Home Could Be Anywhere When I Am Holding You.

I was walking around London with my best friend, Charlie. We’d travelled up from our hometown, a measly two hours in the car. I’d recently passed my driving test, and we were taking advantage of this.
“So where do you wanna go?” the brunette girl asked me.
“I kinda wanna go to Drop Dead. Mum shrunk my jumper again.”
“Why do you let her wash your clothes? Isn’t this like the 24th time she’s ruined some of your clothes?”
“Yeah, I swear she does it on purpose though. It always seems to be the stuff that either I’ve bought and she doesn’t like or the stuff that she doesn’t like. Either way, it happens to be something she doesn’t like.”
“Just be glad you actually have a job and can afford ridiculously expensive clothes.” She rolled her eyes grudgingly.
I stared at her. She didn’t need to hide behind expensive clothes. Her thick brown hair hung down to her waist, in perfect waves. I envied her perfect hourglass body shape, and towering above me at 5 foot 8, curves exactly where they looked best. She was stunning and didn’t realize. All she could see where her ‘flaws’. What even were they? I, on the other hand, was a socially awkward 18 year old, with white blonde hair, dyed obviously, and a pathetic 5 foot 4.
“What?” She asked me.
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I sighed.
Her phone rang as we made our way to Drop Dead, “ooh it’s David!” She squealed in delight. David, her boyfriend of 3 years was stupidly clingy and she didn’t realize. I rolled my eyes and waved a hand at her.
I was bitterly jealous. Not of her, of her relationship, the closest I’d ever got was some guy using me for sex. Even then, that wasn’t even a proper relationship, and I accepted it. We got to the store and she was still on the phone as I browsed through the clothes. I stepped backwards without looking and bashed into someone.
“Jesus fucking Christ, I’m sorry, are you okay?” I gushed, feeling awkward about the fact that, a, I’d just smashed into someone and b, that I had to talk to them.
“Yeah I’m fine.” I heard a guy’s soft voice, followed by a breathy chuckle. I looked up at his face.
Now, when I say he looked good, I mean, really good. Short-ish hair, with a fringe that covered his forehead, sort of a Korean haircut, pale-ish skin, that looked like it could tan really well. Chocolate brown eyes that literally melted my knees. With his smile, I could see dimples that just pulled the whole look together.
“Oh, uh, good.” I mumbled awkwardly looking at the floor.
He laughed quietly to himself, “I’m Dan, by the way.”
“Hannah.” I smiled up at him, my eyes still glued to the floor.
“You on your own?”
“Feels like it,” I said bitterly. “My friend is on the phone. As usual.”
“Are you okay?” I peered up to see him frowning at my change in attitude.
“I’m fine.” I forced out through gritted teeth. “Honestly, it’s just… why am I telling you? I don’t know you.” I looked at the floor confused by my tone, and the words.
“Hey,” he said softly, gently pulling my chin up so I was looking in his eyes. “You can talk to me.”
I couldn’t say anything. His eyes were locked on mine. I couldn’t think, I didn’t even breathe. He let my chin go and my eyes instantly dropped back to the floor, “Thanks.” I mumbled.
“Do you wanna go get a coffee?” He asked me.
“I don’t drink coffee.” I still refused to look at him.
“Fine, do you wanna go get a drink?” I peeked up through my fringe at him. He had the cutest smile ever.
“Uh, sure. Is it okay if Charlie comes too?” I pointed over to where she was staring at us.
“Only if it’s okay if Phil comes.” He chuckled, pointing to another really tall boy, with black hair, and a really thick fringe.
I nodded, and went over to Charlie,
“We’re gonna go get a drink with them.” I was only ever bossy with Charlie, and when something was important.
“Fine. Just that brown haired one is cute. Like seriously.”
I rolled my eyes and then the two boys joined us.
“Ready?” The boy Dan asked me.
I nodded and walked out of the store, all three of them close on my heels. I slowed down as I realized I didn’t know where they were planning to go. Luckily, they both realized this and walked ahead of me. They lead us both down to a Starbucks which I had seen earlier and strode in. Charlie followed, treating it like a catwalk, and I shuffled in behind them, pulling my sleeves down over my hands, and looking at the floor, before playing with my hair, moving it across my face so no-one would see my face. I walked up to the counter, all three of them ordering before me.
“What do you fancy?” Dan asked me, looking all cute.
“Uh. Just a tea, thanks.” I smiled gratefully.
“No problem.” He flashed me a quick smile, showing off those dimples.
They grabbed the drinks and all four of us sat around a table, sipping at our drinks, the awkward silence there, nobody really wanting to break it.
“So Hannah,” Dan addressed me. “Where abouts are you from? Judging from the fact you had no idea where starbucks was you aren’t from here?”
I coughed quietly, “Uh, we’re from Canterbury.”
He frowned slightly, “What brings you to London then?”
“Taking advantage of a driving license and a new car.” I smiled. Driving was one of the things I loved most. It just gave me freedom, and I didn’t have to look at anyone while I was doing it.
“So you’re like… 17?” He asked me.
“No, I’m like 19 in a few weeks actually. And you?”
“21.”
“I really don’t wanna be 20.” I sighed.
“Why not?” His tone was curious.
“It’s like… then all my teenage years are over, and I’m not a kid anymore, and then I’ll need to grow up, and then figure out what the hell I’m doing with my life. I just don’t want to have to grow up, and be all mature and do bills and stuff, that’s one thing I’m gonna hate.” I stopped. I’d said too much. Dan was staring at me.
“Growing up isn’t all that bad.” He told me softly.
“I have other reasons. Now’s just not the time.” I flashed a quick smile, looking up at him for a second.
“Are you always this shy?” He asked me.
“Almost always.”
“Dan, we need to go,” Phil announced suddenly. “We have to, uh, work.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you,” he pulled out a pen, and wrote 11 digits on a napkin. “Call me sometime. Yes?”
I nodded and he gave me a small hug before they left.
“You better call him tonight.” Charlie’s menacing voice in my ears.

--

Driving home was good. I had my music on loud to drown out Charlie going on about how attractive Dan was. I didn’t need her to tell me. I liked the way his eyes looked in the sunlight, catching his iris’s and illuminating them next to the white of his eyes. The way he smiled and his dimples showed. The way his jeans were low and his belt rested just below the waistband of his underwear. Everything about him was attractive. His personality was good too. Not that I talked to him for very long. I ran a hand through my hair as we went speeding down the motorway. I had a thing for speed. Even when I was taking lessons I was speeding. 30 zones would magically turn into 40 zones and stuff like that.
We finally hit home around 9pm, and as soon as I dropped Charlie off, she was on her phone. Again. Sometimes I despised the fact I was so socially awkward. I drove the rest of the way home, and looked at the napkin with Dan’s phone number on. I sighed. I honestly didn’t know what to do with it.
I walked in the house. Alone. Again. I always seemed to be the only one home. I didn’t even know where mum and dad where. They always seemed to be out somewhere doing god knows what with god knows who. I ran into my younger sisters room. Maybe I wasn’t alone. I yanked off her headphones.
“Sup gay face?” I asked her.
“Nothing. What’s got you in a good mood?”
“Some guy gave me his phone number. Where’s mum and dad?”
“OOH, who? And I have no idea.”
“Some guy called Dan Howell? And oh.”
“Wait. WHAT?!” She screamed at me. I froze. “Daniel Howell?”
“Yeah… why?”
“Is this him?” she turned around her laptop and showed me Daniel.
On Youtube.
Oh fucking hell.