f e b r u a r y;
"You're fucked girl," Mitch's voice rang down the hallway stopping Dan in his tracks as he headed to biology- his favourite class. Mitch was wearing a oversized black sweater with a bright red heart in the middle of it, black skinny jeans, and a pink bow in his short black hair. He was accompanied by Charlie- his constant companion the past few months.
"Why?" asked Dan curiously - though he wasn't too worried as Mitch tended to dramatize things- before continuing to walk once Mitch had caught up.
"Because we were just with Kate in theatre and she told us she got her period." said Charlie in a hushed whisper, answering for Mitch.
"Which means no sex," added Mitch raising a slender eyebrow.
"We weren't going to have sex!" Dan scoffed. They had only made out three times since they started dating four months ago. Mitch pursed his lips, giving Dan a scathing look.
"It's Valentine's Day girl! Why the hell not?" he asked and Dan rolled his eyes.
"Not all relationships are sustained by sex," he said giving Mitch a pointed look, causing him to redden. Mitch had lost his virginity a year ago, and since then had slept with numerous boys.
"I'm not some sex addict." grumbled Mitch and Charlie giggled.
"You so totally are! Remember that time in theatre when-" Dan tuned out Charlie's voice as he and Mitch began an animated conversation about theatre. Two years ago Mitch had pestered Dan to join musical theatre, but due to his lack of talent in music and his general social awkwardness Dan declined and so Mitch had joined alone. It was there, he and Charlie had met, and they had been inseparable for the past year creating a gap between Mitch and Dan.
"Besides Dan," continued Mitch dragging Dan out of his thoughts as they loitered outside of the biology classroom. "If you aren't going to have sex on Valentine's Day when are you going to have sex?"
"Are you hooking up with someone tonight?" asked Dan.
"We're having a lonely heart's night. Movie marathon!" exclaimed Charlie excitedly as Mitch shot a dazzling grin to Dan.
"Fun." said Dan shortly, the smile slipping from his lips as he entered the classroom and took his usual seat at the back of the class.
Biology passed slower than usual, and Dan seemed unable to find excitement in the lesson- a task which he was normally capable of accomplishing. At last the bell rang signifying at once the end of class, and the end of classes for the week.
"You better go find Kate," said Mitch approaching Dan from the side, Charlie accompanying him as per usual.
"Yeah I'll go do that." replied Dan shoving his books in his rucksack and slinging it over his shoulder.
"Bye then!" exclaimed Mitch throwing his skinny arms around Dan's neck, who stiffened - though he should have been used to it at this point, Mitch was a hugger.
"Have a good weekend!" said Charlie stepping forward as though he was to embrace Dan but stepped back fixing his glasses embarrassedly. Dan had never said outright that he disliked the blond boy, but he knew Charlie sensed Dan's uneasy vibe towards the boy.
"See you Sunday?" asked Mitch staring Dan down, who nodded solemnly. No matter how much they had drifted apart over the past year, Sundays were Mitch and Dan's movie nights- it had been that way since they were twelve.
"I'll text you the details." Dan affirmed, smiling at his friend.
"Good luck with Kate!" called Charlie waving his hand in farewell. Dan ignored him as he walked down the hall following the familiar path to Kate's locker: 307.
She was standing outside of it chatting with her two best friends: Safiya and John, but she paused in her conversation as Dan approached.
"Hey Dan!" she said, going up on the tips of her toes to kiss his cheek.
"Hi Kate. Ready for tonight?" he asked and she sighed.
"Yeah... Dan about that, I know you have something special planned and I feel so bad because-"
"It's fine," said Dan laying a soft hand on her shoulder, Kate melted into his touch with a relieved grin.
"You guys are soo cute!" exclaimed Safiya with a longing expression. "Don't you agree John?" she asked nudging the red-haired boy in the side. He made a face, scrunching up his freckled nose into a look of disgust.
"Y'all are cute and everything, but I personally hate this holiday and am looking forward to a night of binge watching Netflix. Who needs a girlfriend?" he said and they laughed.
"Well I'm going out with Matty! I'm going to meet her family!" Safiya squealed and Kate's eyes widened.
"OMG! Saf! Why didn't you tell me?" she exclaimed and Safiya shrugged.
"I wanted to! But Matty wanted to keep it hush hush," said Safiya and the two commenced to talk in whispered giggles. John rolled his eyes and turned to Dan.
"Girls. I honestly don't know why I hang out with them sometimes." he said fondly. Dan shot John a small smile as Safiya elbowed John in the ribs.
John proceeded to launch into a heavy monologue about maths - a subject for which Dan had no comprehension for, but apparently John loved- leaving no pauses between words for Dan to add any comments, which was more than fine by him. At last, noticing that the corridors were deserted, Kate pulled on Dan's arm letting him know that she was ready to leave.
"See you two later!" called Kate to her friends before following Dan out to where he had parked his car.
"I got the chocolates, thanks." said Dan as he opened the passenger door for Kate. She waited until he had sat down in the seat next to her before replying.
"No problem! I loved the bear you got me!" she squealed lifting up her purse - a fluffy brown head was sticking out of it.
