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Dan was fourteen.

His black hoodie billowed out behind him as be practically sprinted down the sidewalk, filled with joy. For once, it had been Phil to ask him to hang out, and he had automatically said yes. Maybe he still wanted to be friends? They hadn't really talked in a while, except for when Dan had invited him over a few times, most of which he had been rejected.

His mother hadn't agreed to drive him, but Dan wouldn't let that stop him. It was a long walk, but he was already most of the way to Phil's house, and he didn't regret walking all the way to be there.

Once he reached the end of the driveway, he nervously approached the door and knocked a few times. There were the sounds of footsteps leading up to the door before it was opened and a cheerful looking Phil opened it up.

"Hey Dan," he said, stepping back to let him in.

"Hi," Dan responded, now beginning to feel slightly nervous.

"Wanna go up to my room and play some video games?" Phil asked once his friend had removed his coat as shoes.

"Sure," he agreed, smiling as Phil led the way upstairs.

They quickly got settled on the bed, controllers in hand as the title of the game flashed across the screen. Just as they were about to start though, the sound of the phone ringing came from out in the hall.

"Hold on, let me just get that," Phil said, pausing the game and getting up to go answer the call. From his place on the bed, Dan could hear little snippets of the conversation he was having.

"Oh hey Chris! What's up? Oh? No, sorry. My parents made me have Dan over," he was saying, sounding resentful. "That sounds great, but I can't today. Maybe some other time? Yeah, sure. Talk to you later."

By the end, Dan's eyes were dripping with tears. When he heard the bedroom door being pushed back open, he quickly stood up and walked past Phil.

"Where are you going?" he called from the top of the stairs.

"I've got to go. Sorry," Dan replied quickly, trying not to make it evident he was crying. Before Phil could say anything else, he had opened the front door and ran off back in the direction of his house.

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