Staring Competition ~ Phan AU

IV

Phil's PoV

I walked into school the next day with my head hung low. I was afraid that I would see Dan in Corridor Nine. He was late though so he wasn't at his locker. Corridor Nine consisted of eight lockers, a janitor's closet and a water fountain. After getting all of my needed materials for period one, I headed down to the library and sat in my corner with my book.

I flipped through the pages speedily. The papers whizzed by so fast that I finished four chapters in five minutes. I guess I was awfully bored.

For some reason, today was my bad day. I heard the library door open. I figured it was just the librarian and continued to read. I then heard a young males voice chuckle and three others follow. I instantly slumped down in my seat. I was all the way across the room and behind many book shelves, but I still took my precautions.

Tom and his crew were not to be messed with, so I needed to escape. There was a door in front of me, but if I used it, they would hear me and they could see the door from over there. I decided to run through the bloody door anyways. I heard music coming from the band room down the hall and figured I was safe in there with someone else.

I took a shaky breath. You can do this, Phil! I reassured myself. You've escaped... three times out of 483 times. Why can't it be four out of 484? I charged at the door and ran as it freed me from what was once my home.

"Oi!" Tom shouted after me. I ran towards the music room as I heard the door to the library open and foot steps chase me. Now or never. I body slammed the into the room. It was erupting with music. I closed the heavy door and held it shut with a rather large chair.

The piano keys played softer now. Obviously, my presence wasn't noticed. I looked at the pianist and realized it wasn't a teacher. It was a student. I wasn't sure who because they were wearing a hoodie instead of his school blazer, which was next to his bag.

His fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, playing My Immortal by Evanescence gracefully. Sadly. He even hummed some of the vocals. I leaned against the door way and smiled. Who could play this gracefully?

I approached ever so slightly, still listening, being extremely quiet. At the second chorus, the piano grew louder and I murmured the lyrics along with the tune.

"'I tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone.'"

The pianist joined in, rather loudly. I instantly recognized the voice and my eyes grew wide.

"'But though you're still with me, I'VE BEEN ALONE ALL ALOOOONNG!'"

I tried to back up slowly and leave, possibly going to hide in another room while he was still playing. I could hide from Tom in the art room where... I... heard someone... painting?

Again, bad day. I tripped over a drum set and knocked it over, falling with it and destroying it. The piano stopped and Dan turned, his face horrified.

"Dan I-"

"What are you doing?" he shouted, cutting me off. "Were you... were you watching me?" I looked at him sadly with my big, blue eyes and nodded. Guilt rushed through me and my cheeks lit up a bright red.

His did as well. He couldn't find any words to shoot at me, so he just left without helping me up. He just left with tears streaming down his face.

I got up and grabbed some money out of my wallet, just enough to repay for the drums. I walked down to the office and told them how I broke the drum and payed and they helped me pick it up. Then I was sent off to class because first period was in two minutes. I ran back into the library, which was now empty, grabbed my books, and went to English.

>•<

Dan's PoV

I sat down in English and put my head down. I had switched my hoodie with my blazer, although, I wish I hadn't. I wanted to curl up in a ball and hide. When I realized Phil was watching me, I didn't know what to do. My piano playing was my greatest secret because, at my old school, it was considered a girly hobby.

It was supposed to be a secret and it was ruined. Maybe my thoughts of Phil were not as I expected.

I curled my head into my folded arms and buried my face so no one could see my shame. My brown eyes began to dampened with tears. My brown fringe dipped in front of my eyes. The door creaked open and I slightly looked up.

Phil walked in, red faced and bruised from the drum fall. He took his usual seat next to me and I continued to stare forwards.

As class began, I wiped away my tears and sat up, still aching.