Murphy and Me: Sophomore Fall

September: ER Trips, Colby, "Make sure you don't die", and Twins

Never thought I'd be sitting here.

It was slightly overwhelming. And it had started off great, too.

I was sitting in the ER waiting room, literally twiddling my thumbs as I waited for someone to come get me. I'd been with Murphy up to a point - until they'd taken him for a CAT scan or something, and then they'd kind of kicked me out. Punted me, more like, into the damn waiting room.

We headed down the street, my fingers twined with Murphy's. I had no idea where we were going, but I trusted him. And if I didn't feel comfortable, I had no qualms about walking away from whatever and wherever we were. Including Murph.

"Some of the football guys live here," he said as we tromped up someone's front porch. "These are the good guys." He looked at me, kind of sly.

I took the bait, mostly because I'm good like that. "And where do the morons live?"

"Besides our building? Down the street."

I chuckled and followed him inside the crowded house, sandwiched between Devan and Murph. There was immediately a chorus of "Hey!" from almost everywhere over the thumping music, some back thumping, and a few, "This is Olivia?"

Which absolutely floored me.

Murph talked about me!?

"You gotta meet Colby," Murph said, taking the beer he was offered. "Something?"

I shook my head. "We got the whole dry season thing goin' on."

To my utter amazement, Murphy pawned his beer off on one of his teammates. I looked at him like he had a second head. He just shrugged.

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

A nurse appeared at the door. "Olivia?"

"That's me." I followed her back through a maze of curtained rooms until I found a somewhat dazed-looking Murphy.

I should have known that even hanging around a guy named Murphy would tempt the universe. I just never figured on this.

Never figured on Bobby.

There was - I was speechless. Absolutely speechless. To see Bobby and whatever loose-moraled girl-thing he was dancing with. And here I am with Murph.

I jumped when Murph put a hand at the small of my back. And then relaxed.

"What's goin' on?"

"Ex of mine." And really, that was all I wanted to say. Really, really. Nothin' more to say about the guy who had broken my heart little over four months prior. And then he'd gone and found a girlfriend.

Least I thought.

I leaned against Murph's hand, sinking into the furnace-like warmth of his body. It was a long story, me and Bobby, one that I might share later, if I was feeling particularly....in the sharing mood.

"I want you to meet Colby."

I followed Murph through the crowd and into the kitchen. There was a door that led from the bar in the other room to the kitchen, though it was closed. There were fewer people in the kitchen, mostly football players, and I realized that I was probably one of the only females in the house. Murph left me to shake hands with the mountain of a man by the sink. He was then motioning me over and despite the fact that I was dwarfed by these two, I went anyway, probably because I don't have any self-preservation. And I was feeling decidedly nervous because this was....well, I have no idea who this person is to Murphy.

"Olivia, this is Colby," Murph said. "Colby's my brother's best friend from back home."

Which meant that if Murph was close to his brother then he was close to Colby, who was probably practically family.