“...are you sure you’re okay waiting?” asks Murph for the tenth time.

I put a chip in my mouth. “I think ya just like hearin' me say 'yes'.” I don't know why I'm here, honestly. Murph messaged me asking about food, but I'd already made plans to go cruising. Yet here I am, having tea with two Americans again.

My time's really been taken up by them, now that I think about it.

Adrian snickers and takes a sip of his fizzy drink. “Dude, I think he's trying to stress that it isn't a short wait. It's over two hours,” he points out. “I mean, if you want to wait, we can't stop you.”

Murph turns to him. “But it's such a long wait!”

“Are you tellin' me to get lost?” I ask.

They're not listening to me. “I'm not saying that, Murph,” Adrian says, putting a chip in his mouth and grinning. “I’m sure you could find something to do if you think about it long and hard.”

I'm not sure if that’s an innuendo. But if it is, it isn’t that good, and it goes over Murph's head anyways.

“Adrian!” Murph exclaims. “He’s our friend.”

“Should he really have to wait 2 and a half hours for us?”

Murph looks back and forth from me to him and says, “Wh – have you seen the show yet?”

“Yet?” I ask.

“He means 'no', Murph,” Adrian says quietly.

“S-so I'd want to tell him about it!” he says, leaning over the table. God, he's so fucking loud.

“Okay, okay, Murph. Quiet down, we're in public,” Adrian whispers.

And I agree with that.

Murph’s mouth is open, possibly in surprise. He looks away and is clearly thinking. It’s funny. “Okay,” he says, grinning. He looks at me. “You know, if you'd like, you can take my ticket and see it.”

Adrian looks at me. “I don't think you're the 'musical theater' type of guy, though,” he says. He shrugs. “Just the kind of vibe I get from you.”

I wink and nod my drink at him. “Ace. Bores me t' shit.”

Murph gasps. “Tommy, we're in public.”

“Really?” Adrian asks. “You're going to say that to him?”

I snort and look outside. For a Saturday, Wilton Road isn’t that busy, and neither is the restaurant, which is weird considering the place's spot right by Victoria Station. I gesture to Murph. “Even if Adrian really didn’t want me to come, you’d want me to. Besides...” I lean back in the chair. I accidentally touch the person sitting behind me, and I lean back forward. “...you tellin' me 'bout it's probably the only way you're gonna get me to see it.”

“Might get leaked onto Youtube,” Adrian suggests, shrugging.

“Yeah, and I’ll be real chuffed when that happens.” I roll my eyes.

Murph lights up. “I can’t wait to tell you about it!” he says, bouncing in his chair. He then picks up his burger and rips a bite off it.

It's incredible to watch. It's like a toddler trying to eat. Or a lion pulling apart its meal.

The conversation stops for a little bit. We talk about school and how our food is before Adrian excuses himself to go to the toilet. Murphleans forward and asks, “You know, I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, so, as a fair warning, I'm going to ask again, Tommy.”

I blink. “What?” I take a sip of my drink.

He doesn't answer. He just looks at me, sadly.

I finish off the drink before asking, “Can I ask a question?”

He nods. But when he nods, his whole upper body moves in this wave motion. “Sure. Yeah, yeah. Sure.”

I lean forward. “Why do you care?”

Murph seems surprised by it. “Why wouldn't I care?”

“Because Adrian doesn't seem to give?”

“Well...I care.”

I swallow. “Don't. 't's not worth the time 'nd energy, mate.”

He leans back into his chair and sighs. He picks at his food for a second and asks, “Want to know why I push myself the way I do?”

I shrug. “Can if ya want.”

Murph looks away for a second and taps his fingers on the edge of the plate. He looks up and inhales before looking back at me. “I do it...because I want to,” he says slowly. Murph looks back to me and continues, “Like, like everyone wants to feel like they've done good work, to feel fulfilled and appreciated in what they've done. And certainly, I understand the reality that not everything I do will be recognized, but it's like...” He pauses and pushes back his glasses. “...like...” Murph glances to the floor for a second. “...like doing the hard work to feel fulfilled. Does that make sense?”

The answer doesn’t satisfy me for some reason. “You gettin' knackered 'r something?”

He smirks. And right on cue, he yawns. Open-mouthed. Knobhead. “A little,” he admits, “but I'm not going to be missing a piece of culture here just because I'm a little tired.”

His answer makes more sense, now. Kinda.

Adrian returns a moment later, excited. “Look at this,” he says, showing some kind of building design on his phone. Except I can’t tell what it is and it looks like shite. “Ryan drew it.”

I don't know who that is. Or maybe Adrian's mentioned him before, but I don't care to remember.

Murph perks back up again. “Oh, let me see. Is this for his final project?”