After our cream teas (which tasted how I imagine heaven would taste) we ended up going around a bunch of cool nerdy shops I never knew actually existed. (The hidden gems of London I guess you could call them) I ended up buying half a series of a manga he recommended after going through the shop playing with action figures, masks, stuffed toys, you name it, we chased each other around the store with it. I felt like I was a little kid again. As I paid for the books I thought about how weird it was, it's been years since I had bought a book. I used to be the hugest bookworm before I moved to London. I gave a sad sigh but complimented it with a reminiscing smile. The cashier handed me my bag of books before I turned to Dan calling my name.
"Hey (Y/N)!" I saw him holding his hand out trying to use the force while over his face he wore a Darth Vader mask. Pretending to choke and grabbing my throat he chuckled, pulling the mask off and shaking his hair out. Gosh I just noticed he had the sweetest dimples when he smiled, so warming and friendly. Knocked out of my day dream, fingers in front of my face snapping. "(Y/n) are you okay?" He was giving me the oddest look. It was a mix between a 'maybe (y/n) is actually crazy.' And a 'I hope she's having a fun time.' Look. I nodded and smiled back at him.
Once we got outside I felt a warm pressure on my shoulder and turned to look at Dan, but found a pikachu plushie that fit in the palm of his hand. He was looking off shyly and mumbled so quietly I was surprised I heard it. " you've been in and out of concentration all day.. And I wanted to give you something to remember me by after this day... I want you to know if you ever need to talk I am always here to be the friend you need." He looked up at me as he finished his sentence. My heart was beating so fast as I took the plushie in my two small hands and smiled like a dork up at him. "Thank you so much Dan, this means so much more than I can tell you,"
I looked from him back to the plushie and was playing with its ears when I felt Dan push his phone into my hand. It had a new contact page up. " Type your number in there and I'll send you a text so you have my number." He smiled, after typing my number in he took the phone and at arms length said "say cheese!" Before bending so he was on my level and snapping a photo. I couldn't get over how this day had turned around. My mind was interrupted again when I heard Dan speak, " I wanted you to do that now because I didn't want to forget after I apologised," he gritted his teeth in a 'I feel so bad' frown before I gave him a confused look. "I have to go meet up with a friend, but I've had such a great time!" He placed his hand on my shoulder. I nodded.
"Go on, I'll be fine, and thanks again for today! It does mean so much!" His warm eyes smiled back at me as he waved and turned to leave. "It was great meeting you (y/n)!" I watched as he walked for a moment and with the pikachu and my new manga books in hand I headed home, probably smiling like an awkward emu the whole time.
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The walk home was chilly but i was so warm with the kindness of that strange brown haired boy. I played with the plushies ears all the way home, I hadn't watched or played Pokémon in AGES.
Walking through the door to my apartment a little more calmly this time I closed the door behind me, leaning back against it and sank to the ground. My heart was fluttering. Quickly pulling my phone out of my pocket as I felt it buzz, I saw it wasn't Dan. "Jesse <3" it still read... That needed to change, I opened the text.
"I'll be by at some point to pick up my things and to drop off some of your things." Anger boiled up in me, how can he go from loving me to treating me like a stranger the next day... Even a stranger treated me with more respect than him.... I almost threw my phone but realised I cherished it more than anything. I clung to it and deleted his number and message. I went around my apartment to collect his things and shove them in a couple garbage bags. I felt myself choke up again and tears slipped down my face. In the pits of my stomach I felt like Dan would never message me... I wouldn't blame him. Finishing up shoving tear streaked objects in bags I heated up a hot water bottle and grabbed the pikachu off the counter I had set it on before heading to my bed.... It's about dinner time and I should eat something... No I don't care I just want solitude....
Turning my phone on silent and locking the door to my apartment I curled under the blanket on my bed and closed my eyes as I felt my chest convulse in sobs, I tightly held the pikachu to my chest and cried... Not even remembering when I fell asleep... The black hole of my mind consumed me while I fell into a void dreamland filled with nothing, silence, an escape to what I didn't want to deal with in this very very real world of ours.
