I've always been alone. Always. Even in primary school, I would never hang out with any of the other kids. It's not that no one likes me - quite a lot of people have tried to be my friends before - it's just that I like being alone. I always have liked being alone. I enjoy taking long, lonely walks and just thinking about everything. I think about the future a lot, but that topic always scares me, because I have no idea where I'm headed in life.

For a long time, I dreamed of becoming an actor, but that dream is never going to come true. I just know it. It's just another one of my many broken dreams.

I'm very different from most people. I have a childish imagination, yet at the same time I can be very mature. I'm probably the only one who can be so childish and immature, yet at the same time act mature and innocent. I'm one of a kind; very unique. That's why I enjoy being alone. No one else would understand me. I'm the only one, and that's why I'm alone.

Sometimes I wish I could find someone who understands me. I only hope so occasionally, though, because I have my imaginary friend to make up for my absence of genuine friendship. Yeah, yeah, I'm a loser for having imaginary friends, I get it, but it's not like I have much of a choice. No actual, physically existing humans get me the way I, myself, do, so I have to be my own friend. Besides, he's technically not completely imaginary, only his personality is imaginary. He's my shadow. My one and only friend. The only one who talks to me. The only person I'm willing to open up to.

My name is Phil Lester, I'm twenty-seven years old, and I live alone in a flat in London. It's really hard to be an adult and be so alone, considering I need to keep a job in order to make money and stay alive, so I work at a local Starbucks within walking distance of my flat. I always have trouble talking to the customers and coworkers since I don't like many people, but I can push myself to do it just to make sure I make some money.

"Okay, that'll be four pounds," I muttered quietly to the pretty brunette girl who purchased a Mocha Cookie Crumble and a donut. She placed the note on the counter, I gave her her change, and she was off.

"Double Chocolatey Chip Frappuccino," my coworker, Jack, said, handing me a cup filled with icy frappuccino, and I read the name off the cup.

"Dan!" I called out and a tall, tan, brown-haired, brown-eyed boy with a similar hairstyle to mine walked up to the counter.

"That's me," he said, taking the cup and looking me straight in the eyes, causing my face to flush pink and my eyes to flick in a different direction. He chuckled, "What? Are you shy?"

"A-a little..." I whispered. I didn't think he heard me, but he replied.

"Why do you work in the customer service industry if you're so antisocial," Dan asked, grinning smugly.

I rubbed my arm up and down nervously, "I don't usually serve people as annoyingly social as you," I said jokingly, scared that I might start a fight.

Dan paused for a second and I got scared that I hurt his feelings, but then he smirked, "I like you," he said, "What's your name?"

"Phil," I answered, blushing and looking at my feet. Was someone finally understanding me? "Phil?" I heard Jack's voice interrupt my thoughts, "Quit flirting, people are waiting."

My face burned red and I nodded my head, "U-um, that'll, uh, be t-two pounds," I mumbled to Dan.

Dan laughed and handed me the notes, then took a napkin out of the dispenser, took a pen out of his pocket, and scribbled something on it, passing it to me. He smiled and said, "We should hang out sometime," as I handed him his change.

While he walked out the door, I looked down at the napkin to see he wrote his phone number on it. Was he actually flirting with me? I've been alone for so long, I had no idea if I was straight or gay or bi or asexual. Maybe I did like Dan. He probably just wanted to hang out as friends though. Probably.

As I was walking down the pavement on my way home from work, I took out my mobile phone and added Dan's number to my contacts, then texted him, "Hey, it's Phil from Starbucks." I typed. It only took him a couple minutes to reply.

"Hey Phil! Off work?" Dan texted.

I smiled at the text and began typing my response, "Yeah, I'm walking home right now."

When I arrived to my flat and plopped down onto my couch, Dan replied, "Awesome! Do you want to go get dinner? I'm really bored."

My heart began beating faster. Do I like this guy? I think I do... I took a deep breath and typed my response, "Sure. Where should I meet you?"

"I could pick you up at your place," Dan responded almost immediately and I gave him my address.

Now I was just left to wait for him to arrive. What if he doesn't come? What if he's teasing me? Maybe he just wants to watch the shy guy get his hopes up. Maybe he's trying to get me to fall in love with him so he can break my heart. This is why I don't usually trust people - I over think everything. But this guys was different. I think I can trust him...

Dan knocked on the door of my flat about an hour later. I fixed my fringe, took a deep breath, and opened the door. "Hey," Dan greeted, smiling.

"Hi," I replied, "So, where are we going?"

"It's a secret," Dan grinned, "I don't have a car, so we're gonna walk if that's fine with you."

I nodded, "It's fine, I don't have one either."

