Three days later Tavy announced our annual lake day trip. All the children would be taken to the lake for the day with sandwiches and water bottles. The boys would arguably declare this the highlight of summer holiday, while the girls would whine about the heat and talk about nails. Phil just seemed terrified.

"I can't wait!" Chris announced with a grin, "Thinking about catching some toads this year again."

"Because the Darby's loved that last year." PJ said quietly, his voice tainted with sarcasm.

"Come on, it was a laugh to see them squirm!" Chris added in a heavy faux Scottish accent that seemed to come out of nowhere. I looked up from my notebook to see Phil eyeing Chris funny.

"The accents are his thing. He's got like 40 of them." I added helpfully, nodding towards Chris.

"Don't worry about not ever hearing them, he shows us every year on the way to the lake." PJ smirked.

Phil didn't say anything as he bit his bottom lip. I glanced over him worriedly.

"You alright?" Chris beat me to the chase with his bluntness, "You look a bit funny."

"I'm fine, sorry." Phil's eyes went from scared to sad in two seconds, silencing the rest of us. "I just don't like water so much."

"You can't swim? I could teach you." I offered.

"No thanks." Phil replied bluntly.

PJ and Chris ignored us, the former's eyes focused on his sketchbook, the latter immersed in a comic.

"Why not?" I pressed.

"I said I don't like water. Now drop it." Phil's voice was colder than I had ever heard it since he arrived.

I said nothing else, leaving him alone.

The morning of the lake trip came quickly. Everyone sat at breakfast, Phil by me on the far left, and Chris and Peej to my right. Phil and I hadn't spoken much since the incident, but he hadn't be hostile.

"Grab your stuff boys!" Tavy called as we all ran down the stairs, carrying towels and wearing sandals, and out the front door. "Into the bus!"

We all loaded into the beat up metal bus and I sat by the window in an empty seat. When Phil got on the space beside me was the only one left.

"Can I sit here?" He spoke softly, as if he was afraid.

"Yeah." I scooted over unnecessarily. He sat down and stared ahead, his eyes focused on the windshield. I looked him over before resting against the window and trying to forget about him. I found myself uncomfortable here, as if I felt inferior to him. He seemed to catch the attention of everybody, with his dark hair and piercing eyes. He was beautiful, smart, and likeable. Three things I never have been.

"I'm a bit bored." He said halfway through my silent musings. I turned towards him.

"We could talk?" I offered.

"Okay. What about?"

"You could tell me about your life. Why you're here." I suggested, dying to know more about Philip Lester.

"Okay. Well I was born in Wales when my mother was 19. When I was five she got married to a sailor, and when I was seven she died of pneumonia and he was left to take care of me. Immediately we left Wales for England, first Leeds and now here. He sent me to a boarding school, and eventually he took me out because I became depressed when I was ten. One year later he remarried and put me in a series of boarding schools, threating me to stay happy. And now the only family I have left are my aunt and my uncle and the boy they've adopted in America."

"Wow. What about your dad and his wife? Aren't they your family?"

"Hell no. I despise both of them." Hatred saturated his words, "I've been saving up the best I can to go to America."

Suddenly I felt a pang in my heart, the thought of this boy I barely knew and could hardly say we're friends leaving somehow hurt me. And I didn't know why.

"Anyway enough of me, what's your story?" Phil raised his eyebrows and waited. I obliged.

"I was born in the north, and my dad cheated on my mum. She left him and moved straight to London. When I was seven she couldn't afford to take care of me anymore and left me here. Apparently she knew Tavy well. And here I've been ever since." I paused, "Not much of a story, sorry. If you want one go ask Chris- he changes his every time!" I finished with a small laugh.

"It's a better story than mine." Phil said softly. I stayed silent.

"They seem to be getting on pretty well." PJ commented from beside Chris.

"Yeah really! I wonder what it is they're going on about." Chris added, his eyes locked on the pair two seats ahead.

"I don't really care, as long as they're not shouting." PJ mumbled.

"Story of your life more like it." Chris whispered.

The bus pulled onto the gravel road as the lake approached. The water shimmed in the sunlight as the wind whipped the branches dangling above the water. Two picnic tables tarnished with time sat on the grass by the lakeside, the checkered table cloths a familiar sight. The girls stepped off the bus first, dropping their bags on the first table and beginning to rub sun lotion on themselves.

The boys, however, took to running off the bus and stripping on their way to the water, myself included. My shirt and sandals were somewhere ten feet back on the ground as I leapt off a rock and cannonballed into the cool water. Chris followed mere seconds after and PJ took a bit more care with his clothes before following as well. The only thing missing was a fourth splash.

"You coming emo boy?" Chris called from the water, his hair plastered to his face and his eyes squinting in the sun. Phil looked down into the water.

"Nope. Have fun." He said mater-of-factly as he walked away. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Wait Phil!" I shouted as I scrambled out of the water. I began walking alongside him, dripping wet while he was still clothed.

"Please let me show you how." I gave him my best pleading eyes, "It's really fun, and it's hot out here."

"Thanks but it's not something I'm interested in." He brushed me off, heading towards the table with a book.

"Please?" I gave him once last begging glance. He sighed.

"Then let me help you," He smiled, "With maths."

"Just move your arms like this." I demonstrated as Phil watched with weary eyes, his hair still dry.

"O-okay." He gently moved his limbs in the waist-deep water.

"Good! Now just keep that up." I commanded, watching over him.

"This is humilatling."

"I know."

"Can I get out now."

"Nope."

Within half an hour he was stable enough to half-float half-swim over to the other shallow area with Chris and Peej.

