tw: swearing, bullying, crying
ages: dan-16. phil-16.
words: 2103
phil notices people picking on dan, and he doesn't understand why.
PHIL'S POV
I didn't actually notice Dan Howells existence until year 11, as bad as it sounds.
Not in a mean way, like, I didn't ignore him or anything. He just tended to stay hidden and alone, and I usually just stuck by my group of friends.
The first time I saw him was at break this one day. I was sat with my two best friends - Chris and Pj - under a tree on the field. Not that many people usually go out to the field, so I was surprised to see someone sitting under a tree not so far away from us. He had cute brown hair in a fringe like mine, and he was reading a book. I'd zoned out from what my two friends were talking about, just watching this boy. He just looked so content, so peaceful. I wondered how I'd never spotted him before, how I could miss such a pretty face.
However, this hadn't lasted very long.
I noticed two other troublesome boys from my year walk up behind him as one of them began to climb the tree that this brown haired boy was sat under. I guessed that this guy was so wrapped up in what he was reading that he didn't hear them. I creased my brow in confusion as to what these idiots were going to do; one was stood, laughing, as the other climbed into the branches of the tree. Disappearing into the leaves.
Before I could do anything to stop it, the branches of the tree were being shaken. I didn't quite understand why they were doing it, but my eyes widened when I saw something fall from the mass of leaves.
A bee hive.
I watched in horror as the boy turned to see what had fallen, jumping back slightly when he realised what it was. I could just about make out a swarm of bees arising around him as he quickly packed his book into his bag. He jumped up, and I carried on watching as he left the tree, patting down his entire body to rid of any bees. I saw his confused expression morph into one of defeat as he saw the other two boys by the tree, bent over and cackling. I could hear them from where I was sat.
It was a horrible thing to witness, and as soon as this brown haired boy had left my line of sight, I couldn't help but hate myself for not doing something to stop it from happening.
I spotted him again in my English class the same day
red bee stings all over his hands and arms as he stared out the window, a sad look on his face.
-
I began to notice him more after that, but I hadn't been able to talk to him yet.
It wasn't like I didn't try. Sometimes I'd try to get his attention with a hushed 'excuse me' in lessons, but he never heard me. Either that, or he was just ignoring me. Maybe that was it, maybe he just didn't want to talk to me. I was being annoying, not leaving the poor guy alone.
This is what I was thinking when I walked towards my usual table in the canteen, sitting down opposite my friends Louise and Connor. They greeted me with big smiles, going back to what they were discussing before I'd arrived. I didn't mind though, they were still acknowledging me.
