MAGE ; benny weir [1]

one

Ethan, Benny, and Ellie couldn't help but take in all the sights of their new high school. Walking through the halls was their first big step into the next portion of their lives, and they couldn't hold in their excitement.
The brick walls were plastered with school spirit, showing early prom signup sheets and sports announcements with their big red mascot giving the thumbs-up on the poster. The three nerds were finally in the big leagues and they needed to prove themselves.

"A babysitter? For you?" 
Benny cackled at Ethan's news, unafraid of the other students in the hall hearing his voice. "CLASSIC!"

"Your mom actually hired a babysitter!" Ellie gawked, unable to hide the amused smile on her face. "She's got some talent for embarrassing you; I gotta take some notes."

"Could you two humiliate me just a LITTLE quieter, please?" Ethan snapped, rolling his eyes as they continued further down the hall. "That babysitter is not for me; she's for Jane. This kind of info can totally ruin a guy's rep!"

"You don't even have a 'rep' yet," Ellie countered.
"Yeah, that's the point!" Ethan argued. "If we look cooler, maybe someone won't get their head dunked in the toilet this year."
"DUDE!" Benny exclaimed. "I thought we said we wouldn't talk about that anymore!"

"Whatever, who's the babysitter?" Ellie questioned as the three approached their new lockers. 
"All I know is that her name is Erica and she's a senior," Ethan shrugged, spinning the combination into the metal door between his friends. "Now, I just need to convince my parents to cancel it."

"Well, on the bright side," Benny began, swirling around himself to take a look at the girls in the hallway. "One of these primo high school babes will totally be at your house tonight."
He winked as the upperclassmen girls walked by, quickly looking down to spot any sign of jealousy on Ellie's face but got nothing in return.
Ellie swallowed her discomfort as she always did when Benny mentioned girls, but could always depend on her wit to save her.

"You couldn't get one of these girls even if you had sparkling skin and fangs," Ellie countered, pointing to the new 'Dusk' movie poster plastered on the wall. "Girls think vampires are hot; get with the program."
"You think vampires are hot?" Benny questioned.
"No," Ellie rolled her eyes. "I like guys that actually exist."

As the three turned from their lockers, the nerds watched as Principal Hicks was struggling to juggle the numerous things in his hands while taping up the 'missing persons' posters.
"Principal Hicks!" a student exclaims, rushing up to the teacher to take the coffee cup out of his hands. "Let me give you a hand with that."

Ethan, Benny, and Ellie couldn't fight the heebie-jeebies that this kid was giving them. He was clearly a senior; wearing all black with a pair of sunglasses stationed on his head and a weird smirk on his face.
"Thank you, Jesse!" Principal Hicks said.

"Anything for our fearless leader," Jesse grinned with the other seniors behind him. "Do you mind?"
Before Ethan, Benny, and Ellie could get a chance to look away, Jesse took a big swig of Principal Hicks' coffee and glared straight into the teacher's eyes.
"Ah... french roast," Jesse sighed.
"F-French roast..." Principal Hicks repeated, a glaze upon his eyes.
"Good choice, sir."
"...Good choice," the teacher repeated once more.

"Ew," Ellie cringed, glancing to Ethan and Benny to see them sharing the same face.

Handing the cup of coffee back to Principal Hicks, Jesse and his posse turned to see the eyes of the geeks watching their every move. 
Ready to leave the hall, Jesse hesitated as his eyes laid on Ellie. She watched the weird emo glance to her wrist and back up to her face, stepping back as he sent her a wink.

"I-I'm gonna go find my first class," Ellie stuttered, desperately wanting to leave the uncomfortable moment. "I'll see you guys later."
As he turned to watch his friend walk down the hall, Ethan noticed that Benny's demeanor had changed. His eyes were locked on Jesse, sending a hard glare that Benny wasn't used to wearing.

"Woah, chill out," Ethan said, shaking his friend's shoulder to ease the glare. "You don't like the guy?"
Benny didn't lay his eyes off of the senior posse as they continued down the hallway. His brows were laid down, his nose was flared, and his brain couldn't fathom why such a douchebag would want to make Ellie so uncomfortable.

"So... you still like her?"
"WHAT?! No, of course not."
"...Sure."