The fence. phanfiction

Big old oak tree, playing cards and jealousy...1

PHIL

2 years passed.

"Hey Phil, wanna play?"

I heard a voice say on the other side of my yard ask. My eyebrows creased in confusion as I stood up from my sandbox, dusting off the remains of sand left on my shorts. I was walking towards the fence door when Dan took me by surprise and opened them, missing my face by a few inches. He smiled politely, scrunching up his nose and shoved his play cards right in front of my face. I couldn't hold back my smile as I got quite excited. On the play cards box you could see a Pikachu and a Charmander both smiling underneath a text: 'Pokemon play cards'. Of course those weren't the original pokemon cards, more like a cheap knock-off.

"How cool! Where did you get those?" I tried to get my voice to be a little more audible and loud, but my shyness just didn't let me. Dan had to ask two times what I said and he probably still didn't hear it. I really need to work on that.

The brown haired neighbor shrugged his shoulders, and went to sit underneath the big oak tree I was so jealous off. My backyard was complete treeless and I would love a swing hanging from a branch or a treehouse. He patted the space beside him and took shuffled to the side so I could sit beside him. Our knees brushed as we both had to be close to each other.

Being around girls most of the time made me kind of unaware how a real boy acts. Why do they sit all spread or watch football while eating nasty food? Why do they smell so gross and dress so boring?

I'm not used to be around other guys, even at school I usually play alone or try to play with my girl friends. Oddly enough, since they turned seven, they started to act all weird whenever I was around. They whisper in each other's ears, giggle and run away from me. My sisters explain that they might have a crush on me, but I'm not really concerned about that.

When Dan nudged his knee with mine, I finally woke up from my day dream. I looked down and there were two piles of cards prepared. I got nervous when I remembered I can't play at all.

My grandpa used to do all these magic tricks with his cards, the classic ones of course. That's probably the only thing I remember of my grandpa. I remember he went fishing with my cousins, and I stayed home with my nana watching soap operas. Well, I wasn't really watching as I took all my focus on drawing mustaches on celebrities on her magazines.

"I don't know how to play though." I admitted, but he didn't look surprised. He just went straight to explaining.

"Okay so you pick up your cards like this. And then you look for pairs. When you don't have a certain card, you can pic one from me but without looking. Got it?" he explained. I quickly nodded, shifting to sit on my legs.

I picked up my cards, that had 2 pikachu, 2 squirtles, 1 charmander and 1 bulbasaur. I laid my pairs on the side what left me with 1 charmander and one bulbasaur. So I took one card from Dan which was one charmander and he took my bulasaur.

"This game is wrong." I said after the second exact some round. I felt my cheeks turning red when he looked at me all frustrated.

"Why?" He asked.

"See, we need more players. Because if we need a pair of the same characters we both will always win. Whenever I will take the card it will be one of mine cards and-"

"Blah, blah, blah... do you know any better game mister smart-ass?" he mocked me.

I tapped my chin with my index finger thinking about enviable things to do. I looked up at the sky, turning the clear blue sky grey, we live in Britain after all.

"We could play in my sand box." I suggest placing my hands on my knees now.

His face lit up but not for long before he looked down all sad.

"No, my mom will be really angry if i make my clothes dirty." he admitted pointing to his green jumper and a pair of jeans, his mom always dresses him to warm for the weather.

To be honest, I kind of wish we could play for more. We normally don't play together at school, Dan is to busy playing football with his own friends on the school's football field. And Dan seems like the only cool boy I've ever met.

Unfortunately, before i could think about anything else to play, my mom called me from the kitchen.

"Phil! Dinner is ready!" she said. A big smile planted on her face and her big blue eyes shining in the last remains of the sun. She had her's favorite apron in light blue flowers tied around her waist that we bought her for Christmas few years ago. My mom was really beautiful.

I stood up awkwardly not knowing how to say goodbye. Should I shake his hand like the old people do, or walk of and not say anything. We just both stood there, awkwardly looking at each other. When it lasted to long, he nodded and me and I nodded back, walking off quickly to my own house. But before I could close the fence door, from behind me I heard the smallest goodbye from him. And I said it back, even more silent.

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"So, how was your day Phil?" My mom started the conversation at the dinner table. Even when she cooks like a God, I wasn't really interested in the kitchen casserole on the plate in front of me, picking on it with my fork constantly, taking the smallest bites. I looked up at my mom, and then at all my sisters that ate fast. There was one missing though, and it was Lilly as she is in her uni now, living in a dorm like room with a few other people.

"It was good, I played with Dan in his backyard for a while." Suddenly all of my sisters started to match the same look.

"Oh really? I thought you didn't like Dan." Allison giggled, taking a sip from her juice.

"I don't know, at least someone wanted to play with me." I glared at them, yet I know they are all growing up and don't want to play with me anymore. I hear them saying that all the time.

"Yeah but Dan is really different from you, it's weird hear you say that you play with each other." Mamrie added. What does she mean?

"We aren't different!" I insisted.

"Okay, okay, he is just more of a boy, I didn't know you liked those type of kids."

That's the first time I realized how different I was from my peers. Why the girls ran away from me giggling and boys called me names and refused to pick me to play in their group at softball in gym class. The thought bothered me the whole day and night. Am I different from everyone else? Should I change?

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