Aberrant

Twenty: Dex

"Where's Cass?" asks Sam, as Plato joins us at our table. 

"Needed some alone time," replies, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He looks round the table, "Where's Amy?"

"Off with Lyra, being introduced to her Dauntless friends," Sam smiles and the grins, "I told you guys that they would be a couple. I should be called Sam the Matchmaker."

"Wait, they're a couple?" I blink, "Since when?"

"Uh, since yesterday, " Sam sighs, "Amy asked Lyra out when they got that drink together. You really are oblivious, aren't you Dex? Didn't you hear me shout in excitement?"

"It was more of a high-pitched scream actually," Plato comments, piling food onto his bowl, and then he smiles and adds, "Sam's probably going to explode when they have their first kiss."

I shrug, "I though that was just you being your usual annoying self," I say, truthfully. 

"Ouch," Sam says, but he's still grinning as he says, "If only you and Plato had become a couple yesterday. Then I could have had a double celebration."

Plato smiles, "You would have become so hyper that you would have potentially destroyed the Pit."

Sam grins, "True."

"If you love shipping other people so much, why don't you ship yourself with someone?" I ask. 

"You can't ship yourself  with someone, Dex," Sam explains, a tad patronisingly. 

"Why not?"

"Because it's...well...I don't know," he says, momentarily lost for words but then he recovers and says, "It just isn't done. And besides I don't feel that relationships are for me. So I like to ship other people." He spots Jo and Phoebe walking past, "And speaking of. Plato, do you want to do a dare?"

"What kind of dare?" asks Plato, instantly suspicious. 

"Just say yes."

"I won't accept it until I know what it is."

"Spoilsport," sighs Sam, he nods at Jo and Phoebe who have just sat down at a table, "Go and ask if they're a couple."

Had Plato been drinking water, I'm fairly sure he would have spat it out. "What?" he asks, in disbelief. 

"You heard me."

"Sam, it's a private question! You can't just-"

"I'll go," I say, getting up from the table. I turn to Sam, "I expect double helping of chocolate cake if I get your answer."

"It's a deal," smiles Sam. 

As I walk towards Jo's and Phoebe's table, I hear Plato protest behind me, "Dex! Don't you dare!"

Jo and Phoebe glance up at me as I approach. Phoebe smiles but Jo just looks at me, cautiously. 

"Can we help you?" Phoebe asks. 

"Yeah," I say, "My friend Sam over there was just wondering if-"

"If you'd like to join our table," a voice says, just as I say, "you're a couple."

I turn and see that annoyingly, Plato has joined me, looking completely unabashed. 

Phoebe frowns, puzzled, "Sorry, I didn't catch that?"

"We were wondering if-ow!" I begin loudly, only to break off suddenly because a certain someone stepped on my foot. 

As I jump around clutching said foot, I hear Plato say calmly, "Would you like to join our table?"