Phil had watched his life go by, he had watched his friends fall in and out of love, his YouTube career get to the peck of its existence and then end and Dan become enslaved by the wicked witch of the west. PJ and Chris had gone on to live successful lives; PJ became a part time musician with a beautiful wife and an equally beautiful daughter and Chris a well known comedian and actor with a hot girlfriend living the superstar life after becoming famous from his role as the Doctor in Doctor Who. Phil on the other hand had done nothing with his life after YouTube, he'd never found a partner, got a job at a supermarket and generally spent most of his free time sitting at home on his laptop alone as he and Dan no longer lived together, Dan has betrayed him and gone to live with his fiancée Katie. Over the years Phil had grown bitter and his hatred for Katie had only got stronger. Even though Katie was a lovely girl and if Phil thought about it hard enough, he should have no reason to dislike her; she had never done anything bad to him, never been rude and always been supportive of his life choices. It was that fact that meant Phil has never understood the reason for his disliking of Katie all he knew was it had always been there and everyday it grew bigger.
It was cold Wednesday in December and Dan and Katie had invited Phil over to have dinner with them as they did most Wednesdays and as most Wednesdays go, conversation at the dinner table was nonexistent. "So Phil," said Katie in an attempt the break the silence, "seen any girls you like?" she asked pointing her fork at him.
"No" mumbled Phil after quickly swallowing a mouthful of chicken pie, when his name was mentioned.
"Oh, ok" Katie said with a smile. They ate the rest of their meal in silence and soon all three plates were empty and Phil stood up to take his plate over to the kitchen. "Oh no, no Phil, I'll take that" Katie said breaking the silence once more. "Come over here Dan and help me serve the dessert and Phil don't you worry about helping, you just sit there and we'll bring it over in a moment or two"
"Thanks" Phil murmured under his breath. Katie smiled at him, picked up two of the three plates and walked over to the kitchen, Dan followed with the remaining plate and the cutlery.
When Katie and Dan were safely in the kitchen and they knew Phil could not hear them, Katie started to speak "Dan!" she cried, "I'm so ashamed of you, you two used to be best friends and now you and now you can go a whole meal without talking to each other"
"But what am I meant to do? He's changed so much over the years, he's not the bubbly friend I once knew and I swear last week I heard him swear under his breath- PHIL swearing?" cried Dan as he slipped his arms round her waist, pulled her tightly towards him and gently kissed her soft cheek. "I mean what are we going to do with him?"
"Just try and talk to him, ask him how he's been and I don't know Dan, I really wish I did…" her voice trailed off. Katie softly pulled away from Dan's embrace and started to remove the cling film from over the top of a large glass bowl that contained a delicious looking trifle they had made just hours before. "Will you get me three bowls from the cupboard please?" she asked as she reached into the draw under the sink and retrieved a large serving spoon. Dan placed the bowls on the counter and soon after they had walked back into the dining room with the bowls of trifle to find Phil just sitting there staring at his feet, he had obviously not moved a muscle since Katie and Dan had left the room about five minutes ago.
"Can I use your bathroom?" asked Phil looking at the carpet below him.
"Sure, you know where it is, right?" said Dan, it was the first thing he had said to Phil all day.
Phil had no intention of actually using the bathroom, he just like to lock himself away and try to get away from their judging stares and the ongoing silence, oh how he hated the silence. He would have done anything for the floor to just engulf him; he did not want to go back out there. He didn't know why he took up the invitation every time; he always ended up in the same position, this position. He didn't know how long he had been in the toilet until her heard a knock on the door. "Phil, are you ok in there?" said the voice Phil had missed so much- Dan's. "You've been in there for 15 minutes, Katie and I are getting worried about you mate"
"Coming" replied Phil as he unlocked the door, gave him a weak smile and walked back into the living room followed swiftly by Dan. He sat down at the seat he had been sitting at before and quietly started to eat the trifle.
"Oh Phillip," said Katie looking depressed, "what has happened to you? You need to get your life back on track or you're going to waste away"
"NO I DON'T" shouted Phil as he throw the spoon of trifle he was holding down into the bowl, "YOU DON'T KNOW ME, STOP ACTING LIKE YOU'RE MY FRIEND!"
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO MY FIANCEE THAT WAY" screamed Dan, he stood up with his hands placed firmly on the table to keep his balance, he was glaring at Phil. "Get out now! I have had it with you and your rudeness, you have got yourself into the state you are in now and you seem to think it's everyone else's fault but your own!"
"Oh no Phil, don't leave. I'm sorry what I said was out of order" cried Katie.
"NO!" Dan and Phil both screamed in unison. Phil quickly stomped out of the house slamming the door behind him.
"Oh gosh, it was all my fault," cried Katie, "what I said was out of order know Phil hates me, I'm so sorry Dan"
"It's not your fault, he's just a twat," Dan ushered Katie over to the sofa, where she cuddled up close to him, he kissed her on the cheek, "it's going to be fine, I promise" Dan could hear her muffled sobs as she buried her head into his chest, he delicately stroked her soft hair "it's been a long day, I think you should go to sleep, I'll clear up here while you go up to bed"
"No, Dan please I want to stay here with you"
"Ok" Dan's voice was a lot gentler and calmer then it had been five minutes ago. He continued to cuddle her and stroke her hair until she has fallen into a deep sleep. Dan slowly laid her head onto the sofa, picked up the dirty plates and placed them in the sink, telling himself he would clean them later, but he knew that was a lie.