Your POV

Sunlight pours into my room, instantly reminding me of how much I under appreciated the wall-sized window my apartment has. I lazily stretch, and check my phone, only to notice a text from Phil.

Hey! Dan and I were gonna see a silent film with a friend, but they ended up canceling, and we have one extra ticket. Wanna join us?

I feel like I haven't hung out with just Dan and Phil in ages, so of course my first reaction is definitely a yes. However, a second thought then comes to mind. Am I gonna be awkward because I can't act like a normal person around Dan? When the thought crosses my mind, I mentally give myself a scolding. He's your friend, you can't let stupid emotions get in the way of that. And it's not like it's only gonna be the two of us, so it's not that big of a deal.

Sure that sounds awesome! What time?

Cool beans! We'll get you from your apartment at 7, so make sure you're ready by then ;)

Lol, I will. See you then

I stretch a second time, and roll out of bed. I take a quick shower, blow dry my hair, and get dressed in faded blue jeans, a plain black top, and a pair of stained Converse. I pull my hair into a messy low bun, and apply light makeup. I take in my entire appearance in the mirror hanging from my door. Not bad, I think to myself.

I look at the clock on my phone, which reads 11:27. I had just gotten a paycheck from YouTube yesterday, so I decide I should treat myself to lunch, and maybe even go into a few new shops I haven't been to yet. It's supposed to be chilly out, so I grab a jacket and my bag, and head out the door.

I walk onto the sidewalk, taken by surprise from the intensity of the hustle and bustle of the street. Every time I leave, I can never get used to it. I head down the stairs to the Tube, also one of the most nerve wracking places I've ever been. I buy a ticket to Regent Street, and get on the noisy train. Luckily there's a seat open, so I plop down. I'm about to grab my headphones, but then realize I left them at home. The mingled sounds of assorted voices start to suffocate me, and I have to close my eyes and take a few deep breaths. Breath in for four, hold for seven, breath out for eight, I tell myself. Finally the train arrives, and I hurry from the train, incidentally pushing a few people out of my way, mumbling apologies sporadically. I step up the packed escalators, coming up on a street corner in front of Clydesdale Bank. I turn around, and am immediacy amazed as I see the Piccadilly Lights, blazing dozens of advertisements including Coke, Samsung, and TDK. I'm amused bu the amount of tourists taking photos of giant commercials.

I start walking down streets carelessly, until I find myself in Soho. I come across a cute bubble tea shop called Boba Jam. I walk in, and order hazelnut milk tea.

I pay for my drink, thank the cashier, and leave. I continue walking around town, stopping at a few cute shops and picking up anything that catches my eye. I see a tan dude with dreads down to his waist and dirty clothes playing a ukulele on the sidewalk. No one seems to not notice them as they pass by, talking on their phones, or to the people they're with, or just in their own little world. However, the ukulele guy doesn't seem to mind that no one else is noticing him, and he's in his own little world as well. His eyes tightly shut, he strums his ukulele passionately, playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from memory. I lean against the stone building, entranced by not only the ukulele but his musty voice as he starts singing. I'm overridden with contentment.

Before I realize it, I check my phone, and realize it's already 5:30. I hastily grab a five dollar bill from my wallet, and throw it into his open ukulele case. He nods his head in thanks at me, still continuing to play and sing, and I smile back at him. I head to the nearest underground, and hop into a train home. This time, I don't get caught up in the obnoxious public around me.

I finally make it into my apartment, closing the door behind me and plopping all my bags onto my island. I hum tunelessly while putting everything away. I check the time on my phone. 6:17. I have around forty five minutes before Dan and Phil are coming over.

I start blasting music, and cleaning the house. I clean out the fridge, freezer and pantries, take out my trash, make my bed, sweep the floors, and Fabreze. Although it's a popular thing to hate, cleaning has always been incredibly relaxing to me.

As I finish lying the last plate on my drying rack, I hear a knock on the door. It's seven already? I quickly dry my hands, throw the washcloth on the counter, grab my bag, slip on my shoes, and open the front door.

