The Boy in the Garden (Phan)

Chapter 3- Scribbled Flowers and Cat Whiskers

Why the hell would you say something like that? Dan thought to himself. He had laid his head on the desk and had his earbuds lodged in his ears, waiting for his history teacher to come in. Even though it was already third period, he couldn't get the incident with Phil out of his head. You should have just taken the hoodie back from him! And why the fuck would you say it "looked better on him?" Jesus Christ...

Dan was snapped out of his daydream when someone shook his shoulder. Grumbling a curse under his breath, he yanked out his earbuds and sat up, a glare already plastered on his face. "What do you want?" he grumbled, in a sour mood from the event earlier in the day, as well as being disturbed from his semi-conscious state. However, his eyes widened when he realized it was Phil standing near his desk, looking slightly startled by his sudden outburst. "Oh... Phil, I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you..."

"I was just gonna ask if this seat was taken..." Phil mumbled, gesturing to the empty seat next to Dan's. "But if you don't want me to sit near you, that's fine..."

"No-no-no, it's fine!" Dan said quickly. "There's no one sitting there..."

"You sure?" Phil asked, gently drumming his fingers on Dan's desk.

"I'm sure, really." Dan nodded his head.

"Okay, whatever you say..." His seemingly ever-present smile already back on his face, Phil slid into the desk next to Dan, placing his stuff on the desktop. "You're probably wondering what I'm doing here, huh?"

"Yeah, shouldn't you be planting hydrangeas or something?" Dan asked half-mockingly, smirking.

Phil chuckled softly. "Not exactly. History is one of the classes I can't get out of by gardening. But apparently I somehow managed to test into the honors course, so here I am!" He smiled and adjusted the flower in his hair, which was already partially wilted. "I guess it's lucky that you're in this class... otherwise, I wouldn't know anybody." 

At that moment, the teacher walked into the room, clapping her hands a couple times to get the students' attention. Phil promptly turned to the front of the room, pulling out his notebook and flipping to a clean page. Dan sighed and put his earbuds back in, blocking out the drone of the teacher. For a few minutes, he doodled on the desk with a Sharpie as Fall Out Boy blared in both ears. Eventually, he looked up and noticed Phil was staring at him with a confused expression. Dan fumbled in his backpack for a piece of paper and wrote down something with the Sharpie before passing the paper over to Phil. This teacher doesn't give two shits what I do in her class. She knows I never do any work. As long as I'm not hitting someone over the head with a desk or something, she leaves me alone.

Phil quickly read the note. Biting his lip, he scribbled a reply before sliding the paper back across the desk. How come you don't pay attention? 

Because it's boring. Why should I listen to something I'm not interested in?

I see what you mean, but that's kinda the point of school. You may not like it, but you kinda have to listen. 

I don't really care. I'd rather just slack off and skip class. I don't know why, I just do.

At first, Phil didn't write down a reply and simply stared at the paper for a minute or so. Finally, he drew something on the paper and slid it back over. It was a small, sloppy doodle of a flower with a smiling face. Dan smiled at the drawing before scribbling a rain cloud over it. Phil pouted and glared at Dan. Dan shrugged. What? Plants need rain, not just sun.

I guess you're right. Phil drew a sun next to the cloud. Now it can have both.

Dan smiled and sketched some grass under the flower as Phil added a couple more clouds. Phil quickly wrote something else on the corner of the paper. I can't draw very well, sorry. 

It's fine, neither can I. Dan grinned at him. Phil smiled back before reaching over and plucking the Sharpie out of Dan's hand. Slightly confused, Dan watched as Phil drew cat whiskers and a nose on the back of Dan's hand. Dan snorted and stifled a laugh, taking Phil's pencil and writing again. What was that for?

They're cat whiskers. Don't you like them?

No, they're cute. But why on my hand?

I could draw some on your face too if you wanted.

How about when we're not in school? I have a feeling that wouldn't blow over well.

Whatever you say.

They're quite long. Guess I'm an aged cat.

Phil snickered quietly. Now you do me.

Dan smiled and took the Sharpie, drawing identical cat whiskers on the back of Phil's hand.

"Now we match," Phil mouthed.

Dan nodded before turning back to the desk and continuing to draw on it with the Sharpie. Phil sighed and shook his head, laughing quietly. After a minute or so, he wrote something on the paper. What are you listening to? In response, Dan pulled out one of the earbuds and passed it over to Phil. Phil put it in his ear and listened with a small smile. Nice...

Thanks, I guess? Dan sighed quietly and glanced down at his hand,  tracing the cat whisker design with his finger. When he looked up again, he noticed that Phil was looking at him with a tiny, awkward smile. Dan raised an eyebrow and managed a small smile in return. The instant he returned the smile, Phil quickly turned away, biting his lip. Dan was slightly confused but chose not to question this, instead beginning to draw on the desk again. But he somehow couldn't push the incident out of his mind...

A/N: Hello, my wonderful reader! I'm sorry this chapter is so short. But hopefully you guys still like it. Please vote and feel free to tell me what you think or give me suggestions! :)