London Changed My Life

Twenty - The Zoo

Phil

"How's he going?" Emma asked, her hands clasped in her lap.

"Not well. It's only been a couple of months but he seems distraught."

"I didn't know that they were that close, anyway."

"Neither did I. But Dan told me...something last night." I thought back to the moment when Dan told me the truth and how worried he was about how I would react.

"What did he say?" She said, looking over at Dan. He was sitting in the corner of our lounge, headphones on, oblivious to the fact that we were talking about him.

"When I was sick, Elysa came over and hung out with Dan."

"Yeah, I remember. Elysa said that Dan tried to teach her how to play the piano."

"And that they're actually really close. Closer than we thought. He didn't say anything else, though. As in, he's got another best friend."

"That's so sweet. But it does explain why he seems so sad."

"I mean, he's usually pretty happy but recently he's just been...down. I can't seem to help."

"Hmm. We should cheer him up. Take him to the zoo and show him the llamas. He'd enjoy that, wouldn't he?"

"Emma, that's genius." I gently grabbed her head and kissed the top of it.

"Well, I do try." She blushed. "But don't kiss me again. I do have a boyfriend." I laughed.

"I promise. Scout's honour."

...

"Come on, Dan, we're going to the zoo." I whispered in Dan's ear.

"But I don't want to get up." He pressed his face further into his face in protest.

"But the zoo! There's going to be lions." Dan groaned in response. "And llamas."

"Llamas?" Dan asked, his voice filled with interest. He stood up and began pulling clothes out of his wardrobe.

"Seriously? All I had to say was that there were going to be llamas and you'd get up? I should use that trick on you more often." I chuckled and left Dan's room so he could get changed in peace.

After Dan finished changing into skinny jeans, his Eclipse shirt and a thick jumper we caught a bus and then a train to the London Zoo.

"Hey Emma!" Dan and I greeted Emma. A dark blue scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck. Next to her was a guy with light brown hair. He looked around 20-years-old.

"Hey boys. How are you?"

"We're good, and you?"

"I'm doing pretty well. Oh, this is James." She pointed to the guy standing next to her. "James, this is Dan and Phil."

"Hi, it's nice to meet you." He stuck out his hand for us to shake.

"It's nice to meet you too." Dan said.

"So, shall we head in?" Emma asked. We all nodded and paid for tickets.

We first went to the giraffe enclosure and Dan pointed out that giraffes didn't make the noise that I always said they did but I ignored him, adamant I was right. I pulled out my phone and took a photo of the giraffe with its blue tongue poking out. Emma and James walked ahead of us, swinging their joined hands.

"Dan, do you want to hold hands?" I jokingly asked.

"Yeah!" Dan said enthusiastically. We held hands and began skipping down the path. We did get a couple of weird looks but we ignored them. At least Dan seemed to be having fun.