"Ready to go?" Phil asks cheerily, flicking his pin straight bangs from his eyes. He's dressed in a starry blue shirt buttoned all the way to his Adam's apple, tucked into black skinny jeans, and wearing black shoes with lion-patterned socks covering his ankles. Dan is standing behind him, shoulders back, his thumbs sticking out of the pockets of his jeans. He's wearing black skinny jeans(of course), white sneakers, and a black jumper with thin white lines crisscrossing all over it. They're both so casually handsome, and I feel like a slug just sharing the same air as them.

"Yupperino!" I reply, walking out into the hallway.

"Yupperino? Really?" Dan chuckles, walking behind me as I head down the stairs.

"Don't make fun of me, it's not like you're any better," I say defensively, and smile as he and Phil both chuckle behind me. We get to the lobby, and I let Dan and Phil walk ahead of me. Dan opens the door and holds it open for Phil and I. We decide to take the subway instead of a cab, as there's only three of us. I have no idea where we're going, so I basically follow behind Dan and Phil the entire time.

This time, when we get on the train, I realize there's no space on either side of the benches, so I wrap my hand in my sleeve and grab one of the sticky poles. Due to the packed train, I'm uncomfortably close to both Dan and Phil. As the train lurches forward, I unexpectedly fall backward into Dan.

"Ugh, sorry," I laugh, turning to him. I hadn't expected him to be as close as he was, and I had to tilt my head in order to make eye contact with him. His mouth curved into an uneven grin, his dark eyes sparkling. I look away, accidentally locking eyes with an old man with a protruding belly sticking out from under his shirt. His face contorts into a creepy smile, and I quickly lower my eyes to the filthy ground.

Soon, the train lurches to a halt, this time causing Dan to trip forward, instinctively grabbing my upper arm in support. I intuitively cringe, and he lets go as if my body had sent a jolt of electricity trough him.

"Sorry," he mutters under his breath.

"It's fine," I breathe, too light for him to probably even hear me. Phil pushes his way through the crowd of people, me behind him, and Dan behind me. I hop down onto the platform, and immediately a tall man in a crisp suit shoulders past me unapologetically, causing me to drop my bag.

"Oop, I'm sorry," I instinctively apologize, but he's already disappeared into the crowd.

"Wow, what a dick," Dan says, picking up my bag and handing it back to me.

I shrug my shoulders. "It looked like he had somewhere important to be."

"Running late doesn't justify being an asshole," he mumbles. I glance at him, but he only looks at me a moment from the side of his eye, then starts walking with Phil.

I hurriedly walk next to them, speed walking in order to keep up with their long strides. We exit the underground, and I realize I'm back at Regent Street for the second time today.

"Hey, I was just here earlier today," I say, and both Phil and Dan raise their eyebrows in confusion. "What, you think I just stay inside all day when I'm by myself?"

"That's kinda what I expected, yeah," jokes Phil, and I punch him playfully on the arm.

We continue down the busy streets, and I become distracted by the countless people walking past. There's a halo of light peaking over the high roofs of the buildings, due to the setting sun. Eventually, we stop outside the hooded entrance of Regent Street Cinema, and I take in the extravagance of the Golden window trims and classic posters hanging in the entrance. As we enter, the mingled smell of popcorn and cleaning spray enters my nose. This is the first theatre I've ever gone to and felt underdressed, and I'm grateful I didn't wear my usual movie theater outfit, which includes an oversized sweater and leggings.

We walk to what I thought would be the concessions, but to my surprise, also turns out to be a bar. Due to not knowing a single of the elaborate cocktails on their menu, Dan chooses a drink for me, also ordering one for himself and one for Phil. He also orders an overpriced bag of "gourmet" popcorn, and we head into a theater with a large "15" written over the entrance.

I file into the aisle, then Dan sits next to me, and Phil scoots in next to him. Dan holds out the bag of popcorn, and I grab a handful and plop it into my mouth. My eyes widen as the sweet and salty mixture causes the inside of my mouth to start salivating.

