Speak [ phan ]

chapter six

***

Phil wasn't at school for the next week.

He texted Dan, but he never replied, because Dan didn't want anyone else to get hurt because of him. At school, Dan ignored Phil's other friends, much to their confusion.

No one knew why Dan was acting this way - except for Dan himself, of course.

Dan's father was around more, and despite knowing how much Dan despised him, Dan's mother did not seem to care in the slightest. She was still caring towards Dan, but it seemed as if she was still too scared to stand up to his father.

In other words, she chose her alcoholic ex-husband over her mute son.

This made Dan lock himself in his room for most of the time he was home. He was miserable, but kept it to himself, because his brother had his friends, and his father had started treating his mother nicely again, and she let him.

Dan was a selfless person, he always did whatever it took to keep those he cared about safe, even if it meant himself getting hurt in the process. This was a good quality, but perhaps it is also his downfall.

He doesn't want to go to school today. Phil will be back, he knows he will, be because he sent Dan a text saying so.

Although Dan hasn't replied to any of the texts from his now ex friends, he doesn't have the heart to block them, so he just lets his phone receive multiple texts, and lets his heart break a little more with each one.

On his was to school, Dan thought of possible ways to avoid Phil, but it would be hard, considering the guy is in majority of his classes.

It was worse seeing Phil in person.

Phil has a large, blue and purple bruise on his face, right below his eye, and it covered almost his whole left cheek. Dan winced when he saw it. The bruise stuck out more because of Phil's pale skin, and his friends were around him, no doubt asking how it happened, and Dan suddenly felt even more sick.

"Dan!" Phil called out when he spotted him, but Dan chose to ignore him, only walking away faster.

"Dan hold up! Don't be mad! Why haven't you replied? Are you okay? Dan wait!" Phil calls out after him, but Dan only runs faster, around the side of the building, until Phil's shouts can no longer be heard.

When Dan walks into the classroom, Phil waves him over next to him, but Dan walks to the middle, where there's an empty desk. He sighs, slamming his books on the desk and slouching down, hoping to avoid Phil's hurt gaze burning into his back.

Phil was confused and hurt as to why Dan left, he didn't understand him. Dan glances over behind him at Phil, only for a second, but Phil's expression is still forever embedded into his memory.

The hurt, betrayed, confused and overall saddened look on Phil's bruised face haunted Dan for the rest of the lesson.

At the break, Dan went to his new spot, under a large tree, away from Phil's group, but he could still see them through a window.

Dan saw them pointing him out to Phil as he picked apart his lunch. He didn't look up again, guilt and hurt curling up inside of him. He sighed, wanting the ground to swallow him whole, just so he wouldn't have to be here any longer.

"Dan, why are you ignoring us - me?" Phil asks, making Dan jump as he appears beside him, "was it something we did, was it about your father, did something happen, please just tell me Dan, I can see you're upset, and I want to know why Dan, please!"

Dan shakes his head, looking down as he shoves his things into his bag, standing up but Phil grabs his arm, preventing Dan from leaving.

"Dan, please, tell me why!" Phil pleads, his grip around Dan's wrist desperately tight