Chapter Text
Maybe he was having another existential crisis, maybe it was just the crowds he was surrounded with; Dan wasn't sure at the moment as he drank down what was left in his glass. He looked around the club, he could feel the bass pounding in his chest, making it feel tighter and only made the weird empty feeling worse. He looked back down at his glass only to find it filled up again, he gently swirled the liquid around before necking it.
"Whoo, go Dan! Another one!" Some bottle blonde girl to his right giggled as it was clear she had one too many herself. Who was she, Dan couldn't remember but from the way she leaning and grabbing onto him, she seemed to know him pretty well. Dan looked over the group around him, who were they? He didn't recognize these people but he did feel a familiarity; like if he should know them. They laughed and drank, it almost felt like a surreal dream.
"Oh my God, this is like the bestest birthday ever. You all are so awesome, I love you all." She slurred as she gestured around the group, now Dan remembered. This blonde was his girlfriend, or at least that was what the media said she was, and this was her birthday party. They were at some new club that opened up a few days ago called Vapor or Aurora, something like that. These people were their 'friends', other popular celebrities: actors, models, singers, directors, and so on.
They were all in the VIP section over looking the club dance floor, all Dan could see from here were colorful lights illuminating a mess of moving darkness that seemed to be fight with itself; at least that was what he saw. More bottles of alcohol were brought up to them by a bar tender, he could see the large bouncers guarding the staircase from non VIP. The group cheered and whooped as they popped them open and started drinking down. "You're the best Danny!"
The blond said as she pulled him in for a kiss, unfortunately the action caused Dan to spill the entire content of the bottle he was hold on her. "Ah! This was a new Gucci dress!" She yelped as it seemed like she wasn't too drunk to not notice, she jolted up as she tried to clean herself off. "This is dry clean only! You have to buy me a new one now."
Dan didn't really care, he would end up having to do so anyway, he tried to help clean her up but she smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me, I'll fucking sue-sue you. My daddy is a lawyer!" Okay maybe she was that drunk, she slurred and staggered as she tried to walk away. Dan got up and tried to follow her so she didn't get hurt but quickly enough her bodyguards surrounded her.
"Fuck this party, I'm going home." She yelled as she leaned against one of the muscle bound men as she struggled to stand in her heels. Dan didn't say anything, if she wanted to leave then he'd let her. He was about to go back to the table when she pulled him in and kissed him sloppily and hard, he cringed as she was basically suck on his whole mouth. "Bye, Danny. I love you~" She giggled once she pulled away before waving him off as she was escorted out of the VIP section and finally the club.
Dan waved her off as he wasn't sure what else to do, after a bit he went back and sat down. "Damn you lucky dog!" A big dark skinned man said as he held a glass up. Was he an actor? Maybe a rapper, was that too stereotypical? "You're gonna have that waiting in bed when you get home all drunk and a hot mess." Wow he hadn't thought of that, the thought made his stomach flop over in almost disgust. He forced a fake chuckle before clinking their glasses together.
"Oh yeah, lucky me." Dan said before realizing this was the first time he spoke since they started drinking, his 'girlfriend' normally spoke enough for the two of them. The birthday party kept going without the birthday girl, Dan chatted with a few people and faked some laughs; yet he felt...strange he didn't know how to explain it but it felt familiar, almost homely. After an hour of this fake act he decided he should go, he got up and started saying good bye; a few of the women groaned and begged him to stay a little longer. "No I got to go, I'll see you later."
He said despite not even knowing who they were, he kissed them on the cheek, a few girls pulled him in for a real kiss before laughing at how flushed he got. "Okay bye." He said as he said before heading out of the VIP section, but before he could get far he felt someone grab his shoulder. He looked back to see a tall but thin tanned guy, Dan recognized him as the dark skinned guy's friend.
The guy quickly wrote something down on a card before slipping it into Dan's hand. "This is the number of my best guy, he'll hook you up good; he's only got premium shit so have a good bit of cash on hand before you go see him. You were looking kind of down back there so he should be able to fix you right up." He gave Dan a quick one armed hug before walking back to the table. Dan just stood there in confusion, trying to understand what had just happened, he looked at the card to see a number quickly scribbled on it.
