Forbidden Love [Phan]

they say we are what we are but we don't have to be

Phil Lester was eighteen when his life changed. For better or for worse, he wasn't sure. But it changed.

It was 1 September, 2005, Phil's first day of his last year, year 12.

He had a mixture of emotions, a lot of them settling around the fact his mum wanted him to find a girlfriend.

"I know you're still looking for your soulmate!" Mrs Lester had said, pointing to Phil's right wrist. "But finding a nice girl to spend your time with until she comes along."

Girlfriend. That was a laugh. Phil wasn't even straight, like, at all.

But there was one problem that arose with not being straight.

Before he was born (and probably before even his grandparents were born) a law was passed. A law forbidding any homosexual relationship of any kind.

Even those whose soulmates were the same gender as they.

Things got worse when the next law was passed. If someone came out to you, you had permission to shoot them, right on the spot. Instead of getting charged for manslaughter, the shooter would get a reward. You would get paid for ending another human's life.

Phil had known these laws his entire life and he knew his life would be pointless the day his eyes started drifting to the butts of boys instead of the chest of girls.

So, as he dragged his feet into the kitchen on that first last day, he was not very happy.

His mum smiled at him as his dad ruffled his hair. Phil grimaced and fixed his fringe. "It's all the rage now" Mrs Lester had whispered to Mr Lester when their son had wandered in with his hair completely different, black and swept to the right. "He'll get over it eventually!"

Phil snorted gently and grabbed a piece of toast, eating it quickly as he shouldered his bag. "I gotta go." He mumbled. He turned swiftly and headed out the door, hearing his parents shout goodbye. He heaved a sigh as he shut the door behind him. It was going to be a long day.

•••

"PHIL!!" The boy in question turned, his blue eyes searching. Soon, they landed on source of the voice, Louise.

Phil and Louise had been close friends since the latter moved to the area in year 10. The pair instantly became friends and were inseparable ever since.

But there was something different about Louise. While most people Phil knew had a sentence on their dominant wrist, Louise did not. Which means her soulmate was either born in the wrong century or dead. Honestly, Louise wasn't worried. She planned to just fall in love with a nice bloke.

Phil wished he could do the same.

Louise laughed as she told him a story about last summer. Phil nodded along, but was in another world, trying to comprehend why blue whales were so large, yet they couldn't swallow anything bigger than a soccer ball.

"...and then wham the pie hits his face; Chris is laughing in corner, almost crying as Emma starts tickling the poor guy!"

Phil peered at Louise, a look of disdain planted on his face. "What."

Louise sighed, her lips turned up in a smile. "You didn't hear my story, did you."

"Sorry, I was thinking about whales..." Phil trailed off as they maneuvered into their English class. His eyes met a group of guys, sitting in the back corner, whispering with each other.