When Will My Life Begin (Phan AU)

Bet On It

Shoutout to @Coolnessgirl @fang_girl03 @drappifgirl and @InfinityAndFandoms for the new characters although I might not use them all rn!!
Dan POV

The day before my classes started, I was lying on my bed being lazy as usual, catching up on my subscriptions and browsing tumblr, when I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in!" I called, setting my laptop on the table beside me and sitting up slightly as Phil opened the door and stepped into my room.

"I know you start your classes tomorrow and you're probably really busy, but I was wondering if you wanted to meet my friends today and spend the day with us? I know we talked about it before and the plans got cancelled but I just thought maybe you'd want to meet some more people in the area, even if they're not at your uni." Phil asked, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Sure, if you're sure your friends wouldn't mind me joining you?" I replied, pulling shoes onto my feet as I stood up.

"No, they keep asking to meet my new roommate. I can't think why!" Phil joked,  "We're just going for food at the restaurant down the street and then maybe coming back here for a bit!"

Phil started to leave the room before turning round again, "I should probably warn you that Brooke and Em can be a bit..... strange. And, em, don't ask them about their tattoos. Long story short, last time I asked I ended up being ignored for a week. But you and Brooke can just talk about tumblr for the whole time so it's fine"

I nodded, following him out the door and down the hall, yelling jokingly at him, "But for future reference I do talk about more than just tumblr."
"Oh come on Dan, we both know you can ramble on about cat GIFs for hours," he returned as he pulled his jacket on and picked up his phone.
"Don't diss the cats Phil! Are you just jealous or something? Worried I'll give all my love to the cats rather than all the cooking I do for you!"

He turned and gave me a look as he unlocked the door, "You mean all the pasta and takeout food you try to insist is good, nutritious food?"
"I'm a student what do you expect?" I laughed, following him down the corridor to the lift.
"Okay you haven't even started yet so don't blame the stereotypes."

We continued the banter as we exited the apartment building and started walking down the road. Phil's phone started ringing as we approached the restaurant and he answered it, muttering under his breath something that sounded like "impatient much". I held back a laugh as he answered the phone and immediately heard someone yelling at him.

Phil walked quickly up to the glass front of the restaurant and waved, laughing as the person on the other line hung up.

He opened the door, still chuckling slightly as he explained, "Well that was Brooke being Brooke and asking if I was too busy dyeing my arm hair to match."
"Wait, you mean your hair isn't actually black?" I asked, laughing slightly at the interaction I had just heard.
"No, but I've dyed it for years," he laughed as we walked over to the table his friends were sitting at.

I awkwardly stood as Phil sat down and greeted two brunette girls sitting at the table until he turned and laughed at me still standing there.
"Sit down Dan," He said, clearly attempting to hide his smile but failing miserably, "Brooke and Em won't bite!"

I smiled slightly and sat down beside Phil, waiting to be introduced since I still had no idea which of them was Em and which was Brook. After a few seconds I pointedly nudged Phil lightly in the ribs, realising he wasn't going to introduce me.

"Ah right, sorry, yes, so Dan this is Brooke," he said, pointing to the girl across from me, "You're both tumblr addicts so you should get on well."
"Hey!" Brooke retorted, "You're the one who made me get tumblr so don't be such a hypocrite, Lester!"

"Chill Brooke," the other girl, who, with my amazing powers of deduction, I realised must be Em, replied, laying a light hand on her shoulder.
"No need to be ashamed of anything tumblr related," I calmly said, "Any form of internet with that many memes must be encouraged."
Em laughed at me slightly, "That in itself sounds like a meme."
"I would be honoured to be a meme." I replied seriously, jokingly placing a hand on my chest.

Phil leaned back in his chair slightly with a satisfied look on his face. "I knew Dan would fit in with this craziness."
I started protesting slightly at his statement as the waitress came over to take our order and I started snickering as I caught Brooke eying up the waitress, who I had to admit was not bad looking. Em gave me a funny look as Brooke blushed slightly, realising why I was laughing.

"What is it?" Phil muttered.
"Yeah, Brooke what is it?" I chuckled as she hid her red cheeks in her hands.
"Not funny Dan," she muttered, "That waitress is hot okay! I mean did you look at her! Would you not date her?"
Em stiffened slightly as Phil took it as an opportunity to laugh at me.

"I don't think Dan would date her." He giggled like the child he secretly is as I rolled my eyes.
"Oh do you already have a girlfriend sorry!" Brooke exclaimed, her eyes widening at Phil's comment. Phil's laughter only increased at this comment and Brooke looked even more confused.

"Ignore the idiot next to me, no I don't have a girlfriend, he's laughing because I'm gay and so no, I wouldn't date the waitress." I explained, almost laughing myself at Brooke's facial expressions.
Em laughed as well, as the look of realisation on Brooke's face was admittedly hilarious.

As the laughter and jokes continued through the rest of the lunch and through the very aggressive Mario Kart competition that followed, I realised that for the first time in my life I had found somewhere that I felt like I fitted in and I knew that these friendships would continue for a long time and that I was stuck with these people.
And despite the craziness and the bruises I was gaining from Phil's annoyance when he was beaten at Mario Kart, I wasn't sure that was a bad thing.