The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 35 : Missing Luke

It was the end of the week, and pretty late by the time they finished. Next day was a holiday. Mellow and Rowdon started pestering Dusk for an outing. Captain Mercy also suggested that they should go out since all three of them had done a lot of hard work all week and there were visible improvements.

Dusk herself, was tired, but she did not want to go back to her dorm just yet. She had a pair of mean roommates who were always saying rude things, refused to share anything with her and did not include her in any of the activities they were doing.

She had stated to miss Luke terribly. She wondered what he was doing and how he was. He had only made a single video calls in the whole week. She remembered the trip on the ship and how they had connected to each other...

"OK, let's do one thing, I will call some of my other friends and we will go together..." Dusk suggested.

She called Piggon and Sylvia. Sylvia was free and agreed to come immediately. Piggon was busy but on hearing that Dusk was willing to go out of the campus, she dumped what she was doing (or whoever she was with) and agreed to come. At her suggestion, Dusk agreed to call few others from her Military Training group, and Piggon said she will come with the guy she was hanging out with at that time.

Finally, a group of 11 students assembled in from the of the Academic Cluster at 10:30 that 6th Day night. There was a hot discussion about the best place to go and Dusk timidly suggested that they can go to Richard Harbour ... And that there was a ship that sailed on the water with a dancing floor and a restaurant.

The group became sort of silent on hearing Dusk's suggestion. Piggon asked cautiously, "Dusk, let me get this clear. You are talking about going to the Majestic Carra Cruise Ship? I hope you know how much that costs... because you are the one who is always complaining that we spend too much!"

Dusk hesitated and then said a little softly, "Actually no. Luke took me there, dancing."

Piggon and Sylvia let out a hoot of laughter. They knew who Luke was. The others didn't get the joke, luckily for Dusk.

"It will cost us about $450 each, darling. I have no problem, of course." Syliva said. She looked up the info and said that they would catch the midnight cruise. The others did not have a problem, though Dusk looked uncertain.

"Come on Dusk," Rowdon poked at her. "You got paid over $950 this week by the military for the hours you put in. Surely you can spend $450 on this evening."

Dusk nodded and they rushed into the Mass that was about to leave. From Gate 3, they got another Mass which took them to Richard Harbour. The lively gang reached the pier just as the ship was coming it. Dusk found it a fascinating sight, as she took videos to send to her sister and her friends back in Longburn.

As luck would have it, the first person she saw when she boarded the ship was Romali.

"Oh, you are back? Without your 'boyfriend', is it? Don't tell me he got tired of you so quickly?" she said acidly.

Piggon stepped in front of her and said in an intimating voice, "That is a mean thing to say to my friend! You better apologise, and now. You should learn not to mess with those in the Military. It would not be good for your health."

Romali only laughed at her. "I think you should learn whom not to mess with. If I say so, you will not be allowed on the Pier, forget on this ship..."

Dusk held Piggon back. She did not want to get into a fight. She turned to Romali, "Sorry, we are here as normal customers who want to be on the midnight cruise. I hope as a business facility you will allow us to enjoy the facility that should be available to us. I do not wish to discuss what was between you and Luke, it is not none of my business just as my relationship with him is none of yours. If you still have a problem, we will leave. There are other places that would be happy to have us."