Sanctuary (A Dan Smith/ Bastille fanfic)

24. Chloe

After mine and Dan’s little chat we’ve seemed to go back to how we were last week. It was shit of his sister to bring up that stuff from the past but I’m glad that me and Dan got some things out in the open and the fact that he’s still willing to be my friend is amazing for me.

I really enjoy being with him and I didn’t ever think that I would actually enjoy life in London. Of course I try to make out to my mum that I still hate life though.

She knows that me and Dan are friends and that seems to make her ecstatic. She never really got on with any of my friends back in Cornwall and generally thought they were all good for nothing idiots.

But for some reason she seems to love Dan, even though she doesn’t particularly know him. She just knows that he’s her new best friend’s son and that me and him is the perfect friendship. So no matter what me and Dan do wrong, if she knows that Dan is involved she seems to turn a blind eye or tut at me for bringing the lovely Dan down. Take for instance the other day, we went out and got drunk. No, sorry, I got drunk. He actually managed to stay sober and brought me home. She was about to shout at me for being irresponsible and then saw he was there so immediately turned from queen bitch to adoring mother. He shows his face and she is instantly calm. If she was 30 years younger I would be sure that she fancies him. Her niceness could be mistaken for cringe worthy flirting and it’s just the way she changes when he’s in the room that makes me suspicious. Not that I blame her, I mean Dan’s not bad to look at. He’s goofy and weird but, yeah, kind of attractive.

It’s Thursday night and I can’t wait for Friday to come just so that I can have the weekend free of college and stupid college work. For the first two weeks of college I sailed by without having to do any work outside of the classroom, but now they seemed to have toughened up on me and I keep on getting set catch up work so that I can keep up with the rest of the class seeing as I missed half of the school year. I would ask Dan to help me but he, of course, hasn’t done the work either and has no clue of what it is about.

Dan doesn’t know it yet but we have plans to do fuck all and just chill together this weekend. I’m sure he won’t mind; that’s how we spend most evenings. It’s not until I get a call that those plans change.

Me and Dan are at his house playing on his X-box and I’m kind of shocked to see a call from my best friend from home Eloise. It’s not that I don’t want to speak to her or anything, I miss her loads, it’s just that I haven’t actually spoken to her that much since I’ve been in London because I’ve been so busy being wrapped up in my own life.

I pause the game on the X-box, causing Dan to let out an angered grunt until he realises my phone is ringing. “Go ahead, be rude.” He sarcastically remarks as I answer the phone. I jokily shove his arm, but clearly too hard as he falls onto his side, causing me to let out a loud cackle. It’s only when I hear Eloise shouting down the line that I remember that she can hear.

“Chlooooeee!” I hear her shout. “Earth to Chloe, where the fuck are you?”

“I’m so sorry El.” I try to compose myself.

“Fuck you Chloe.” Dan mutters and hits me jokily on my leg.

“Oh my god who was that?” Eloise questions. Fuck, I haven’t told her about Dan. I know how she gets when boys are around. “That was a boy!” She screeches down the line and I hold the phone away from my ear to save my eardrums. “Tell me that wasn’t a boy. Oh my god have you got a boyfriend. Are you just sleeping with him? Oh my god you’re being a slut. Oh my god Chloe you’re shagging a fit Londoner. I hope you’re using protection. What’s he like? Is he fit? Is he tall? Is he dark, handsome and brooding? Is he treating you well? Or is he a filthy bastard? Oh my god, Chloe tell me all.” She rambles on.