Darkshines

Chapter Twenty-Three

Phil's POV

He sensed something from the phone call had upset Dan, and when he wanted to help, Dan just got even more upset.

When Dan left all in a sudden, he wanted to go after him. But he understood Dan needed to be left alone right now, he wasn't ready to open up to someone such early stage of their friendship - Phil wouldn't have either.

Remembering being back at the place where Dan lived, he knew his life situation was poor. He hadn't met Dan's mum, which was something Dan seemed to fear and whatever reason that's for, it wasn't a good one.

The more time he spent with Dan, the more questions about him started to pop up, and it didn't help Dan was rather closed up about himself.

But he had started to see the true colours from Dan, behind the thick walls he'd built up. Phil decided he wanted to break through, and get to know the real Dan.

Giving him a chance maybe hadn't been so bad after all?

Phil had then left school and went home in the heavy rain, where he was met by his empty, dark house. He lit some candles, made himself a cup of tea and sat down in the cozy sofa. Browsing Netflix on the television, he put on American Horror Story and sat back and just enjoyed it.

Afterwards, he went to his room and flopped onto his bed, browsing his tumblr on the phone, feeling drowsy and sleepy.

He ended up on Dan's tumblr, looking through the many, wonderful photos he had posted.

Phil wondered if he knew how talented he was. The motives, the techniques, the messages and emotions it brought up for the viewer. He wanted to compliment Dan in person, but then Phil would have to explain how he knew of Dan's tumblr and all.

He scrolls down and finds the only selfie Dan had posted. Last time he had looked at it, he'd been too busy realising that Dan was the owner of this account, not looking at the picture itself.

A portrait of Dan, waist and up. It was a dark, monochrome picture with only Dan's pale skin as contrast. Staring into the camera with an expressionless face, only having his finger put to his lips, as if to say "shh".

Expressionless face, but the eyes still said everything. He couldn't decide on what they said, but settled on melancholic, sad. He felt a twinge of sadness in his heart just looking at it.

 [A/N: Art belongs to me!]

Was this self-portrait meant to express how Dan felt? If so, Dan must be feeling awful and it only made him want to be Dan's friend more. Despite of the terrible things he had done.

A knock on his door, followed by his mum walking into his room, making Phil look up from his phone and greeted her with a smile.

"Hello, child. How are you dear?" his mum said and sat down on his bed, gently caressing his hair with her warm hand.

"Hi mum, I'm doing fine. How about yourself?" Phil replied, leaning into her touch and sighed relaxed.

"Oh I'm well, thank you. Was school treating you good today? You've got any homework to do, honey?"

"It was alright." Phil mumbled. Didn't get punched, so that's definitely a win. "And no I have done all my homework in school, mum."

"Good boy, always doing so well in school. You know I'm proud of you, dearie" she praised and leant down, pressing a kiss to his head.

"Thanks, mum."

"I was speaking with your father on the phone earlier. The doctors says he's doing better, this last week have only been positive responses to the treatment." his mum continued, changing subject.

"That's good news? Will he come home soon then?" Phil asked, sitting up, facing his mum with curious eyes.

"Maybe, the doctors won't determine anything yet but they're speaking of letting him go home next week for a few days, if everything keeps going the right direction" she smiled, putting her arm around him and pulled him into her embrace.

"I hope so, I miss him a lot" Phil admitted, looking out of his window from where he was faced in the hug.

His mum hugged him a while longer then released him, though still holding his arm and her warm, tired eyes quietly observing her son.

"He's just a phone call away, you know."

"I know, but it's just not the same." Phil sighed.

"I know, honey" his mum agreed quietly. She brought up a hand and caressed his cheek. "Dear, have something happened with your nose? It looks a little swollen to me."

"Oh that?" Phil blinked, trying to come up with an excuse while looking around the room, like it would have the answer he searched for. "There's this stupid glass door in the school library, I ran into it the other day." he chuckled nervously.

His mum smiled, which was her way of telling him his lie didn't work on her.

"Please tell me if they've been hurting you again, Philip. It doesn't have to be that way, we can fix that." she said and looked directly at Phil with worried eyes.

There was no way he could tell her anything but the truth right there and then.

"Alright, it was just a few punches from some guys.. But my friend came to help out so it wasn't so bad. Don't worry, mum" he sighed but smiled a little to reassure his mum.

"Oh Philip dear.. Do you know their names? I can call the school and make appointments-.." his mum suggested worried but Phil didn't think that would help.

"No mum, it's probably a bad idea. If they get to know I'm telling my parents.. It's gonna get worse." he argued and shrugged.

"I think we could get them expelled if we try, sweetie?" his mum tried, stroking her hand on Phil's head, caressing it.

"We need lots of evidence and they're too many to go against. Even if we might get one of them expelled, the rest will stay to get back at me. But it's alright, really mum. I've got friends to keep me safe." he smiled.

"If you tell me it's okay, I'll take your word for it, dear. But if things go out of hand you must tell me, we can certainly change school if it comes to that, okay? I'm glad you got your friend by your side. PJ right? He's an amazing friend I know." his mum sat up straighter on his bed, still stroking his back gently.

"Actually there's another friend of mine too, he's called Dan." he told his mum and listened to his own words. Dan, his friend. Yes, he'd consider Dan his friend by now. Still in an early stage but friend nevertheless.

"Oh, Dan? I haven't heard of this boy before, is he new to the school or something?" his mum asked surprised, her lips pulled up in a smile of these good news. Phil usually didn't make friends easily so a new friend must be big news.

"He's not new. He just..was in a different group of friends than me and we didn't become friends until recently." he avoided the question, bending the truth a little. No need to tell her Dan was formerly the ones who hurt Phil.

"That sounds lovely that you've gotten another friend, sweetheart. You make sure to bring him over sometime soon, okay?" she stood up, ruffled Phil's hair which made him groan annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah, I will mum."

"Wonderful," she made her way out of his room, looking back at him in the doorway "and the dinner is ready in twenty minutes, so be ready, Phil".

"Sure, mum." he replied and was left alone again, only to spend the rest of his time looking through Dan's photos, making him oddly happy.