Darkshines

Chapter Seventeen

Phil's POV

"Wow, Peej, can you believe it? " Phil gestured with his hands enthusiastically, "he smiled at me in the corridor? Actually smiled?"

"Tell me again and I might just remember that" PJ rolled his eyes, " and secondly, are you crushing on him or something, because the way you're reacting to that simple act of kindness tells me you are".

"Come on, don't mock me, I'm not crushing on him, what are you on about?" Phil defended himself, pouting as he sat back on his chair. "But it was rather unbelievable, wasn't it?"
PJ chuckled, he wouldn't be able to change subject anytime soon. "Yes, well, it was rather strange indeed. Maybe he has finally gotten some good into his head, after all."

"I wonder if I should speak to him. Is it too soon? We're not friends. Are we enemies? Does he hate me still? Will he still beat me up?" Phil just opened his mouth and all his questions swirling in his head, he rambled for PJ to hear.

"Phil, mate, just. Leave it. For now? There's not much to do now, we'll probably have to wait and see, okay?" PJ attempted to wrap up their conversation about it, having talked about it all morning before class and seeming to become slightly done with it, strained smile and all.

"Okay, sorry, probably.." Phil fidgeted with the plastic lid from his cup of coffee and fell quiet, then glanced out of the halls from their table, noticing he was indeed looking for a tall, brown haired person in particular. He rolled his eyes at himself. Why did Dan keep occupying his mind?
PJ started speaking after a while of silence again and they eventually melted into an interesting conversation that lasted until they had to part their ways to the different classes they had to attend when school started.

"For the next hour, we'll work on some exercises regarding source criticism upon the two short essays about the Cold War that you should've read until today," their History teacher, Mrs Jordan, begun the class once everyone had sat down and she brought up the list of names with students of this class and looked down at it, " and you'll be working in groups of two, which, before you all move, I've assigned for you already."

The class sighed, as assigned groups were no favorite of theirs. Phil just hoped it was someone willing to work with him.
Mrs Jordan started to read out names and when she mentioned Phil's assigned partner, he was relieved it was one of the quiet girls, Annie. This wasn't so bad.

They got to work, and the first five minutes he and Annie lightly discussed the essays' different views, it went good.
Well, yeah, for the first five minutes, as mentioned before. Shortly after beginning the discussion, Annie excused herself, telling the teacher she had to leave due feeling sick, so she was off to nurses office. Phil was left alone with the exercise, and he kind of prefered it anyway.

But Mrs Jordan wasn't pleased.

"Mr Lester, as your study partner just left, you'll now be working with Mr Howell, who is currently joining a group of three, so he'll split with that group and work with you instead. Please go sit by his table." she instructed Phil. He glanced over back to where Dan sat, empty seat beside him.

Okay. Was this a good idea? He had absolutely no idea. But nor did he have a choice, so he reluctantly got up, bringing his assignment paper with him over to plop down beside Dan.

Dan frowned at him, surprised and hesitant. "Why are you here?" he questioned.

"Mrs Jordan reassigned our groups, as my partner left, so...she said I'd work with you." Phil told him, hoping it wouldn't cause him any trouble, even though it wasn't his choice.

"Oh, 'kay." Dan just said, as if dumbfounded.

"Right.. So.." Phil started, he could just as well just focusing on the assignment, " the two essays about the Cold war, paints two entirely different pictures and we'll discuss what they say differently and what- "