A Step By Step Guide To Mortality

The more the merrier

The next time he sees Tommy is after school in detention.

If there's one thing Phil has noticed, it's that Tommy comes to detention an awful lot. Most of the time, he is quiet and sits at the front doing his unfinished work. Although sometimes, more often than not, he's talkative.

It's difficult for Phil to remember that this is supposed to be a punishment for Tommy, not a chat session.

The following detention, Tommy arrives late and walks in after school, throwing his bag through the door and flopping down on a seat he pulls up to Phil's desk. He sits down on the seat backwards, leaning over the back of the chair to look at Phil.

"Oh my— okay. Hi Tommy. I didn't think anybody had after school detention today." Phil pulls up his calendar checking the list of students. Sure enough, there's a ping from 10 minutes ago listing Tommy Innit.

Phil squints at his screen and whispers. "How did you manage to get in trouble in the last few minutes of class?"

"Can we do a tutoring session?" Tommy asks.

Without waiting for an answer, Tommy unzips his school bag, pulling out a pile of loose paper which Phil assumes is his refill somehow having fallen apart in his bag.

"I-"

Tommy sighs loudly. "I don't feel like doing a detention today."

Phil bites his lip. "I suppose since there isn't anybody else coming to detention."

He takes a seat back down at his desk and grabs a pen, reopening his laptop to prepare.

Tommy slaps down his workbook loudly.

"Phillip, this school is full of dickheads." Tommy huffs, blowing a strand of hair out of his face.

"My name definitely isn't Phillip." Phil states blankly with a blink. "And who's being mean to you?"

"Why? Also it's nothing, just some senior pricks."

Phil laughs. "What do you mean why?! My name is just Phil. Phil Minecraft Watson."

Tommy scrunches his eyebrows together. "Is your name just Phil? Because that's a pussy name."

"Oh yeah? And what's a less pussy name?"

Tommy gapes for a moment in shock when Phil swears but contains himself.

"You swore."

"Gonna tell on me?" Phil quirks his head and laughs when Tommy's jaw drops open even more.

Tommy clears his head by shaking it.

"Philza. That's so much cooler than Phil and wayyy less pussy." Tommy exclaims.

Tommy waves his hands like he's imagining the name in lights. "Philza Minecraft."

"You got rid of my last name!"

"Watson is lame, man!"

Phil rolls his eyes fondly.

"C'mon, tell me that's not cool." Tommy mouths the words Philza Minecraft and uses his hand theatrically.

Phil chuckles at the nickname but shakes his head. "You really should call me Mr Watson."

"Nah. Adding a 'z' into anyone's name makes it immediately more pog." Tommy finishes, leaving no room for argument and Phil really can't be bothered arguing with Tommy.

"Philza Minecraft is a fucking sick name and you should thank me for creating it."

He returns to his house just before dinner.