When You Know

Megan had good intentions when she invited Murphy with her to watch the guys film a video. Murphy had been on the phone for the better part of a week, trying desperately to search for a tour that was only doing UK dates or a festival she could latch onto for longer than a single weekend. Anything to get her bank account looking healthier, because at the moment she could just about afford a car parking space. Cal had joked that he'd buy her the tent, just so she'd be out of the house, and it had resulted in him almost sleeping on the sofa that Murphy still occupied. But he was right, Murphy needed out, and a new job was the only way to go about it.

When Megan had walked in on her that morning, contemplating working at an Amazon Warehouse somewhere, she'd confiscated the laptop and forced her out of her hoodie and into something socially acceptable to be seen in. Murphy had argued against it, for a litany of reasons, but the first being who's video it was. If ChrisMD was filming, she could already guess who'd be there.

Play it off, just be friends. She told herself the same manta over and over again on the drive over. You're just friends, he doesn't want to talk about it. Nobody else knew what had happened, and nobody would at this rate. It was just a momentary lapse in judgement, it had to be.

When Megan arrived on the pitch, Harry was the first person she greeted. She hugged him politely around the shoulders, meaning that there'd be more questions than answered if Murphy didn't do the same. Yet Harry seemed entirely unphased, willing to hug her tight like they'd had no history at all.

'Didn't know you'd be coming today,' he grinned, one hand still around her shoulder as they walked.

'Didn't know I'd be here either really,' Murphy shrugged.

'She's been applying for jobs, had to get her out before she accepted work as a scare actor or something,' Megan walked alongside them, carrying a bag over her shoulder that Chris had handed her in their brief interactions.

'I could see you as a scare actor,' Harry stopped dead in his tracks. 'You've got that look about you.'

'Wow,' Murphy scoffed. 'Thanks for that one, really appreciate it.'

'How opposed are you two about being caught in one of the shots?' Chris interrupted, and Harry and Murphy separated at the sound of his voice. 'Probably not in focus, but if you're against it you might have to sit a bit far out.'

'I'm fine with it,' Megan answered. 'I don't know about-'

'I'm fine too,' Murphy grinned, trying to lift the bag from her friend's shoulder and missing the look Harry shot her. 'What the fuck's in this anyway?

'A shit load of alcohol, help yourselves but don't-' Chris started, but Megan had already taken off with it, the bag bouncing against her back before she dropped it in the spot her and Murphy would occupy for the day. Murphy quickly followed, almost tripping in her fit of hysterics as she chased her friend down, fighting with her to see who could open the bag first. 'This video's going to be over before it starts, isn't it.'

'That one might be on you, don't know why you told them,' Harry shrugged, walking over to join the rest of the guys. He cast a quick glance back over to where the girls were sitting, staring a little too long at the girl who was now laying on her back, shoulders propping her torso up slightly whilst Megan placed a can of cider into her lap. Their styles matched almost perfectly, both in cycling shorts and a baggy t-shirt, but he far preferred the way Murphy's shirt rode up her chest and showed off just a slither of the skull she had tattoos across her ribs. A moment in history flashed into his mind, a time when he'd kissed down every inch of the black markings, and he forced his eyes away before his mind could delve further into that memory. Not here, he told himself. He'd long felt guilty for still thinking about her in that way, but it was impossible not to. Best to leave those thoughts for better times, not when he was facing his group of mates and about to be on camera again.