The Phan in Our Stars

Part Four

The snow beneath Dan's feet was hard and full of ice. It wasn't the type of snow your feet sink into, but rather the kind you walk on top of. Try as he might, Dan couldn't manage to do anything more than walk for fear of slipping.

The last time it snowed was three days after Christmas. That snow was nothing like this. It was soft and wet; the kind you make snowballs out of. Dan and Phil went to the park that day. They'd built a snowman and Phil attacked Dan with snowballs before tackling him to the ground.

"Wow, seems it only takes one leg to get a leg up on you!" Phil had laughed, sitting on Dan's chest.

"You're getting me soaking wet!" Dan pleaded, laughing along despite the freezing cold at his back.

"Not the first time I've heard that," Phil teased, getting up and pulling Dan to his feet.

Despite the biting wind, Dan smiled, thinking about that moment. It was nice to have things with Phil back to normal again.

Dan arrived at the apartment shaking from the cold. "I'm home!" He instinctively called, before remembering Phil wasn't there. He had gone to Manchester to spend the New Year with his parents. Dan threw his keys down on the counter and went to his room to change into something warm.

The day after their park date, the two boys went apartment shopping, as demanded by Phil.

"I can't stand living here one more day!" he had said, "It all feels so sad and sickly. We need somewhere new. A fresh start."

They found the perfect place for that fresh start. It was smaller, near their old neighborhood, with an elevator and was only one bedroom. This detail both excited Dan and made him want to throw up out of nervousness. But Phil was right. It was time for a fresh start.

Dan changed into sweat pants and one of Phil's hoodies. He had just settled into the sofa with a blanket and warm cup of coffee when the doorbell buzzed.

You're fucking joking me.

Dan went to the door and looked through the peephole

What the hell?

"Rosie?" He said, opening the door, "Uh, hi, uh, what are you doing here?"

"Is Phil here?"

Dan's chest burned. What the hell was she doing here? Phil had told her that he was with Dan now. What the fuck was she playing at?

"No. He's in Manchester for the week." Dan started to close the door, but she caught it.

"How's he doing?" she asked, pushing the door back open.

"He's in remission. Full remission." Dan said, "So if that's all, I'll just-"