A Nerdy Affair (a Dan Howell story)

Discoveries

"Thanks" I said to Dan as he opened the door for me to the apartment block "You know there was really no need for a cab right? Our flat is literally two streets away?" I asked, laughing slightly at their laziness.

"Our flat?" Dan questioned, raising his eyebrows at me in a teasing way. My cheeks reddened as I realised what I had said, it wasn't really our flat. It was theirs, I was just gate crashing right now.

"Oh right yeah" Was all I could say. Definitely had I outstayed my welcome.

"It can be your flat whenever you want it to be Gabs" Phil reassured me, pressing the button for the lift. This comforted me slightly, but I still felt I should go back to my own flat.

"I will come to yours to collect my stuff and then head back to mine if that is ok?" The amount of work I had to do was ridiculous and I didn't want to have to fill their flat with my rubbish.

As it reached the floor we needed, I could hear voices come from outside the lift. Shaking their heads when I asked if they were expecting anyone, Dan and Phil looked just as confused as I was about why there was so much noise coming from their hallway. Leaning over to say something to Dan, Phil's face was laced with concern. What was happening here?

As the doors slid open, I was certainly not expecting the sight that was before me. A pack of teenage girls were sat on the floor of the corridor on their phones. As they realised the doors opened a collection of screams ran through the crowd.

"Dan! Phil! Can I have a selfie?" shouting, the girl nearest the lift surged forward towards us.

"Is phan real?" Another shouted. Dan tugged me to his side and pushed his way through them all towards the door. Leaning down to speak into my ear, I felt the pressure of his front against my back. Really I should have been focussing on what he was saying to me but the close proximity of us sort of short wired my brain. Pressing his house key into my hand, Dan pushed me forwards towards the door, I could only guess he meant for me to go in whilst they dealt with the crowd outside. Slightly crushed, I managed to make it through the door without any of the crazed girls getting in also against all their efforts.

Upon entering the flat, I slumped against the wall. The corridor had been so cramped and I did not deal with tight spaces well. Breathing heavily, I listened carefully as I could just make out what Phil was saying to the girls outside. Did they know them?

"You can't just turn up at our flat! We love you guys but this is our personal space. So if you could all just leave please that would be greatly appreciated!" Phil was so polite even when faced with a stressful situation, I wished I had his calm nature. Though it seemed the girls were not as calm as Phil.

"We have come all this way! Could we not at least have a picture?" I could hear one of the girls ask.

"We are not going to reward you for stalking us!" Dan replied calmly, echoing my thoughts exactly. But why were they being stalked? I had asked myself way so many questions about Dan and Phil in the last few days and I was beginning to think I didn't know them as well as I thought I did. Of course I didn't, I had only met them last week, why should have I expected them to tell me everything? Feeling stupid for thinking Dan and Phil would tell me everything about them, I picked myself up off the floor and went to find my stuff. My clothes were neatly folded on Dan's bed next to his clean washing. Finding my bag, I slipped my pyjamas inside and collected up where I had left my toothbrush and deodorant. Just as I was leaving Dan's room I finally heard the boys enter.

"Have they gone?" I asked. Dan nodded his head in an exhausted fashion. Seeing their obvious tiredness, I decided not to ask quite yet who they were and why they had been there. Following the boys into the front room, as they collapsed onto the sofa, I just stood in the doorway waiting to say my goodbyes. "Um, guys I am going to go now" Awkwardly shuffling towards them, I low key wanted a group hug. Hugs from tall people were the best and Dan and Phil certainly were tall.