// sorry it's kind of short, but I wanted to update for you :) //
dan
Dan sits in art beside Pj, twirling his pencil between his fingers.
He stares at his blank page, trying to find some inspiration to start a drawing but coming up blank. He looks beside at Pj's sketch, which is a person, so the face is just a blur.
"You haven started anything Dan," Pj says, frowning as he looks across to Dan's paper, "you'd better get going or you'll get a detention for not doing anything."
"I know, I'm just not sure what to draw," Dan replies with a sigh.
"Draw something that you find beautiful," Pj suggests, shrugging, "that's what I do when my brain refuses to think creatively."
"Thanks, good idea Pj," Dan says, looking at the paper again and starting to sketch.
And by the end of the lesson, he has a pair of eyes staring back at him from the paper - Phil's eyes, to be exact.
After art, Pj and Dan walk to the table where they eat lunch. Dan slides in between Louise, Dan can tell from the hair, and Pj, opening a bag of chips and crunching on them.
"Hey Dan, why is Phil Lester staring at you?" Caspar asks, "did you do something to annoy him?"
"No," Dan says, his cheeks tinting link as he turns around and meets Phil's eyes.
Phil looks away quickly, acting as if he wasn't staring at Dan's back. Dan sighs and turns back again, but he can now feel Phil's eyes burning into his back.
"That's kind of scary, he keeps looking at you Dan," Pj says, glancing over in Phil's direction again, "you should be careful around him. He's probably just sussing out the new kid."
"I'm not that new," Dan argues.
"Yeah you are," Pj laughs, patting Dan on the back, "you're the new kid until another new kid comes, which is usually in the next year."
Dan rolls his eyes. "Well, still... Shut up."
"Anyway, just stay away from Phil okay?" Pj asks, his voice laced with worry, "he's just... Got a bad temper and I don't want to see you getting hurt."
"I can take are of myself," Dan argues.
"Not with Phil Lester you can't," Pj says, "he is nothing but bad news and trouble - nothing will change that."
"Oh, okay..."
"Just promise me you'll try to steer clear of him," Pj pleads.
"Fine," Dan sighs, hating to lie to Pj, "I'll stay away."
"Thanks Dan," Pj says, "I'm just looking out for you."
Dan nods in return, giving Pj a small smile, but guilt is curling inside of his chest from lying to his friend. He sighs, trying to reassure himself that what he did was okay.
Promises are made to be broken, right? But then that makes Dan wonder, if promises are made to be broken;
Why make them in the first place?
***
That afternoon, Dan walks home with Phil, already breaking his promise to Pj.
"Uh, clearly Charmander is the better starter pokémon out of the three," Dan says, rolling his eyes at Phil's denial to this fact.
"No way! Piplup! It's like, way more powerful," Phil argues, "water is stronger."
"Uh, not against grass pokémon, which are really common," Dan says, rolling his eyes again, "god Phil, do you even pokémon?"
"Yes, I pokémon all the time," Phil says, "I always pokémon and Phil, y'know, Phil instead of chill."
"Your witty humor is outstandingly funny," Dan say flatly, but is fighting a smile, "you should be Phil Jester."
"What are we even talking about?" Phil asks, laughing at their conversation.
"I dunno. I never had you down as a pokémon fan Phil," Dan says, raising an eyebrow at him, "you seemed a bit too cool for it. And then you just made a terrible pun."
"Yeah, well don't tell anyone but I'm a nerd at heart," Phil laughs, smiling at Dan, "and I think that joke was pretty darn good."
Dan grins back at Phil. So long he's wanted to know what a smile looked like, and now he can finally see the most beautiful smile in the world: the smile of Phil Lester.
Dan slows down as they near his driveway, not wanting to part with Phil, but he was promised an early family dinner tonight, which would be a challenge in itself. Dan pauses, hesitant to go inside.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow I guess Dan?" Phil asks, turning to face Dan, "wait for me to walk to school yeah?"
"Yep, see ya," Dan says, giving Phil a small wave, "wish me luck."
"Good luck, and if they start yelling, don't be afraid to stand up to them," Phil advises, patting Dan on the back, "you'll be fine."
"Thanks Phil," Dan says before turning and walking inside his front door. He's greeted by his mother for the first time in years, and it's not really even a proper greeting anyway.
