*Book One* Slave Boy (Phan)

Chapter Nine

Word count: 1630

Chapter Nine

"How do you suppose that we go about this double date thing?" Phil asks Lance as they sit in his room. Really, Phil just wanted a way out.

Something felt off to him about this. Both Lance and Liam seemed rather excited about this. It wouldn't really be that weird if Lance and Dan got along and Lance and Phil hadn't just met Liam.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Phil explains, "what are we to do about my parents? If you hadn't noticed, Dan can't really leave the house apart from going to school."

"We'll just have to convince your mum," says Lance, shrugging.

"I guess..." Phil wasn't all that confident that they'd get permission.

"Anyway, I have to get going. My mum is making me go to this play that my little sister's class is putting on. It's sure to be boring."

"Okay," Phil mumbles, standing up with Lance.

"I'll text you later tonight." Lance moves towards Phil and pulls him into a hug. He pulls back and pecks Phil on the lips before moving toward his bedroom door.

"Sure."

Lance leaves the room and Phil sits down on the edge of his bed. Why is Lance so eager for this date?

*

"Come on Mum," Phil pleads a few hours later as he helps Sheila with dinner. "It's just one night."

"Honey, what do you think your father would say?"

"He doesn't even have to know. He'll be working." Sheila gives Phil a disapproving look.

"Mum, Dan and Lance don't like each other very much. If Dan is going to be staying here, I don't want to have them constantly fighting. This could help with some...I don't know...bonding?"

"What night were you saying you wanted to do this?" Sheila asks, while chopping an onion.

"Maybe Wednesday?"

"So on a school night then?"

Phil knew this was going to be difficult. He's only doing this for Lance...

"Yes, but we'd be home before ten, and we won't even complain about getting up the next morning."

"Phil I'm sorry, but do you think Dan would be going out if he were in a juvenile detention center?" Sheila points out.

"Please, mum. Please!"

Phil sets down the cheese grater and walks to his mum's side. He clasps his hands together, about to beg.

"It'll be just one night. I won't ask for anything else. Just please let us do this!"

Sheila's lips turn up into a smile. "Fine, but just this once."

"Thank you," Phil says, hugging his mum before running back up to his room.

So much work for just one night. Lance better be grateful that Phil is actually going along with this...

Three days. That's all Phil has to prepare.

          *-*

The day's flew by faster than either Dan or Phil thought. Dan steps out of the shower and dries off quickly before slipping on black skinny jeans and a black tee—his favorite outfit pretty much.

He dries off his hair as much as possible, but he has to let it air dry for half an hour before he can straighten it. Both Lance and Liam are going to be over around five, and they'll leave shortly after.