Then it hit him, this was the number of a drug dealer. "Oh shit." He quickly stuck it into his pocket before looking around, no one had seen it, right? He pulled his jacket close before headed out the club, he looked around wonder if his bodyguards were around or not; after a bit he came to the conclusion they might have left with his 'girlfriend'. It was better like this, Dan got his car from the Valet before driving off. He wasn't drunk, he hadn't drank that much so he was fine, he just wanted to get home and pass out.
Now in the silence of his car he could hear his slow heart beat, the ache of the loud club music on his ears, the haze of the alcohol in his mind. He didn't like clubs for this very reason, he hated how he felt afterwards; it didn't help he also got splashed with the Smirnoff he had spilled on the blonde, he was now sticky.
Dan struggled to get his jacket off while driving, he almost had it off when he swerved into on coming traffic. He barely had time to dodge a car as he pulled off the road into a gas station, he sat there shaking a little. "Fuck!" He growled and started hitting the steering wheel, the fear of almost dying made him angry with himself.
He sighed and leaned back in his seat, he felt so sick right now and it wasn't really all the physical. Dan felt...depressed, he wished he knew what to do to fix himself, to rid himself of this. Ever since he left his home in London and came to L.A. he hadn't been feeling all here, maybe he should go see a doctor. He pushed his seat back as he laid there, was becoming a voice actor and author worth this? Dan stared out the window at the dark hazy sky. He pulled his jacket off and flung it into the passenger seat, a fluttering of something falling on the floor caught his attention.
He leaned over and picked it up; it was card he had been given. He stared at the slightly smudged numbers, was he really going to call up this drug dealer? Dan sighed as he looked at it, his brain told him not to but he wanted to, he wanted to stop feeling like this even for a little while; he could go to rehab if he got in too far...right? He nodded to himself before pulling out his phone and dialed up the number, he waited as it rung, almost hanging up a few rings in but held himself back.
"Hello?" A rather young voice answered, Dan was quick to notice the Northern accent; he was surprised to hear the drug dealer was English like him. "Hello, who is this?" It called out again this time making Dan almost drop his phone, what was he suppose to say now; he didn't even know the name of the guy who gave him this number. Dan was sure that saying. 'Hi, are you a drug dealer?' wasn't going to get him very far and possibly make the guy hang up on him.
"Uh..." His mind was rushing a mile a minute as he looked at the card almost pleading for it to give him an answer, as he flipped it over he noticed something else written on the other side. "Cheese is disgusting?" He read out rather confused.
"Yeah it is. Alright, what are you looking for?" The man replied as his voice relaxed now that he knew this was a customer. Dan looked blank as he held the phone to his ear, what did he want? "Hello, you still there?"
Dan made faces as he practically squirmed in the driver's seat, why the fuck was this so hard. "Ugh, I don't know." He replied surrendered though he didn't mean to sound so angry, he was frustrated with himself. "I don't think I can ask what you recommend, can I?" He let out a strained, humorless chuckle as he rested his head against the steering wheel. Calling this man was possibly one of the most boneheaded and stressful things he has ever done, he started hitting his head against the wheel now.
Then he heard it, a laugh. It was so silvery and pure, it didn't seem like it would fit a drug dealer yet he could tell it belonged to this guy. "You don't sound like you have any experiance, do you?" This made Dan blush a little. "I could just sell you my most expensive stuff and leave you to it for all you know." He replied truthfully. "Hey, if you're around Santa Monica Boulevard we can meet up and I can show you what I have tonight. I'm currently at club Fubar, if you want I'll just wait for you by the bar; better for the both of us."
Dan stared at his phone, watching the illuminated numbers tick by showing how long he had been talking to this guy. Despite how strange the offer sounded, it seemed like a good one. They would be in a public place where this man couldn't mug him, but at the same time no one would be paying enough attention to realize he was buying drugs. "Okay. I'll be there soon." Dan could feel his heart racing now as he straightened his seat up and started his car up again, he was actually doing this. "Just give me five or seven minutes."
He heard the guy chuckling again and telling him to calm down, and take his time; it was better if he took long then for him to have an accident. "O-Okay." Why was he stuttering, he never did that not even around girls he flirted with, Dan quickly headed back on the road and started going towards Santa Monica Boulevard. "I'm on my way...What's your name, anyway?" Dan was slow to realize he had no idea this guy's name and vise versa, how was he going to find him.
The other end of the line was quiet before replying. "Zack Striker." And hung up.