Friday – midday

     As always, school on Friday ended early, enabling Daniel to catch up with some of his homework, for which he had no time during other days of the week. Well, besides the weekends, outside of workhours.

Daniel still had tons of things to do for school, he needed to pick up his younger sister Hannah, and cook dinner, before showering and heading off to work.

And he still needed to go and get the food to be able to make dinner in the first place.

He checked his bank account to see how the financial situation was at the moment, sighing deeply when he noticed the bills for electricity had been paid, leaving a whooping 21 bucks on his bank account.

His mother's account wasn't much better after paying rent and healthcare bills. He was dreading his sister's birthday; coming up in three weeks. He would not be able to get her a decent present, for the seventh year in a row.

She would turn eight, and Daniel couldn't remember the last time she actually got something she asked for—and Hannah hardly ever asked for something in particular.

Hannah was getting older, nearing an age to start understanding they simply didn't have the money for expensive gifts.

Yet, this year, she specifically asked for a baby doll that could talk, move and had the size of an actual baby.

All her friends had the doll, and she wanted to be a part of that group too.

It would cost Daniel nearly 80 bucks, and he sighed at the thought of having to disappoint her.

He hated disappointing his sister, or his mother, and it always made him silently curse his deadbeat father.

He hardly ever thought back to the days in which his father was still part of their family; until one day, he simply decided to leave.

They hadn't heard from him ever again, and for all they knew, he could be dead by now. But thinking about his dad wasn't his main priority right now.

Getting food, however, was.

Daniel searched the desk drawers to find the social voucher to get a food package at the foodbank. He applied for it a couple of months ago, after his mother's welfare payment had yet again been less.

They were officially poor, and despite using all possibilities such as social welfare, they had no money left, ever.

And he would rather die than letting his mother know he applied for the foodbank, and they were approved, now receiving weekly support in the form of food.

He just needed to pick it up, while pretending to go get groceries, because he knew the response his mother would give if she'd find out he stepped in himself to pay certain bills that could no longer be payed with her income.

He didn't want to worry his sick mother even more.

So, Daniel pretended to go out for groceries, grabbing two bags and his bike, heading over to the foodbank to be there early and avoid the busiest moment of the day.

Of course, as soon as he walked in, he was met with the eyes of a guy he rather didn't want to see any more; his ex Mitchel.

"Hey there!" Mitchel perked up as soon as he recognized Daniel, and the smirk on Mitchel's face was one of the many reasons Daniel hated his ex boyfriend as much as he did.

He always acted a bit as if Daniel was less than he was, simply because he came from a troubled family. Mitchel had an air of entitlement around him that Daniel started to notice shortly after a year of being together.

Daniel had held of on taking Mitchel home until around a year, and as soon as he did, he noticed Mitchel's way of looking down upon poor families.

Of course, the other boy understood his mother was sick, and his father had left to buy cigarettes seven years ago, but he still didn't seem to get that Daniel's wage as a seventeen-year-old was far from enough to afford a bit of luxury.

Luxury even was far out of the picture, as Daniel struggled to even reach a decent level of living for the three of them.

But Mitchel, nonetheless, kept complaining about Daniel's bed being a bit lumpy—while it was over 20 years old—or the fact he always left hungry after staying over for dinner, because there was never enough to feed four.

But he never was willing to chip in, and Daniel eventually broke up because not only did he feel like a hobo in comparison to his own boyfriend, he felt judged for it too.

"How's your mom doing?" Mitchel asked, some sort of worry in his voice, but nowhere in his whole demeanour did Daniel get any hints that gave him the idea he was actually worried.

"Fine, I guess. She just had chemotherapy, so yeah..."

"Well, at least that means she eats less, leaving more for you and Hannah, right?" Mitchel grabbed the voucher Daniel had been waving in his face, not willing to talk to Mitchel for too long. He hated the fact Mitchel was forced by his parents to volunteer at the foodbank to teach him a bit of humanity.

"Seriously, Mitch?" Daniel grumbled with a scowl. "I just told you my mom had another chemo treatment and you know she's sick for days, too weak to do anything, and all you can come up with, is how Hannah and I get more food now?"

"Well..." Mitchel awkwardly scratched his head, while his face flushed. "You know I get awkward, talking about stuff like that."

"Than don't ask." Daniel huffed, crossing his arms. "Can I get my package? I need to go and pick Hannah up."

"Uh, yeah..." Mitchel shuffled around for a second, before he lifted a box onto the counter. "So ehm... I miss you."

"Sucks, I can't tell you the same." Daniel rolled his eyes, as he started emptying the cardboard box out, putting the food into the two bags he took with him.

"Really, not even a bit? The sex was great..."

