One Call Away
Dan made another phone call after his silent breakdown in the cheese aisle.
Looking down at the package of cheese in his hand, Dan could feel the tears welling in his eyes and immediately begin to fall.
It was his first week at university and already he’d been an antisocial hermit, spending the first two days in his room playing video games.
So now when he found himself alone in the shop having no clue what food he should buy or how to cook anything and the realization that he was now all on his own finally hit him, he wasn’t surprised when he inevitably burst into tears in the middle of the cheese aisle.
He quickly wiped at his face, hoping none of his housemates would see him and think he was even weirder than they probably already thought. He whipped out his phone and dialed the one person he knew could help him at a time like this: his grandma.
The phone continued to ring and it was by the sixth ring that Dan remembered his gran was at her weekly sudoku club.
Now what was he going to do? He needed to talk. He needed someone to help calm him down and tell him everything would be okay. He didn’t know any of his housemates that well. He didn’t want to call his mum because that would only worry her and his father was probably busy, as usual. Who could he call that would listen and understand and make him feel better?
Phil. Should he call Phil? Was that weird? Was it too needy? It’s not like he hadn’t called Phil to talk when he was upset before. Phil always knew what to say. He knew Phil’s voice - if not his grandma’s - was the only thing that would calm him down right now.
“Hello?” Phil answered.
“Hi. It’s me.” Dan replied.
“Hi, bear. How’s fresher’s week going? Hanging in there?” Phil asked.
That just set off more tears and Phil could hear a sniffle from the other end of the phone.
“Dan? Are you all right?” Phil then asked.
“Not really.” Dan spoke quietly.
“What’s wrong, bear?” Phil said and Dan could sense his boyfriend’s frown through the phone.
“Everything. Uni already sucks and I haven’t even been there a week.” Dan told him.
“There?” Phil questioned.
“Yeah, I’m at the shop with my housemates.” Dan said.
“Do you want me to come get you?” Phil asked.
Dan sighed into the phone. “I don’t know what I want anymore.”
“Okay. Tell me what happened.” Phil said.
“We decided to come for groceries and we all split up and I just suddenly realized that I’m all alone. I’m on my own now. I don’t know how to live on my own.” Dan said, his voice trembling a bit.
“You’re not on your own, Dan. You have me.” Phil told him.
“Except you’re on the other side of town.” Dan said.
“Once again, do you want me to come get you? Or I could meet you there and help with your shopping.” Phil offered.
Dan took a deep breath. “No, it’s fine. I need to learn how to adult sooner or later.”
“Dan, listen to me. It’s okay if you don’t know how to do things. You’re still learning and growing up. You are still a teenager, after all.” Phil told him. “Everything is going to be fine. You’re going to learn new things and make new friends and have the best time at university. Then you’re going to graduate and be the best lawyer slash Youtuber in the entire world.”
Dan smiled. “How do you always know exactly what to say?”
“I try.” Phil said. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me, okay? Like you said, I’m just on the other side of town.”
“Thank you, Phil.” Dan said.
“Anytime.” Phil said. “Now, get back to shopping. And pick me up some Haribo.”
Dan giggled. “Will do. Bye.”
“Awrf.” Phil said and hung up the phone.
It wasn’t until a few days later that Dan took Phil up on his offer of ‘anything he needed’ when he arrived at Phil’s doorstep holding a suitcase full of dirty clothes and a packet of Haribo.
