SomeWhere On... (BXB)

EXTRA: ...Deck 12 (A Vignette)

We're three fucking days out from this ship getting back into Southampton. What's worse is that Murph hasn't messaged me for five days.

And I haven't been fortunate enough to run into him, either.

So when I see him, I'm either going to murder him or take him back to London with me. Either way, we'll both be miserable.

"Just message him again," Steve says. We're waiting for lunch.

It's sunny today. Blisteringly hot. No clouds, and no breeze, and it sucks. We're out by the pool today because it's the one day where the glass canopy can be pulled back. But still. Inexplicably, no wind.

"I've messaged him eleven times, already." I show Steve my phone.

Jessie takes it. "I would never date you if you did this to me."

"I'd never date you because you don't have a dick." A child looks at me when I say it. I sigh and look at Steve. "Why do you let me talk?"

He shrugs. "You're fun."

"Fuck you."

Jessie shushes me. "Sorry, did you just forget the child you scarred for life?"

I chuckle. I sound like a horse. "They'll be fiiine."

"Who will?"

I freeze and Steve lights up. "Holy fuck! Murph!" He stands and gives him a hug behind me. "Mate! We haven't seen you this cruise. Would've assumed someone - " He bats me in the head with his hand. " - would've invited you to come hang with us."

Murph chuckles. His voice cracks.

"Hi, I'm Jessie," she says, standing to shake his hand. "I'm Steve's girlfriend." She pauses. "You're cute."

I can feel Murph's blush. It radiates off him.

"Hey, can I talk to Tommy?"

I turn to look at him. If I hadn't heard that, the way he stood told me he wasn't comfortable with this. At all. "Hey...Murph." I whisper it. My voice decides it doesn't want to work.

"Can I talk to you, Tommy?" His weight won't stop shifting from one foot to the other. He looks a little green.

I stand. And stumble. "Y-yeah."

He points to a shadowed corner by an ice cream machine and says, "I won't keep him long, I promise."

Steve shakes his head. "Take all the time you need."

Murph turns and heads off, and I follow him. I glance back at Steve, and he's winking at me, and that doesn't help me. When we're alone, he turns to me, cheeks puffed up like he's about to spit water at me.

"...what?"

He exhales, fixes his glasses, and leans against the railing. "Do you want to have dinner with me tonight?"

"Is your aunt gonna be there?"

"No."

"Did she bribe you to do this?"

"No. I am asking on my own accord."

I inhale. "Is this why you weren't talking to me?"

He blinks. "You were messaging me?" And then his face devolves in fear and he shouts, "Oh my God! I dropped my phone in the pool, and the screen cracked and I couldn't figure out why you weren't messaging me - "

"Okay, okay. I get it." Someone has to work with him on volume.

Murph opens his mouth. "It's being fixed."

"Great. So why are you asking me out?"

His eyes drop. "Who said this was a date?"

My eyes narrow. "...okay. Why are you offering to take me out for dinner?"

He puts a finger to his lips. "I'll tell you later, okay?"

I wait. I lean forward and ask, "Well?"

"I said I'd tell you later."

"No, stupid. Where are we going for dinner?"

"Oh." He pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket. "It's that French place on Deck 11. Reservation's at 7."

"How can you afford that?"

"It's my early birthday present from my aunt." I open my mouth, but he interrupts, "Again, I am doing this of my own volition."

Don't know what that word means.

"Okay," I sigh. "I'll see you at 7."

Then Murph turns and walks away.

And I feel like vomiting.