"Dan, thank goodness. You're finally here. We're having dinner now, I have to be at the hospital in an hour," His mother says, giving him a quick hug before pushing him towards the dining room.
Dan inwardly groans, of course they have to rush through dinner. And Dan doesn't even think of pointing out that it is in fact only four, and dinner usually isn't until a few hours later. Dan slides into the seat opposite his father, who's face is a blur as he types on his phone, not even looking up when Dan sits down.
"Dinner," Dan's mother announces, setting a bowl of pasta in front of them all before joining them, sitting beside Dan's father and opposite Dan.
"Thanks," Dan says, picking up his fork and shoving some in his mouth.
An awkward silence which shouldn't be at family dinners follows as they all eat, waiting for someone else to start the conversation. Dan sure as hell isn't starting it.
"So... Dan how's school?" His mother asks.
"Good, I have some good friends," Dan replies, not looking up from his bowl.
"And therapy?"
"Fine I guess."
"That's good."
"Mmm hmm."
Silence follows the dead ended conversation. Dan wants to scream and throw his bowl against the wall at his sad excuse for a family. This so called 'family dinner' has managed to make him feel so much worse.
"Will you say something instead of playing on your phone?" His mother snaps at his father.
"I'm not playing I'm organizing something for work!" His father retorts.
"Well we're having dinner right now!"
"I know! I'll just finish organizing it when I go in tonight anyway."
"Of course you will. You're obsessed with work!"
"So are you!"
"Not as much as you!"
"You are too!"
"I'm more committed to this family than you are!"
"How dare you say that? I do as much as I can for this family!"
"WHAT FAMILY?!" Dan yells, standing up roughly and glaring at his parents, breathing heavily.
"What family? Our family!" Dan's mum snaps, folding her arms and looking at him.
"We aren't a family! I barely see you, you're never there!" Dan says, "all you do is fight before leaving me alone. That isn't how families work!"
"See! It's all you," his dad says, looking knowingly at his mother.
"Is not! Tell him it's not all me Dan!"
"It is, tell her Dan!"
"Tell him Dan!"
"No, tell her!"
"Him!"
"Her!"
"Him!"
"Her!"
Dan doesn't reply, he just runs out of the dining room before he goes out the front door and around the corner of the street. He doesn't stop running until he reaches an empty patch of grass - a park which is unusually empty, but Dan doesn't care.
Dan just sinks to the ground and cries, his heart filling a little more with anger and hurt with each tear.
His parents can't make him choose between them! That's just cruel. Dan couldn't pick a side anyway, he doesn't see them enough to. Hell, he hardly even knows his parents. Dan sighs, why is no one ever here when he needs them?
"Dan? What are you doing here?" A voice asks, making Dan jump around to meet a pair of the only eyes he can see - Phil's oceanic blue ones.
"I-what are you doing here?" Dan asks in shock, did Phil read his mind?
"I followed you here," Phil explains, sitting beside Dan on the grass, "I saw you leave so I thought something was wrong.."
Dan remains silent, staring straight ahead at the ground. He isn't sure what to do next. Phil is beside him, so close his body is warming Dan's own, and he can feel his heart beating ten times faster than usual.
"What did happen?" Phil asks quietly, looking over towards Dan.
"I-they were fighting. And they tried to make me pick a side," Dan says, tears welling in his eyes, "I couldn't. So I just ran out."
"It's okay Dan..."
"No. It's not okay."
"Yeah, you're right. It's not."
"What do I do Phil?"
"I don't really know. But... I'd start with being with people who do make you happy," Phil suggests, his blue eyes focusing on Dan's own eyes.
"O-okay," Dan whispers.
"Who makes you happy Dan?" Phil asks.
"Honestly," Dan says, breaking eye contact and looking towards the ground, "you do Phil."
And suddenly, Phil's lips are pressed against Dan's own. Dan feels a spark ignite inside of him, but all to soon, Phil pulls away, staggering back and staring at Dan with wide eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, I-I can't," he stammers before turning and running away.
And Dan is left on the ground, confused and slightly hurt, his lips tingling and his heart racing wildly.
***********
an// hey hope you enjoyed! You guys reach the goals before I get a chance to write a new chapter! haha you're always just so quick.
60 votes and 30 comments for a new chapter!
Anyway, thoughts on phan kiss? Thoughts in Dan's parents? I hope you're enjoying the book so far. Update when the goal is reached! :D