The First Time (Phan)

Chapter 3 - Libraries and Mid-Life Crisis

Chapter 3

Phil's POV

June 21st 2009

I have been talking to Dan now for the last few days on YouTube and from the few chats we've had, he seems like a pretty cool kid. We liked the same type of music and appeared to have a similar sense of humour, I wouldn't exactly call him a friend as we'd only spoke a few times and I didn't even know what he looked like, but it was nice to have someone new to chat too.

 I still hadn't done anything productive so I felt the need to go out tonight. I still didn't want to go on the pub crawl with Alex and his mates, but at the moment, that was all that was on offer. I considered asking PJ; another YouTuber who lived fairly near to Rossendale, around the Manchester area, if he wanted to meet up sometime during the week, as I've only met up with him twice since I started talking to him last year, but part of me just felt to awkward to ask as I didn't know him that well, and it was him who invited me the last few times.

I thought about starting on my final exam piece for university, which was to simply create a music video, but in all fairness I just didn't have the willpower or the motivation to start the storyboard, or even pick the song; it will most likely be to My Chemical Romance, Muse or System of the Down, but still, I couldn't be bothered to sort through all the songs I own of theirs and pick one... I couldn't be bothered to do anything at the moment.

Before I could think and consider about my insanity, I quickly grabbed my coat and headed out into the outside world. I took the keys off the side cabinet for the family car and headed out.

I had nowhere in mind I wanted to go to but I just felt like I have to leave the house before I became insane.

I decided on going up to Manchester so I could walk around and get distracted by all the people and shops. As I drove along the motorway I could already feel myself becoming more relaxed and hypnotised by the cool air that was blowing through my open window. It was a warm day which was a rarity in The North and I felt extremely happy that I was now taking full advantage of it instead of sitting at home doing nothing.

As I reached Manchester I went on a search to find a multi-storey to park the car; I didn't like parking on the street because I always forgot what street I parked on and ended out searching for the car for hours on end. As I found the car park I pulled in, collected my ticket to allow me out again later and drove up to the top floor. This was something I always did, I don't know why, maybe it was because I enjoyed going up and down the ramps in the multi-storey and felt like a kid when I got to the top and looked over the side and feeling like a giant. My dad hates it when I do it because the top floor is usually the furthest floor away from the floor that the shops are on so it involves a little bit more walking to reach them, that didn't really bother me, all though I didn't like the smell of piss and weed that was found in the stairs down to the shop floor; I could just take the lift but I was terrified of small spaces and the creepy robotic voice that talked over the speaker, especially when she says 'Going Down...' oh it gives me the chills.  But yet here I am at the top of a multi-storey car park looking out onto the busy streets of Manchester. Even though I only left home half hour ago it was around half six in the evening and the sun was setting behind the buildings, it was strangely beautiful to watch, even with the screeching noises of car tires echoing through the car park.

I managed to pull myself away from the edge and headed into the shopping centre. I don't like the word shopping centre, it sounds so boring. Why can't we be like America and say 'mall' it sound much cooler, "Oh hey mum, I'm just going to the mall" but no; we had to be boring and explain what the exact place was...a centre full of shops. As I entered the centre I didn't notice the group of four or five girls that were watching me as I walked in. That was until one of them came running up to me and tackled me into a gripping hug. "Oh my god! It's really you! It's really really you!" the girl smiled in the grasp she was holding me in.  "I was hoping I might bump into you Phil, the others said I was stupid for getting my hopes up but oh were they wrong!" the girl babbled on. My brain didn't work for a minute or so to realise why I was being hugged by a teenage girl but then it finally clicked that she recognised me off YouTube. "Well nice to meet you too," I smiled, "What's your name and who are you friends over there?"