"Ah the vampire knows how to swim." Chris remarked with a grin, "Ah don't look so hurt, it's all in good fun!"

"Hey Chris?" I pulled Chris off to the side in the shallow water.

"Yeah?"

"Could you lay off the jokes? He's not quite used to you yet." I explained. He smirked.

"Protecting your precious puppy?"

"Chris seriously I don't want him to hate us." I pleaded. It was like arguing with a brick wall.

"No, you don't want him to hate you," He paused, "What's up anyway? You didn't care this much about PJ when he came."

"I dunno. There's just something about him." I trailed off, glancing over at Phil. He was staring at the water where he could touch the sandy bottom below. His hair fell down and covered his eyes but his neck was clearly exposed, leading down to nice arms and a lovely collar bone. Not-quite-there abs had water trailing down them and pooling at the start of a defined v-

"Dan!" Chris half-shouted as he splashed me with water.

"W-what?" I spun around, kicking up sand under the water.

"It's kind of obvious you know." Chris smirked, "Never thought it of you though."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Oh come on!" He laughed, his mouth half open, "We're best friends and you thought I wouldn't notice?"

I had no idea what he was going on about. With Chris this wasn't uncommon per say, but I had a feeling this is something I should know.

"I'm leaving." I mumbled, not wanting to play games right now. I heard him call after me but ignored it. In front of me I saw PJ on land, talking to Lex- the only girl who was friends with a boy at Saint Peters'. To my left by the shore stood Phil, who was now picking up shells from the water.

"Hey." I walked up, the water knee-deep. Phil looked up.

"Hi." His eyes had a sparkle in the sunlight.

"Found anything cool yet?" I murmured, staring at the water.

"A bottlecap and a couple shells." He replied warmly.

"I think we're leaving soon. Care to talk on the way back?" I asked, the last bit softer.

"Sure." He smiled, "I'd like that."

We were both a bit exhausted to speak after all the teenagers boarded the bus, but it was a comfortable silence between us. I caught him staring at me twenty minutes into the ride and immediately grew self-conscious.

"You were humming to yourself." Phil gave a small smile, closing his eyes and leaning back on the seat, "I liked it."

I felt myself blush promptly for no reason and immediately ducked my head.

"Oh."

We were about thirty minutes away when I felt a heavy lump fall on my shoulder. I turned to find Phil fast asleep on me, his hair messed. I smiled ever-so-slighty. Nobody at this place was very touchy-feely and it was nice to have a silent chance to cuddle.

"Cuddle in a manly way." I whispered out loud to myself as I tried to not wake Phil up.

When the bus pulled in, however, Phil awoke with a rough jolt and about leapt off the seat.

"Oh my god was I asleep on you?" He practically yelped. I laughed and stood up, grabbing my bag.

"I'm so sorry!" He continued.

"Seriously it's no big deal. It was kinda cute." I froze. Did I just say that? I couldn't have just said that.

He seemed to have gotten that that slipped out of nowhere, because he blushed madly and hurried off the bus. Only Chris nudged my shoulder on the way out.

Dinner was silent that night, the sound of a table filled with tired people with delicious food. None of the others said much while we were getting ready for bed either. Drawers were opened and closed and soft shuffling was heard, but voices were absent- even from Chris. By ten o'clock PJ was already asleep, and Chris was soon after. My eyelids were growing heavy as I saw Phil still awake- the glasses I almost never saw perched on his nose; his eyes locked on a notepad much like PJ's.

I turned sideways and sighed, closing my eyes and trying to block out my thoughts as I zoned in on the sounds of the room. The bed felt remarkably empty and cold and the room felt terribly dark as I lay there. The only noise keeping me sane was the constant scratch of Phil's pen on the paper, but soon even that stopped.

I sat up slowly minutes after Phil's small light turned off. I saw the silhouette of him sleeping and felt the strangest urge to have him beside me. Then suddenly I was very sad for a reason I could not put my finger on, feeling my heart contract as I forced myself to breathe. The dark began to close in on me as I clamped my eyes shut, swallowing harshly. I dug my nails forcefully into my arm, wincing as I felt them clench into my skin.

Somehow I heard a whimper, and it took a minute to trace it to myself. I couldn't think straight as I tried to fight the thoughts that always ended badly- the ones that appeared out of the blue at the worst times.

And then the most amazing thing happened. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I forced myself to open my eyes.

"You're not okay." The words were knowing and somehow so much more comforting than "Are you okay?"

I opened my mouth to speak but I just let out a sob. Instantly I wanted to hide, but Phil sat beside me on my bed and began rubbing my back.

"It's okay, shh. You're going to be alright." He spoke softly and his voice was calm. When I was able to breathe correctly again he gave me a small smile. "You're shaking."

"S-sorry." I mumbled, burying my head in his shoulder.

"Does this happen a lot?"

"A few times."

"How long?" It didn't sound like he was pushing, more like he was genuinely caring.

"Since I was seven." I barely remember having them back then, but Tavy said I did.

"What happened when you were seven?"

"My mom left me here." I thought I had told him this, "I told you on the bus."

"Oh." He paused, "Well I think you should get some sleep. We had a big day." He began to ease away, and terror flooded my mind. I subconsciously gripped his arm tighter and my eyes grew wide.

"Please don't leave me." I didn't even mean to say it, but I had needed somebody here for so long.

"I won't." And with the two words I didn't expect him to say, he lay beside me and pulled the blanket up. Our bodies weren't touching, but it made all the difference with somebody near.

And so we slept.