The day was half over by lunchtime, and Brian was feeling better about himself by now. He had gotten A's on his History and Math quizzes so far and had a big Latin test to study for this week. He'd probably study with his friends in Latin Club on Wednesday. He'd be free to study, be with his friends, and not be troubled by his mother about study habits.

He found his usual table with the usual brains: Wyatt Donnelly, Max Fischer, Ted, Cliff, Bryce, Larry, Cameron, and Gary Wallace. There were a few of them to watch out for each other, but they weren't much for confrontations. Max had an air rifle in his locker but that was about it for their protection from jocks or any one else that messed wit them. Cameron spoke up in between bites of baloney:

"So, Brian asked Claire to the arcade this weekend." All his friends looked up stunned. Ted looked up from his lunch tray.

"Brain, chicks don't enjoy video games like we do, man."

"Especially popular ones like Claire Standish," agreed Cliff, who looked up from his discussion about Area 51 with Bryce.

Brian just sighed openly.

"Fine, maybe I'll just ask her to eat pizza with me." His compatriots all nodded in agreement.

"Don't forget about Root beer!" Cameron added, hastily.

"Root beer!" They all chanted in unison, it being the favorite of the group.

"Excellent for late night studying and concentration when video gaming," Bryce decided to speak up, adding his expert knowledge to the discussion. Max Fischer looked up from reading Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and nodded.

"Root beer; it's the nectar of the gods!" She'll totally accept!

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the cafeteria, Phil "Duckie" Dale walked in, but not before a few yuppies that were dressed in slacks and polo shirts surrounded him .

Steff just tripped him as he fell face-first into his bowl of chili. The nearby onlookers just burst into laughter. An orange street hockey ball whizzed by and nailed Steff in the calf and he screamed falling to one knee.

A figure in a gray shirt, black cutoff shorts and a Jason-style hockey mask joined the brains as the figure lifted up his mask revealing his face.

"Allo, wankers!"

"Hi, Magnus" they all managed to say.

"I'm shaping up for this season! Plenty a pissers for target practice, eh?" Magnus slipped more and more into his Scottish brogue.

"Any a you guys seen that pisser Johnny Bender around?" They shook their heads.

Brian remembered something and spoke up, "He should be out front, Buchen, I'll help you find him; I have to see him, also."

He turned to his comrades and nodded as they returned the nod and let him be excused from the table. Magnus picked up Duckie, and handed him n old towel to remove the chili from his face and walked on.

"Hey, Duck man!"

"Hey Brian! I'll save your seat!"

"Thanks." Brian and Magnus found Bender and Allison out in front of school.