Just Like Magic (Pitch Perfect)

Chapter Two

Benji had shown me just about all there was of Barden. It was actually a lot of fun. He was very funny and cheerful and smart. We discussed classes and found that we have three in common, which was good because I never liked sitting on my own in class. Despite our awkward start, we were talking like we had known each other for years. Benji was actually really cool, no matter how much he denied it.

"I was surprised Jesse talked to me," he admitted as we walked back up the stairs to the third floor. "He looked like one of those popular jerks, but he's not."

"So he's good for Beca, right?" I asked. "Because I have a duty as the best friend to make sure that she doesn't choose the wrong guy."

"No, Jesse's a really good guy," Benji replied. "He's nice to everyone and he really likes Beca."

"Good," I nodded. "Because if he was a jerk, I was going to have to go all quack-phooey on him."

"He's a good guy," Benji assured me. "He's my best friend."

A smile creeped up slowly on my face as I looked over at him. "You're a good friend."

"You've only known me for twenty five minutes," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but you talk about Jesse like he's this almighty being," I explained. "I can already tell you're there for him when he needs you. Just like a good friend should be."

"I try to be a good friend," he mumbled, looking at the ground. "But he could be popular and I'm weighing him down."

"No you're not!" I protested, elbowing him slightly. "If I were him, I'd rather have you as a friend than some stuck-up popular kid." Benji smiled at me and I returned it. "You're really easy to talk to," I said, changing the topic.

"That's been said," Benji laughed, puffing his chest out and sticking his nose up.

"Or maybe I just talk a lot," I added thoughtfully.

"I imagine that's been said too," he replied formally.

"Indeed it has," I said. "Indeed it has."

"You're easy to talk to, too," he commented.

I shrugged. "I hope so. I used to be really shy."

"That's impossible," he contradicted.

"Nope," I said. "I hardly ever said a word to anyone other than family or good friends. Then I joined the school musical, and bam! I talked to everyone."

"I've never been really shy," Benji shrugged. "But now I don't talk to people because they don't like me."

"I don't know why they wouldn't like you," I said as we were reaching his dorm room door. "You're cool."

"Does cool have a different meaning in your world?" he asked with a slight chuckle. "Because I want to go there."

"Believe me," I said, stopping right in front of the door, "my world isn't all peaches and cream. It just looks like it."

"What do you mean?" he questioned, grabbing the doorknob and turning it, leaving it closed.

I shrugged. "It comes off like I'm completely carefree, like I don't care what other people think."

Benji looked at me questioningly. "And that's not how you think?"

"No," I shook my head. "Of course I care about what people think, and I worry way too much about everything."

"You shouldn't," he replied.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "You do."

He gave me a look and said, "Touche," as he pushed open the door. I grinned and followed him inside, only to throw my hands over my eyes with a yelp. Beca and Jesse were on Jesse's bed, right on the verge of a make-out session.