New Years

The Aftermath

Phil was resting in front of the fire, in his cocoon of cereal, coffee and his bed cover. He was feeling a little under the weather since New Years had just flown by and he thought it was a great idea to go and party. No more information needed there.
I decided to join him as we needed to watch the next episode of the anime we had just started watching a couple of days ago, and it is part of our daily routine nowadays. Sometimes we watch the episodes while having our cereal and coffee together, but this morning, I can see that Phil has a little head start.
I gently paced across the room and sat down next to him, and whilst doing so, I happened to gaze over at Phil and his bowl of cereal. That's my cereal...MY CEREAL. Externally it must've looked like I was furiously concentrating on the object but internally, I was fuming. Why?-you ask? Well, I will tell you why! Over the past few days Phil has been ill and I have had to look after him, (that's not the part that aggravates me by the way), and whilst Phil has been feeling "ill", he has decided to hoard the cereal AND the crumpets, meaning that for the past few days, I have had to GO OUT for breakfast. Granted, it is a much nicer breakfast, glorious pistachio muffins and Starbucks, but it means that I have to actually use the effort that I would've been using to scroll through tumblr in my browsing position while having my bowl of cereal which is filled to the brim, on putting on shoes, gathering appropriate belongings and heading off out into the dangerous, diseased-filled world. That, is the part that aggravates me.
At this moment, I slightly drift my eyes up to see Phil staring in my direction. Great. Here we go.
"Dan, why are you staring at my cereal?", Phil questioned with a confused look upon his face.
"That's my cereal Phil. I thought I told you to have your own because mine is nearly gone!?" I replied, turning my head away and shaking it with disbelief.
"I'm sorry Dan, I picked out the first box and I didn't realise that it was nearly out.."
"To be honest, I'd be lucky if there's any left, considering I told you to stop eating my cereal 3 days ago!"
"Um...yeah, about that...um..today might not be your lucky day.."
"Wait a minute. So you're telling me..oh my gosh. You ate...the rest of my cereal?..."
A silence flooded across the room meanwhile a stern look brewed upon my face as I stood up and switched off the TV.
"Hey! I was watching that! Come on Dan, I said I'm sorry!"
"How many?"
"What?"
"How many Phil?"
"Dan, I don't know what you mean? How many what?"
At this point, I couldn't even stop myself. I was this aggravated and my emotions had been building for a while. I guess I just snapped.
"PHIL, HOW MANY BOWLS HAVE YOU HAD?"
"Dan...I'm really sorry. I hate to say this, and to be honest I don't want to, because I'm ashamed, but I have a reason-"
"Just tell me how many damn bowls you've had Phil.."
"3 today. Dan, please don't be mad.."
3 bowls?! I get it, he's ill but SERIOUSLY?! Surely after the first bowl, he'd realise it's not his cereal?
"You know what? Dan, why is this such a big deal, out of cereal, just go to the shop and get some more! It's not difficult!" Phil snapped, with a slightly croaky voice which was being raised.
"Is this what you do when you're ill...make really good points..?" I responded, with a hint of pissed-off-ness.
He does have a point though. Why is this such a big deal, I mean, I have put up with it for a couple of days now. Why is it a problem now? Maybe I just have a desperate craving for cereal this morning.
"You know what, fine. I WILL go to the shop", I replied whilst gathering my wallet and coat together.
"I didn't mean right now, aren't you going to finish this episode?". Phil picked up the remote and switched the TV back on. I'm pretty sure this was to tempt and lure me back in, but I just wanted to leave and get out for some air. I needed to cool off.
"No, you started it without me so you can finish it that way. I will watch it at another time. Oh, and don't spoil it for me.."
That's another thing that's been..strange I guess. We always watch these shows together, we bond over it and we kind of assess the episodes as we go along and get really involved with the story and the characters. We even predict what might happen in the next episode and what character we think will die next, because the creators of anime love to do that with their fans. Fall in love with a character? *character gets killed off*... I should really become an anime writer. I'd make sure the fans don't have a lingering heartache by not killing off the main character. See what I mean? I think about this too often, mainly because it happens so often. Why has Phil been watching the episodes (or at least starting the episodes) without me? It's our thing, our routine. Our life basically. This is one of the ways that he has been acting..different, recently.
Anyway, as I slid my feet into my shoes, pure black, obviously, like the rest of my outfit....obviously, I saw Phil slowly attempt to get up from the sofa and make his way towards me. I reached down to the shoelaces, trying to tie them up as quickly as possible so that I didn't have to endure what Phil had to say. All that was rushing through my head was 'quickly tie them up, what if he coughs in your face? What if he starts another argument?, what if he spoils the episode??' But I was too late. He was standing right in front of me, looking down and waiting. Maybe if I just stay down here- no. I guess I've got to face it, I can't just ignore him now.. I stood up straight and accepted it basically.
Phil gently placed his soft hand on my shoulder and in a comforting tone he reinforced the words..
"I'm sorry Dan.."
I turned my head, to signal that I wanted to leave but apparently he had more to say..
"I mean it. You know I've been ill for the past few days and I'm sorry that I've been a pain. I'm still trying to recover from New Years, you know this, so please..don't be mad at me.."
This felt genuine. I couldn't ignore this. I guess I have been harsh and I shouldn't have been, especially when he is ill. I had nothing to say in response as I was speechless. I felt like I couldn't talk, and that he was just staring into my eyes, and I was staring into his. For the first time in a few days, Phil was like his old self. He wasn't acting strange and he was the real him.
"Dan?"
"I know, and apology excepted. Now, the real problem at hands, what cereal would you like and would you like any extra?", I finally replied and still, I felt like I was being harsh but anyway, what's done is done and there's no turning back now. I'm never like this to Phil, never, but he has changed. I don't know why but I know that he has. This doesn't feel like the friendship we've had for years and years. I feels like something new. Something...different.