Camp Gay- A Phan Story

Goodbye

Dan and his mum lifted his trunk into the back of their SUV. Although he was reluctant, he had no choice but to do what his mother said.

"I'm going to the camp office to tell them that you're leaving," Mrs. Howell said quietly. "Say goodbye to your....friends."

Her last word stung. Dan knew that she would be angry when she found out; he would even go as far as to say that she was furious. 

Dan ran as fast as he could back to the cabin to find Phil sitting on Dan's stripped down mattress. He sat with his legs crossed, looking down solemnly at his hands. When he heard the door open, he looked up hopefully.

"Dan," He happily as the younger one sat down next to him.

"She hates me," Dan said quietly. 

"It's my fault," he replied.

"No. I-"

"If I never would've fallen so hard for you that first day, if I never would've forced you to come out to me....you wouldn't be leaving camp right now. You'd be staying if it weren't for me." Phil lowered his head in defeat.

Dan put his hand underneath Phil's chin and pulled his head up so that their eyes made contact. 

"I would want to be leaving camp if it weren't for you. I would've wanted to leave this camp the second day if it weren't for you. You made me love this place."

Phil smiled, but then his face returned to a frown. "I can't believe that it's ending like this. How could she be...." he trailed off.

The brunette shook his head. "So cruel? So unaccepting? So unsupportive?" he finished.

"She loves you; she cares about you. She wants you to be safe. And if that means taking you away from me," Phil brushed Dan's fringe out of his eyes, "then maybe it's for the best."

The younger one's eyebrows knitted together in frustration. "How is taking your son away from the person he loves 'safe?'"

The black-haired boy was taken aback. "Y-you love me?"

He looked at his boyfriend. "Yes. Of course I do," he replied as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

The older one's face broke out into another smile. "I love you too," he stated, kissing him. 

Dan pulled away, his face filled with dread. "My mum is waiting for me," he whispered.

Phil gently rested his hand on his arm. "Then go, Love."

Dan looked out the window, watching the camp fade away from his sight. Once it was out of view, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. Next to him, Mrs. Howell looked over at him for a second. 

"Tell me what happened to you while you were there, Dan."

"Nothing." I fell in love.

"Why were you kissing him?"

"I don't know." He's my boyfriend.

"You owe me some answers after I walked in on you kissing another boy, you know."

"There's nothing to answer." I'm gay.

"Was that all you were doing for the past month? Kissing him?"

"No." We did more than kiss.

Mrs. Howell said nothing. She continued the long drive home.

Right when they were five minutes away from home, his mother broke the silence that had been surrounding them the whole way there. 

"Tell me the truth, Daniel."

A moment of silence passed. Dan felt his frustration grow and grow with each passing second. 

"I'm a faggot, mum," he said emotionlessly as he looked out the window. He called himself the name that he'd heard his mum mutter so many times before when she saw a gay couple.

"You're a what?"

"I'm not straight. I'm just like those guys that you see in town, holding hands with their boyfriends. I'm one of those guys who you call 'fag.' I'm-"

"Daniel!"

"Gay," Dan finished. At that moment, Mrs. Howell stopped the car at a stop sign. Dan quickly  unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his backpack that had his phone, wallet, headphones, and hoodie in it. He jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind him and rapidly running. He didn't care where he was running to, but he knew that he wasn't running home.

__________________

Thank you all for such a huge response to the previous chapter! More coming soon x