Deep Breath

Getting Up

It was about 5:00 in the morning, London time, he hated getting up this early. He took off his boxers and poured himself into the shower, he squirted way to much shampoo onto the palm of his hand. He started singing Toxic by Britney Spears. As he started to sing, he shampooed his hair and rinsed. He scrubbed his body with a washcloth and rinsed, turning off the water. Reaching out for his towel he realized it wasn't there, he'd forgotten to get it from the hall closet! Jumping out of the shower, he ran across the hallway, hoping nobody saw his stark naked body.

He threw open his wardrobe, only to see a depressing black selection of shirts and a black pair of skinny jeans. On the bottom of his wardrobe, he had a pair of black shoes and some running shoes, they would never be put to use. He pulled on a black t-shirt and his skinny jeans. He shoved his feet into the pair of black shoes with zippers on both sides, squishing the heals down.

Walking into the bathroom he combed through his hair and tried not to think of the humiliation he felt when he went out in public with his hobbit hair. He hadn't yet figured out how to use a straightener. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed his backpack. Pulling up the heals of his shoes, he walked out the front door.

"Fu** breakfast" Dan said, slamming the door behind him.

Today was a cold day, cold enough to see your breath. It made sense though, it is Britain and it is November. The year is 2008, making this the year Dan is 16. He hates school, he doesn't like to learn, and he doesn't have any friends. People bully him all the time, mostly for his "hobbit hair". He hadn't figured out how to use a straightener yet. The University  Dan went to was doing 11th grade through college. He found it a bit weird that he was going to school with college students, but it didn't really bother him.

The bright fluorescent lights killed the gloomy mood of the morning. The sky was cloudy and humid, causing Dan's Winnie-the-pooh-voice to be even more idiotic. He was just praying that his teacher wouldn't call on him, that way, he wouldn't have to talk in front of his class mates. He wasn't really a good kid, but he didn't talk out or interrupt the teacher in class.

It was lunch break and Dan didn't want to walk all the way home, just to drag himself back to this horrible place in an hour.  So he went to the cafeteria--home of revolting food-- and got a ham sandwich. Just the thought of it made him want to vomit. He hated meat, he thought about becoming vegetarian, or even vegan. Great! Just another thing people would treat him differently over!! He though of all the people who hated him and hated them back. Dan sat down at an empty table and threw his sandwich down onto it. He pulled out a page of maths homework. He hated maths-and he wanted to punch himself in the face-IRL-for not listening to the lecture. 

He threw the sandwich aside and started scratching down equations and numbers. As soon as he started, a stranger can and sat with him. He didn't look up.

"Hey I'm Phi-" he got cut off

"Please leave." Dan said sternly without looking up.

"Uh, sorry I can't do that." The man folded his hands.

Dan was ready to punch this guy in the face.
"And well why not?" Dan said, finally looking up. What he saw was unbelievable, it made him almost change his sexual preference. The man had black silky hair, pale porcelain skin, a crooked smile, rosy cheek bones that looked like they were carved from stone, and icy blue eyes that were gorgeous. He was wearing a plaid shirt and had a file folder under his arm. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans. He had just set down a plate of fish and chips. How British, though Dan.  "Phenomenal." He whispered.

"Because I'm your mentor now" he smiled pretending he didn't hear what Dan had just whispered, "the dean assigned me to you."

"I'm sorry I didn't catch your name." Dan faked a smile

"Phil-Phil Lester." He stuck out a hand for Dan to shake

"Well Phil," Dan pushed it away, " I don't need a mentor I'll be fine" he stood up and grabbed his backpack. He started to walk away.

"Oh-er you forgot your sandwich!" Phil called after him.

"Fu** off" Dan said without turning around.