"Hippolytus is worse," Kennedy answers, voice rising. "Basically, Aphrodite curses this chick to get crazy horny for her stepson, this guy called Hippolytus. But you know what? I don't mind it. I'd rather read something entertaining than something boring."
"I'm just trying to hold a conversation," I say to Liam.
"Maybe you could study Classics at university," Erin says.
"No, you're not," Liam replies to me.
"I don't think my mum and dad would go for it. They'd think it'd be a waste of a degree." Kennedy shoots me a sharp look that says stop arguing with Liam.
But we're not arguing.
"Hey, Curtis," Liam says, and Kennedy stiffens. "Didn't you want to go to the University of Melbourne? Erin, maybe you can tell him about it."
Liam's voice, which was previously growing cold like the weather in autumn, is now polite, almost bored. Kennedy's shoulders relax, but I'm still suspicious.
However, Erin jumps into talking about the university, and I'm too interested in what she has to say to keep paying Liam attention. Our conversation continues for ages, discussing other universities and the best suburbs to live in. The conversation leaps from living expenses to the best shopping centres to trendy restaurants they want to go to.
Now and then, I glance at Liam. He answers when he's asked something, and he's polite as he can be — even to me — but mostly he looks out the window or fiddles with his phone.
There's something about his behaviour today that unsettles me.
At one point, Kennedy gets tired and snuggles closer to me, dozing on my chest. Usually, Liam would shoot me an annoyed look when Kennedy gets too close to me, but he doesn't even glance over. Strange.
While we're discussing what studying in Sydney would be like, Erin pulls into a service station for a toilet break. Once she parks, I nudge Kennedy awake.
She yawns. "I think I need to get myself a coffee."
"I'm going to get one myself," Erin says.
Everyone climbs out of the car, and it beeps when Erin locks it. We all head to the service station, and I follow Liam into the men's toilets.
He doesn't acknowledge me, and when we wash our hands, he blinks tiredly.
"Hey," I say, watching him through the mirror.
He meets my eyes in the reflection. "What?"
I hesitate. "Are you alright?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You seem… off."
"Okay." He pulls a handful of paper towels from the dispenser and wipes his hand.
"You're acting weird," I say, leaning over to get some paper towels for myself.
"Weird?" Liam echoes. His voice is so toneless, it almost doesn't sound like a question.
Almost nice. Almost friendly. Almost polite. But I can't say that, because right now, he's looking at me like I'm an insect he wants to squish. "Yeah, weird," I say.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Look, whatever you're up to, drop it. I just want to enjoy this holiday with my girlfriend, okay?"
Liam chucks his paper towel into the bin, accidentally touching the back of my hand in the process. He flinches, eyes flashing. "I'm not up to anything, Curtis. Piss off."
With that, he storms out. I watch the door slam behind him and rub the back of my hand. It feels like it's been burned.
