The Exchange Student ➵ phan

Chapter 18

~ slight smut and puke warning ~

It's 4 a.m. when the door flings open, me, in typical summer fashion, am lying quite, well, not sexily on my pillow. Head tilted to touch my chest and arm craned just enough to reach the keyboard arrows.

The stairs creak all to fast and internally I shriek. Pausing whatever video I was watching to pass the time and pulling the blankets halfway up my face. When I was young my sister would have sleepovers and I always wanted to join in, sure she would reluctantly let me, but they would all tell ghost stories about the dark that absolutely scarred me for life.

All of the classic 'scare you brother' stories come rushing back to me as the hardwood in the hallway begins to creak, groaning under the pressure of somebody obviously heavy. Bloody Mary, Johnny, hell the Goosebumps monsters are even coming to mind. I squeeze my eyes shut and pray my breathing isn't too loud.

The steps move away from me and a door creaks open, then another.

I tense, waiting for whatever horror awaits me and opening my eyes to find... nothing. No evil mutant, no clawed glove, no, nothing.

"Phil!" I hear a deep sounding voice say and relax for a second. Just Phil being, well, Phil.

"Get out of my way."

"No! Not until you tell me where the hell you have been and, Phil, are you drunk?"

At that I hurry out of bed, pulling on a hoodie and pink pajama pants as I go. I open the door to be greeted with the back of Phil's head, making sure to stay hidden inside the door frame. What can I say? I'm nosey.

"Just let me go. God dammit it."

"Phil no. You need to sit down. You need serio-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Phil tenses, his grip on a black bag tightening. By now Lyda has joined Harold, pale faced and shaking in her pajamas.

Phil sighs and runs his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry. I'm, yeah." Then he walks between them, each to stunned to say a single word. He was never this nice, something had happened.

A spike of concern fills me and I hurry down the stairs. "Phil wait!"

"Dan." Lyda tries to say but I'm out the door before she can say anything. I catch Phil pulling just off the curb, hitting his window with the palm of my hand. Already sweating at the humidity. He stops quickly, his eyes wide as I pull the door open.

"Where are we going?"

"You are kidding me, right?"

"Nope. Where are we going?"

Phil sighs and I smile to myself. He should know by now I'm too bullheaded to actually leave now. The mistake would stupid on my part.

He starts moving again and I lean back, my knees pumping the dashboard. I go to set my feet on the top.

"You do that and I will literally slit your throat," Phil grits his teeth and pushes my legs down.

I bite in his direction teasingly and cross my legs in the chair instead. "I'm so scared lion boy."

Phil smiles to himself before tensing again. "How did you know about that?"

"Your obsession with lions? Phil there are three lions in this car right now," I point each of them out, one on Phil's keychain, one on the top mirror and a small sticker pressed to the front of the driver's seat. Phil blushes and knocks my hand away gently.

"I get it, I get it," he rolls his eyes and bites his lip. For a second we sit in silence, a swirl like water going down the drain seems to surround Phil as he makes a choice to say something.