Phil's P.O.V.

I watched Dan reach towards my father and strike him in the face. Then, the weirdest thing happened.

Dan looked me straight in the eyes, grabbed my face and kissed me.

And I mean he kissed me. He didn't let go for like 30 seconds.

"What the hell?" I said, wide eyed and wondering what the fuck was going on.

Dan's eyes widened, and he bolted up and ran out the door.

"Um…" Alice started, but she was cut off by her own laughing. "I can't believe he did that! Oh my god!" She fell down and had tears falling from her eyes.

"W-What the hell just happened?" I softly asked, my hand unconsciously traveling to my lips. "Did Dan just… Did Dan just kiss me?" And did I just kiss back?

Alice took about 5 minutes to stop laughing and stand up, but only when nurses came in. I hadn't spoken during the time, just letting Alice talk to them and get my Father taken away from the room.

"Hey... Phil?" Alice asked softly, slightly touching my shoulder. I didn't answer. I was still trying to figure out what the fuck had just happened. "Phil… The Nurse said that a Police Officer will be here soon, and that he is going to talk to you about living arrangements… Okay?" She tried to look me in the eyes, but I was looking at my hands, which were sitting on my lap, and trying to understand why Dan would kiss me, even though he's taunted me for how many months? 11. He's hit me for how many months? 7. I have how many scars? I lost count.

"Okay…" I barely managed to stutter. Just then, there was a knock at the door and a Police Officer walked in with my Doctor.

"Hi, Phil. I'm Officer Bryan, I'm here to talk to you about living arrangements and what exactly has been going on for the past few months." The Officer said, with sympathetic eyes, looking like he didn't want to have to ask me any questions.

I was suddenly angry. At Dan, for confusing me, at Me, for not stopping anything from happening, at Dad, for hitting me and for raping me, at my Mom, for leaving me with that monster, even at Alice, for laughing during this whole thing. "Months?!" I began, a new anger flaring inside me. "Try YEARS! I've been getting slapped, hit, thrown, pushed, and even STABBED for 12 FUCKING YEARS! I GOT LEFT AT FIVE YEARS OLD! MY MOM LEFT ME FOR NO FUCKING REASON, AND SHE TOOK MY ONLY BROTHER WITH HER. THAT BITCH DOESN'T DESERVE ANYTHING. EVEN IF SHE WAS TRYING TO GET AWAY, SHE COULD HAVE TAKEN ME WITH HER. HE BLAMES ME FOR NO REASON! HOW WOULD YOU FEEL TO BE ABANDONED? A-AND TO GET BEAT UP AT SCHOOL?! I'M NOT FUCKING OKAY, AND I WILL NEVER BE FUCKING OKAY! I'M A WORTHLESS PIECE OF GAY TRASH, AND THERE'S NO CHANGING THAT! SO! NOW THAT I CAN GET THE FUCK OUT OF THAT HOUSE TELL ME OFFICER! WHERE AM I GOING TO FUCKING LIVE? ON THE STREETS? I DON'T WANT TO LIVE WITH THAT BITCH, SO DON'T EVEN TRY THAT!" Finished, I huffed and felt tears sliding down my face. I wasn't one to attack, and I sure as hell surprised the fuck out of Alice and the Officer was just staring at me wide eyed. I knew anyone within 200 feet of my room had heard that, but at the moment I didn't really care. I just wanted to leave the Earth.

"Um… Alright then… So…" Officer Bryan began. "-cough- I, uh, understand you might not want to see your mother, but she is currently your only living relative. Your brother, Martin, is currently 4 years younger than you, so he sure as hell can't take care of you. Any other living relatives have passed." The Officer looked at Alice, and she seemed to understand what I apparently didn't, because she immediately took out her phone and started punching something in. "I'm afraid we don't currently know the whereabouts of your mother and brother, only name and age."

"So where the hell do you want me to live? I can't exactly pay the bills on my asshole father's house. It's not home to me, and I will not fucking stay there. So, tell me Officer, where am I going to live?" I said, still pissed and confused and actually on the verge of an emotional breakdown it felt like.

"Actually, Phil," Alice began. "I have already spoken with my mother. Well, I texted her, because she can't take phone calls at work, unless they're clients. You're going to be staying with us. I explained the situation to her, and she said you could stay, and you're going to be treated just like family." Alice offered a small smile.

