Shouting came from the green field at the gang's local High School, where the football players were in alignment for their next play. The game was already halfway over, and Scooby and Shaggy were too busy eating their mountain of sizzling hotdogs, sweet milkshakes, and swirls of pink cotton candy to keep attention to the score.
They sat near the top, away from most everyone else sitting in the stands wearing colorful fan jerseys and banners, many emblazoned with Fred's name and his jersey number.
Scooby didn't seem to be bothered by anyone, and he and Shaggy had so far managed to keep out of sight of any teachers or the principal.
"Hey guys!" Velma yelled up the rickety wooden steps as she slowly made her way over to them.
As Shaggy looked down at her, waving, Scooby took the opportunity to take the last ten hotdogs and five cotton candies still sitting beside him, swallowing them whole. "Hey, man! I never said you could finish off my snacks!"
Scooby burped in response before shrugging. "Some pal, you are!"
Velma sat beside Shaggy, handing him two tickets to the Dracula showing that would occur later that night. "I got the tickets. There didn't seem to be that many people in line, so I'm sure the theater will be empty."
Shaggy was about to answer, looking apprehensive, before more cheers erupted from the crowd below them. They all looked at the field to see Fred scoring a touchdown, with Daphne leading him on in a rousing cheer from the sidelines with the rest of the cheerleaders.
"Like, it sure is weird we've all become pals, isn't it?" Shaggy asked Velma as the commotion died down and Fred went off to huddle with his teammates again.
"Yeah… I never would have dreamed of getting into a van with the head cheerleader and the school jock. The clique dynamic of high school society doesn't usually encourage such relations."
"Um, like, Velma… can you speak English, please?"
Velma giggled and turned to Shaggy, hitting him playfully on the shoulder. "What I'm saying, silly, is that we belong to different social groups. Most groups don't mingle that well together… they certainly don't go off on ghost hunts, either."
"Scooby and I don't really know much about social cliques, do we Scoob? There's this groovy chick I sometimes talked to, named Amy, but mostly I just hang by myself with old Scoob here."
"Rawwww….. Raggy!" Scooby placed a paw on Shaggy's shoulder, feeling guilty that he had borrowed most of his master's snacks.
Velma looked down at the field again, watching Fred closely as he made another pass with the sun setting behind him. "Friends are a great thing, Shaggy, and I for one am glad I became friends with all of you."
Shaggy smiled and they watched the rest of the game together, walking down the stands towards the locker rooms when the game ended. Shaggy felt the paper tickets in his hand and gulped, knowing that there was no way he and Scooby could back out of their commitment to their new friends now.
They waited a few minutes for Daphne and Fred to meet them near the parking lot in their regular clothes, and then Velma handed the two of them their tickets before they climbed back into the van and headed for the malt shop a few hours before they were due at the theater.
