Hey Guys!
So here's chapter 2. I hope you like it! :)
Dan jumped as Dean's hand waved in front of his face.
"Dan," he asked, staring at him "You there mate?" Dan snapped back into reality and shook his head softly.
"Sorry…..um what were you saying?" He rubbed the back of his neck gently. Dean let out a small chuckle.
"Nothing really…you were just staring into space," Kat stroked his back, running her hand in circles across its surface.
"You alright?" she asked, concerned. Dan sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…just daydreaming," A playful smile crept onto her lips as she placed her hand in his.
"What about?". Dan shrugged. In truth there was no definitive answer. He'd just drift into this happy medium between dream and reality, contemplating.
"Anyway…..um," Dean continued. Dan watched and saw that something had piqued his interest.
"What?"
"Who is that?" Dean said gesturing to a tree a small distance from the bench. The group of them turned. Kat furrowed her brow in confusion.
"I've never seen him in my life," Kat said, intrigued "Must be new," The group watched him for a few moments before Jack spoke.
"Say Dan," he began "Isn't that your new roommate?" The group turned to him, eyebrows raised.
"Oh….uh…..dunno…..might be," Dan mumbled. Blasé is one word you could describe his reaction but this was just a shell. Within was a desire….a desire to interact. He barely knew this boy but he couldn't deny he was intrigued by him. The way his hair fell over his face, those piercing blue eyes, that…..wait what….
"What's he doing?" Dean hummed, flicking his hair from his eyes.
"Reading I think," Louise replied. He scoffed.
"Nerd," She scowled at him.
"What's wrong with that?" Dean shrugged and she rolled her eyes, much like a frustrated mother addressing a toddler.
"Why don't you introduce us," Kat asked, squeezing Dan's hand. He shook his head profusely.
"Nah you're alright," There was an awkward silence. The last thing he wanted to do was be unnecessarily social. They hadn't been together like this for ages and didn't need some stranger interfering and making things awkward. Still, there was something brewing inside him; an undiscovered feeling slowly rising to the surface like a trapped bubble of air in water. It was small but he could tell it was there…meh it's probably nothing…..Dan yawned loudly.
"Tired?" Louise asked softly, leaning her head against her hand. Dan nodded. The prospect of schooling crept back into his head along with a sudden bout of weariness. The freedom of summer was creeping away from him.
Sighing deeply he closed the book in his hands. Eyelids heavy he leaned his head back against the tree, draping his arms across his stomach. The warm summer air wrapped around him like a comforting embrace and his body relaxed…..bliss….such a fleeting serenity….. Distance sounds of civilisation tickled his eardrums softly, echoing in the wind. Images formed in his mind of their whereabouts as his breathing slowed into a steady rhythm…..but why must it be so fleeting….There was a slow rumble as feet met earth and Phil's eyes shot open. Squinting in the sunlight he gasped, noticing a boy aimlessly heading towards him, taken aback by his appearance. His hair was brown and curling and his eyes were emeralds. He seemed friendly and his expression soft, but there was a mix of emotions spread across his face. Phil coughed nervously.
"You ok?" The boy's gaze met his and he jumped, obviously not even noticing that Phil was there.
"Yeah….um….sorry…..um…" the boy mumbled, slightly flustered. He looked down at the boy sat before him, running a hand through his hair. Phil smiled lightly.
"What's your name?" The boy said nothing for a moment, as if surprised to have someone talking to him.
"Oh um," he stuttered "It's PJ," Phil's smile grew.
"I'm Phil," PJ relaxed a little.
"Hmm…..I'm guessing you're new to the school" he contemplated, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Phil nodded.
"Yeah," There was a short pause. PJ nervously took out his phone and stared at it.
"Sorry, have you seen a boy pass by here?" he began "He has short, scruffy brown hair and is about this tall," PJ lifted his hand and held it just below the top of his own head. Phil sighed.
"Sorry, I haven't," PJ huffed in frustration. "Why?"
"He told me to meet him here is all," A fleeting thought drifted into Phil's mind.
"I could wait with you if you like," he said. PJ's face lifted immediately and he took a seat beside him.
"Thanks…..you obviously haven't heard then?" he said sadly. Phil cocked his head to one side.
"Never mind," They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company. The wind began to pick up slightly, causing PJ's hair to stand on end. Phil laughed softly, covering his mouth with his hand.
"What?" PJ asked playfully. Giggling still, Phil took a deep breath.
"You're a bit windswept," He reached up and flattened his hair with his hand, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. It was remarkable really. Rejection was something that had occurred all too frequently to him recently but with Phil he felt relaxed; as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"So what do you think of the school so far?" he asked, fiddling with the grass. Phil shrugged.
"It's okay I guess…..haven't been here long enough for it to make an impression," PJ let out a small laugh.
