AMY
Fine, but we’ve also outlawed Cluedo because I once caught you cheating by looking in the envelope as I was coming back from the loo.
* * *
We brokeour first rule almost immediately on Tuesday evening when Phil flung his arm around my waist as we walked into the pub. He did ask if it was okay, to be fair, but I wasn’t sure it qualified as necessary. I wasn’t mad about it though; like at the bar on Saturday, being held by him felt somehow stabilising. So I snaked mine around his middle, too.
Chloe was the first to clock us– unsurprising given that she was craning her neck to watch the door– and the rest of the group erupted in cheers when they saw us walk up with our arms around one another. This of course made my face and neck go fully pink.
I sat down in one of the two empty chairs they’d pulled up, and Phil reached down to grab two of the legs, pulling it so forcefully towards him that it made a loud scrape against the floor, until my side was pressed fully to his. Chloe and I exchanged a wide-eyed look– apparently she was just as giddy as I was over the whole thing, if not more so.
But even with the physical contact– and Phil did initiate a surprising amount of it, mostly casually like an arm on the back of my chair– I felt surprisingly at ease. Despite their initial uproar, the group was acting… well, normal. Like Phil and me being together was already old news. And whilst my pride was a little hurt that they didn’t want every sordid detail of our supposed love affair, it did feel nice to know that they were comfortable enough with it to just accept it as canon with no real question.
Our team– Presti-quiz-itation, named by my very hilarious and not at all cringey boyfriend after a D&D spell– managed second place in the quiz, which meant we could have a free round the next week. Naturally, this made us decide to commit to the whole summer series.
I’d come with Jack, so Phil and I had to say goodbye in front of everyone, and that nosy bitch Chloe was absolutely watching from a few feet away as he pulled me in for a kiss on the cheek, whispering to ask if it was okay before he pressed his lips to my skin.
When he pulled back, I reached into my shorts pocket and gave him the little blue calcite for Ethel. I was surprised when he asked of his own accord if he needed to charge this one.
* * *
His messages started even earlierthe next day:
PHIL
I have your daily lore drop, but I feel I need to open with the fact that the others now assume you’re coming on the camping trip this weekend. And the fantasy festival next month, actually, but we can deal with that later.
“Fuck,” I whispered at my phone. Mum had tried hard to instil a love of all things outdoorsy in us, but unlike my brother Mr Outdoorsman, I’d never understood the appeal of sleeping in a tent, no matter how many times I’d been forced to do it. The festival would probably be more fun, but in the meantime, I wasn’t thrilled about having to traipse through the mud for the appearance of dating Phil.
But, whilst it would have been nice to get an actual invite, I didn’t hate the idea that my presence was assumed. Even if I was almost certain Morgan had been the one to instruct Jack that I should come, remembering the way she’d looked at me on Thursday after reminding Phil about the trip.
AMY
Looks like we’ll be encountering that one bed trope sooner than expected.
PHIL
Seems so. You okay with that?
WasI okay with that? Holding Phil’s hand was one thing, but spending the night together? That was another thing entirely. But he double texted before I could sort out my response.
PHIL
Actually nvm, I’ve got a really small tent, and Jack says yours is small too. So I think we can get away with sleeping separately.
I tried to ignore the duelling emotions of disappointment and relief doing battle in my gut.
AMY
Are you with my brother rn??
PHIL
He’s got the day off so we’re playing video games. He’s out talking to Ethel right now though, so I’ve got plenty of time for…
Daily Phamy lore drop #3. The angry hallway makeout happened on your birthday weekend. I know we said two months, but I thought it would be helpful to have exact timing.
AMY
