Even if Daniel didn't exactly like to read, he started to spend more and more time alone in the book club over the week off. He had used to like young adult novels, but he got bored of them and didn't really have the time to read with all of his studying. Étienne was back in France for the week and being alone in the dorm room only seemed depressing, so he still picked up a book and went to the only place he could think of.

Still, the book club remained special. He knew that he could always have joined some music association instead, but he liked that space. It wasn't as quiet as it used to be, but it still was as comforting as always

So, when his thoughts started to get fuzzy, when Étienne wasn’t there, the club was his go to place. Especially since people didn’t really go there to read anymore. Of course, there was still book nerds hanging around and shelves filled with books of all style. But where there used to be only one people sitting there was now at least three. Now that Nicholas Breen started hanging around, other popular kids followed.

And never before someone would’ve invited him to a party at the nerdy book club before. But here he was, desperate to find a place to go that wasn't the residence he shared with Étienne, desperate to forget that he was in what he thought was some sort of impossible romance, surrounded by guys talking about a party at Adrien's place.

Wanna come?

***

The music was too loud even for Daniel who was used to listening to Grandson with the volume all the way up. A mix of sweat, cheap vodka and a burning heat muffled his senses. A beer was shoved into his hands and even as unfitting as he was he felt like he was a part of the group. A part of something he couldn't describe.

He never had been to one of these parties; never had been invited, never would have even wanted to come. He ended up drunk and alone on some sofa, next to a blue haired girl and a redhead making out and two girls who seemed to have forgotten they were not by themselves. When the girl next to him left, the redhead looked helpless. Staring at something Daniel couldn’t exactly pinpoint as there was too much movement around. Daniel’s head was turning, but he managed to speak: You alright there?

The redhead just kept on staring toward the back of the room. He took a random glass on the table next to him and drank its content. His cell phone chimed in his pocket and looking at the text made him wince just as much as the alcohol he just took. Then, he seemed to realise someone had asked him a question. The redhead turned to him and Daniel finally noticed who it was. Nicholas usually seemed so confident that his actual behavior contrasted harshly with the image Daniel had of him. He then talked and talked until Daniel’s head started to hurt. Daniel left, but that didn’t stop the guy’s drunk speech as he instantly found someone else to talk to.

It was just drunk blabling and Daniel knew. But he didn’t want to become like him. What was the use of lying to himself when deep down he knew what he truly wanted?