We walked for probably an hour, but it felt much shorter. Time really flew with Dan. We talked about a lot of things on the way there, such as our childhood, video games, television shows, anime, books, and music. We had a LOT in common. We even had the same favourite band - Muse! I know it's crazy to say this about someone I just met, but I've never been close to anyone before, and I think I'm falling for him. I'm so happy I finally found someone who gets me.

We soon arrived to a small cafe. "Do you like cafes?" Dan asked as he held the door open for me.

"Yeah," I answered, "But I'm probably just gonna get waffles. I love breakfast for dinner."

Dan grinned from ear-to-ear, "Me too!" He exclaimed.

The hostess seated us at a table with two chairs across from each other, "Enjoy your date," she smiled sweetly, placing menus in front of us.

"Oh, uh, this isn't... We're not-" I started, but Dan interrupted me.

"Thank you, ma'am," he nodded, smiling.

She nodded and walked back to her position at the front desk. "You didn't say this was..." I started.

"Oh don't worry, I was just getting her to leave," Dan winked in response and I giggled, opening my menu.

We both ordered waffles and just talked some more about all our similarities until we finished our meals. When we finished, we each paid half the bill and left the restaurant to start walking home. "Hey, do you think you wanna come over to my flat? I have Mario Kart," Dan suggested as we walked out into the darkness.

"I don't know... It's pretty late," I murmured, looking at my phone. It was eight o'clock P.M.

"Aww, well maybe tomorrow?" Dan asked, looking honestly disappointed.

"I guess it couldn't hurt to go today," I sighed.

"Yay!" Dan exclaimed, "Do you think you'd wanna stay the night? You know, since it's so late."

I thought for a moment. I didn't have work or anything else the next day, so there was nothing I would need to be home for. "Sure," I responded, smiling kindly. I finally have a friend. Finally, someone found me.

We walked and talked for about an hour before we got to Dan's flat, and the first thing he did was run to his Wii to set up Mario Kart. Dan and I sat on the couch in front of Dan's television, playing the game and shouting at each other competitively. Dan was playing as Toad and I was playing as Princess Peach, because neither of us wanted to be the main characters. "Oh come on, it freaking glitched!" I cried as I lost the race.

Dan chuckled, "Oh, so NOW you're not shy," he teased.

We played for a long time before we realized it was midnight. "We should get to bed," Dan said, setting his controller down and turning off the Wii.

"Do you have another bedroom?" I asked, "Or should I sleep on the couch?"

"I thought you could maybe sleep in my bed..." Dan suggested, rubbing the back of his neck, "That is, if you don't mind."

I froze, my face burning red and my heart rate increasing at the thought of sleeping with this attractive boy who I was getting strong feelings for. "So, uh, do you want to?" Dan asked as I just stood in shock.

"Uhumohay," I muttered, my words completely non-understandable.

Dan laughed, "What was that?" He chuckled.

"S-sorry," I responded, "I meant okay."

Dan beamed, "Awesome, come on, I'll show you my room," he replied and I followed him down the hall to his room.

His room was very messy. There were clothes, gadgets, wires, and other random things all over the floor and everything on the desk was sloppily tossed about, his large bed poorly made. He pulled his pants off and my face flushed as I turned around on my heels, "You don't need to freak out," Dan laughed, "I go to bed in my underwear."

I sighed and turned around to see him in nothing but outer space patterned shorts. "If you want, I can lend you some pajamas," he suggested.

I shook my head, "It's fine," I answered, "I'll just do the same as you."

I pulled my shirt over my head and dropped my pants. Dan unmade his bed and got under the covers then patted the space beside him to welcome me. I was blushing really hard and I'm sure that even in the inky blackness of the night, Dan could tell. I climbed into his bed and lay down beside him in hardly any clothes, feeling extremely nervous and slightly uncomfortable.

"You don't need to feel uncomfortable," Dan comforted, "I'm not gonna rape you or anything," he joked.

I chuckled, "Okay, okay, I trust you."

Dan smiled and pulled me into a warm embrace. My face somehow burned even hotter than it did before as my bare chest met Dan's. "D-Dan?" I stuttered.

"Yeah?"

"Do you... Like me?" I asked.

"Of course I like you," he whispered.

"No, I mean... Like like," I mumbled shyly.

Dan paused for a second before saying, "Yeah, I guess I do."

I smiled and snuggled up into his body, wrapping my arms around his waist, then looked up and pecked my lips against his gently. He was really cute. "Goodnight, Dan," I said, resting my head on his chest.

"Night, Phil," he answered, and we drifted to sleep.

It's fun to be alone sometimes, but not forever, and I'm so glad I'm not anymore. It feels so good to be found by someone. It may have taken me twenty-seven years, but I finally have someone who understands me, and I think I'm in love with him.