[july 2]

David turns thirty-eight today and the city is basically deserted, which is really annoying. It's not like he would have had a party, he's grown to pretty much despise parties and somehow he can't imagine Derek, Therese, and Neil wanting to sit down with him and Patrick to have a lively board game night. Besides, he'd have to find a sixth, because five is never the right number for games.

But he's thirty-eight and all his customers have disappeared, so it's pointless to have the store open if no one is actually going to come buy anything and David is feeling weirdly melancholy about getting older and he's not even sure why. His skin is fantastic, so the lines that are beginning around his eyes don't make him look thirty-eight. It's not about getting older. He's not sure what it is.

It's still so fucking weird that they're friends after spending months giving each other dirty looks from across the room, but in the end, it's Neil David finally texts.

meet me at naïveté. we're taking advantage there not being anyone to fight for reservations.

The food might have gone bad by now and David sure as hell isn't cooking for himself, but the drinks will still be there. And he is absolutely not above stealing alcohol in a deserted city on his birthday.

As an afterthought, he texts Neil again. it's my birthday. don't make me drink alone.

Briefly, he considers trying to figure out where a dealer might live and maybe he can score some free ecstasy.