hard times | phan

five

to be published jan. 29

"god yes!" he exclaimed.

flora was younger than dan by a year or so, she was 17, and more child like than ever. her wonder had always filled the room with joy and she had scattered happiness like flower petals. though she wasn't as happy as everyone else would imagine. she had clinical depression, along with self esteem issues. but she had other problems, so she thought putting others first would help. and it did. she loved the colour lime, along with yellow. she loved yellow.

"so, what do you want to do?" phil asked, smiling, and his tongue sticking out of of his exposed grin.

"i could show you how to play the piano? that might be fun." dan replied, not too confidently. he was fumbling with his fingers, twiddling with them as he seemed to regret what words fell out of his mouth. he was so goddamned pretty to phil, but he wouldn't say that yet.

yesterday wasn't ideal. phil really wanted a clean slate to start over again. but right as the concrete of his new start was drying, someone stepped into it. someone had stepped into his, fresh clean start. and now there was an indent. it had dried, there was no going back.

not so say he didn't like dan, it's just the way they had started out. not good.

dan had lifted himself off the bed and strutted over to his piano. it was a brown antique one. quite gorgeous in both boys opinion. the keys looked old and aged, but still amazing.

"you're so pretty." he had mumbled, walking over and sitting right next to dan.

dans wooden door burst right open, with the words of his so wise mum,

"now, don't you two have too much fun, especially you phil."

phil being the easily amused, burst out laughing. he had blushed a shade of crimson, his eyes having a glint. he had a toothy smile, his tongue sticking out of the corner of it. his laugh loud and inviting in a way.

maybe first impressions count less than seconds.

"ok boys, im going to work, call me if we have an issue, or if you're going anywhere!" she yelled out, scurrying out the door.

it was saturday. the lush phil had worked at was always closed on saturdays, for whatever reason.