Whiskers

The loner with the Whiskers

Phil's POV

the couple of days after Dan figured out why I was such a jerk when i was younger, he didn't look at me the same. I had told him my greatest secret and insecurities, and he looked at me like i was different. Not disgust for being a jerk, but like i was different. Like my parents looked at me, like all the people i knew at school did when I went I started going to school without my contacts. They didn't talk to me. Eighth grade I was on top of the world, but that summer and the first weeks of high school sucked. Slowly though, Dan started looking and talking and acting like it had never happened. He had accepted me even after learning I was the jerk in kindergarten.

I don't know why i never saw him after the first weeks on kindergarten or middle school. I wanted to keep track of this kid who was an outcast like me, but he wasn't afraid to show he was different on the outside. But he just disappeared.

We were both sitting on the couch, playing halo when i asked him the question. "Why did you stop going to school, twice?" I ask. He is silent for a little, still playing. "Well, my mum pulled me out of school." he says, casually. I could have stopped there, but i wanted to hear him say the thing i dreaded to hear most. "Why?" I asked. I needed to know that it was true. He pauses the game and looks at me, "The bullying. In kindergarten the teacher had a problem with me being the loner with the whiskers. Then when it started again in middle school, my mum pulled me out again. I think she just went to go live with grandpa so she wouldn't have to worry about pulling me out again and homeschooling me." He says, his voice bubbling with anger at his last sentence.

"You had to be pulled out of school and home schooled by your mom because of me." I say, putting down my controller. He sets his down completely, too and looks me right in eye. I look down to my lap, I'm not good with confrontation.

"Look, i don't care. It's only been two weeks and I've already been through so much and uncovered a lot of stuff i was trying to hide. Now i just want everything to go back when no one noticed me and we were just friends in a class. I'm glad i know who you are now, but i'm over it. It's in the past and we can't change it now, so there's no need to worry or dwell on something we can't control." He says, completely surprising me. He's so, accepting of me and what happened seven years ago. "Why?" I ask. He smiles, "To me, the meaning of a human life is to be happy. It's to achieve happiness right now, to make sure you're happy in the future, and so generally when you look back on your life you're like 'yes, that was satisfactory'. Do what ever you have to do to be happy."

I look at him, he is so serious. "And right now, to be happy i need to binge play Halo with my best friend." He says, picking up his controller and un-pausing it. I smile and play with him of course beating me with every game we play.

At about seven, he takes a shower. The past week, he hasn't been singing at all. I don't know if it was because he hated me, or if he was self conscious. But today, he was singing again. "And I've been housing all this doubt and insecurity. And I've been locked inside that house all the while. You hold they key. And I've been dying to get out and that might be the death of me..." I stand next to the door again, listening to his voice. He's really good at singing, his voice is smooth but confident.

I go into my room, and lay on my bed. I was afraid to go back to sleep though, because last night i had night terrors. I had always had them when i was young, but was too afraid to tell my mom. I was afraid she'd yell at me.

Dan's POV

I hear Phil scream from his room. I quickly turn off the shower and wrap a towel around my body. I step out of the shower and run, holding the towel to my chest with one hand. I push his door open to reveal Phil sitting up in his bed. He doesn't have any covers on and his eyes are wide and bloodshot. He's breathing hard and holding his head with one hand. "Phil, you scared me." He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. He closes it again. "Dan, y-you're alive." He says, shaking. "Um, yeah i-i am." I say, scared now.

"What happened Phil?" I ask, still standing. "I had a nightmare. I M-must have fallen asleep when you were in the shower." He says, taking deep breaths. "Phil, what happened?" I repeat, more firmly. He looks at me with worried eyes. He takes a deep breath. He shakes his head, "No, i don't want to." He says, crossing his arms. "You'll yell at me or something." He states. "Phil, you've hidden things from me before. See how that worked out? It's fine. Tell me." He shakes his head. "Phil..." I trail off. It's silent for a moment as i look at him look down at his lap.

"You were in the shower and i was listening to you s-singing. And then you suddenly stopped. I walked in and you were bleeding, with whiskers that were running because of the steam and the water. And you were dead." He says, on the verge of tears.

He had a nightmare of me dying? He can hear me in the shower? "You can hear me singing?" He looked at me, "No." He says, but he looks down and smiles. I sigh, but chuckle. "But you're ok?" I ask. He nods, then seems to realize i'm all wet and am dripping water all over his carpet. "Out!" He says, standing up. I'm taller than him, but he still pushes me out. I can't help but laugh as he presses a hand to my chest and pushes me back.

I turn around and walk out. I get back into the shower and wash out the rest of the conditioner. Then i get out and blow dry and straighten my hair. "What's for dinner?" I call, walking through the hall fully dressed. Phil's door is still open, and he's snoring. I wonder if he knows he snores. I close the door and smile.
~~~~~~~~~~•3•~~~~~~~~~~~~

The song - Be My Escape by Relient K

The quote about happiness belongs to Daniel Howell completely. It's in his video- The Meaning Of Life

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