"I appreciate the gesture, really, but I don't want to stay with Dan. In fact, that's the last person I want to live with currently." I said without as much sourness in my voice, because this was Alice, and she just wanted to help.

"Phil, I promise you right now, I will not let him hurt you. And if you get uncomfortable, then I promise, we'll find somewhere nice for you to stay until they find your mother, yeah? Please, just try for at least two weeks, then you can make up your mind." Alice said with a hint of desperation in her voice.

This must be really hard for, watching me in pain, and watching her brother do what he did. He probably acted a lot nicer at their house, so his parents probably didn't even realize their son was a prick. Besides, I was so bad at life in general, they would probably pity me, and the last thing on the fucking planet I needed was pity.

"Alice…" I said cautiously, not wanting to hurt her feelings.

"Phil, please. I'm not exactly giving you much of a choice here, sweetie." She said, narrowing her eyes. "I just don't want to have to take you by force." She said, but there was no heat behind her words.

Maybe it won't be that bad. Or, if I get to much for them I could just leave in the middle of the night. "I… uh… Alright –sigh- I'll do it. But only two weeks, then I can leave on my own. I don't need a pity party." I said, crossing my arms, and trying to act all serious, but Alice's grin made it falter, and we both started laughing until the doctor interrupted us.

"It's so good to see that some people can be strong enough to laugh in times as dark as yours, Mr Lester." The Doctor said, smiling.

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." I said, quoting Harry Potter. Alice smiled and squeezed my hand.

Doctor Byrnes smiled and looked at me. "Well, Phil, you are free to go, although it is required we send you off with Anti-Depressants, and some other medications. I understand you might not want to, but I'm afraid it is required." The doctor said, and I nodded. He nodded back at me and started writing on a sheet of paper on a clipboard.

"Right, well Phil, I'm going to drop you and Alice off at your designated house, and we'll start the search for your mum as soon as possible. I promise, we'll get her to you, and I'm sure it won't be that bad. And if it is, just give me a call, yeah?" Officer Bryan said, handing me a paper with his phone number on it. Weird. I smiled back nonetheless, and took it.

Doctor Byrnes handed Alice a paper. "Alright, give him one of each every five hours, alright? You're free to go as soon as you collect his medication." The Doctor smiled and looked at me. "And, Phil, if you ever feel like you need to do that again, I put a few Suicide Hotline numbers on there, and recommendations for things to do to stop feeling like you have to do that." He said, and he smiled again before walking out of the room with Officer Bryan.

"I think Officer Bryan had a thing for you." Alice said and winked at me jokingly, before walking to the door. "I'm going to go get your medications, why don't you get dressed ad ready to leave. We can meet Officer Bryan out by the car." She said and I nodded, slowly standing up and getting out of bed. "Alright, then. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I walked to a duffel bag on the chair and looked through it. They weren't my clothes, they looked like Dan's. Weirdly, that sent a blush to my cheeks. Probably just because of that kiss, I thought. I quickly changed and tossed the hospital gown onto the bed, right as Alice walked back in.

"Right, sorry about the clothes, they took yours because of well… reasons, and these were the only boy clothes I could get on short notice." She said, acknowledging my black skinny jeans (not much change there) and Yeezus black T-shit (There is a change there.) "My mum said she could take you shopping to get you some new clothes, so it's not like you'll only be wearing Dan's clothes." She said, smiling.

I felt nauseous. First, I would be freeloading off the Howell's, now I had to take Dan's clothes until they could spend their hard earned money on more clothes for me? I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to bode well.

"Come on, Officer Bryan is waiting with Dan at the patrol car. He said he had to take us in that one, it's the only one we have on the spot. Dan's going to sit in the front and we're going to sit in the back, alright? Come on." She said, waving me forward. I walked with her to the car, and got in with her.

The whole drive, she sang happily along to My Chemical Romance and Lana Del Ray, tossing her head back and forward, Dan doing exactly the same, although not as loud, and no head thrashing. In fact, he was just sort of humming along. I was too, admittedly, but only because I'm a band nerd. Don't judge me. Alice joked and laughed and it was a happy ride.

And for once in the last 12 years, I felt like it was going to be okay.