Nothing Lasts Forever (Phan)

Chapter 14

Phil POV

It had been a week. And they were still here. I knew it was the thought that counts, but I was at my wits end. Dan still hadn't been found, and it had been over two weeks. Honestly, I just wanted to curl up in a ball in the corner of a dark room. The apartment had been taken over. Zoe and Alfie were sleeping in my bed. Felix and Marcia were sharing a double air mattress in my room, as were Tyler and Conner. Joey was on the couch, and Louise and Carrie had had to go home a couple of days ago. I slept in Dan's bed, crying myself to sleep every night.

At any other given time I would've loved this, It would've been a blast, especially with Dan. I really did appreciate it, but I was about ready to kick them out. 

As per usually, when I woke up, everyone else was already up. Making up my mind on the spot, I decided enough was enough, and it was time for them to move on with their lives. I would call of the mini search party of the others, and go to radio's and newspapers and tell everyone to stop. I would try to calm down the phandom, and tell them I couldn't take all of this anymore If Dan didn't want to come home, I couldn't make him, and I was going to have to accept that. 

"Morning Phil." Everyone says as I enter the living room. People start to move around so there was room for me to sit, but I shake my head.

"Guys, I need to talk to you." I say. Everyone falls silent and stops moving. "Look, its been nice having you all here, and sometime in the future maybe we could do it again, but right now, I don't know, its just getting to be too much. If Dan doesn't want to come home we're just going to have to accept it. One day he'll have to come get all his stuff and we'll work it all out. I can't pay the rent on this place on my own, so I'll have to move. I might just move in with Mum for awhile, I don't know. But you guys can't put your lives on hold and stay with me like Dan's gonna home tomorrow, because he's not." I pause and start wiping tears from my eyes. "Guys I really just want to be alone, and you all have your own lives to live. You need to go home, and I just need to get over it."

I stop and automatically everyone starts protesting, yelling out that Dan was just being an idiot and that I couldn't give up. I sigh and hung my head, turning and leaving the room. I go back to Dan's room, lock the door and curl up in the bed. The sheets didn't smell like him very much anymore. One of the lasts of my comforts was fading. I listen to the commotion coming through the wall, they were all talking about me and Dan, trying to decide what to do. Suddenly someone yells something and all the others shut up. It was Felix.

"Guys Phil's right. Its not our battle to fight. This is Dan and Phil's shit that they have to sort out, and we can't help them. I agreed to come and try and cheer Phil up, not try and play superhero. We tried and its obvious that we're just making things worse. We all know Dan will come home, he can't stay away from Phil. And he can't hide out for the rest of his life, I think we just need to back off and let them sort it. Phil needs time, he still has to grieve for his dad and he hasn't been able to do that because of all this shit with Dan. I'm not saying we leave Phil alone completely, in his state of mind I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to, you know."

It goes silent for a moment, and I can imagine everyone nodding in agreement, then Felix continues.

"So I'm suggesting we get Catherine and Louise and everyone that lives around to come visit him everyday, and the rest of us go home."

Then everyone is talking again, but this time agreeing and making plans. There's a knock at the door and Felix calls out softly.

"Phil, its me." 

I slide out of bed and unlock the door.

"You heard all that?" He asks, closing the door behind him. I nod, and throw my arms around him.

"Thank you." I sob. 

"I'm sorry I let it go on this long, I knew you wanted us to leave all week."

I step back.

"How?"

Felix shrugs. "It wasn't hard, all the others would've picked up on to if they weren't so certain that this would work."

I nod and sit on Dan's bed. Felix sits beside me.

"So what are you going to do next?" He asks casually. I look at the roof.

"I'm going to call off all the search parties and investigators, tell everyone to stop. In the beginning I thought it might work, but now I'm just done with it all."

"What then?" Felix prompts. I frown.

"What do you mean?" 

"Well you've got the Dan thing all worked out, but once that's stopped, what will you do? You can't keep mooching around like a teenage girl after a breakup."

I think for a moment.

"I think I might take some time out from YouTube. Find a job, a house or something. Just keep going till something happens."

"Good plan, but Phil-" Felix says. I look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Don't move. Make sure Dan has somewhere to come home too."