SomeWhere On... (BXB)

CHAPTER 3: ...Great Russell Street, April

I'm actually surprised that we were able to get seats. It doesn't seem like the place that'd let us get seats at all.

Well, mostly me. I'm not super bruised anymore but the side of my face still a bit yellow. Which makes people look at me, but I don't care.

I mean, it's still a cafe, and as nice as the museum is, it's still an outing for Adrian and Murph. So Steve and I try to keep our mouth shut about how daft this is because it's not for us.

"It's that language program, yeah?" Steve asks.

Adrian snorts. "N-no. Wh – yeah, but not what we're talking about." He's blunt and honest. I appreciate that.

"The Rosetta Stone? So I was right," he says.

"No, it's not." Murph unfolds one of the five leaflets he's collected around the museum and begins reading it. "It's from 196BC, and it was written in two different types of Egyptian hieroglyphics, and then in Ancient Greek."

"It's an old-ass rock. Ace," I say. I'm knackered. Murphbabbling on about rocks isn't interesting anymore.

"No, like...it was the thing to help decipher Ancient Egyptian literature and civilization." He looks at the map of the museum and finds the Stone. His eyes look at me from behind it. "Isn't that something?"

"It's a bunch of old-ass pictures from a million years ago," I snap back, glancing around the café. "Where's our food?" We just ordered, but I don't know why I'm this irritated.

Adrian looks at me. "It's coming, calm down."

Steve pats my shoulder. "Jeez, Tommy, I didn't think you'd be so angry. You walk more than this for work."

I think I'm just peckish, though.

Murph puts down the map and stares at me. "You liked the Ancient Greek stuff, right?"

I did. I don't want to admit it, but. I feel like I have to. Because Murph's looking at me with these big sad eyes. I sigh and say, "Yes."

"The Chinese stuff was neat," Adrian adds.

"This place's just big. Imagine getting lost in it," Steve points out. He grins.

I look at Adrian. "There wasn't a lot of American stuff," I say.

"We have to step up our museum game, Murph." He looks at Murph and they both nod.

Murph turns, pauses, then asks, "...how? We've kind of ruined most of our history already."

Nobody knows how to answer that.

"Okay, I got a question," puts in Adrian, who wipes the table with his hands like he's clearing the field for battle. And probably to change the topic of whatever the hell Murph just unloaded. "What do you think would go in museums a thousand years from now, besides what's already here?"

"A Nokia," I say.

Murph laughs at that.

Adrian frowns and points to me. It's exaggerated and the most American thing I've ever seen him do. "That's cheating, and you know it."

"Oh," says Steve, snapping his fingers. "Trick question. The apocalypse comes."

Adrian's trying to glare, but the corner of his mouth's turning up into a smile. "Okay, let me rephrase." He pauses. "In areality where the world doesn't end, what should go in museums a thousand years from now? You know, besides what's already here?"

"My point stands. A Nokia."

Murph laughs again.

Adrian frowns and glares at me. "You can leave now."