The Fighter // The Breakfast Club

My name isn't princess.

As I was sitting at my table I heard a loud snapping sound coming from my left. It was enough to make my skin crawl. We all look over at the quiet girl sitting beside me who's biting her nails. She looked up and noticed us staring.

"You keep eating your hand and you're not gonna be hungry for lunch." Bender said to her.

She spit out her fingernail at Bender and I turned my attention back to her.

"Are you done?" I asked her, my words coming out a little more harsh than I intended to. I glanced over at Brian who was staring at me with a terrified look. I guess he thought I was gonna get mad and fight the poor girl.

Everyone went back to what they were doing when we heard Brian talking to himself. "Who do I think I am? Who are you?" He stuck the pen to his lips and said "I'm a walrus."

He looked over and noticed Bender staring at him. He took the pen out of his mouth and let out a nervous laugh.

"Brian." I said, catching his and everyone else's attention. Everyone turned in their seats to look at me.

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?" I asked him softly. That apparently caught the jock and Claire off guard as they both shared a look with each other.

"Oh yeah Avery. I'm fine." He said, chuckling nervously again, clearly embarrassed that he was caught by both Bender and I.

Both Bender and Brian went to take off their jackets but Bender shot Brian a death glare and he quickly put his jacket back on and Bender took his the rest of the way off.

"Bender, play nice." I said looking up at him. Brian didn't deserve to be treated like crap, he was a sweet kid. At least when he wasn't trying to act cool.

"And what if I don't? What are you gonna do about it princess?" Princess was the word that set me off. It was a word I would use to describe someone like Claire. Someone who wasn't anything like myself. And Bender knew that.

I looked back up at Bender with hard eyes and a clenched jaw. I heard the girl beside me squeak and Brian started freaking out. Brian knew what I was capable of.

"Oh no Avery, it's okay you don't have to stand up for me..." Brian tried, but I cut him off.

"Do you really wanna find out what I'll do Bender?" My voice was low but everyone in the room heard it.

"Yes. Because I don't think you'll do anything. Princess." He said, slowly saying the word princess just to irritate you.

I jumped up from my seat, Bender soon following after. Both of us staring each other down. I was a lot shorter than him but that didn't make any difference.

"Don't. Call. Me. Princess." I slowly pronounced the words making sure he could clearly understand what I was telling him. I clenched my fist and ever so slowly started bringing it back, something no one caught but Brian who quickly started stuttering something incoherent.

"Hey! What do you two think you're doing?" Vernon yelled as he stormed into the library.

"Well you walked in just before I could beat Benders ass." I said, my blood still boiling with anger.

Bender just laughed and sat back down. "It was nothing sir. Just having a little fun is all." He smirked at me.

"Sit down. Now!" He said, pointing at me. I just rolled my eyes and shrugged my leather jacket off, throwing it over the back of my chair. I pulled out my chair and was about to sit down before I decided that I wasn't gonna let Vernon have it that easy.

"No." I said as I turned around from the chair to face him. Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy. All except of course Bender. He just smirked at me yet again, like he wanted me to keep going with Vernon.

"I'm sorry what was that? No? Do you want another Saturday of detention?"

"Why not." I said with a cocky look on my face.

"Not that it matters, I'm sure you'll be back in here for fighting again right?"

"You can count on it." I clenched my jaw and noticed everybody still staring directly at me and not Vernon as he started talking again.

"That's all that you're good at isn't it? Fighting people?" As soon as the words left his mouth I imagined the way my mother had said those exact words to me just a few days ago. They both said it with the same amount of disgust.

I was a little speechless. I opened my mouth to say something back, hoping that whatever came out made sense. But the jock beat me to it.

"Avery, maybe you should just drop it."

"Shut it Andrew." Vernon said before looking back to me. All of the anger was out of my eyes now. He just shook his head before walking back to his office.

I let out a deep, frustrated sigh as I sat back down in my seat. I could only hope that Vernon would just leave me alone for the rest of the day.