Today's the day I can put my plan in action. Today I will get Phil to be a tad less emotionless. A tad less depressed. Hopefully. I squeeze my eyes shut. I hope my plan works. I hope so much that I'm surprised I can even focus on eating breakfast, grabbing my homework, and heading out.

I quietly step into homeroom and sit down in the only empty seat: still the one next to Phil. This is good. Maybe I can get a head start on my plan. However, I didn't like the feeling of him snapping at me, so I don't know what I should do to get him to talk that would prevent that.

I allow myself small glances over at him to see if he's okay, if he's staring at me, or at anything in particular. But all I see him doing is staring out at a tree by the window and chewing at his fingernails. Sighing internally, I bite my lip and look away.

The next few classes go uneventfully, with me trying to find the perfect moment to talk to Phil and him just staring outside, not paying attention to me. I don't even know if the guy can smile. I shake the thought from my head. He has to! I came here determined to fix his heart, and I won't stop until I have. I know I sound obsessive, but I don't care. I don't want to break any promises, even to myself.

I'm waiting outside on the bench for PJ and Chris when Phil sits down next to me. My eyes widen briefly in shock, and I start to stutter out a greeting.

"Don't bother," he says in a monotonous tone. "No one has and no one ever will." I grimace a bit. Could he be any more depressing? (He could, I later realized) Trying to compose myself, I rack my brain for something to say to a comment like that. Nothing comes, and the two of us begin to eat in a comfortable silence.

After around five minutes, I hear PJ calling out my name. I glance up and see that he's waving me over to the school entrance, Chris by his side. I glance over at Phil, who's finished his lunch, and see him staring at the tree. I start to wonder what significance the tree has to him, but he catches me staring and I look away. "Sorry," I mutter, then look over at PJ, who's still screaming my name. "I've got to go," I jab my thumb towards PJ, "Dat boi's here." I gasp audibly in shock.

Phil's smiling. A small smile, just the corners of his lips turned upwards.

Maybe I can help him after all.