Discovering Love // phan

Fourteen

  It all started with another new kid

  He caused much more of an uproar, firstly because he was second the new kid they'd had in the last month, which was kind of a record. And secondly, he was undeniably attractive. Dan saw that as soon as he walked into his English class.

  His hair was blond, but it was really dark as if he had dyed over it quite a few times, and it was a bit long, hanging over his forehead and curling at his ears. He had green eyes, like really green, and the way they shined made it seem as if he got into all kinds of trouble. He didn't look extremely fit, but he didn't look bad either. His skinny arms and wiry build just made his appearance that much more interesting. And his name...

  "Everyone, this is Jace." Their teacher announced, and Jace smiled at everyone. All the girls were whispering madly to one another, most likely about this new kid, and not paying attention at all as the teacher continued going on about him. Dan wasn't paying attention either, but not because he was fangirling. It was because Jace was staring at him, with the most wicked, yet entrancing smile on his face. It wasn't like Dan to be too affected by other people, but as he stared right back into Jace's glittering eyes, he had the strangest twisting in his stomach. He didn't know if it was wariness, or just something else, but he knew that he wouldn't want to be caught alone with this kid.

  The teacher eventually told Jace to take a seat, thankfully not too close to Dan, and the rest of the lesson was uneventful. No more staring contests with the new kid, and no more weird feelings curling up in Dan's stomach.

  "Are you alright?" Phil suddenly asked, ans Dan glanced over at him. He had almost forgotten he was even there.

  "Yeah, fine." He said, smiling at Phil and turning his attention back to the front.

  He really hoped that he didn't any other classes with Jace. And he didn't for the next two periods, but it turned out they had the same lunch.

  Since him and Phil didn't have the same lunch period, Dan usually sat outside so he wasn't surrounded by the rowdiness of the cafeteria. And because apparently, he was the most unlucky person to ever have existed, Jace showed up. Either that, or the guy was a stalker, Dan wouldn't put it past him.

  "Hey there." Jace said, as he plopped down on the grass next to Dan. He was sitting rather close, but Dan didn't say anything about it. "You're in my English class, right?" He asked.

  Dan was staring at the ground intensely, but he nodded at Jace's question. He didn't want to look him in the face, because he was sure that he would get that weird feeling again, that mixture of uneasiness and something he couldn't name. It was just something about his near perfect appearance that unsettled him.

  "I'm Jace Winslow." Jace continued, holding out his hand. Dan made the mistake of looking up, and he was caught in the stare that Jace was giving him. He kinda froze, because Damn, his eyes just look so unnatural, he thought, and he couldn't look away. Jace was smiling, but it wasn't the creepy smile he'd worn earlier. This one was much more friendlier, and it reached up to his eyes. Dan realized he was staring, and he looked away, flushing slightly at his own rudeness.

  "I,uh...I'm Dan. Dan Howell." He stumbled over his words a bit, and mentally cursed himself for seeming so nervous. He reached over and shook the hand that Jace was still holding out, trying not to think about how soft and warm his skin was.

  "Nice to meet you, Dan." Jace said, but Dan only nodded.

  And then it was silent between them. Dan didn;t have anything to say that would break the awkward quiet, and apparently Jace Winslow didn't either. From the corner of his eye, Dan could see him constantly glancing over at him, and it was unnerving being under his scrutiny like that.

  It was definitely the most uncomfortable lunch Dan had ever had to sit through, and he nearly broke out into song when the bell rang. He grabbed his things, and was just leaving when Jace grabbed his arm to stop him. Once again, Dan looked up at him and he was frozen again by the look Jace was giving him.

  "I just...I wanted to know if maybe you could help me out. I'm new here and everything, so I don't really know my way around. Could you show me around? Or something?" Jace rambled. Dan was surprised to see that he was actually a bit nervous. He didn't really seem like the type of guy to get nervous, about anything.

  He wasn't really to focused on the situation, because Jace was still holding onto his arm, and he found himself nodding once again. "I guess." He said. "I don't have anything better to do." Why had he agreed? It was those stupid eyes, making him all dazed with the way they seemed almost golden in the sunlight.

  Jace smiled widely at his answer, and Dan felt that twist in his stomach, but not really unpleasant this time. "Great." Jace said. He seemed to realize then that he was still gripping Dan's arm, because he let it go rather quickly. "So, um. Tomorrow then?" He asked, and Dan nodded. He smiled again, and then he left.

  Dan sighed in relief that he was finally gone, and he too made his way back to the school and to his next class. He didn't know why the guy made him so tense and nervous, but he did know that he didn't want to find out.

  He didn't see Jace at all for the rest of the day, and he was glad. The guy was just weird, and Dan didn't know how he would put up with him if they did share anymore classes.

  But what's worse was that, even though he wasn't there, Dan couldn't stop himself from thinking of him. Just in a curious way. He wondered why the boy was so interested in him, and why he made Dan so unsettled. He pictured those eyes of his, the way they always seemed to glow with some hidden emotion, and they way they darkened slightly whenever he was looking at Dan. They were definitely the most attractive part of Jace, but they were also the most crazy. Dan had honestly never seen eyes like those, and he was sure he never would.

  Why was even thinking so much about eyes? Especially Jace's eyes. That was something he should definately not be doing.

  At the end of the day, Dan was waiting by his locker for Phil, when again, Jace approached him. He saw him coming down the hall, but he tried, and failed, to seem as if he didn't see him so that maybe he'd just leave him alone.

  "Dan." Jace said, once he was beside him. "Hey, I just wanted to say, thanks again for helping me out. It means a lot."

  Dan was trying his hardest not to look him in the face, so he wouldn't freeze again. "Yeah, no problem." He said, smiling slightly. Jace smiled back, and then he waved slightly and was gone. Dan leaned his head back against the lockers behind him, sighing.

  "Who was that?" Dan jumped about a mile when Phil's voice sounded beside him not a second later. He hadn't heard him coming.

  "Uh...that was Jace. The new kid, in our English class?" Dan explained. Phil was staring at Jace's retreating back, his eyes narrowed slightly, and then he was looking at Dan again.

  "What did he want?"

  "I told him I'd help him out, show him around and stuff since he's new here and all."

  Phil nodded, and Dan silently breathed in relief that he didn't question him further. He didn't know why, but talking about Jace with Phil didn't seem right. Phil grabbed his hand, and they left together, with Phil telling him about something that had happened to him in one of his other classes, but Dan wasn't really paying attention.

  What exactly was he getting himself into with Jace? He wanted to be sure that Jace wasn't up to anything, but there just something in Dan's mind that made him doubt that. Jace just seemed so....mischievous, was the best word for  it. He seemed like he was always up to something, and not anything good. Dan couldn't help but be worried what he wanted with him.

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  a/n: It took me forever to come up with Jace's character. That there in the beginning was a picture of him, in case you didn't already guess.

  Hope you guys enjoyed this. Peace. :3