AWAKEN ; benny weir [2]

twenty-eight

"So, the council is gonna terminate me if I don't catch this guy. I need your guys' help," Sarah pleaded to Ethan, Benny, and Ellie.

"We'd love to, but the team needs us, too," Ethan pointed out.

"Exactly. Who else is going to keep their benches warm, or tape their sticks for them?" Ellie snickered, receiving an elbow from Benny. "Not true."

"Sarah, we'd really like to help, but we have the team to think about," Benny explained.

"Fine. Next time there's a monster in your closet, call someone else!" Sarah shouted, stomping out of the corridor away from the three of them.

"What is up with you two?" Ellie asked, earning a weird look from the two boys. "I mean, seriously? You both said yourselves that you don't do anything on the team; you really need to help her out."

"Why can't you do it?" Benny suggested. "You're smart, and the council is kinda scared of you, so it's a win-win."

"Okay, you know the council hates my magic guts, and I'm already trying to help her," she explained. "We just need you two."

"Or, you can both keep sitting on the sidelines like sore losers for a team that didn't even need you in the first place. Later." Before Ethan or Benny could say anything else, Ellie walked out and tried to catch up to Sarah.

------

As Ethan stood by the locker rooms, he saw Benny walking by the corridor. He sped up to catch up to him and shoved him into a neighbouring hallway next to a set of stairs. "Okay, okay, ow!"

"Something's wrong with Bolts," Ethan began. Benny looked at him, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean? He played better than ever today."

"That's the point," he said. "I got a vision from him on the ice... and I don't really think he's a 'natural'."

Ethan pointed to the stairwell and saw Bolts downing motor oil on top of his helmet visor, trying to drink it. Benny only shrugged at the jock, saying, "Looks like a normal jock to me."

"Trust me. There's something up. It has something to do with that gem on his mask," Ethan continued, pointing to a giant red diamond on the front of his helmet. "I just don't know what it-"

"-Dude, it's obvious!" Benny realised, somewhat joking. "He got a hold of some magical steroids and became the most awesome player ever."

"How do you know that?"

"Because, it's exactly what I would do."

"There's gotta be something more to this," Ethan told him. "We should look up more about that gem and-"

"-Hey, boys!" Coach Steiner greeted from the opposite side of the hallway, making his way towards them. He came up behind Benny and smacked him hard on the shoulder, not noticing Benny's slight whimper when he got hit. "Good game today!"

"Thanks, coach. I always give about a hundred and eleven percent-"

"Yeah, yeah, that's nice." Coach Steiner simply ignored Benny and decided to pay more attention to Ethan, smiling at him.

"Ethan, you had some brilliant ideas today. Do you mind to stay back for a bit and share more?" Coach Steiner asked. "I'd sure love to pick your brain."

Weird phrasing. "Oh, yeah. That'd be cool, but Benny and I... did have that homework we had to do," Ethan said, trying to get Benny to notice that he'd rather not stay.

"Hmm?" Benny questioned. "What homework?"

Ethan's eyebrows raised as he continued, "You know, our gemistry homework?"