(Dan's POV)
The next morning, I wake up and turn to my phone. I turn it on, and see I have one new message, from Phil.
"How about we meet at 12? At the bench?"
"Okay!" I reply.
I have two hours to get ready. I rush into the bathroom and take a shower, making sure to wash my hair nicely. Then I blow dry my hair, and straighten it, and choose some clothes to wear. Since I'll be eating with Phil soon, I decide against breakfast.
I sit in the living room, and turn on the TV. I just scroll through Tumblr on my phone until I hear loud sobs coming from my mums room.
Her words from yesterday echo in my mind.
"Daniel.. Don't worry about me.."
So I try to ignore it and focus on the voices coming from the TV. At 11:40, I yell through my mum's door that I'll be going out for the day. Then I leave and walk to the park.
When I get there, I see Phil sitting on the bench, looking around. He's tapping his fingers on the wood, humming the tune to a song.
"Hey, Phil..." I say awkwardly as I get closer to him.
"Oh hi!" He beams, getting up from the bench. "Where do you want to go?"
"Oh, I, I don't know... Wherever... I'm not too hungry.."
"Do you just want to get tea or something?"
"Yeah! Yeah that works.." He nods happily and I silently curse at myself for how awkward I'm being.
"There's this place a few blocks away, if you don't mind walking."
"Okay."
Phil looks at me for a second, and then grabs my arm and starts to walk. "You're so slow!" He laughs. I try to pick up my pace and laugh with him, hut its hard to move considering he is touching my arm. It's almost like we're holding hands! Just a few inches down, and our fingers could be intertwined.
I blush and look up at him, and he releases his grip on my arm. "Its a bit chilly today huh?"
"A little."
"You aren't even wearing a jacket!"
I look down at my bare arms, and rub them. "I forgot, I guess."
I feel a wet drop on my nose, and look down at the pavement to see little droplets falling from the sky. Seconds later, the drops have gotten bigger, and are falling a bit faster. I sniff and breathe on my hands to warm them. The cold water drips on my arms, and I bring them up to my chest, holding them as tight as I can.
"You're freezing! Dan you'll get a cold!" Phil says.
"Oh... Yeah it's okay."
Phil brings his hoodie over his head and hands it to me. "Here. I don't need it." I look at him for a moment, and then put it on. I'm warmer right away. My arms are shielded from the rain, and I bring up the hood right away, to shield my already-curling hair from the rain.
"Thank you.." I say quietly.
"No problem!"
In a few minutes, we are under the roof of a warm shop, which sells teas and coffee.
"What do you want?" Phil asks.
"Ummm..." I look at the menu, and see a wide variety of beverages to choose from.
"I'm going to get Hokkaido milk tea. Do you want it too?"
"What does it taste like?"
"Caramel."
"Yeah okay."
He orders for both of us and I sit waiting for him. He walks over to me and hands me the bubble tea, and we walk out of the shop.
"Do you want to go back to the bench or..?"
"Oh um.. Yeah its raining though."
"Oh yeah... And we might get recognised.. Let's stay here?"
I nod and we head back in the shop.
"So... What's wrong?" He asks, sipping his tea.
"Oh um.." I feel tears in my eyes already. "My parents.."
"Mmhmm.." He nods. "You know it isn't your fault?"
"Well-I-uh... It is..."
"They don't like each other, Dan. They love you, I'm sure."
"They don't..."
"Of course they do! Why wouldn't they?!"
I can't hold it back. "There isn't anything to love about me." I say in a hushed tone, and tears start to fall onto my cheeks.
"Yes there is, Dan..." Phil says. He puts his hand on mine, and my face gets hot, but he stares into my eyes and continues talking. "You're an amazing person, you know. They don't have one reason not to love you."
Wait is that his way of saying I'm perect???
I shake my head. "I'm... I'm such a disgrace to the family.."
"Dan! No! If anything, you're the best in your family. You're a real person, not someone perfected to be exactly what the public wants to see."
I just sigh and look at my hand. His is so pale compared to mine, but it looks nice on him. He's so pretty.
"No one likes real people anymore, Phil. The public wants to see royal people acting like royal people, not like real ones. My parents want me to be like them. Not this depressed-" Crap.
"I like real people, Dan. I like you. You're a great friend, and you can always talk to me if you'd like. Let's go?"
My heart skipped a beat when he said he liked me, but I guess we will only ever be friends. That's okay, though.
"Yeah."
We head out and he walks with me all the way to my front door. "Don't be stupid." He smiles, and pulls me into a tight hug.
My face gets hot once again today, and I wrap my arms around him. I bury my face in his shoulder, and inhale the smell of rain and cologne and raspberries. He pulls away.
"I'll see you soon, okay?"
I nod. "Okay."
And he turns and walks away, and then turns back. "You can keep the hoodie, by the way."
"Oh! No! You'll need it!" I take it off and throw it to him, and he thanks me with a smile.
I watch him walk away and remember how it felt when he hugged me, and how he said he liked me, and how he put his hand on mine, and how he held my arm.
I open the front door and hear crying, and prepare myself for the worst.
