The boy next door

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.............I just kinda rolled with it if I am being honest here.
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Phil Lester doesn't care about Dan all that much. He is a grade older than Dan and two years older in age and he is kind of nerdy. Although, so is Phil. But Dan Howell has always been the weird kid next door in the grade below him. Their moms are pretty good friends so they have that in common but Phil just doesn't care all that much about him. He doesn't dislike him, no, it's just he is a complete weirdo.  A peculiar child who is always talking and is crazily in love with animals and nature. Phil wouldn't of been surprised if he was vegetarian. He isn't. He only knows that because of his mom, of course. He doesn't actually pay attention to him. Sometimes when Phil would wake up at night to get a drink or go to the bathroom he would see a light still coming from Dan's room and there he would be, sitting comfortably of the ledge of his window, reading a book with a flashlight.
Sophemore year is when Phil actually saw Dan everyday at school. So of course he thought about him from time to time but he didn't actually, really, care for him. He was just the small child from next door. Except when in debate class when Dan and another student were in a debate about something Phil wasn't quite following, he realised that Dan isn't a child anymore. Phil would walk home, Dan following along, chatting to him like they were good friends. Phil would smile and hum and sometimes speak to him but really he was just annoyed and wanted to get home as fast as he could. He generally avoided Dan as much as he possibly could. Except when he could not figure out this math problem and Dan in Phil's year advanced math, so he drug himself over to the Howell's place and asked Dan to help him. Of course Dan was all to eager to help him.
"Come in! Of course I will help you! Yes! Hi! You want anything to drink, eat, I have -" Phil was so close to turning around and walking out the door that second but, he really needed a good grade in math. Other than the random math help, Phil ignored Dan at all costs. But Dan was not an easy person to shake off. He was like chewing gum stuck to Phil's shoe.

Phil was in the back of the library and doing research for a paper when the pest himself walked up.
"Uhm, Phil?"
He was taken aback by the shyness and uncertaintity in his voice and on his face. Phil almost felt concern swell up in his chest. Almost.
Phil looked at him expectantly, which must of come off harsh and intimidating, because Dan took a step back and looked at the floor, tightly hugging a text book to his chest and biting his lip. Phil didn't want his mom yelling at him for upsetting Dan so he decided to take it back a notch. Not because he actually cared, or was concered about his feelings.
"Yeah?"
"I, uh, I well. I don't understand organic chemistry whatsoever. Will you, uh, help me? Please?"
He felt a feeling in his chest that he calls annoyance. Because there is absolutely, positivitly, no way, he thinks Dan is cute in any form of the word.
"Yeah come on."
He does not care about Dan, he tells himself when a bright smile is thrown his way. And so it went. Phil ignoring Dan until he needed help with math and Dan chatting away whenever he saw him or getting help with chemistry.

It was that summer that Phil started noticing things that he hated about Dan, because he does not care about him so he must hate him. 
Like his freckles or his dimples, or the way his eyes light up when he smiles and the way he laughs. Things that is completely logical to hate someone for. 
One time Phil's basement flooded and they had to stay at Dan's for a couple of days, which, their mothers and Dan were all too excited for, and their Dads and Phil....not so much. The second night Phil heard Dan sneak outside and Phil's curiosity burned to know what he was doing. So after barely two minutes Phil followed. He found him laying in the grass looking up at the stars. Phil craned his neck to look up and noticed that it was very beautiful as it was one of those clear nights where all the stars twinkled and shined. And for that reason, and that reason only, Phil went up and layed next to Dan to watch the stars too. He expected Dan to start ranting like he usually does but he was quiet. He turned slightly to look at the strange boy next to him and found a few more things that he hated about him. His hair when it is in it's bed head, and  the way the moon seems to contour his lips and nose and cheeks perfectly. His Damn freckles, Phil hates those stupid freckles. Dan looks over at him for a second before back at the stars.
"There's Ursa Major." Dan's tired voice said.
"What?"
"Ursa Major. Right there." Phil looked to where he was pointing, "I don't see anything."
"It's those stars right there, there, there, there, and there."
"Are you sure? That looks nothing like 'A Great Bear'."
"Yes it does!" Dan giggles and Phil smiles slightly.
"Where?"
"There!" He whisper yelled and pointed at it again. Tracing it out with his fingers.
"Mmmm...nope. Just see space."
"Scoot over more this way."
Phil does so, his tiredness letting him do so easily.
"See it?"
"Nope?" He pops his P and scoots even closer as Dan instructs. Now there arms are touching and Phil can smell the shampoo Dan uses. He hates it. He does not like it in anyway shape or form.
"Now?"
"I lost it. Which ones."
"You spork. It's that one, that one," Dan points them out again, his arm brushing Phil's causing goose bumps as he does so.
"Oh yeah, look at that. Though, that is one weird looking bear."
"You're a weird looking bear."
Phil made a, very noticibly, fake offended face and Dan giggled again. They stayed out there a bit more and then went inside to go to bed.
Phil's stomache and chest were swirling and he felt slightly ill, he tells himself he must really hate Dan.
Though, if he ever notices Dan is outside star gazing, he will go join him. But he hates him. He does.

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