The Different Views of Procrastinators *on hold&closed*

4.Procrastinators on the Internet: Part 19~Dan's POV

Dan's POV:

I could see some of the animal enclosures from the café that we were stood in, which only partially tinted the surprise of the zoo. I could see the gorillas and gibbons, both of which were either eating, playing or sleeping. Life as a gorilla or gibbon might not be that bad, it's kind of inviting, actually.

Okay, I had been here before, but that was ages ago. I'd been at this very zoo for my birthday, and even then, I'd been here with different people. Maybe I was thinking that this day wouldn't be like my birthday had been because of these people, all the different perspectives and personalities, and all. Of course, it wasn't my birthday either, so that changed things. That makes it sound like I want to have a whole day revolving around me. That's not the case.

Nicole and Mia had gone to the toilet, which Mathew was joking about in their absence, leaving us to stand loitering in the café entrance. It was a little embarrassing to be standing around aimlessly like this, but we couldn't exactly leave the girls behind. It was obvious that Peej liked Nicole a fair bit, seeing as I hadn't seen them leave each other's side so far, but I'm not the best at reading people. And Mia...she was cool. She was very shy, but the conversation that Phil and I had managed to ease out of her had been fun. Yet, she has this strong guard up against people, which I suspect a portion of shy people have. I'd just like her to enjoy herself.

I chewed on my tongue as we waited around a café table together. I know that girls do that thing when they go to the toilet in packs. Are they plotting the demise of the world or something in these secret meetings? Making a sacrifice to Satan? I know some girls who've admitted to me that even they don't know why it happens, tradition or something stupid like that, they guess.

Nicole and Mia finally walked down the hall from the toilets towards us a few minutes later, making me positive that they'd preformed a sacrificial ritual judging by the looks that they shared. Nicole obviously went straight over to PJ, where I tuned out their voices. On the other hand, Mia sort of hovered at the edge of our 'group', as if she was unsure on where to turn to. Her friend Mathew was talking with Chris, Nicole with Peej, and then Phil was close to my side. I felt like I should say something to her, to try and tell her that it was okay, that I wanted to talk to her, so she didn't have to be nervous. I could tell that she'd be nervous anyway, but I'd like to try.

I was about to step towards Mia and ask her when she'd last visited a zoo, when Chris began to lead us off towards the first enclosure: the llamas. I couldn't help but grin as we made our way out of the café and to a little set of crossroads, where cream coloured gravel crunched and quivered underfoot. The crossroads were shrouded with trees with glowing amber leaves, their bark barley attached to the trunks in the cool weather. Wooden fencing also encircled the path's edges, keeping small children from exploring the zoo in greater depth.

Chris and Mathew decided to take charge, using their map reading 'skills' to work at the map that they'd been given to search for directions. Of course, anyone of us could have said something about the signposts that were just over their heads, but I couldn't help but enjoy their childish glee as they tried to decipher the hatch work of lines on the paper.

I stuck my hands deep into my pockets as we walked, tensing up my muscles to try and stay warm. There always seemed to be a certain bite in the air in this season, something that could leave me with the novelty of numb fingers if I wasn't careful. Phil, however, was pulling on a pair of gloves beside me. The fingers to the gloves were different bright colours of wool, whereas the palms of his hands were navy blue. I chuckled at his glove choice and hunched up my shoulders a little more.

Phil looked up at me whilst he tugged the elastic of the gloves around his wrists. "What's so funny?" he asked me curiously with only a hint of suspicion in his voice.