"You know, you should meet my co-worker Frey." Daniel shortly looked up. "You two should get along just fine. The obsession with sex, the entitlement, the selfishness. The whole goddamn package."

"Wow, I didn't want to piss you off. I just said I miss you."

"And how 'great sex' is the one thing you can come up with that should make me miss you too. Even you aren't able to come up with a better reason to like you."

"Right... sorry."

"Whatever." Daniel grabbed hands full of the food, dumping it in the bag carelessly because he just wanted to get away from Mitchel as soon as possible. "I'm leaving."

Daniel snatched the bags from the counter, hurriedly making his way outside, when Mitchel called out,—"wait"—and he couldn't help but stop dead in his tracks because there was still this super tiny piece inside him that hoped Mitchel would change for the better.

Because Daniel was a masochist that simply continuously felt attracted to self-absorbed assholes, like Mitchel, like...

"So, who's that Frey guy you were talking about?"

Daniel stared at Mitchel with wide eyes, shocked, speechless, not knowing how to respond to him other than; "You're such an asshole."

     Lacy stared at Daniel with wide eyes, her mouth slightly agape, while she was supposed to finish the cocktail she was making. "He said that?"

"Yes." Daniel sighed, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.

"Did you hit him?" Jenna leaned on the bar, awaiting her personalized cocktail made by Lacy while the club behind her was buzzing with people dancing, talking, laughing.

No drinking games that night, much to Daniel's delight.

"I didn't hit him. You know I could never..."

"You stupid idiot. Hit him, make it clear to him you and he are truly done." Lacy complained with a whiny voice. "Why do you constantly keep that door open?"

"I do not keep that door open." Daniel rolled his eyes. "I told him I didn't miss him, after he told me he did miss me."

"He misses you?" Lacy frowned, Jenna cocked her head curiously. "Wasn't he bragging about banging this guy he met on Sparkl the other week?"

"That's probably over by now anyway." Daniel sighed, and threw a lemon into Jenna's glass, before he handed it to her. "Besides, he asked me if I didn't miss the 'great' sex."

Jenna spat out the first sip of her drink, and Lacy sent her a displeased look for spilling her cocktail right from the start. "That's what he misses about you?"

"I told him he should meet Frey. I think they have a lot in common."

"They do, don't they?" Lacy nodded in response, but then shut her mouth and stood up straight. "Speak of the devil."

Daniel turned around, and found Frey stepping behind the bar casually.

"Shouldn't you guys be working?" He tapped his fingers on the bar, while staring at the bottles of strong alcoholic drinks on the shelves hanging from the wall—obviously contemplating which drink he was getting. "Pouring guests some drinks?"

"As if you care?" Lacy snorted, and Daniel smirked in response, knowing Frey never cares about people having to wait a while whenever he is talking to someone.

"You're right, I don't." Frey chuckled, but it was so forced, it seemed to Daniel as if it hurt him to smile or chuckle.

"We were talking about great sex." Jenna simply dropped a bomb, but it did cause Frey to turn around and stare at the three with an eyebrow pulled up.

"No, we weren't." Daniel seethed. "Sex with Mitchel was not that great."

"You were talking about him again?" Frey snorted, pulling a face, rolling his eyes, and than grabbing a bottle of Rocketshot from the shelve. "You should really forget about that cock-sucking fag."

Daniel, who had just taken a sip of water, chocked on his drink, staring at Frey in disbelief.

The guy was many things, rude, selfish, a dickhead. But never had he gave of signs of being a homophobe.

Daniel didn't even know if Frey could be considered one, since he did already know about Daniel's sexuality and had never treated him any different.

"You did not just call him fag." Daniel was still shocked a bit, and his words came out with a tremble.

"What, am I not allowed?" Frey frowned confused, as he was searching for a couple of shot glasses. "He is a fag, a disgusting, heartless fag. And the fact I think he is, is saying a lot."

Daniel swallowed, not really knowing how to reply. So, he was thankful when Lacy responded on his behalf.

"Frey, get the fuck away with your homo-hatred and your short-minded vision." Lacy stepped in between them. "Go... do whatever the fuck you always do, but don't expect Daniel to bring you home afterwards. Not after this."

"What?" Frey finally stopped his movements to look at them. "So now I'm not allowed to call the guy a fag? You do it all the time."

"But I'm not a condescending asshole like you, and I'm friends with Daniel. Now leave."

"Whatever." Frey grumbled, snatching the bottle and some glasses with him before he left.

Daniel had not seen that coming, and as he already felt on edge, this only pissed him off further. He just never thought Frey had something against gay people, but the fact he did, might make it easier for Daniel to stop fantasizing about him.

It would be better for Daniel anyway.

"What a dick."

Wordcount: 1987

Total: 6420