| university | d.h

| five |

(a/n: sorry to the friend that doesn't like Tyler Oakley, I had to.)
// Alex //
I've been to plenty of parties in my time. Parties are a fact of life when you're best friends with the most popular girl in your grade, you end up at them whether or not you want to. I've seen the party scene, I've drank, I've danced until my feet hurt, but I've never seen anything like this. High school parties, as I'm learning today, are much different than college parties. High school parties are usually sort of lame, college parties are far from it. I've seen a drunk teenage boy, but until now I've never seen a drunk teenage boy ride a sled down the stairs and out the door of someone else's frat house onto the road.
The intensity of this party is making me anxious, and that anxiety is seriously heightened by the absence of Tillie. I usually don't have to participate in social situations with out her, and whenever I do, I feel like everything that I do and say is wrong. She's always been the bubbly, talkative one and I've always been the quieter sidekick. It was good that way, it worked. She gave me pointers in situations like this and I always had someone to do the talking for me. Now I feel slightly lost and awkward and have no one to talk to. Phil left with Tillie, I haven't seen Dan in at least an hour, and the only other person that I've had a conversation with - I think his name was Luke - disappeared with Michael and a girl named named Zoe an hour ago
I need to find Dan and go back to the university. What was I thinking, anyway? I have introductions tomorrow, and here I am, at some stupid frat party in a house full of wasted teenagers that I've never spoken a word to. It's my very first night in England, for Christ's sake, this is not how I should be spending it. Not to mention that I am probably the most tired that I have ever been, or ever will be. I need to go back.
"Hi!"
A loud voice brings me out of my head and I jump, sloshing a bit of my drink onto the hardwood. Standing beside me is a short boy in a hamburger covered sweatshirt. I can barely see him in the darkness of the room, but the occasional flash of light is enough to take notice of his mint coloured hair and thickly rimmed glasses.
"You're new."
He says with a high pitch, giggling a bit and holding a hand out towards me.
"I'm Tyler."
I nod, giving him the best smile possible in my current situation and telling him my name with a shaky voice.
"Your drink is almost empty,"
He states, staring down into my cup.
"Let's go."
Before I can protest, I am grabbed by the hand and dragged back through the living room that all of Dan's friends were previously sat at. I had left the circle of people on the carpet soon after Dan, not wanting to sit all alone with his buddies after he ditched me. So I told them I was going to the bathroom and never went back. They have scattered around now, and only two are still there, along with the few empty shot glasses that Dan had left behind.
I let Tyler drag me to the kitchen, but we both come to an immediate stop in the doorway.
"Oh, shit."
Tyler groans, stifling a laugh at the scene in front of him.
Dan stands leant against the counter, lip locked with a blonde who's shirt barely counts as a shirt. Drunk kissing is messy and disgusting, and I have to look away to keep myself from gagging. Classy.
"Get a room, guys. Gross."
Tyler tries to reach around them to get a beer, but they move and block his path before he can reach one.
"You know what?"
He mumbles, retreating from the counter.
"Let's get out of here, this place is crowded."
I consider my options. I either, 1, stay in the sweaty, beer coated house with the guy that was suppose to be taking me on a kind-of rain checked date, but is now making out with someone else, or I, 2, leave with a boy that I just met, with green hair, who might possibly bring me back to the university. I go with the later choice.
"Yeah, okay."
Half an hour later, I find myself in a diner near the university, sat in a booth across from Tyler. Throughout the entire car ride, I had listened to nothing but Lady Gaga, and Tyler had only just stopped talking about her five minutes ago. His car smelt like oranges and was spotlessly clean, and he had one of those dice that hung from the mirror. I had originally been afraid of letting him drive, but I soon found out that he wasn't even drunk, just really, really fucking happy.
"So, Alex, why didn't I know you before?"
Tyler asks, taking a sip of his coke. I hesitantly pick up one of the fries on the tray in between us and pop it into my mouth, trying not to look completely awkwardly in doing so. I've never had to participate in this many social situations without Tillie before, and I'm feeling inept.
"I just moved here. Today actually."
Tyler gasps.
"Wow, you must be exhausted. Where from?"
I nod, letting out a yawn. I really am tired, I want to go to sleep.
"America. The jet lag is killing me."
"I bet. Who dragged you out to that party on your very first day in London?"
I sigh, angry with myself for letting Dan convince me to party tonight.
"Dan Howell."
Tyler gasps again, twirling his straw around in his cup.
"Really? Dan Howell's hot."
He says with a giggle, leaning his head in his hand. I had definitely gotten a gay vibe from Tyler the entire time I've been talking with him, but that comment sealed the deal. I don't know what to say, so I just give him an unsure nod and eat another fry.
"Let's get you home, then, you need some sleep young lady."
Tyler pays the tab for our snack and we load back into his car, but this time he doesn't turn the CD player on right away.
"As another fellow American, I feel it my duty to show you around a bit."
I shrug my shoulders.
"Fair enough."
"So I'll see you tomorrow then?"
He says with a smile, and I hesitate for a few seconds. Would Tillie be mad? I can't have today repeat itself. But she's who-knows-where with Phil right now, I should be aloud to do whatever I want to. She doesn't own me.
"Yeah. Sure."
I put my number into his phone and let him do the same, and then he pulls out of the parking lot and flicks the music back on.
Tillie isn't home when I get back to our dorm, and I text her a goodnight before falling onto my bed - regardless of the fact that it's still completely empty of sheets and blankets - and passing out.
(a/n: yes I am aware that this is the worlds shortest chapter, but in my defence, the two chapters that I had prewritten got deleted so I had to rewrite this really fast. but that means that there might be an update tomorrow too so yay for that. and also this isn't edited oops.)