn't mean something like that!"

"Come on, Princess. Give us an answer," Bender chuckled.

No peer pressure was needed this time. Claire rolled her eyes and tugged at her ear. "Michelle Scott."

"But she's your best friend!" Brian protested, puzzlement flashing across his face. "Isn't she?"

Andy snorted. "They hate each other."

"Then why-?" Brian started.

"Appearances," Claire responded, annoyed. "We've both been really popular since we were kids. And that kind of forced us to seem like friends."

"That's SHIT," Allison exclaimed suddenly, making everyone jump.

"Yeah, well, high school is a whole load of shit," the Princess shrugged.

...

It was hours later, as more questions were asked and answers were shared, when Vernon threw open the door to the library. "Time for you to get out of here, you little shitheads."

As the weeks had passed, Vernon had slowly gotten used to the Breakfast Club spending every Saturday together in detention. It finally reached the point where he simply accepted it.

As they all gathered their things, Allison scooped up the knife and tucked it into her bag.

Bender turned and saw it was gone. "Klepto," he muttered.

Then they all wandered through the familiar halls and down the front steps. Three cars waited.

Allison's parents had forgotten her again.

"Do you want a ride, Allison?" Brian asked kindly.

"We could give you one," Andy spoke up softly. While he and Allison might be over, he still liked her.

Claire grinned and shook her head. "My dad could give you a ride really easy too, Allison."

Allison just smiled and shook her head, turning to Bender. He nodded and they started walking.

"See you Monday, dildos!" he yelled back.

The other three laughed and hopped in the cars.

As they crossed the football field, Bender turned to Allison. "Can I have my knife back now, Klepto?"

She stuck out her tongue at him, carelessly spinning in place. Giving him the opportunity to step in front of her, causing Allison to bump into Bender's tall form.

"Seriously, Ally-may. What's it gonna take to get my damn knife back?"

A childlike smile popped onto her face, and she opened her sketchbook and showed him a page.

The Basketcase was crazy, just like she'd said. But that didn't mean she had no talent. She had artistic ability in bucket loads.

And the proof was staring Bender in the face.

The picture was in shades of grey. Surrounded by some kind of endless forest were two figures. Who appeared to have been plucked from some kind of twisted fairy tale, to judge by their ripped, courtly clothes.

The two fell together, faces moments away. Somehow, they looked tangled together without actually touching. And their faces were revealed in a glowing shaft of light.

The girl had Allison's face, and the boy had Bender's.

Bender took in the picture in minor shock, then smirked.

With a lusty smile on his lips, one that made Allison want to run away, and jump into his arms all at once, he reached for her.

His hands were soft on her arms, put the subtle relentless pull sent her belly spinning.

As Bender's lips came down to gently brush hers, Allison pushed closer, dropping the sketch pad and wrapping her arms around his lean waist.

With a satisfied little murmur, he continued to tease her, placing kiss after butterfly kiss on her mouth, until Allison let out a squeak of frustration. His chuckle made her head float and her body tingle. Finally he leaned, kissing her for real. It took him a full minute to remember the original goal of the kiss.

Jumping back, teeth showing white in triumph, he held up the switchblade he had slipped from her bag.

Instead of returning his look with the surly one Bender expected, Allison held up her own hand, and revealed his bag of weed.

Which had been in his pocket.

"Klepto," he growled menacingly.

The Basketcase scooped up her sketchpad and took off like a startled deer. Only a deer wouldn't giggle and squeak.

And the Criminal chased her, shoving the knife into the pocket of his trench coat as he ran.