'20 line poem every line beginning with the first letter of your first name. Only rule: can't be about you.' -Brain A. Klems Writing Prompt
"This is the stupidest assignment we've ever gotten in English!" Dan cried in exasperation.
"Come on, Dan, it's not as bad as the paper from last year." Phil tried to distract Dan's anger with a different source.
"'101 things about a prime minister'. That nearly killed me." Dan sighed in remembrance.
"I think walking in front of a bus was on purpose so you wouldn't have to present." Phil muttered with a grin.
"That was an accident and I almost died." Dan pointed at Phil.
"It was three feet from you!" Phil laughed at the memory of Dan claiming he had died when Phil had been there and had seen the bus stop way before it hit Dan. But it still scared them both pretty good and now they always look both ways before crossing a street.
"Whatever." Dan mumbled changing the subject as they walked to their dorms.
"So who are you going to write about?" Phil asked as casual as possible.
"Hadn't really thought about it." Dan lied as he was in that moment trying to think of words that started with 'D' that made him think of Phil. "You?"
"Probably about Sarah Michelle Geller." Phil smiled as he too lied. "Meet you in the library later?" Phil asked as he neared the elevator.
"In an hour or so?" Dan suggested.
"Sounds good, bring your math so we don't have to cramp next week." Phil mentioned.
"Crap! There's a test next week?" Dan's eyes went wide with horror.
"Dan, next week." Phil repeated.
"Oh, right. I don't think I need help with English though, which is good."
"I thought you didn't know what you were doing." Phil squinted at Dan, trying to see what he was up to.
"I do now." Dan whispered.
"What?" Phil questioned as he hopped into the elevator.
"Oh, nothing. See you in an hour!" Dan called as the elevator doors shut.
A week later...
"I think I bombed it, Phil." Dan confessed as he left Math and walked up to Phil for lunch.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you did fine. Did you get you English done yet?" Phil worried as they neared the cafeteria.
"Shit, that's due today too?" Dan exclaimed then turned tail and ran back to his dorm. "See you in class!" He called back to Phil, who was now standing alone on the pavement.
"See you..." He mumbled, worrying about presenting to the class, in front of everyone, especially Dan.
An hour later, English...
"Good to see everyone has brought their poems in, on time and done perfectly." The professor passive aggressively stated at the beginning of class. Causing a few worried glances to be exchanged, as well as a few 'There was an assignment?'s.
"Now, who would like to go first?" Phil glanced next to his empty seat and was about to raise his hand when a girl who always had her work finished on time walked up to the front of the class and waited to start. "Phillip, you can go next." The professor promised as she began hers on Captain Smith of the Titanic.
Once she had finished, Dan walked in as Phil rose out of his seat. Phil sat Dan and sat back down.
"Phil?" The professor prompted. Phil felt the eyes fall on him as Dan sat down breathless.
"I'd like to go in a little while." Phil squeaked, face burning as bright as Dan's.
"I understand, stage fright is the worst disease for speakers." The professor nodded and smiled comfortingly then focused on Dan. "Daniel, how about you go next." It wasn't a suggestion, even though it sounded like one. "Since you were late, I'm sure you used the time to prefect your poem." Dan looked aghast then nodded solemnly.
He rose again and shuffled to the front of the class, his feet weighed a ton. His legs felt like Jello as he stood in front of everyone. He smoothed out his paper, took a deep breath, prayed a silent prayer and began.
"Dear friend of mine,
Dare I say you mean the world to me,
Darling to others,
Devilish to some,
Don't worry about hurting others,
Don't worry about hurting me,
Do as you do you,
Delighting me as you do,
Darling and dear friend,
Do you love me like I love you?" Dan looked up, blushing harder that an embarrassed tomato. "I only got half of it done, I'm sorry. I lost track of time and didn't start it until 11:30." The professor looked at his watch.
"You finished that in half an hour?" He seemed shocked.
"Yeah?" Dan's heart momentarily stopped.
"That's wonderful, a wonderful start. I hope to hear the rest of it next week!" The professor started the halfhearted clapping, which seemed a bit more lively than usual as Dan sat down next to Phil again.
"That was great, Dan." Phil whispered as the clapping died down. "Who was it about?" Dan only went redder as the professor began talking again.
"Phillip, it's your turn next." The professor announced.
"Doesn't anybody else want to go before me?" Phil asked desperately to which, the class laughed.
"Come on, Phillip." The professor urged.
"Yeah, go on Phillip." Dan egged on quietly too to avoid Phil's questioning.
"You suck." Phil whispered as he rose next and marched to his doom. He too took a deep breathe before beginning.
"Powerful.
Preservative.
Pleasant.
Peasant.
Pretty much describe him.
Positively downcast constantly.
Potential always there, hidden in the shadows.
Presents always delight him.
Presenting always terrifies him.
Pokemon geek, to the max.
Pacified by nerdy things.
Pennies bring his no luck.
Psychiatrists don't understand his brain.
Pep he lacks.
Pizza he likes.
Placenta obsessed.
Prehistoric mascot.
Paranoid by the end.
Pardoned by his friends.
Practically perfect in every way." Phil finished his will a small grin at reading what made Dan, his Dan then looked up to a crowd of awed faces, including Dan's. But Dan was also crying silently. The professor was at a loss for words. Phil sat back down and, one by one, everyone else spoke. Dan wrote on a small note and past it to Phil.
'Did you really mean all that?' Phil glanced at Dan before scribbling back.
'Only if you did.'
'Of course I meant it. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it!'
'Same. :)'
'So... What now?'
'I think, we start by you asking me out.'
'…'
'…'
'Do you want to get some coffee after class?'
'Hmm... Let me think about it.'
'What?!'
'This is all so sudden!' Dan had to stifle an explosion of laughter.
'Shut up!'
'Dan.'
'What?'
'Yes, I'll get coffee with you.'
'Cool. Phil?'
'Yea.'
'I think this was my most favorite assignment ever.'
'Mine too.' They both smiled at each other as class was dismissed.