Hate Me Closer (Phan)

Chapter Thirty-One

There was a joint sigh of relief across the entire year once their mock exams were over. They had six months before their GCSEs, so they couldn't rest entirely, but it was approaching the Christmas holidays and not one of the students was going to take that for granted.

The Third Form teenagers seemed to stop caring so much for everyone else once the snowballing effect of stress melted away with their final test. They didn't quite see the point in causing anyone else trouble when they had their own lives to deal with. It wasted time they could be studying, or at least procrastinating studying with games.

Dan watched Phil's childish smile return; the one he'd first wiped from his lips in their first term of school together over two years ago. He thought it was the kind of smile that you couldn't help but admire, and it turned up the corners of your own cheeks when you saw it, but then he realised other people didn't quite grin as much at it as him. He learnt to look down when his friend smiled.

It was this simper that his one of three best friends had imprinted onto his cheeks as he rambled about a Christmas from his early childhood. Dan would have once envied him, but now he rather felt grateful that Phil got to experience such a magical holiday, "And this was the first year I was heavily into Pokémon, so of course Dad made that into a whole thing." he continued, "Hey, what's your favourite Pokémon?"

"Oh my God, do you have to ask me that? You'll be starting an essay." Dan giggled, "Firstly, are we going for the original starter Pokémon, or just entirely, or-"

"Don't worry about it." Phil laughed, "You should learn to play the theme tune on piano."

"I really should." Dan agreed, "I'll do it while I learn my exam pieces."

"You got those two weeks ago...don't you know them yet?" Phil questioned, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Give Howell a break." Marcus laughed, "Mummy plays the piano and she can spend weeks learning one piece." he took his school books out, searching through the pile.

"I've learnt two of the three," Dan muttered. He didn't like feeling as though he had a superior talent because that put a price tag on it; he much preferred keeping it as a hobby.

Phil smirked at Marcus being put in his place. He crossed his arms, trying not to come across too smug in appreciation of his friend.

"Say, where's Chris and PJ?" Dan asked, diverting the subject.

"They're in town." Phil smiled, then mouthing over to Dan, "Or at least that's what they said they were doing."

Dan rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help grinning and letting a laugh sputter from his lips, "Phil, want to go to the Great Hall with me?" he asked.

"Sure." he nodded, "Can I keep rambling about Christmas?"

"If you have to," Dan replied, although he'd have probably paid for the opportunity.

***

Phil was completely enamoured by the boy with straightened brown hair and a smile that lit the room. They were back at home, a day before Christmas as Dan sat at his grandma's piano with Phil pretending to be half as interested in the songs his friend played than he truly was. He couldn't seem overly eager, but he wasn't sure if it was watching the younger boy become totally engulfed in something he loved, or that he held something he couldn't describe with any word other than pride.

"So, that's your exam piece?" Phil asked, walking to the side of the piano and looking at the foreign language printed onto staves.

"Yeah." Dan smiled, turning his head up to look at his friend, "How did it sound?"