Something new

Chapter 14

WARNINGS: swearing, violence, threatening behaviour?

"Holy shit!" Chris's voice was filled with laughter even though his eyes were wide with shock. "Is that Phil Lester?" His voice was loud enough to draw attention from tables next to us, making heads turn to the centre of the cafeteria.

I looked up from my plate, watching my gorgeous boyfriend trudge across the hall, head down. His once confident, long strides were no longer seen as his trainers scraped across the floor. Unintentionally messy hair was scattered across his forehead, hanging in his eyes, gingery roots starting to break through his once perfectly black hair. No skinny jeans that fitted his legs amazingly, or rolled up shirts showing an outline of muscle, just loose tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie.

"Oh my god, he's really let himself go." Pj said with just as much shock as Chris.

The cafeteria had quieted down since Phil's entrance. It'd been a couple of weeks since the awful phone call. Phil had been skipping most classes or just telling teachers he was sick since that day. Not many students had seen him lately, keeping himself cooped up in his room, avoiding most human interaction. Now I only get to see him a few days a week. He explained that his moods are all over the place and he doesn't want a repeat of the day he kicked me out. He said that he's scared that he'll start taking things out on me if he's not alone to let all his emotions go. Obviously I complied to what he wanted, but we still text everyday, admittedly I'd gotten a few detentions for using my phone in class, but that doesn't matter at all if I get to talk to him, even if it is only text on a screen.

As I ignored all the sly comments about Phil that surrounded me, all I could focus on was how proud of him I was. For someone who hardly leaves the comfort of their duvet, they were now letting themselves be the centre of attention. I had to restrain myself from jumping up and running into his arms right then, not allowing myself to out us after all this time of keeping it a secret. But when I heard the bitter words leave Chris's mouth, all my thinking went out the window.

"I'm actually glad he looks this shit for once, things finally caught up with the asshole."

My head shot up into his direction. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I gritted through my teeth, failing to keep my anger contained.

"Dan, what's got into you?" Pj's voice was calm and smooth just like usual, but not the sort of thing I wanted to hear right then.

"What's got into me? What's wrong with you! Ever since I've got here the only thing you have to say about Phil is how much of an asshole he is. Well I don't know about you, but I've never seen him do any of the things you've claimed he's so horribly done. Sure he's a bit cocky, but it's not like he's a fucking murderer or something like you seem to make him out to be. Have you ever tried to actually get to know him?" I was met by silence off the both of them. "Exactly, that's what I thought."

The cafeteria had already gone back to the normal level of noise, Phil was also no longer in sight. Awkwardness had filled my table as both Chris and Pj had such a great sudden interest in their plates, not once looking up. I took the opportunity of silence between us to scan my eyes across the full cafeteria. Nobody seemed to catch my eye as I looked, nothing out of the ordinary was happening, there never was.

Just as I was about to abandon my search of something interesting, my eyes met someone else's.  Blue. Not ocean blue, but more like a murky pond full of litter blue. I quickly scanned the familiar features. The messy blonde hair, pale skin, sat on a table of giggling girls. That's when it clicked. Kyle.

Unfortunately, Kyle was one of the first people I met on my first day, for introductions he didn't seem to be one for hand shakes but preferred to land his hand somewhere else. Phil had told me a lot about him, from what he said all I got out of it was how much Phil hates him. The tension between them was unmissable, especially the warning looks Phil would give him if he caught Kyle staring. I never knew which one of us his attention was on, but I'm not sure I actually want to know.