I Am Not Uptight!

The Zoo part 10

After a couple more minutes of watching marine life go about their day, Daniel and Josh finally decided it was time to go back and rejoin the tour—or whatever was left of it. The decision was made partly because they had walked around and seen all that was there to see, but mostly because their group chat was being bombarded with constant messages from Gary asking them where they were, and telling them they “better not be late” for the performance. Josh didn’t even bother to ask what performance they were trying to catch and why Gary had been so adamant they attend, as his mind was still quite preoccupied with what Daniel had said about him. To tell the truth, he didn’t expect to be psychoanalyzed inside an aquarium—especially not by a man who spends most of his days lazing around the house drinking beer, and gossiping or playing around with the other tenants—and yet there they were.

“I got to admit,” Daniel said after a while as they exited the building. His tone had drastically changed from the pensive one he used inside, as if he was back to the Daniel that Josh was more used to. “I didn’t think you’d be learning this fast, new guy,” he said with an approving look.

Josh cleared his throat and cast him a glance. “What do you mean?”

“You know…” Daniel shrugged, ‘you stepped up back there, and now you’ve ditched the tour and you just said thoughts out loud as they entered your mind without filter. Looks like you don’t need any help after all.”

“Oh, trust me, that thing I did back there? Once in a blue moon, and I only did it because I felt sort of guilty that the only reason you went up there in the first place was because of me, even though you’re terrified of monkeys.”

“Terrified?” Daniel's smile wore off. “I’m not! I was just—"

“Come on,” Josh lightly teased, finally feeling a little more comfortable to do so. “Dustin didn’t even have to say a word about it. You were so stiff back there.”

Daniel raised a finger, adamant to deny it. “Hey! I wasn’t—” he stopped, having to do a quick side-step to avoid a child running their way. When he rejoined Josh, he narrowed his eyes. “Hold on, did you just say Dustin said something about it? What exactly did he say? Because I’m telling you now, his version is exaggerated and mine is the correct one.”

“He didn’t actually tell me anything except that you’re afraid of monkeys. But now that there’s a story behind it, I think I want to know.”

“Do you want my version or Dustin’s?”

Josh thought about it for a second. “The truth, preferably.”

“Then, the truth is that when I was in high school, I got chased by a huge aggressive monkey that almost killed me,” Daniel recounted, making it sound like he was telling a horrific story to a child at bedtime, ‘for no reason! It just hated me. Monkeys just hate me. They’ve all been very hostile, like they’re out to kill me or something. Even Marshall. Did you see his beady little eyes? I looked at them up close and they were hungry for blood—my blood.”

Josh shot him a doubtful look. “Okay, I think you’re exaggerating a little now.”

“Am I?” Daniel raised an eyebrow and asked once more, louder this time, “Am I?”

Josh let out a chuckle as he shook his head at Daniel's reaction. They could finally see the activity center now by the souvenir shop—the last stop of the tour where everyone was supposed to end up at. Even from a good distance away, they could hear Gary's voice amidst the crowd.

Josh discretely glanced at Daniel as they walked. He was looking straight ahead with his hands in his front pockets with a smile on his face, and when he spotted their housemates, he began to wave a hand to get their attention.

Gary gestured for them to hurry up, and Daniel turned to Josh with a wide smile. “Come on!” he said with unbridled excitement. With how light and free he seemed to be, it was hard to believe that he had to face his fears just a few minutes ago.

He could be childish and he did seem like, well, a bum, but Josh would be lying if he said he didn’t feel the tiniest bit jealous of how easily Daniel seemed to live his life. It was as if he was just rolling through it untroubled ninety percent of the time, while the opposite went for Josh. If he didn’t know him, he would probably think that such a person couldn't exist.

Maybe—just maybe—if he hung around long enough, he would eventually learn how to be more like him. Let go just a tad more.