Introduction - That Awkward Moment
Every day was the same for Phillip Pirrup. Each day he would wake into a world that hated him for seemingly no reason at all. It always felt as though his classmates and professors were doing their best to outright ignore him. At times he was barely sure he even existed, let alone mattered. He thought perhaps he could be a ghost; tangled up in some poor soul's dreams and unfortunate memories. Still, Pip was a patient and kind boy. He had waited eighteen years for God to give him some sort of sign, or even an apology simply to say he wasn't a mistake. After all, he certainly felt like one. There had once been a time when he thought the other children of South Park would one day come to befriend him, as if somehow they would just give in to his kindness after time. But those boys and girls around him grew only further away from him, leaving him isolated and tired amongst the slew of people living at South Park University.
He had come to predict it now, really. This morning he awoke like every other morning before it: suffocated by tufts of wild blonde hair and trapped under a seemingly endless swathe of sheets and blankets. After getting dressed and brushing his hair, he locked the door to his room behind him with a gasp of hard air. He stayed determined, though he always knew what came next. The walk from his room to the academic buildings was painfully long, so much so that he often had time enough to think on what awaited him when he finally did arrive.
The lecture hall was an enormous room, with rows among columns of seats and students enough to fill each one. Being around so many people made it painfully obvious how alone he was, and how little people actually cared to acknowledge him. This time, however, the space to his right was oddly void of anyone at all. Phillip at first thought nothing of it, before a wave of noise and stomping came from the far end of the row. He had barely sat down before a boy with messy black hair came pushing through the aisle. The boy hadn't said a word as he stepped over and by each person, even as they muttered under their breath and stared. Had he seen this boy before? No, certainly not. Phillip had always been a watcher, carefully studying everything and everyone from the sidelines. He was certain this boy had to be new. He had to be.
"Are you staring at me?" the boy finally spoke abruptly, breaking Phillip from his trance.
"Oh, very sorry! I jus' don't think ah've seen you 'ere before," Phillip responded quickly, jumping up in his seat. So few people ever acknowledged him, he found that hearing a voice actually directed towards him was a bit frightening.
"I'm new, for what it's worth. This is the first day I've really bothered showing up to this class...or any class really," the boy added flatly.
Phillip barely heard him over the sound of his heart thumping hard in his chest. This was probably the most anyone had every really talked to him, and it felt amazing; even if it was only small talk. "Ahm Phillip!," he said excitedly. "Oh, but I s'ppose you can call me Pip! I figure most would, if they-" His voice trailed off after realizing what he was about to say. The black haired boy simply looked at him for a moment without speaking. Still, his gaze didn't feel harsh, and Pip thought it looked a bit different from the glare he gave the others. Or, rather, he hoped it did.
"I'm Damien," the boy said; his eyes still locked in place.
Pip was ecstatic. It felt good to be talked to as a human, and to know that he was deserving of a simple conversation. Maybe this was his sign from God after all! He shifted and shook in his seat all through class as the two exchanged stories and told of what their lives were like before college. Pip spoke for a majority of the time, but he had more than enough things to say. It felt as though there couldn't possibly be enough time on earth to say the things he had wanted to, let alone in the time they had left in class. He was relieved that Damien seemed interested in the things he had to say, yet still he worried that every word would be one too many and his new friend would grow bored. Yet Damien seemed persistent in his willingness to listen, and so Pip continued speaking. Suddenly, Pip realized the professor had since stopped speaking, and all the students began standing and filing out from the hall as fast as possible. Damien stood along with the crowd after a moment, and looked down at the blonde-haired boy. "It was nice meeting you, Pip. Thank you for making a boring class more interesting. I look forward to seeing you again next time." For a fleeting second, his eyes seemed somehow softer than they were before. But even before Pip could respond, the boy had phased back into the crowd, gone from his life. Pip felt alone again, still sitting in his seat among the empty aisles. He knew he would feel this way, but it hurt all the same. Talking to Damien felt so real; like he was a human being, like he had known Damien forever. He had to see him again. He had to.
A/N: Hey everyone, this is Ro's bf uploading the story for her since she's in class rn. Critiques and reviews are all appreciated the same. I really hope you look forward to some good ole fashioned Dip.