***
Unlike most people in this situation, Dan can't yell at his dad to stop the car so he can get out and run away.
So Dan waits until his Dad has parked the car and turned it off. Dan's Dad has entered his number in Dan's phone, so they can 'catch up on lost time', but Dan does not feel like it. He needs to be by himself, to think, clear his head. So he sends a text to his Dad.
Dan: I don't want to spend dinner with you. In fact, I couldn't think of anything worse. Please stop bothering me.
Dan then exits the car, running off down the familiar street. He feels his dad behind him, but he's further away. Dan keeps running, he doesn't want to face his father again. He feels his phone keep buzzing in his hand, but he ignores it.
"Dan? What are you doing?" A voice suddenly asks, and Dan turns to see Phil getting out of a car.
'Hide me' Dan mouths and Phil nods, with a confused look on his face. So Dan jumps into the backseat of his car, and watches as his Dad runs past.
Dan sends a quick text to his mum, so she won't worry about him if his dad texts him.
Dan: Hi Mum, I don't want to talk to dad, coming home soon.
Mum: okay, see you soon x
"Are you going to explain?" Phil asks, looking back at Dan, his eyebrows creased in confusion, his lips pursed, "why were you running? Are you in danger? Are you okay? Please tell me, I'm your friend you can trust me..."
Dan nods, cutting Phil off by holding up his phone in Phil's face. Phil gives Dan a smile but is quite impatient while Dan is typing it out into a text. He twitches and keeps looking over at Dan, mentally praying for him to type faster.
"Dan, hurry up or those three dots with drive me insane!" Phil groans, staring at his screen.
Dan huffs and rolls his eyes, he's typing as fast as he can, it's just a long story. He finally finished the text, sending it, Phil whooping with joy when he finally received it.
Dan: please don't tell anyone this phil but when I was younger, like really young, my father was an alcoholic and my mother was trapped with him. One night, my father smashed a bottle into me, and my mother finally snapped, leaving him behind. I never heard from him since, but today he wanted to 'catch up'. And he told me why I am mute. When he hit me with that bottle, it hit my throat and then I fell back, hitting my head on something hard, loosing my power of speech forever. That's why I was running, to get away from my dad. I don't want to meet him, now after what he did.
"Oh Dan..." Phil says softly, his eyes watering slightly as he reads the text, "Dan I... I don't know what to say..."
For once, Phil is not rambling, his brain, usually so full of them, seems to be empty of any words to say. He has nothing to say, Phil doesn't know what to say to Dan. When he first met Dan, he had a strong impulse just to be friends with him, but after hearing this, he wants to be friends with Dan more than ever.
Dan: don't pity me, it's in the past now.
Phil: I know. At least your mum left him...
Dan: yeah. Um, can you take me home please?
"Of course I'll take you home Dan! We could hang out to, if that's okay, or if you just want to be alone..." Phil rambles, "but I think in these situations you're better off not to be alone, but I don't want to invite myself, but anyway, I think that-"
Dan successfully cuts Phil off with a text.
Dan: I suppose it wouldn't hurt if you stayed a little while, if you're not busy.
"I'm not, I was in town to go find some clothes in the sales, but that can wait. I think this is gonna be fun right Dan? Yeah, it will be!" Phil says, smiling widely at him.
Sure, Dan thought, what could possibly go more wrong than his dinner with his dad?
Twenty minutes and three wrong turns later, Phil finally pulls up put the front of Dan's house. Dan gets out, and Phil follows behind him as Dan walks inside.
"Dan honey, I'm sorry, are you okay?" His mum asks, smothering him in a hug and Dan feels his cheeks burn slightly, "oh, we have company."
"Hi Mrs Howell, I'm Phil, Dan's friend from school, it's a pleasure to meet you." Phil says, grinning at Dan's mum and shaking her hand vigorously, "sorry for the sudden turn up, I hope it isn't a hassle to you."
"It's okay. I'm glad Dan has friends, especially if they're as nice as you Phil." Dan's mum says, making Phil smile wider.
