Summoning Love

Chapter Four: School

A/N: fun fact, many of the events in this chapter are based on my actual experiences of gym class at school. The most traumatic subject honestly.
-

A truly hideous sound, was the school bell. Dan was pretty sure he'd heard that sound so many times that it was almost permanently drilled into his brain.

He had already endured the first of his morning classes. English. Hadn't been too bad, just the usual lectures about learning quotes from novels and analysing them individually.

But no what was really bad, really really bad, was the fact that Dan had gym class next.

He was stood, currently, right outside the boy's changing room. If he had the choice then he would have turned around and gone literally anywhere else. Sadly though that wasn't an option.

Sighing and pushing open the door, Dan stepped inside. Engulfed in the smell of sweat and more sweat, he held his nose and shuffled into a corner to get changed.

Dan knew he had to try and lie low, just get changed without drawing any attention to himself. He was practically the most preferred target of the regular school bullies. Well, besides perhaps...

'Lester!' One of the huge, burly built boys practically roared from the other side of the gym. 'Remembered your shorts this time you little gay boy?' He asked, still roaring, as he approached the black haired boy who had just stepped timidly into the changing room.

'I err...' Phil looked helplessly around the room, glancing at Dan for a short second, but then drawing his attention back to the bullies as another one of them approached him and spoke.

'What's wrong freak?' The other boy grunted. Kyle, Dan seemed to recall his name was. Phil let out what sounded like a whimper.

If Dan had been foolish, he would have marched up to the two boys and done something to stop them picking on Phil. He knew better than that however, and he wasn't about to drag himself into the mess.

'Oi guys!' Said a third boy approaching the scene 'let's put him in the bin!'
Phil froze, listening to the laughter that ensued after that suggestion.

He didn't have time to do much after that, before he was being picked up by the three boys and carried over to the bin next to where Dan was changing.

'Hey, no what are you! Phil protested to no avail.

As he was shoved in the bin he suddenly had all attention drawn to him, everyone guffawing and pointing at him. The humiliation.

Dan didn't laugh. He carried on changing, trying to ignore how badly he wanted to help phil out of there.

Dan wasn't sure he'd ever understand the weird school hierarchy system that had been put in place some time a while back. He knew for sure that he was definitely somewhere near the bottom though, and he wasn't exactly about to testify against that.

-

A shrill whistle blast that should have been enough to get everyone's attention echoed around the sports hall. Ears ringing, Dan sat down on the bench waiting for the others to comply.

'Alright listen up' the teacher called. 'Hey! Come on settle down!'
Dan shook his head, he knew what was coming.

'Boysss!' The teacher bellowed, causing Dan's ring even more. Sure enough though that was enough to shut everyone up.

'Alright so I want a nice clean game of dodgeball today...'
'As if such a thing exists' Dan muttered to himself.
'Two teams, get hit you're out, now let's go!'

Looking around the room, Dan watched as all the big brutish boys sectioned off into their own team. The skinny, yet still athletic and determined types groaned as they looked around and saw what they were left with.

It always went this way, the jocks and the popular boys on one side, and the nerds and misfits on the other. Seems fair right?

Still at least Dan had Phil on his team. Phil noticeably seemed to show a similar amount of enthusiasm towards dodgeball as Dan did. Which really wasn't very much.

Understandably so, since he'd only just made it out of the changing rooms, smelling slightly of bin juice by no fault of his own.

He still, remarkably so, managed to look cute though Dan thought.

Suddenly, annoying and high pitched, the gym teacher's whistle sounded again and signalled the start of the game.

Dan snapped himself out of his thought process and tried to focus.

There was no way in hell he'd be able to actually pick up a ball and hit anyone, so his best chance was to just run and hope he didn't get a ball hurtling towards him anytime soon.

Some kid called Dennis was the first to get hit. He was from Dan's team, of course, and the ball hit him with such momentum that it knocked him face first to the floor and smashed his glasses in the process.

Dan walked over and helped Dennis up, ducking at one point so as to avoid an incoming ball.
'You okay?' He asked quickly.
'I, I, I think so' Dennis stuttered.

'And Dennis you're out!' The teacher yelled 'take a seat please'

'Scrawny little dweeb' Dan heard one of the boys mutter.

Ball after ball came hurling towards Dan and his teammates. Harry Johnson was next to go out, then Colin Marshall, and after that Jack Davis.

Dan really wasn't built for all of this exercise, his panting noticeably heavy. Though it wasn't as loud as the grunts and shouts coming from the other players.

He was good at dodging, thankfully. His tall skinny frame, though not always built for sport, did actually make him quite fast and agile.

The next ball came hurtling towards him and he dodged it swiftly. The one after that headed straight for Joe King, from Dan's opposing team, which he managed quite easily to avoid. Then the next, was heading for a member of Dan's team again.

It was Phil. Dan craned his neck around immediately to follow the ball and watch as it hurtled towards its target. Phil however didn't seem bothered by the incoming ammunition. He ducked quite effortlessly out of the way to which Dan watched with awe.

How did had he managed to do that in a way so faultless and elegant? Dan asked himself. He was still looking distractedly at Phil who was getting back to his feet and flicking his hair out of his face.

Dan's gaze continued to be on him and him only. How was it possible for someone like that to be so attractive and yet still get picked on all the time? Dan didn't think it was humanly possible for someone to be that annoyingly cu...

'Dan!'
'Howell!'
'Watch out!'
Various shouts from around the room called out to him but he was still out of it. At least until he felt the impact.

Smack. Square in the jaw Dan was hit by a ball. Kyle Williams, who had thrown it, begun to practically foam at the mouth from laughter.

Before anything else could happen the teacher blew the whistle and signalled the end of the game.

Dan's jaw stung like hell, thankfully he was too distracted to notice when Phil looked at him with a concerned expression on his face.

'Alright lads, that's time. Final scores were 17-0 to Kyles team'

Dan wanted the floor to engulf him right there and then.