"It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night."
-The Tell Tale Heart

"Damn, what's gotten you so down?" Phil asks me when I enter the bar. I sit down at the free stool right next to him.

This is something I always do, come to the local bar at midnight to meet up with Phil. He is my roommate, and has been ever since I first got the job at Glenn Allen's Boarding School. That's would make it approximately five years. Though we barely get to see each other during the day due to our professions, we make sure to meet at least once a week.

"Whiskey." I demand the bartender who looks completely bored out of his mind. He looks me up and down before he shrugs and begins to make the drink. A few people are here eating fries and burgers, some intently watch the soccer game displayed on the TV.

"Woah Dan, you've got work tomorrow." Phil warns me. Of course I knew that, I just needed the alcohol to get my mind off what happened back at the soccer field with Omera. I never knew that she was the rebellious type at her old school, ever since I met her she gave off the vibe of being a sweet girl. I didn't want her to be set on the wrong track because of me.

However, since I've discovered that she isn't so sweet my mind is in a dizzy spin. I can't help but be attracted to her more. It gets tiring making all the moves but the minute she started reciprocating it's made me undeniable at her will.

"I don't care." I shake my head. I can't get myself out of this dilemma. I feel so discombobulated after talking to Omera. I'm used to ignoring my feelings and putting it in a little bubble, but it's harder this time. She's actually trying to start something, she isn't shying away.

"What's gotten into you?" Phil asks as he eats his nachos. He's wearing a plaid shirt and his loose black jeans. I notice he's cut his hair, it's looks well on him.

"You got a haircut." I notice but he rolls his eyes.

"Forget that. I want to know why the hell you're drinking whiskey. You never drink on a work night." Phil's tone drips with worry. I can't tell him. I don't need to tell him, it's over and done with. What would he think anyways?

"Oh I think I'm falling for one of my students." It sounds wrong. Although, she is eighteen, I can't date my student.

The waiter sets down my drink. I grab it and take a quick swig, the taste is bitter but I hold back my look of disgust. "What's been going on?"

Phil makes a face. "Dan..."

"Fine." I agree to tell him, but I can't be specific. "Well...there's this girl."

"Girl?" Phil asks with a look of mischief.  "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure, you dick." I say taking one of his nachos. He doesn't care, instead he's busy eyeing up my whiskey. He looks as if he's trying to gather the courage to take grab it and drink it all, that's how Phil is. He pretends he hates alcohol but I know deep down he loves the taste of it. His innocence is just a reputation he wants, though he is mostly innocent he can't help but like the things that aren't.

"Take it." I slide my glass over to him. He looks as if he wants to reject my offer but instead he pulls it closer. He grabs a straw from his soda and transfers it to his whiskey.

He sips it through the straw. "Continue."

I've grown accustomed to Phil's weird drinking through a straw habit. He says it's more comfortable and makes him feel less guilty for drinking it.

"The girl...I can't be with her. So I've ended things." I explain. Phil grabs a nacho as I talk and eats it slowly as he nods along.

"Why can't you be with her?" Phil struggles to say with his mouth full. Luckily I'm able to understand.

"I just can't. Drop it." I look at my hands on the bar table.

"Why are you looking at your hands? You look like you're shy." Phil asks as if it's the weirdest thing I've done.

"I'm not doing anything with my hands."I try making it seem normal but I know what Phil is going to say.

"Is that what the girl does?" He accuses with a hint of a smile.

"You need to stop with that." I groan with annoyance.

"You need to accept it." Phil giggles like a child.

So Phil has this theory, he believe I pick up habits from people. He says I've taken his doodling, the way my mom messes with her hair, and my foot tapping from my last girlfriend. I know it's true, but I'm too full of myself to admit it. I take pride in my originality.

"Okay fine, she does play with her fingers a lot when she's nervous." I confess pulling my hands away from in front of me. Phil giggles and sips more of the whiskey before his eyes widen.

"What?" I question his expression.

"It's not...Is it one of your students?" He looks a bit horrified but changes his expression to understanding. I want to be honest with him, I really do. I can't lie to him but if I refuse to respond it'll confirm his suspicion.

"Another whiskey." I call to the bartender. He gives me a tight nod as he sets down the empty class he was washing.

"You aren't going to drink that, Dan. You know I'm going to end up drinking it, I don't want a hangover." Phil complains to me as he grabs a nacho.

"You have off work tomorrow." I argue. I smile slightly at the fact that I've avoided the subject.

Phil is easy to distract, he cares a lot about me so if I'm happy, he'll forget about my stressor. I look towards him to see him blowing bubbles through his straw into the whiskey. A woman sitting at the end of the bar gives him a strange look which he doesn't notice.

He takes his mouth off the straw. "No I don't."

Phil works as a chef, he takes pride in making new creations for me to try when I actually come to our shared apartment. Usually I just crash at my room at the boarding school I was provided with.

"Don't you own the damn restaurant. You don't have to go." I roll my eyes, I'm eager for him to give me another speech on his importance of being a boss and all the competition he's had lately. Not that I really care, I just want him to forget the whole 'You got intimate with your student?' thing.

"You know the Mexican place down the street has really been getting all the attention. I sent one of my employee there and he told me their tacos are ama-Wait." Phil stops his rant as he looks at me again. The bartender puts my whiskey down and I really regret ordering it.

"No, go on." I urge him.

"Dan, you can tell me if it's one of your students. I'm not going to see you as some monster." Phil explains to me as he finishes off his whiskey.

If I push him away I'll die with this secret. He's wise, I know he'll help me figure it all out. I just have to put my trust in him.

"It is." I admit after a brief silence. "She just got to this school from some public school."

"Oh man, how old is she?" Phil asks as he grabs my new glass of whiskey and puts his straw into it.

"She's eighteen." I say hoping for some type of approval in Phil's eyes. He thinks about it before giving me a shrug.

"It doesn't seem too bad. However, you should back off and let her pass school. Her education is really important. My grandma used to tell me it's the key that unlocks all doors." Phil wisely says as he waves around his pointer finger.

"That's what I told her but she says she doesn't care. I told her that she should and she just gave up on me. She said she's leaving the school." I look towards him as he thinks about what I just said. He takes another big sip of whiskey before he looks back at me.

"There is some level of stubbornness. You didn't kiss her did you?" He questions me as he grabs a nacho.

"I did." I confirm.

"Then she does have some type of right to that stubbornness. If she's actually leaving then that's the end of that, if she isn't she's going to give you a tough time. Trust me." Phil warns as he gets a bit tipsy from all the alcohol he's been consuming. "Is she pretty?"

"Yeah." I answer as I grab a nacho myself. The plate of nachos are finished and Phil pouts.

"Another plate of nachos, kind sir." Phil calls out with a small pout. He seems to have dropped all conversation and focused his life goals on the sole fact that he has no nachos.

Oh Phil.

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Authors Note;
If the chapter is in Omera's point of view, the chapter will start with a recap of her last thought in the previous chapter that was in her POV.
If the chapter is in Dan's point of view, the chapter will start with a quote from a book or a fact about health.
Oh yeah, I know most of you thought Phil was that second kid Omera met at Morrison Boarding School, but he isn't. That boy unintentionally is described to look like Phil.

I hope you all are enjoying the story. Leave a comment!

<3