MAGE ; benny weir [1]

two

As the three chugged their way through the lunch line, Ethan scanned the cafeteria to search for just the right spot to claim for the rest of their freshman year.

"Guys, this is it," he began, speaking back to Benny and Ellie as they cringed at the gross sloppy joes on their plates. "Our whole social lives could depend on how we act in here today."

Placing his tray onto the bar, Benny eagerly slid on a pair of clunky goggles.
"What do you think?" he asked, a giant smile plastered across his face.

Ethan looked back once more, seeing his friend wearing the dorkiest thing he could imagine. "Wha—? BENNY!"
He yanked the goggles off Benny's head, which lead to a little smacking fight as they argued with one another.

"HEY! Those are state-of-the-art Alien DNA Detector Goggles!" Benny complained.
"Yeah, so?" Ethan protested.
"'Sooo,' the high school cafeteria is the perfect place to test them out!"

Ethan's eyes almost rolled out of his head, but he tried his other friend for a hand. "Ellie, can you help me out here?"
"Ethan, you're being a dud," she answered.
"THANK YOU!" Benny cried.

"God, you two are gonna brand us as dorks for the next four years!" Ethan whined, shoving the goggles into his backpack. 
"HEY, GUYS!"

A squeaky voice scratched the insides of their ears, leading them to turn around towards the back of the lunch line to meet the lame-o that had haunted them for years: Rory.

"The three amigos ride again! Plus one, if we count the maiden," Rory cheesed, sending a nerdy smirk to Ellie. "Any of you got $1.28?"
Ethan threw his arms in the air, clearly giving up from the world.
"Oh, my god! That is it! I'm getting away from you guys or I am doomed to be—!"

Before Ethan could stop himself from angrily turning away, his lunch tray smashed the sloppy joe right into a random girl's shirt... a cute, popular girl.

"Ugh, DORK!" she shrieked, looking down to her mess of a shirt. "Thank you SO much."
Ethan couldn't fix his face from shock as he watched the girl stomp away, frozen in fear with his geek friends by his side.
Ellie took her friend's shoulder into her hand, ready to hand his own words to him. "So... what was that about how we were going to ruin your rep?"
"Ugh... c'mon, let's find a table."

Ethan led Benny, Ellie, and Rory to an empty table across the cafeteria, hoping that the limelight could die so they could get a fresh start on their social life. He watched the girl from the opposite side of the lunch room, asking her other friend for an extra shirt.
"Ethan, I can go talk to her if you want," Ellie offered, sending her friend a helping hand.
"Really? You never talk to other people," Rory blurted.
"...Thanks, Rory."

"Ellie, that would be awesome!" Ethan smiled, still unable to peel his eyes away from the popular girl. 
"I'm on it," Ellie winked. 
Rising from the table, the geek took a deep breath as she made her way to the girls' table. She wasn't one to interact with anyone outside of her friend group, but it was going to be different this year. Ellie wanted to step up.

As Ethan took his eyes off the situation for a quick second, he noticed Benny's sight lingering on Ellie as she walked across the cafeteria. 
"Dude, you're gonna stare two holes into her head," he said, snickering as Benny's face turned red. "It's a wonder how she hasn't caught on by now."

"Shut up!" Benny angrily whispered, trying to hide his embarrassment. 
"HA! I knew it!" Ethan exclaimed.
"Okay, okay, whatever..." he gave up. "I guess I still like her— like, a lot."

"I don't blame you, man," Rory smirked, nodding his head in agreement.
"Back off, Rory," Benny warned. "Ellie is like the Princess Leia to my Han Solo, not your Jar-Jar Binks."
"There are no universes where you are Han Solo," Ethan countered, clearly trying to make Benny mad.