Mentality

Chapter Nine- Howl

 I sat on the edge of my bed in the room Dan and Phil are letting me stay in, indefinitely. Several boxes were scattered around the room. Katlyn set the rest of my stuff over. So, I sat there, looking at the boxes. The box I had packed before I left was sitting on the desk. I've been here a little over a week and I haven't touched the box that has pictures and a small ring box.

"Knock, knock." A voice stated before the door swung open. Dan stepped in, a glass of ribinea in his hands.

"Hey," I looked up at Dan.

"How's it going?" He asked, looking around the room, at all the boxes.

"It's going." I chuckled, sliding off my bed to sit on the ground.

"Do you want help?" He looked at me, a kind smile on his lips. I shook my head.

"Nah."

"Phil's sister and a friend of mine are coming over to watch X-Files with us. If you want you can join us." He nodded before turning to leave.

"Hey, Dan?" I grabbed his wrist before he could leave. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, Howl. If you need anything else, don't be afraid to call." He nodded and left. I pulled one of my suitcases onto my bed and started putting my clothes away. Then, I unpacked all of the books that I took. Then there were the boxes that she had sent. Then, the box. The box was filled with just a bunch a miscellaneous junk. Mostly pictures.

One of the last pictures that was in the bottom was a picture of Kate and I at the Great Wall of China. That was our first trip together. I took it and threw the photo in the trash. I don't need to see her anymore. She was a mistake.

"Howl, we're gonna order takeaway. Do you want anything?" Dan called up the stairs.

"Surprise me!" I called back, looking at the picture of Dan and I when we were little. I took it and the engagement ring and went downstairs his room.

"Hey, Agent003." I smiled, holding the picture behind my hands.

"007." He looked at me from behind his laptop. "Did you finish unpacking?" He placed his laptop on his bed next to him. I slid the ring in my pocket before taking a small step in.

"Yeah, for the most part. I forgot I had this." I said, walking into the room more. I handed the picture to him. He took it, and laughed.

"I remember this day. It was just after Mum and Dad said that you were ours. That you were officially a Howell. This is one of my favorites." Dan laughed, looking at the picture again.

Let's get this straight. Our parents fostered me for a year and 8 months. For another 6 and a half months of the process of the adoption for me. And in 1996, I finally became apart of the Howell family. I can barely remember their excitement. I was just a four year old happy to have a home.

"That was a good day." He added, handing it to me.

"I want you to have it." I nodded. He furrowed his eyebrows and nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. You just told me its one of your favorite pictures. Keep it." I nodded. He smiled and placed it on the bedside table. Dan stood up and hugged me.

"Thanks." He whispered.

"No. Thank you." I replied. He sat on the corner of his bed and pat the edge. I pulled out the ring box and sat next him.

"What's that?" Dan looked at the box.

"It's... It's an engagement ring." I looked at him, feeling a tear brim my eye. "I was going to propose to Katie the night she got home." I sighed, flipping the box open.

"Oh, Howl..." Dan looked at me and hugged me. "I'm so sorry."

"No. Don't be. I just need you to take this and just... Take it. I can't have it." I placed the box in his hand.

"Okay." He nodded and looked at it. "I can do that." He looked back at me.

"Thank you."

"Phil ordered Chinese and we'll be watching the X-Files on Netflix. Let's go." Dan said, linking arms with me. I laughed and skipped with him to the lounge. Phil was sat on the couch with his headphones on and his laptop on his, well, lap. Eloise, Phil's sister, sat next to him, looking at his laptop. And a girl with short brown hair was sitting awkwardly in the red chair in the other side of the lounge.

"The food should be here soon." He nodded, taking off his headphones. I sat on the end of the couch. Dan walked down to the kitchen to get drinks, leaving Phil and I in the lounge alone.

It's a good thing Phil is Dan's best friend and I'm friends with Eloise. And I'm not in the mood to be in another relationship at the moment. And, Phil wouldn't hurt Dan like that.

"How's unpacking coming?" Phil looked at me from across his little sister.

"Good. I just finished." I nodded. "I guess I had a lot more than I thought I did."

"That's good." He nodded.

"Yeah. I guess." I shrugged, looking around the lounge. It was a lovely room. Their whole flat is lovely. Perfect for two You Tubers. I've been here once. But, it was sometime in 2013 and it wasn't for very long.

"So, who are you?" I quirked my head at the girl who was sitting in the red chair.

"Oh, Howl, this is Maia. She's one of Dan's friends." Eloise remarked. I looked at Eloise.

"O-o-okay..." I looked at the TV. It was off. I just needed some place to look.

"Right. Here's an orange fizz for you, Howl and Leezy. Water and juice for you, Phil. And juice for you, Maia." Dan said, handing us both bottles of liquids.

"Thanks." I smiled, twisting the lid off. I took a sip and placed the bottle on the coffee table in front of me.

"Y'all have a nice flat." I said, shifting in my spot. Dan looked up at Phil and then they both laughed. "What? Why are Y'all laughing?" Eloise started laughing too.

"Howl, Y'all?" Phil giggled, and looked at me.

"Did I really say that?" I asked. I have an English accent. I grew up in the UK. I grew up with a lot of people talking to me with an accent. So, I have one. But, when I started traveling to the different countries and started staying longer, I picked up those different accents and cultures. I was in America close to two years. So, I guess I started saying Y'all...

"Yeah. Ya did." Dan smiled, putting one earplug in his ear and then plugging them into the jack.

"Oh..." I looked down and sighed. "But, I was... It'll go away soon! I promise!" I exclaimed, practically jumping off of the couch.

"Grace! Calm down! It doesn't bother us. You're a bloody American adopted by English people. You traveled around America. You're fine." Dan said, placing a hand on my shoulder. I slumped back down and nodded.

"Okay. I'm sorry." I smiled lightly. Dan and Phil didn't respond, they just did whatever on their laptops. I stood and went to get my own laptop. By the time I got back, the food had had arrived. I sat back down on the couch with my laptop.

"There's sweet and sour chicken. I know you like it." Dan smiled, pointing at the table. I smiled and got some food.

"Are we going to watch Doctor Who?" I asked.

"Oh yeah." Phil reached over for the remotes and clicked the tv on and then put the X-Files on. We spent the next few hours chilling and watching Netflix.