My eyelids gently broke apart as the drilling sound of my alarm rang through the room. I slammed my hand down on 'snooze' almost knocking it off the table before picking up my phone. My eyes focused on the bright screen in front of my face before reading 'nine new messages from Dani' and 'two missed calls from Dani'. I opened up the messages.
11:16pm: I'm so sorry about earlier. I don't know what happened.
11:43pm: You're not mad at me are you?
12:54am: Othello?
12:55am: Uhh I kind of need your help?
Missed call from Dani.
12:57am: I compulsively bought a ton of books and clothes that were on sale.
12:57am: I barely have enough money left for food. Please can you help me out?
Missed call from Dani.
1:02am: I'm so, so sorry. I'm so selfish. I don't deserve you at all.
1:07am: I'm sorry if you hate me right now. I don't blame you.
1:22am: I'm sorry.
I sighed and got out of bed. He'd done this before but it wasn't a huge problem as I always had some money spare.
I waited for him at the café for twenty minutes. This worried me. I decided I would go check his room as we had quite a while before class started and began the journey to his dorm.
Yellow tulips lined the walkway to the block of flats where Dani stayed and voices of students walking to the campus could be heard from all over. I reached his room and knocked on the door a few times. No answer.
"Dani? It's me." I yelled through the door.
Again, no answer.
I began to worry and fumbled in my pocket for his spare key, "I'm coming in."
I unlocked the door and walked in calling his name, stopping when I reached his room. I hesitated before slowly opening the door and walking in. He was laid face down on his pillow under a yellow, cotton duvet in the clothes he was wearing yesterday.
"Dani?"
He responded with a muffled whimper before turning over, his eyes looked red and irritated from him crying. I quickly sat down on his bed and gently cupped his face.
"What's wrong?" I asked
He pulled my hands away, "You're going to leave me! You hate me!"
"Of course not! Why would you say that?" I said genuinely.
"Because this isn't the first time that you have lent me money because of me impulsively buying things!" He cried.
"It's honestly not a problem! I know that you struggle-"
"I wish I could be perfect for you!" He screamed, "But I can't."
He placed his head in his arms, exhausted from yelling and crying.
"You don't have to be perfect for me! Do you think I'm perfect?" I sighed.
"I'm sorry..." He muttered.
"Don't be. I'm going to go down to the café. Can you get changed and meet me there?" I asked.
"Yeah."
I left his apartment and walked to our usual café. I didn't want to leave him but he needed to calm down on his own and gain some independence. The walk was peaceful as most students were in class and the sound of yellow legged gulls from the coast. Sunflowers had just come into bloom and were standing proudly amongst the other flowers.
I sat in the cafe for Dani before he walked in with a huge bag of crisps under his arm.
"Hey!" He noticed me looking at the bright yellow packet, "Sorry, I was hungry."
Once again we chatted as if nothing had happened and he seemed cheery again. Dani and I had spent an hour in the cafe before heading off to the beach. We walked down the pier as the golden sand glittered in the sunlight and waves collided with the beach. The warm sand danced under my feet and between my toes. We sat down on a small rock watching the violent waves whirl and foam.
After half an hour of watching our surroundings Dani took his jacket off.
"It's so warm!" He complained.
"You wouldn't be as warm if you took your jacket off sooner!" I responded.
"Yeah, I guess." He sighed.
I took hold of his left hand and noticed a small mark on his arm resembling a mark from an injection.
"What's that mark?" I questioned.
He quickly grabbed his jacket and put it back on, "It's nothing. Anyway I should go Bye."
"Bye!" I replied.
He seemed angry and agitated. I stayed at the beach for a little longer, thinking about him.
