Figure It Out [Phan]

[2]

Dan was pissed. He was so pissed that he had to go to detention for one sarcastic remark. And he was especially pissed that he had to be with Phil Lester.

"This is bullshit." Dan said as he walked out of the classroom when the bell rang.

He went to his locker and got his things for the next class. ''Just an equally boring class in an equally boring school in an equally boring fuck-up that is my life." Dan thought. "Hey, at least this time I might not get detention for being a smart ass!"

Dan slammed his locker shut and walked to the next class.

"Luckily Phil isn't in this class." Dan thought. He sat down at his desk and listened to the teacher's incessant talking.

***

"I have to be in a room alone for an hour with Dan Howell!" Phil said to his friends. "It's gonna be so dull!"

This was an off period for Phil and all his friends. So, naturally, they spent the entire time talking about whatever new gossip for the day was. Today the most exciting news was Phil having detention with the the school emo.

"Dan Howell?" One of his friends said condescendingly. "Good luck with that!"

"Yeah, one conversation with him and you'll be depressed for the next six weeks!" One of his other friends said. The group laughed. Phil laughed too, but it was a more fake chuckle.

They continued to bash Dan for the next ten minutes. Phil participated.

At first, Phil felt bad about saying these things about Dan. "But he's never gonna hear it!" Phil thought. "He's never gonna figure it out!"

***

Lunch was always Dan's least favorite time of the day. Dan never had any friends to sit with, so he usually would end up sitting alone at the only empty table. It was painful to watch everyone laugh at him, but when he put in his headphones and listened to music, he felt better. No comment, no pain, could get through his ears now.

Dan found his spot at the usual table, and started to eat his lunch alone.

***

Lunch was always Phil's favorite time of the day. An entire period just to socialize with his friends? With food? Nothing could be better!

Phil sat down with his friends at their usual table. They gossiped and chatted about everything and anything. Today the topic was still primarily focused on lonely emo Dan. They shot glances at him, eating his lunch, isolated at that one table.

***

"I know they're looking at me." Dan thought. "I know Phil's friends are watching me eat, pointing out sad things about me to laugh at. One day I'm going to be more successful than all of those fuckwads and I'm going to show them!"

One of Phil's friends yelled from across the cafeteria. "Hey Dan! You should kill yourself!"

Dan kept his headphones in and pretended not to hear him. "Don't give him a reaction. Don't give him a reaction. Don't give him a reaction."

The friend kept going. "Dan Howell! Kill yourself, emo scum!"

Dan kept his cool, kept his headphones in, and kept his tears from falling. "Maybe he's right. If I kill myself I don't have to deal with assholes like him."

The friend yelled even louder. "DAN HOWELL!"

Dan lost it. There was only so much bullshit he could take.

"What do you want!" Dan yelled back. Dan never spoke in class, never this loud, so the cafeteria went totally silent. "What the fuck do you want from me! Why do you fucking yell at me from the cafeteria! What do you want me to do!" The cafeteria was dead silent as Dan continued his rampage. "Do you want me to kill myself! Do you want me to fucking kill myself? Do you want me to go home and hang myself, writing a note that says 'this one boy at school wanted me to kill myself so I did'? Is that what you want!" Dan paused for a moment. "Or do you want this? A reaction? Did you want me to give you a fucking reaction? Did you want me to yell at you back? Just so you could fucking laugh at me?"

The bully was silent for a moment, and then said, "Can I take all of the above?"

The cafeteria roared in laughter.

Dan stormed out of the cafeteria, hot tears stinging his eyes. He walked into the hallway, where a teacher was there.

"Hey, are you the student that yelled out all those profanities?" The teacher asked.

"Yeah. So what?" Dan said. All of his emotions were taking over. He couldn't control what he would say or do.

"Detention. After school tomorrow." The teacher said.

"Well good because I already have detention tomorrow." Dan said.

"Then you can have detention every day after school for a week, starting tomorrow." The teacher said.

"Fine." Dan said. "Now let me go to the bathroom."

Dan ran to the bathroom, where he promptly locked himself in a stall and started to cry.