"Really? Because I wasn't sure-"
"I loved it." stated Kate sincerely, stroking its head. "I'm assuming you heard from Mitch that I'm y'know... on my period, and I've been getting cramps all day so I don't know if I'm really up to dinner tonight..."
"Don't worry about it. I'll cancel the reservations and I'll drop you off at home then run to the shop to get you some snacks and stuff," Dan said, turning right at the intersection near Kate's house.
"Stuff as in tampons?" asked Kate, giggling when Dan flushed a brilliant shade of red.
"You know what I mean." he mumbled.
"Yeah... I do. Just get me the same ones as last time." she replied as he pulled into her drive. "You're the best. Love you!" she called as Dan pulled out the driveway.
Love? I never knew that our relationship had passed the stage of love , Dan pondered as he headed back to the convenience shop near his house. It was one he never usually visited - seeing as his Dad did the shopping- but the only one he could afford.
Kate lived on the richer side of town, and her parents were loaded with money, whereas Dan and his Dad lived in a cramped two-bedroom flat in the other end of town. The only reason Dan had been able to afford his car, was that he had saved up for three years using his job at the local bookstore to earn money. Even then, the only pocket money he got was what he earned.
Five minutes later, Dan pulled into the lot outside of the dingy store. It was different in the daytime, the dirt and neglect clearly visible in the sunlight. The pavement hadn't been salted down, and so Dan slid his way to the entrance praying he wouldn't fall and break his neck - he didn't need to add a hospital bill to the list of his Dad's growing financial issues, although lately they had been making it by.
The store was populated with a loud group of teens that looked as though they had come directly from school, with bags on all of their shoulders. Dan skirted by the group just as they burst out into noisy laughter over a statement from a broad-shouldered boy.
Dan had to remind himself that they weren't laughing at him, as he piled several bags of chips into his arms. He burst into a full sprint- or at least a full sprint for Dan- to the feminine hygiene aisle. He lunged for a blue box as he passed, proceeding to send several tumbling to the ground.
He kicked a few under the shelf sheepishly, then, scared someone would come to investigate the ruckus, he grabbed a slightly squished box from the ground and hightailed his way towards the registers.
He made his way over to the only available aisle, where a middle aged woman with heavily dyed red hair was scanning items for a stressed out mother who was desperately trying to keep her two screaming kids under control.
He plopped down his items just as the woman with the kids left, and the cashier plopped down a : cash closed- please direct yourself to another cash sign.
"You're the only cash open!" protested Dan, glancing around at the deserted front of the shop. The woman- whose name tag read: Sherry- heaved a loud sigh.
"Not my problem kid. It's quarter to five, break time." she said snapping on her gum as she removed a pack of cigarettes from her bra.
"You can't just leave a customer unattended!" Dan exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder at the group of teens that were steadily advancing towards the registers.
Sherry let out a loud sigh for the second time, before lifting up her radio. "Phil to register two, Phil to register two please", she said into it , the message echoing around the store.
Dan had to only wait a few moments before a young man came jogging up. Sherry plopped the keys in his hand, and waddled away from the register without a single word.
"Sorry about that" said the man-Phil- cheerfully as he logged into the register, before looking up and meeting Dan's gaze.
Dan felt as though all the breath had been sucked from his lungs. He knew this cashier, he had been the one who'd scanned Dan's items the last time he'd bought things for Kate.
"Hello again!" said Phil, who had evidently recognized Dan. "Lemme guess? Time of the month again?" he added, his blue eyes sparkling as he held up the box of tampons.
"Not mine!" hissed Dan. He threw a glance towards the teens who were loitering over a rack of birthday cards a couple metres from the cash.
"I know," replied a clearly amused Phil. "And I'm pretty sure most people would assume they weren't for you. " he added as he scanned a bag of paprika chips.
"Oh...right" said Dan sheepishly. He stayed silent, watching as Phil bagged his items with quick, experienced hands.
"Your total comes to 7.89£."said Phil. They were silent while Phil arranged Dan's money in the till, and after a few moments of reflexion handed him back the change. Meanwhile, the teenagers plopped down their assorted food items on the cash register nearby which had opened up when a old man had come to take his place at the register.
"Thanks. " said Dan pocketing the change. "Hey..." he said, a thought occurring to him. "Did your wish come true?"
Phil smiled, and opened his mouth as though he were to reply to Dan's question when a voice rang out over the loudspeakers: "Phil, clean up in aisle four , clean up in aisle four" said the voice and Phil sighed resting his hand on the till.
"That's for me. " he said.
"Yeah sorry about that," said Dan guiltily recalling the mess he had made earlier. Phil waved his hand nonchalantly, as he hopped out of the cubicle and walked off towards the aisle. Dan watched him go, a small smile on his lips.
"Hey! About my wish," Phil called spinning around to look at Dan. "It came true!"
"How so?" asked Dan and Phil grinned, a wide smile spreading across his lips.
"You came back."
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ugh so i had to leave and didn't have much tome for editing but wanted to upload soz for all mistakes please point them out kindly thanks love you all and stay safe
rach : )