'Hello Internet' Dating

Chapter 3 - Shopping

After reminiscing the last of his delicious Starbucks, Dan wandered towards his favourite clothes store, Dark as your Soul, for his weekly browsing session. Just before he entered, he stopped short. He literally stopped directly in front of the doors, so people pushed past him and tutted excessively. He didn't mean to, and soon he snapped out of his trance and stepped to the side, feeling like he was wading through treacle. He had somehow managed to prevent himself from walking in there and buying more black jeans and black T-Shirts. What he needed the most was some popular, cool clothes that will hopefully not scare Phil away when they meet up later that week. He propelled himself away from Dark as your Soul, and towards Superstyle, the place that nightmares are made of. For him anyway. Too mainstream. And, not enough black. Basically too basic. Dan grimaced as he walked through the doors, and quickly put his head down. He didn't want to see anyone he knew in there and ruin his Bad-Boy-Goth exterior and reputation. Just as he was having second thoughts, he saw a section of shirts that would definitely compliment his hair. And weren't too colourful. He walked quickly and started browsing straight away.

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Phil was growing uncomfortable very quickly in Superstyle, and felt so out of place amongst the basic, neutral clothes. Luckily, there was a shirt section that caught his eye, and he made his way over to it purposefully. The less time he was in the store, the better. He hated being out of his comfort zone, and especially in public.

He saw a shirt that he liked the look of, so hesitantly checked the price tag. Reasonable price, Phil thought to himself, picking up the item, and stepping backwards, only to collide with someone walking behind him.

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Luckily, Dan had only been in the store for a few minutes before he found something he actually liked. Feeling pleased with himself, he looked around for the counter, noticing a tall, dark haired boy picking up a shirt in the same section. He clearly has style, Dan thought, when he saw that he was picking up the same shirt as Dan had picked up himself. Craning his neck to see over the boy's head, he saw the counter behind where the boy was hovering. He had a giant box next to him, and as Dan grew closer, he read the packaging: Powerhouse 6000. It was the new hoover, and Dan smirked to himself. Just seeing a boy dragging a hoover around a shop with him was hilarious for him. Dan rose onto his tiptoes and edged down the aisle to try and squish past the boy and his hoover, but unfortunately the boy stepped back at precisely the wrong moment, and in a split second they collided.

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Phil heard a male voice curse behind him, but he didn't have a chance to snatch a glance at who it was before the hoover box wobbled and threatened to topple over. He threw his arms out just in time and managed to catch the box before it fell. He felt his cheeks go red as he looked up to find the rest of the aisle staring at him. He knew he had to just pay for his shirt and get out. He peered down the aisle, and wondered if the person who he bumped into would still be there so he could apologise. However, no matter how hard he looked, even as he paid and left the store, the boy was gone.

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Meanwhile, Dan was sprinting up the escalator, which in this instance was too slow for him, whilst pushing past every person in his way. He had no idea where this sudden energy burst had come from, but he knew he had to use it to his advantage. The boy he bumped into would come for him. He just knew it. He was probably a typical Superstyle bloke - ready for a fight anytime. Plus, Dan didn't particularly want to be hit round the head with a hoover. So, he found himself racing away from the boy and making his way to the second floor of the store. It was all he could think of to avoid either a full on fist fight, verbal abuse, or a very awkward encounter.

Feeling physically drained, Dan stood next to the moving escalator and bent over double, panting. Too much exercise for one month, he thought. After he had caught his breath again, he glanced up to look at the people travelling up and down the escalator. To his utter horror, he saw a dark haired boy bobbing up towards him. Dan took off again, shoving rails of clothes and stacks of shoes onto the floor as he passed. Hopefully the enemy will trip and fall, he planned in his head. He could hear people shouting and grumbling behind him, and snuck a glance over his shoulder. No one was chasing him. He grinned and slowed down, but not in time to stop as he crashed into a rack of coats, that then came tumbling on top of him.

He pushed his way to the surface several seconds later, and scrambled to his feet. Dan searched frantically for anywhere he could hide, and then saw his escape. He pelted headlong into the fitting rooms, only to find a short, stout shop assistant staring at him.

"How many items, sir?" Her voice chimed into the silence.

"Err..." Dan stood on the spot for a few moments before realising he was still holding onto his shirt that he found downstairs. "Just this - please." He held up the item, and she studied it for a bit.

"Alright then, here you go!" She passed him a pointless plastic number, and he took it reluctantly.

"Um, thanks?" Dan scurried off into an available changing room and pulled the curtain.

Peering at his reflection in the mirror, he could see why the lady stared at him so much. His hair was messy and his clothes dishevelled. He looked like a total state. Quickly fixing his hair, he decided to try the shirt on, just whilst he was there. Peeling off his slightly sweaty black top, he pulled on the other shirt.

Dan liked it from the moment he put it on. It took him by surprise, at first glance in the mirror he barely recognised himself. The navy blue was a good colour on him, and the style wasn't too smart. It was a polo shirt, with small white bands along the bottom and short sleeves. Original, Dan thought to himself, twirling around in front of the mirror. Smiling, he took the shirt off and returned to his plain black one.

After paying for the shirt, Dan left the store on a high note and by the time he was home almost forgot about his first, and probably not the last, humiliating experience in Superstyle.

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Phil left Superstyle soon after he'd paid, and dragged the hoover home just minutes before his parents got back.

"Hi!" His mother called as she let herself in. His father wandered in behind her, and they both smiled when they saw their son. Phil beamed back at them, and brought them into a big bear hug. He was the tallest out of all three of them, and he loved the feeling of protecting them with his long arms. Both of his parents were very slight, especially his mother, who naturally looked like she could snap anytime. She was surprisingly strong, like his father. When they finally broke apart, Phil practically leaped out of the room to grab his surprise.

"Close your eyes Mum!" Phil shouted.

"What - why?" Mrs Lester panicked, twirling round to look at her husband, who just shrugged.

"Please Mum!" Phil pleaded from the other room.

His mother sighed and cautiously shut her eyes. She still wasn't sure how much she trusted her son.

Phil stumbled back into the room with the hoover box, making it incredibly difficult for Mr Lester not to burst out laughing. He managed to contain his laughter in just enough time for Phil to present the appliance to her.

"Ta-da! ...Do you like it?" Phil's sudden uncertainty sank deep into his stomach, making it visibly clear on his face. His mother noticing this behavior instantly, and engulfed him in an embrace and squeezed him tightly. "I love it! Its so...new, and...wow..." She contemplated, studying the box in more detail. "It was the best one in the store!" Phil assured her, and launched into a detailed explanation about every single one of its qualities. By now, his father had left the room in despair, and gravitated to the sofa to watch television. A few minutes later, the low hum of the hoover filled the house, along with cheers and excited squeals from the pair, and Mr Lester got comfortable against the cushions, exhausted after a long day at work.

Some time later, he felt himself start to drift off to sleep. He heard his wife and son bounce down next to him on the cushions and switch channels on the television. It was never a quiet day in the Lester household.