lovers rock

chapter 12

-y/n's pov-
in a line, me, el, will, mike, jonathan and argyle entered the byers house to find a man that I've never seen before preparing dinner. he had a bold head with hair around the sides with large glasses and an apron.
"Well, well!" The man bellowed joyfully, "aren't you a sight for sore eyes, huh?"
"Hi Murray" Jonathan waved, still obviously under the spell that his 'purple palm tree delight' caused him.
"You kids like risotto?" Asked the man cheerfully, his jolliness was infectious and I felt happiness bloom inside me whilst my lips perked up into a smile.
"Heck yeah!" I exclaimed.

—————
All eight of us were tightly packed in around the dining table as we ate our risotto. El still wanting to separate herself from mike, sat next to will and me, leaving mike on my other side.
I listened closely to Murray's story, my interest peaked, "there I was heading down the I5 going to a client in Ventura, I'm looking for a motel to stay the night and suddenly, bam!" He slammed his fists on the table causing all the cups and plates to shake, "it hits me! didn't the byers move here?"
"small world isn't it?" Joyce chuckled.
the others looked to be paying no attention at all, they just slowly chomped away at their food whereas I ate my food at a faster pace, my eyes darting to whoever was speaking.
"So I thought," Murray continued, "Hey you know what, why don't I drop in, say hello to my old friends?"
"It's so sweet of you" Joyce smiled.
"Sweeter of you to let me stay" Murray grinned.
"And he cooks too" Joyce informed as she referred to the risotto which sat in front of us all.
"Mhm, and cleans, a regular little housewife!" He exclaimed whilst patting his bushy hair, to which I chuckled quietly but el looked pissed with the man and she rolled her eyes silently.
"You should stay" Joyce told him.
"I'd be tempted Joyce, except, you have that, uh..." Murray trailed off.
"Right, that business trip." Joyce finished for him.
The others stopped eating and turned to Joyce, "business trip? What business trip?" Asked a baffled will.
"Oh my gosh!" Joyce chuckled, "I almost forgot to tell you guys! This thing came up at work and it turns out I have to go to a conference tomorrow, in Alaska."
"Alaska?!"
"Tomorrow?!"
"What?!"
"Crazy right?" Murray laughed.
"That's where they're based, the britannicas. Joan and Brian britannica." Joyce ignored everyones confused responses.
"So uh do eskimos like still live in igloos, or uh are they fully-blown living in the... the suburbs now?" slurred argyle, him still also being under the effect of the drugs.
"Who is this?" Murray asked whilst nodding a head to argyle, he then looked to me, "and who is this?"
Joyce ignored Murray and turned to Jonathan, "so this means you're gonna have to y'know, take charge while I'm gone."
"Wait." Jonathan paused "what?"
Joyce gave him a funny look.
"What's going on?" He asked with genuinely no clue.
"You're mum's going to Alaska" whispered argyle into Jonathan's ear.
"You're going to Alaska?!" Asked a shocked Jonathan to Joyce.
"Jonathan what is wrong with you?" Inquired Joyce.
"I think I know what's wrong with him" muttered Murray but this didn't go unheard by me so I let out a little snigger at the man's words.
"We just had a super stressful day" Jonathan came up with a quick answer.
"Stress huh?" Murray asked, a grin etched across his face.
"This girl got schmacked in the head at the roller rink today" argyle said which make el tense up.
"Schmacked?" Repeated a confused Murray.
"Yeah, one of those vicious roller skate attacks" argyle continued, "also there was some like fire or something."
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, feeling guilty.
"Fire? Skate attack?" Murray pondered.
"It wasn't like an ice skate" argyle went on.
"or a huge fire" jonathan added,
"it was a plastic skate and like the speakers went on fire, but it was fine."
"Yeah, totally fine" argyle said lazily.
"It didn't seem fine" Mike slurred as he played around with his food.
I shot him an angry glare which went unnoticed by Murray as el raised up from her seat, slamming her fork and napkin on the table as she did.
"El, aren't you gonna finish your-" Joyce called out after her as she stormed up the stairs.
"Well done Einstein" I sarcastically sighed at mike.
"What?! It wasn't my fault you set the speakers on-" but before he could finish his sentence I sent him another death stare, he nervously piped down and continued playing with his food.
"What is going on you guys?" Joyce asked, concerned.
"Okay, I uh, I sense tension, is it my risotto? Everyone hates the risotto?" Murray asked.
"No, no it's great man" argyle assured him.
"Yeah," I added, "really good."
"And I still don't know who they are" Murray said with a toothy grin.