A One Time Experience | Andrew Clark |

05

7:45. No where near the time to leave. Bender was lighting his shoe on fire, Brian was doing, whatever it was, Claire staring off into the distance, Andrew playing with his sweatshirt, and Allison drawing.
I was staring at my paper. I wasn't thinking about anything, but I wasn't asleep. I was real tired, but I just wouldn't sleep.
A few minutes pass and i've been trying to keep my eyes open. It was so difficult. I put my head down and slowly went to sleep.

"Wake up! Who has to use the lavatory?" I stayed in my position and raised my hand.

We were all in different places, I was sitting on a swivel chair reading. "That's real intelligent." Andrew said. I looked up and it looked like Bender tore the pages out of a book. "You're right.. It's wrong to destroy literature." He ripped out more pages. "It's such fun to read.. and, Molet really pumps my nads!"
"Mol-yare." Me and Claire both correct him. He glared at Claire and ignored me. For some unknown reason, they were all ignoring me. Probably because of what I said earlier.
"I really like his work" Brian said, and Bender threw some pages at him.
He went over to all the cards and started messing them all up.
"Big deal.. nothing to do when you're locked in vacancy."
"Speak for yourself." Andrew said in a slightly annoyed tone.
"Do you think i'd speak for you? I don't speak your language."
Andrew turned to Claire. "You grounded to tonight?" Oh, brother. He's gonna ask her out. "I don't know, my mom said I am but my dad said to blow her off." "Big party at Stubbies, his parents are in Europe. Should be pretty wild."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, can you go?"
"I doubt it."
"I'll go." I spoke a little loudly and Andrew turned to me. "My parents don't ground me, they think detention is enough punishment."
"Cool, i'll see you there then." He turned back to Claire.
"How come you can't go?"
"Well, cause if I do what my mother tells me not to do, it's because my father says it's okay. There's like this whole big monster deal, it's endless and a total drag. It's like any second, divorce."
"Who do you like better?" Bender asked with curiosity in his voice.
"What?"
"Do you like your old man better than your mom?"
I rolled my eyes.
"They're both strict."
"No, I mean, if you had to choose between them."
"I dunno, i'd probably live with my brother. I mean, I don't think my parents give a shit about me... it's like they use me to get at each other."
"Ha!" Allison yelled and we all looked at her. She blew her bangs out of her face and smiled. I turned to Claire. "Your brother isn't your parent."
"Shut up! Both of you!"
"You're just feeling bad for yourself." Andrew said, with a little bit of a mad expression.
"If I didn't nobody else would."
"Aww, you're breaking your heart." He had sarcasm in his voice.
"Sporto.." Bender said and hopped down from the railing. "What?"
"Do you get along with your parents?"
"If I said yes, I would be an idiot, right?"
"You're an idiot anyway. And if you did say yes, well, you'd be a liar too!" Bender turned and walked away. Andrew followed him and pushed him. "You know something man.. if we weren't in school i'd waste ya right now!"
Bender pointed his middle finger towards the floor. "Can you hear this? Do you need me to turn it up?" He turned his hand upwards and he flipped off Andrew.
Brian walked over to them and put his hands on each of their shoulders. "Hey fellas, I mean-" Andrew pushed his hand off. "I don't like my parents either. I don't.. I don't get along with them.. their idea of parental compassion is just, ya know, wacko!"
Bender turned to him. "Dork."
"Yeah?"
"You're a parents wet dream, okay?"
He walked away.
"Well, that's a problem!" Brian yelled, and Bender turned around. "Look, I can see you getting all bunged up for making you wear those clothes. But face it, you're a Neo-Maxi-Zoom-Dweebie! What would you be doing if you weren't out making yourself a better citizen?" He just stared at Bender in shock. "Why do you have to insult everybody?" Andrew said.
"Well I'm being honest, asshole! I would expect you.. to know the difference."
"Yeah, well, he's got a name!"
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." He turned to Brian. "What's your name?"
"Brian.."
"See?"
Bender seemed a little.. pissed off. But he also wasn't. Annoyed, maybe?
"My condolences." He turned back around and walked away.