"I know, right?" Dan chuckles, popping a piece into his mouth. "It's overpriced for a reason." I laugh, and grab another handful as the light start to dim and the silent film starts playing

The movie is about a Captain who shares his opera box with a beautiful woman, and spends the night and next day with her afterwards. However, the Secret Service later reveals to him that the woman is actually a notorious Russian spy.

About fifteen minutes into the movie, Phil stands up and walks out of the theatre. "He had to use the bathroom," Dan whispers to me as I follow him with my eyes. I nod in response, then turn back to the film.

However, the projection flickers for a second, then completely blacks out. I blink my eyes until they focus, and I'm able to make out a dark silhouette standing on the stage, holding something big and long. I squint, trying to figure out who or what it is, but Dan must've been able to tell what it was before me, as he gasps and violently pulls me down behind the seats in front of us, a second before the gunshots ring out around the theatre, resulting in horrid screams of the other people in the room.

Dan's long, strong fingers dig into my shoulder blades as he crouches over me, forcing me into an awkward position that makes my body from the waist down cramp up in seconds. Dan's heartbeat is thumping under his shirt as I grasp his chest, his breaths in my ear just as rushed. I can taste my own salty tears as they reach my lips, but I'm unable to close my mouth, otherwise I feel like I won't be able to breathe.

Phil... Phil... where's Phil? I think hurriedly. Obviously he wouldn't be able to come back in here, as someone must've heard the gunshots, right? Someone has to know that something's going down right now, right? The sound of more shots ricochet off the walls, resulting in more screams, one of them coming from me.

With our faces pushed together, Dan's bulbous tears mingle with mine,  and I can make out the perspiration forming on his collarbones. My knee spazzes out for a split second, and I kick the chair, causing my drink to fall and I let out a small cry as the sound of the glass hitting the ground echoes around. The drink spills all over the floor, coating my shoe in the sticky substance. Dan gives a heavy sigh, digging his fingers tighter into my shoulder, and I shudder in pain.

I hear rushing footsteps and realize someone must be trying to make a run for it. However, only two seconds after they start running, gunshots ring through the room, and I hear a sharp cry and the sound of a body crumbling to the ground. Multiple people scream in fear, and I shove my face into Dan's shoulder to muffle my insuppressible sobs. Did someone just die in front of me?

The theatre is filled with sitting ducks. Not a single gunshot comes, but I know it's only because the gunman is just waiting for someone to either try to be a hero or make a run for it. It feels like days have passed, my legs and shoulder now numb. I try to steady my breathing, but after about half a second, I realize it's not worth the effort.

Unexpectedly, the door slams open, and heavy footfalls reverberate off the walls. "Drop your weapon!" Shouts a thunderous voice. Oh, my God. Has someone finally come to save us? The thought makes me feel absolutely ridiculous, but then I remember I'm in a pretty ridiculous situation.

"I said, drop your weapon! We will shoot!" The shooter gives a maniacal chuckle, then I hear his gun give a loud metallic "thump" as it hits the floor. Booming steps come rushing past us, and I hear the noises of the officers tackling the gunman, restraining him, then pulling him back to his feet. I can almost feel his presence as they lead him past our aisle, sending an uncomfortable shiver to run down my spine. Once he exits, more steps come running in, and I realize t must be the paramedics helping escort all the injured. I cringe as I think about the fact that not everyone might be coming out of this room alive.

"Okay, you guys are safe to leave," a soothing voice calls out. Dan gives a heavy sigh, then helps me to my feet, we walk mechanically out of the theatre, still basically connected to each other. As we exit the room, the lobby is filled with a mixture of movie-goers, employees, police officers and paramedics. I make out Phil standing about twelve yards away. He's looking around panically, and when he notices us, his eyes become stark red and protuberant tears start cascading down his cheeks as he rushes toward us. He wraps his arms around us, binding the three of us into one being, and we stand like that for a very long time.

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Hey, guys! Sorry this chapter took forever, the first time I wrote it, it didn't save, and the second time, it didn't make any sense. I super duper hope you enjoyed it, though! If you did, please remember to comment, vote, and share! I love you guys soooo much! See you in the next chapter 💜