Phil looked distraught. Which was really just the same look he'd had on his face ever since they got back from the half-term holiday. Although he didn't like Phil much, and they weren't friends, Dan felt really sorry for the kid. He looked like the reason for his sorrow was more than spilling his caviar on the floor.

After a short debate with himself, Dan decided it would be best to go over.

"Hi." Dan said, placing himself on the edge of the bench Phil was hunched over on. He was distanced enough so that he wouldn't look too creepy, but not so far away that he was acting as though Phil had the plague. Maybe that was it. He'd caught the plague. Maybe that was why he had hidden himself behind the school building in the little area that people only ever really went to to smoke.

Phil pushed his fringe back with force, rubbing his face in the process. It was a thing that people did a lot when they'd been crying or something, and Dan never really understood it. Wouldn't your eyes just water more?

"What do you want?" Phil mumbled, straightening up a bit more, but still leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, and definitely not looking Dan in the eye.

"I just... I don't know..."

"You must have wanted something! What, you want me to do your homework? Answer a maths question? Just leave me alone!" Phil roared, trying to hide the crack in his voice. Dan was taken aback, with no clue what had just happened.

"Phil, calm down, I just-"

"Calm down? I'll just calm down, won't I, and everything will be fine, because what can't be solved with some slow breaths and happy thoughts? There are a lot of things-"

"Phil! Calm down- Uh, I mean-"

"No. What's wrong with me is none of your business, especially when I'm fine. So just shut up and get lost. I can't be bothered." Phil muttered.

"Phil, stop being so stuck up and just accept the fact that I don't want you to be sad."

"I'm not sad!"

"Phil, you're not fooling anyone, so suck up your pride and tell me what's wrong!"

After admitting defeat, Phil's mouth opened and closed a few times when he was about to speak then didn't. He looked like a goldfish, which Dan tried to pretend wasn't hilarious.

After forever, Phil looked at Dan in the eye. "My dad-" he whispered coarsely, cut off by a break in his voice.

Dan's mind threw fifty sentence endings around his brain. He could make a guess, but he needed to be sure.

"What happened?" Dan pressed, but kept his voice almost as low as Phil's had been.

Phil took a deep breath and bit his lip as he turned away to hide the tears gathering back in his eyes. "He... He died."

And then he lost it. He clenched his eyes shut and Dan watched as water spilled from his eyes and painted the ground. Phil was a silent crier, Dan noted. But to Dan, the silent cries were the most heart-wrenching, because someone crying silently was someone who couldn't stop.

"Phil, I..." Dan breathed. "I am so, so sorry."

He wasn't really sure what happened, but in a quick motion, Phil swung around and flung his arms around Dan, sobbing heavily into his shoulder. Having no idea how to react, Dan tentatively wrapped his arms around Phil too. After a short while, Phil sat back up.

"Sorry. I just- Sorry." Phil said sheepishly, starting to fiddle with his hands. "I don't usually- Ugh. Don't tell anyone about that." He almost laughed.

"I won't, trust me." Dan said equal parts jokingly and uncomfortably. The boys exchanged awkward glances before Dan nodded and got up. The bell was about to go anyway, and neither of the boys really wanted to walk back into class together.