Bennie and the Jets

A lot has been going on in the strange neighborhood of Nishi-Shinjuku. In the few days, many have stayed the same, some have become even less popular than before, and some have risen in prestige – only a few, however, have gone up and down on the rollercoaster of Sun Academy’s Top 15. No none has, however, experienced the whims and quirks of Mother Destiny more painfully (yes, pain is the right word) than Bennie.

Initially, Bennie stood on a safe middle ground. Unlike those such as Heidi or Kevin, Bennie was the one to go to on Sunday evening – when all the cool kids were busy doing homework. He definitely wasn’t a Saturday night guy. One would go to Bennie for an afternoon snack (free food?) but definitely not for a Friday dinner. Long story made short, Bennie was one of those men who follow – not lead. In Shakespearean terms, not a Hamlet, but rather a Tybalt-like figure – a character that dies long before anyone else remembers him. Recently, however, Bennie encountered a strange increase in popularity. The real reasons being various – or oddly karmic. Maybe, it was due to Bennie’s good health (unlike those such as Stan or Kevin, Bennie has managed to stay relatively fit). Maybe, due to the fact that Heidi began to demand manual labor from her guests – such as washing the dishes (which is little Midoru-Kurasu, to be honest). Once having tasted the flavor of being liked, Bennie has gotten himself in big schemes. All of sudden, he started to compete with the seemingly uncompetable figures – such as Heidi, Troy or Kevin.

First, he began to participate in Sun Academy elevator conversations. He even contributed a few jokes to the discussion of Yale dining hall workers. Then, however, he decided to make it big in Shinjuku and so he started organizing night events that overlapped with Heidi’s! In the words of Eurythmics (or whoever they stole the song from): Sweat Dreams, Bennie, Sweat Dreams. The star of our little underdog from Eastern Europe was rising faster than it takes them to bring a miso soup in Yoshinoya. Despite his moderate origins (and a thick Tony Soprano’s-Russian-Girlfriend-like accent), our little Bennie boy was enjoying his five minutes of fame. Welly, welly, well. Uncle Luck has, unfortunately, not stayed with Bennie for too long.

In less than five minutes, Bennie fell from the heaven-high throne to the deepest nooks of Nishishinjuku inferno….Bennie’s fall has been as pathetic as his rise. In preparation to a class project, Takaitatemono-sensee urged the students to pair up. Troy paired up with Devin, Hailey with Mint, etc. Sure of his stellar reputation, Bennie turned around to make sure that he gets pair up at least with the Kanji-mega star Chevy or the timid Chinese girl, Sonny. He was nearly positive than none of the two would refuse the offer to work together with the self-proclaimed socialite, himself. Welly, welly, well. Sonny and Chevy have formed a China-clique. And holly-moses-praisethelord-hallelujah-damn-girl Bennie ended up with Misty.

That’s all.

Nothing else needs to be said.

Or maybe, one last thing should be mentioned.

Sensing Bennie’s immediate fall from the Sun Academy fashion runway, Troy attempted to exchange few words of compassion with Bennie, while taking the not-so quick elevator. Benny was too awestruck to respond in a full sentence. Instead, Bennie, in only two words, voiced the very essence of his glitz-and-glamor experience. Andy Warhol would not have said it better. With a vacant expression in his eyes, when asked how he felt about the infamous class project, Benny exhaled and whispered: “Bad Karma.”

And bad karma it was. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Bennie spoke the truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0WCQadt864