"Thanks Mrs Howell! Dan here really is quite something. He fits in really well with us at school." Phil says, before Dan grabs his arm and starts tugging him away towards the staircase.
"I'll talk to you later Mrs Howell!" Phil calls, waving at Dan's laughing mother before Dan practically drags Phil up the stairs.
Dan opens the door to his room, and Phil walks in, his eyes widening as they dart around Dan's room, while Dan stands at the door feeling self conscious and awkward, as Dan's room basically represents him.
"It's really nice! I love your room!" Phil says brightly, smiling as he gazed upon Dan's CD collection, "it's a bit like mine actually, you have really cool stuff, I'd totally steal some of these things for my room!"
Dan internally sighs with relief before sitting on his grey, white and black duvet. After doing three laps of his room, Phil finally joins Dan on his bed, pulling out his phone and motioning for Dan to do the same.
Phil: so, want to do the questions thing again?
Dan: yeah sure
Phil: um, who's your favourite in the group? YOU HAVE TO PICK ONE!!
Dan: you I guess? I talk to you the most, and you're the first person I met so...
Phil: yay!!!! Your turn!
Dan: what's a secret of yours?
Phil: I'm lactose intolerant but I still love milk and things made on it :)
Dan: wow, big, dramatic secret... doesn't it make you sick then if you have dairy?
Phil: no, I can have a glass of milk a day so I'm all good :)
Dan: your turn
This goes on between the boys, them just texting each other, just like a conversation. Dan seems to be happy with Phil, content in that moment. He, Dan Howell, has a friend and as far as friends go, Phil is pretty great. They have so much in common.
Phil isn't put off by anything about Dan which would usually repel people. Everything people used to make fun of Dan for, Phil compliments, and it honestly makes Dan feel a lot better about himself.
He feels like he can be himself around Phil.
Dan wonders if this is what having a best friend feels like; just having someone who is endlessly there for you. Dan is so happy, he almost forgets the whole dilemma with his father, but that soon comes to an end.
When Dan and Phil are about to eat dinner, the front door bursts open and Dan's eyes widen as he sees his father stroll angrily into the dining room.
"Daniel James Howell you are coming with me, no questions asked." His dad says harshly, grabbing Dan roughly by the arm and yanking him closer.
Dan can smell the alcohol on his breath, and he squeezes his eyes shut as his mind takes him back inside the memory where his father makes him mute.
Dan shakes his head, glaring at his dad, yanking his arm out of his grip and stepping away.
"Yes." He threatens, taking a step towards Dan, but Dan shakes his head again, taking another step back.
"No." Phil says suddenly, stepping in between them and standing up agains Dan's dad.
Bad idea Phil! Get away! Dan wants to yell at his friend, but alas, he cannot and he's too late anyway.
It all happens in slow motion, his dad's clenched fist swing forward, Phil's eyes widening in shock and the sickening crunch of bone against bone. Phil falls to the ground, clutching his injured jaw. Dan's father smirks down at the scene and then at Dan.
"I'll best be off then, I'll see you later Daniel." He says before walking out, the front door slamming shut behind him.
"Phil! Are you okay?" Dan's mum asks, kneeling beside the boy.
"Yeah I'm just - ow - sore. Do you have - ow - any ice?" Phil asks, wincing in pain.
Dan looks at his friend with sympathetic eyes. Phil looks at Dan and tries to smile, but it causes him too much pain. With tears eyes, Dan abruptly gets up and runs to his room, slamming the door shut and sinking to the ground, his back against the door, his head in his hands.
Everything is ruined. Phil is hurt, because of Dan. Why does Dan just leave trails of destruction behind him? Why does his father insist on ruining everything for him?
Dan sighs, why can't his life just be normal and simple? It's as if the world just simply does not want him to be happy for once.
*****************
AN: hi hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for over 100 reads! Yay!
Please let me know if you enjoyed the chapter! And also please leave a vote and comment! Also share it around if you get the chance.
Thanks so much for reading, update soon! :D