Did claire like Bender before they had detention?

How so?

You are sin.

I don't think she did. The high school seemed pretty big, probably at minimum a couple hundred in each class. I sense she never said a word to him until that detention. They probably had little, if any, interaction.

No way, no how.

I'm sure she knew of him -- the line, "one of your heavy metal vomit parties" -- implies she was mildly aware of him, his friends, and their antics.

Not so much in my high school (because there were a LOT of us) but in middle school, at least, most people were aware of the bad kids.

There was nothing in the beginning hours of the detention that even vaguely implied she might have liked him before. It wasn't until she corrected him on the author's name that there seemed to be a sparkle in her eye, and Bender definitely took notice of that.

God giveth and the DMV taketh away!