Jenny sat with Evan, Goldie, Valerie, and her new friend Abby but her attention was mostly on Kyle and his progress in the chicken nugget line. She did notice that the others had left a space for Valerie to sit without ever actually acknowledging she was there, which was funny, but not nearly as interesting as the nugget counter.
"Maybe I should go up there and keep him company," Jenny said.
"No!" Evan snapped. "Under no circumstances are you to go to the counter! You're not supposed to start any more international incidents!"
"I can hang out with my boyfriend without blowing something up..."
"Can you really?" Goldie raised an eyebrow.
"No," Jenny wilted.
"We should talk about last night," Evan said. "But uh...are we uh...hey Abby, are you...read in?"
"Read in?" Abby blinked.
"You know. One of Us."
"Do you....eh?" Goldy made a wiggling finger motion.
"Oh uh..." Abby's eyes got a little wide. She flushed slightly, hands on her cheeks, looking away demurely. "No, no I never have..."
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"But you know about it?" Evan said.
"Well I mean, I've read a few things, you know..."
"Oh but you can learn!" Goldie said encouragingly. "When I first got involved with everybody, I could barely do it. But everyone was really supportive!"
"E... everyone?" Abby flushed redder.
"You're already better than I was doing," Evan said. "I was just going along with my day and then BOOM! It was happening to me. I made the best of it though. It helps that I'm so naturally talented."
"He is!" Jenny said enthusiastically.
"There's nothing natural about it," Goldie grumbled.
"Who cares if it's unnatural as long as you've got the skills?"
"Oh my," Abby said.
"You can probably learn!" Goldie said. "I'd be happy to practice with you!"
"Oh..."
"I bet Tanya would too!"
"Tanya Myrden is a part of this!?"
"Oh yeah! She hasn't got as much energy as a lot of us, but she knows more than the rest of us combined."
Abby had turned bright red and was shaking. She held up a hand.
"Wait...slow down...I just...are you all inviting me to...join a sex cult?"
The entire table froze stock still as they replayed their conversation from the point of view of an ordinary person.
Then Jenny burst out laughing.
"It wasn't me this time!" She cackled. "You all did it! With your own language! This one isn't my fault!"
"You didn't realize what we were saying either!" Evan snapped.
"Yeah but neither did any of you!" She howled.
Kyle approached the table, carrying two trays loaded with nuggets.
"I've come to deliver the meat!"
Jenny fell of her chair, vibrating and clutching her stomach.
"So I uh..." Abby said.
"There's no sex cult," Goldie said.
"No what!?" Kyle yelped.
"We were talking about something else," Goldie continued.
"Oh!" Abby said. "Oh, of course, that makes more sense."
"Sorry to freak you out."
"Yeah just a little freaked out." Abby's eyes slid surreptitiously to the side. "Wasn't interested at all..."
"You know if you WANTED to organize a sex cult we could..."
"No," Goldie said flatly.
"I'm just saying we could consider it..."
"I wouldn't want to be part of any sex cult that would let you in too."
"You... you're already dating me."
"Go ahead, throw my mistakes in my face."
That got a laugh from the whole table, even Jenny with her mouth full of nuggets.
"What WERE you guys talking about though?"
Everyone looked at her.
"What were you asking me about before the misunderstanding?"
"Oh."
"Uh,"
"Eh...."
"Um..."
A silence settled over the table.
"Magic is real!" Goldie suddenly blurted out, holding up her hand and conjuring a swirling ball of light.