Hate Me Closer (Phan)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Phil was sitting in the far end of his Maths classroom with a script in his hands that he was rehearsing in his head. He couldn't have done this a few months ago; the pages would've been torn and he'd never see them again. But, he'd barely had a single comment, let alone abuse like that.

A boy in his class, who shared a dorm with him once in First Form, stood in front of his desk with his arms by his side, "What are you reading?" he asked.

Phil looked up, closing the pages and tucking it under his arm to protect it, "A script for a play." he answered, eyeing the other student.

The boy nodded, turning sideways to avoid Phil's eye-line, "Sorry." he spoke quietly, still not making eye contact.

"For what?" Phil asked, suppressing a chuckle.

"You know, calling you a 'ponce' and all that." he shrugged, "We were only messing, you know?"

Phil bit his lip and nodded unconvincingly. This wasn't the first boy to come up to him like this, or give him a long-winded apology to show their guilt without actually having to say the words 'I'm sorry'. He chuckled, eyeing the boy, "Why the sudden change in heart?" the timid pupil in front of him had no clue that others had approached him as well, so Phil decided he was going to milk this one for his own enjoyment.

The boy's face dropped and he looked around the room, shifting between his two feet and cracking his neck, "You know..." he tried, but Phil gave him a glare, "When I said those things I didn't think you were actually..." his words faltered away.

"Gay?" Phil asked, raising his eyebrows. The other Crossings boy nodded his head subtly, "Right promise you won't say a thing to anyone else in our house, or our year?"

"Sure." the student agreed.

"I'm not gay, James." Phil laughed, his eyes lighting up in amusement.

"But you're going out with Dan?!" the boy defended, perching himself on the corner of Phil's desk.

Phil shook his head, "Never have been. We're just good friends." he smiled, taking out his script again.

"So now you're playing the whole year to get sympathy?"

"For being aggressively bullied for a whole year?" Phil pointed out, "Don't you think I deserve it?"

"Fair enough." James agreed, walking away from the table and towards the back of the class.

***

Phil knew when he revealed that, that the truth wouldn't last as a secret. However, it wouldn't have been much longer before the boys in his house started harassing the two of them, anyway. This belief was confirmed when Dan entered the class once after lunch, and he took one glance at Phil before taking a seat on the other side of the room.

The black-haired boy tried to not take it to heart, but a part of him felt as though he was that thirteen-year-old again, trying to befriend the arrogant, shorter teenager to no avail. Phil sighed, his smile dropping as he looked towards the front board where the teacher stood with her whiteboard pen.

He sat through the class with his mind wandering off to what he wanted to do for his birthday celebration. For the first and last year of school, the boys were funded a small amount to have a party, but for those three nightmarish years in-between they were encouraged to organise their own activities and if they wanted to go out of town, they had to have signed approval.

Phil wasn't one for big celebrations, nor did he have the creativity he needed to think of what he wanted to do if he didn't stay within the school grounds. So, he settled on ordering himself a giant cake that he could eat within Crossings.

"So, what flavour?" he asked his three friends who were stood over his shoulder at the house computers.

"Chocolate, obviously," Chris mumbled jokingly.

"What?!" Dan laughed, "Okay, no, carrot cake. There's no other way a cake should be."

"Enjoy your boring birthday cakes, I'd say go for a cheesecake." PJ smiled, sitting on the pool table behind them.

"I don't like cheese!" Phil shouted, a smile against his face at how indecisive his group was, "I'll just go for carrot."

"Stop sucking up to Dan and go for chocolate!" Chris complained, "Okay fine, get chocolate icing."

Phil looked at Dan with a questioning expression. The younger boy laughed, rolling his eyes and nodding at the suggestion.

"See." Chris mumbled, "Suck-up."

"You are aware that if you're having your birthday in house, you'll be expected to go through the boarding games, right?" PJ pointed out.

"What...dares and soggy biscuit?" Phil chuckled, "I'm sure I can trade soggy biscuit out if I offer them cake, and well dares...it could be worse."

"Oh, so you're going to forget that they had Lucas streaking at midnight?" Dan laughed, his cheeks tinted pink, "PJ's right, you know. Although there's no way I'm organised enough to sort a party out that's not on school grounds."

"Dan," Chris addressed him, "Just give me a go-ahead and I'll organise it all for you," he smirked.

Dan playfully glared at him, crossing his arms as he deadpanned, "I'd rather play soggy than give you that power."

Chris groaned, a smile still planted on his cheeks, "How does a romantic dinner for two sound by the beach?"

"PJ'll get jealous of you." the older boy teased.

"I meant you and Phil." Chris responded, "Gotta give the boys in our year the proof they've been wanting." he joked.

"What do you mean?" Phil asked, placing in the final options for his cake.

Dan stood up, flicking Chris on the ear as he answered, "So, somehow, the Crossings boys were told we weren't actually together. I'm not complaining at that, but the same person told them not to tell the rest of the school." he walked over to Phil again, "So, they decided to do the opposite and say they've seen us getting in the dorms. The rest of our year is demanding photo proof."

"Exactly!" Chris smiled, "So, a romantic dinner for two would give the people exactly what they want."

Dan lightly hit his friend across the face, covering his mouth with his palm as he turned to PJ, "Control the child for fuck's sake." his friend just shrugged, sharing a smirk.

"All ordered then, Phil?" PJ asked, stuffing his books back into his bag and checking over the final order.

"Yep! For delivery, on my birthday, to this building. I'll tell Mr Brown I'm expecting it." he smiled.

"What presents do you want?" PJ continued to interrogate, fixing his hair in the reflection of the window.

"Uh..." Phil thought. His face heated up and his hands burnt as he looked away from his friends. He didn't expect the thought he had to appear in his mind, but it did and he certainly couldn't spill it because he didn't truly want that. It was just one of those thoughts that intrude on your mind and you're glad nobody's able to read it, "Snacks?"

"What is it with you and food?" Chris asked, the only one able to see his pinkened face.

"You can't go wrong with it unless it's cheese."