"Don't worry it will," Phil sighed heavily, his smile fading. He hummed quietly.
"It's not too bad," PJ said reassuringly, pulling out clumps of grass from the ground "You'll get used to it," Phil nodded in agreement. Of course there was no doubt that this wasn't what he was used to. For one thing he'd never boarded before or been so far from his family. That thought frightened him. Still, if everyone was like PJ he could see himself coping. How hard could it be? The bark of the tree was hard against his back and he shifted slightly.
"So have you been at this school long?" Phil asked, running his hand through his hair. PJ's face fell slightly.
"Yeah…..since year 7…..," Phil hummed.
"What's our year group like…..are they friendly?" A pain rose in PJ's chest and he looked away, shuffling his hands together. Clearing his throat he finally spoke.
"Yeah….they're great," He forced a smile which Phil chose not to question. Although he seemed to speak highly of his fellow students there was a tinge of sadness there; a presence of unease. Desperate to ease the tension Phil glanced to a wristband on PJ's wrist.
"Hey, what's that?" he asked, PJ's face lit up immediately.
"Oh it's just something I made…nothing much really," Phil reached out and grabbed his arm gently, bringing it closer to his face. He read with enthusiasm "PJ, Tiny Planet Explorer," He looked up excitedly, a questioning expression on his face. PJ chuckled.
"Oh that….over the summer I was involved in a video competition…I had to make a short film and mine won," Phil looked up at him in awe.
"It was about a boy's sudden decision to leave home and find a new utopia among tiny planets," Phil laughed.
"A tiny planet explorer,"
"Exactly," Realisation dawned on Phil in that moment. He was actually enjoying himself….the stress of everything back home gradually melting away.
They had been sat outside for at least an hour now and Dan could feel his body shaking. Although initially warm and inviting the tide had turned and now a blanket of grey hung overhead. The trees had begun to quiver more vigorously now and the sky began to groan in anger. Rubbing his arm he could feel the miniature mountain range form across his skin.
"Jesus Christ I'm cold," he mumbled quietly, the others mimicking his shivering. Louise rubbed her hands together.
"Yeah me too…..why don't we go up to my room?" In unison they began to stand, stretching their stiffened limbs.
"I could murder a hot drink," Together they began to head back towards the school. Reaching the gravel path Dean stopped abruptly, mumbled something undistinguishable to Kat and she stopped too.
"What is it?" Dan asked, eager to rid himself of this cold. Jack let out a sad sigh and shot a warning glance to the both of them.
"Don't," Dan looked at him questionably.
"Don't what?" Jack turned him around roughly and pointed back to where they were sitting. Following his hand he moved it slightly to the right where a familiar black-haired boy was sat, now with a companion. Dan huffed in frustration.
"What?"
"It's PJ," Kat whispered bitterly, her lip curling in disgust "Obviously desperate for attention," Jack took a step towards her.
"Jesus Kat what is your problem?" She looked at him in shock, unable to comprehend his forwardness "What's he actually done to you?" Her expression changed to one of anger, as if the answer was as plain as the nose on his face.
"He's not normal Jack," she hissed "You'd think he would have at least told his best friends," Jack rubbed his face with his hands in frustration.
"What so you could've just rejected him sooner?" Kat stood there dumbfounded for a moment before Dan stepped forward.
"Listen I don't give a shit about what you two think of PJ but I'm freezing and don't really feel like just standing here,"…..wait why was he defending him…..Kat's right in what she says about him….right?...Both Jack and Kat's eyes went wide at his outburst. Louise cleared her throat nervously.
"Come on you lot don't fight," she said reassuringly "What he does is none of our concern," They all glared at each other for a minute and Dan shifted uncomfortably. There was no denying he loved his friends dearly but sometimes they just aggravated him greatly. Sighing, he glanced back at Phil and PJ. Smiles lit up their faces as they sat their laughing. His stomach lurched and his cheeks grew red….what the….what they doing that for? ...A gust of wind engulfed him and he inhaled deeply.
"Let's just go shall we," he muttered and started to walk across the gravel path. The others soon followed and they disappeared behind the great oak doors.
The silence was interrupted by a loud buzzing coming from PJ's hand. He jumped at the sensation.
"Sorry…..just a second," he mumbled, putting the phone to his ear. Phil nodded understandingly and listened to one half of the conversation. Glancing back at the benches he registered their emptiness. A sense of longing formed in the bit of his stomach.
"What…..hmm….yeah….hmm…." PJ said into the phone rubbing his temple "Listen….what do you mean calm down?…..alright…..where are you?" Phil's ears pricked and he listened. PJ's words had become frantic and tone of voice harsh.
"Ok….ok…..I'm coming," PJ stood immediately, brushing stray grass from his trousers and ending the call. Phil looked up in confusion.
"What's up?" A look of panic spread across PJ's face.
