Fluke

31: Vitamin Sea

Later that evening, as everyone slowly drifted their own separate ways, I rested on the couch with some coffee and a bit of confusion about the events from earlier.

If I wasn't mistaken, Darrell had mentioned that Brett's plan was disrespectful to me before he mentioned anything about his rule. Once, and only once, he was explicitly nice to Carter by bringing him an apple, but other than that, I couldn't think of another time he had thought about anyone but himself.

Maybe he was finally starting to get used to me. Maybe he actually didn't hate my guts. Maybe he just found me slightly less horrible than Brett. Whatever the case, I was in a better spot with him than ever before, and nothing could wipe the smile off my face.

Well, except for everything else that happened.

"You still pissed about Brett?" Logan asked as he finally sat next to me.

"Not really," I replied.

"Well, you look pissed."

I thought I was smiling. Huh. "That's just my face, Logan."

"Yeah, I know. I used to think it was kind of irritating, but I'm used to it now."

I looked over at him. "What?"

"Apparently that was the wrong answer. Maybe I'll get it next—"

I interrupted. "No, I think you're just giving a bunch of wrong answers today."

I rose my eyebrows. Those words weren't supposed to escape the labyrinth of my mind.

"Did I—did I do something? Out of everyone who could have pissed you off today, was I the one that did it?" Logan asked.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little upset that you didn't say anything to Brett when he started to go overboard, that's all. It's not that big of a deal. I'll get over it."

Logan let out an annoyed laugh. "You're mad because I didn't tell Brett to fuck off?"

"Not mad. Just slightly upset." I ran my hand down my braided hair and looked down at the floor.

"Well, don't get slightly upset with me for not doing something that you could have easily done yourself," Logan said.

That was an undeniably good point, so I chose to switch gears on the conversation. "Turn the sarcasm down a few notches. People are trying to sleep, and I don't want Darrell to hate me," I said as the smile from earlier snuck up on my face.

Darrell didn't hate me. Maybe it wasn't too much to ask that I could do what I wanted and have everyone on the planet like me at the same time.

"I don't want to argue with you right now. If you want, I'll kick Brett's ass tomorrow, but I already had tonight all planned out in my—"

I interrupted once again. "No offense, but Brett would probably kick your ass."

Logan stared at me for a moment. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

"You and I both know that's the last thing I'd want."

"Okay," he said, then took in a breath. "I don't want that either."

"Good." I rested my head up against him and looked down at my fingernails with chipped polish. "Do you want to go on my whale trip tomorrow with me?"

"I would fucking love to. And I promise I'll keep my vomiting to a minimum," he said, although the harshness from his tone hadn't quite dissipated yet.

"Alright, Puke Boy," I said with a smile. "You said you had something planned for tonight."

"Nothing planned exactly, but I figured we could just act like everything is normal again."