Hate Me Closer (Phan)

Chapter Fifty-Five

The two boys sat themselves at the back of the classroom with their books on the desks and Dan's feet up on the table, while Phil sat with his back straight and his pen in his hand. They had English Literature with Mr Adams, a teacher they'd seen around but not bothered to share more than a smile with. They both had different ideas of what first impressions they wanted to give. They were two of ten scholar-set boys in their year, who continued with English Language, so they were in a class of ten. Chris and PJ had chosen Literature instead, but they still shared Theatre Studies, and Dan shared Art with them, whereas Phil shared History. The older boy didn't particularly want to take History, but he'd fail Art if he tried.

It was their second day back at school and their first day was spent trying to drown out headaches with water and chips. They muttered to themselves that they wouldn't do it again, but they would at the end of the month, and the one after. It didn't take a genius to realise the atmosphere of the school changed between Third Form and A-Levels: teenagers grew up and where they'd once argue about a shared pen, they cared more for the rest of their lives and the world they were nearing being forced to face.

The Auburn boys didn't talk on the first day, but now they stood in the corner of the classroom chatting before the teacher came into his class. What was once their childhood muse at the beginning of last year was now something much more interesting. Jacob from their house slid towards the two boys who were sat on the same desk, looking out the same window with their chairs less than an inch between them, "Where'd you disappear off to on Sunday?" he asked, chewing on a stick of gum.

"Sunday?" Dan asked, his brain not catching up, "Oh. Oh, right." he chuckled, "I don't remember." he knew what they did, at least, and he feared every moment that someone saw them.

Jacob nodded, a smirk on his smug face and his eyebrows furrowed, "You two made out in the dorm."

Phil started coughing, choking on his own spit as he sharply caught his breath back. He bit his lips and looked fearfully at his boyfriend.

"Say..." the dickhead continued, "What ever happened to the rumours last year?"

"Kids grew up, Knob head. Get on the same path." Dan sighed, trying to brush it off.

"Everyone at school knows."

"Knows what?" Dan's veins burnt.

"That you were making out at the party. Then, you both disappeared after Phil threw you off his lap." he crossed his arms and continued chewing on the gum. He wore a suit and no tie, but Dan was sure that wasn't allowed.

"We probably went round the back of Crossings to throw up or something." Dan shrugged, "We were wasted."

"Well?" Jacob asked, "Are you two together?"

"Fuck off," Phil complained, biting his lips and sucking in his cheeks.

"I don't have a problem with it." the boy teased, poking Dan on the shoulder as he sat on their desk, "I just like to know."

"It's not your business to know."

"You're together."

"What?" they both snapped.

"Oh, come on. If you weren't you'd have denied it already."

"Or maybe we're just sick of your games." Dan hissed.

"Kiss him," Jacob smirked.

"You're gross." Dan rolled his eyes, standing up from his chair and above the other sixteen-year-old.

"Oh if I'm the one who's gross what are-"

"DAN!" Phil screamed, pulling back his boyfriend from both shoulders and hurtling towards the floor.

"You wanker!" Jacob spat, bringing his fingers to his bloody nose and his already swelling cheek. The other boys suddenly crowded around, looking over Dan and Phil who were discarded onto the floor.

Dan lifted his weight back up so he was sitting with his legs spread out and his bloody knuckles on his knee, "Guess I can throw a punch." he snickered to himself, cutting the laugh off when he saw Phil's concerned expression.

"What the fuck, Dan?" he scowled, taking his blazer sleeve and wiping the blood off of his best friend's hand.

"Come on!" he complained, "Like I shouldn't have?!" he gestured towards the pissed off teenager standing at the other side of the room. Mr Adams was late.

"I'd bloody make out with you in front of them before I'd let you throw a fucking punch!" Phil hissed, still fussing over his boyfriend's hand.

"I'm not a show monkey," Dan deadpanned, his face going white and his knuckles clenched. He looked at the older boy and he'd admit his eyes did flutter to his lips for a short second because he found the fierceness in Phil's expression slightly more than attractive. He gulped, looking into his eyes again, "I'm not a show monkey."

"You have issues," Phil muttered, finally letting go of Dan's hand.

"Thanks for that." the younger boy rolled his eyes, slouching over his legs and rolling his eyes.

"Having a domestic?" Jacob tested again. His face paled when he saw the both of them glare. He lifted his palms up as if to surrender and took his seat on the corner of another desk.

"What does it bloody mean to you all?" Dan growled. He had more attention from the sixteen-year-olds than he would if he performed for them on stage, "Why have you been obsessed with us, with Phil, since day one? You bullied him for being gay, you found out you thought he was, you cut it off, and now you're flashing your wallets at us trying to get us to make out. Why?!" he kept asking, "Are you jealous?! Are you all in the closet?! Is it some fucking perverted aspect?!" he looked at each one of the cowering boys in the eye, "Jealous we're the only boys in an all-boys boarding school who aren't fucking virgins?!" he heard Phil let a small screech in shock beside him. He didn't look at the older boy, though. He wanted to make his point.

"Sorry, I'm late." Mr Adams sighed, fumbling through the door, "I was caught in a phone call-" he snapped his eyes between the two boys on the floor and the rest of them crowded around on the other side of the room. He furrowed his eyebrows, noticing Jacob's bloody nose and the mixture of scared, shocked, and thrilled expressions around him, "Jacob, how bad is your nose?"

"It's fine, Sir."

"Right." he nodded, "Let's pretend you were all sitting at your desks ready to start the lesson when I came in, yes?" he hummed. He'd had enough with teaching teenage boys.