"Sorry I need to go," He turned to leave but was stopped by Phil grabbing his wrist harshly. PJ gasped at the contact.
"Please…..what is it?" Resisting his grasp PJ pulled away gently and Phil stood up.
"I need to go….um…it's my….um," PJ's voice was trembling slightly as he wrung his palms together.
"Is there anything I can do?" There was a short silence. Groaning, the sky began to release tiny droplets as if spitting in anger. "Besides….I can't sit out here anymore," PJ sighed in defeat and gestured for Phil to follow.
"Ok….but we need to be quick," he said, heading towards the school. In silence they trudged across the gravel and up the large stone steps. Slipping into the school the doors grumbled at the pressure.
"Follow me," PJ said. The brightness of the reception was a stark contrast to the darkened sky of outside making the both of them wince slightly. Still walking hurriedly they weaved through many corridors, dodging scattered students as they went. Phil looked up in awe at the buildings extensive décor; quite breathtaking really. Large paintings and cabinets lined every wall; each one telling its own story. A smiled tugged at his lips. He had no idea where he was going but he liked it so far. As they ventured deeper into the heart of the school PJ stopped suddenly. Turning to his left he disappeared inside a nearby bathroom. Phil followed suit.
"Chris…..Chris where are you?" PJ whispered. A shuffling noise came from within one of the cubicles and the door creaked open.
"Chris?" A boy with scruffy brown hair emerged slowly.
"Peej….you there?" Gasping suddenly, Phil placed a hand over his mouth. The boy, whom he assumed to be Chris, was clutching his chest in pain. His right eye was darkened with mauve and a stream of crimson contorted down his forehead.
"Bloody hell," PJ muttered in shock "What the heck happened?" Chris looked nervously at Phil, who was stood a few steps behind him.
"Who's this?" Phil squeaked fearfully; his previous social awkwardness returning once more. PJ turned to Phil then back to Chris, running a hand through his slightly dampened hair.
"That's not important right now," PJ stated shortly "What is important is what happened to you," Chris rolled his eyes and limped towards one of the sinks, a sharp pain engulfing him with every step. Steadying himself he turned on the tap and allowed the warm water to caress his fingertips.
"What do you think?" he said finally. PJ put his head in his hands.
"Chris I'm so sorry," Dismissing his concern with a wave of the hand Chris turned to him, his expression softening.
"Listen Peej it's not your fault," He cleared his throat softly, an evident lump forming there.
"Yes it is," PJ said softly "They are only doing it to get back at me," Phil looked at him in confusion and coughed awkwardly. They both turned to him in unison.
"Oh….sorry," PJ stuttered, gesturing to Phil "This is Phil," Chris smiled warmly, nodding in acknowledgement.
"Nice to meet you…sorry about all this…..I'm Chris," Phil smiled back.
"Don't be," he said softly "We've all been there," Chris hummed quietly and PJ cleared his throat again.
"Who was it this time?" The air became suddenly heavy, their silence only broken by the sound of water hitting porcelain.
"Who'd you think?" Chris said shortly "Look, don't worry, it's nothing I can't handle….I'm used to it," PJ walked over to one of the cubicles, extracted some toilet tissue and began to wipe the blood from his face.
"Yeah but never this bad," Wincing, Chris pushed his hand away, huffing in the process.
"Look Peej don't fuss please," Phil shifted uncomfortably, his hand forming a backwards claw as it clung to his pocket.
"I know it's not my place to say, but if someone is doing this to you, you need to tell someone, that way it can be stopped," PJ sighed whereas Chris shook his head in disapproval.
"What's the point?" he said, shooting a sad look in PJ's direction "The damage's been done," PJ stared at the ground "Merely telling someone won't make this go away," Limping still he edged closer to PJ, snaking an arm around his waist. Phil looked at them in confusion until it finally clicked….wait are they? He scratched his head.
"Is that why they did this to you?" Phil asked, gesturing to their embrace. They nodded sadly which made his stomach lurch…..wait why am I worried….I'm not….um….
"That's awful," Phil mumbled finally, a deep pain forming in his chest, threatening to suffocate him.
"I'm surprised you haven't done a runner to be honest," PJ said sadly, avoiding his gaze. Phil smiled weakly.
"I would never do that; you should never make fun of something that a person cannot change about themselves," Phil made a heart shape with his hands, as if as a peace offering to the both of them. "I promise," PJ gave a small laugh. He didn't know why but he could just tell that this boy was one he knew he could trust. The others may have abandoned him but somehow with Phil he knew that wouldn't be the case.
So, whaddya think? This chapter is a little shorter than the first and for that I'm sorry. Hopefully the others will be longer. I'll admit this isn't one of my best but oh well. Aaannnyway thanks for all of the reviews so far. It really means a lot. Hopefully it won't be too long before the next chapter.
Ok, bye guys! :) xxx