Demonic // phan

Nineteen

Look at this fucking awesome edit that ZoeyThePhangirl made for this story!! Thanks so much Bae.
[song is Bleeding by The Ready Set]

***

That night, Phil actually managed to get a few hours of sleep. Despite the fact that his head was still a horrendous, confused mess about everything, he shut most of it out and let unconsciousness take him over. And, for once in a very long time, he didn't dream.

He was still wary. And afraid, about many things he couldn't even begin to explain. What if Zoe and the rest of Dan's family decided Phil was too much of a risk and got rid of him? Or Dan was forced to stay away from him? Or what if Dan just left him, decided he wasn't worth it anymore?

Or what if those hunters finally made an appearance? He hadn't heard much about them, and from what he had been told, they weren't good. Them showing would only lead to even worse scenarios, death being the most prominent.

It was funny, because before all of this, the inevitability of death hadn't seemed so drastic. Phil had been much more focused on his life, the things he did and didn't do, and what he wanted to make of himself. He'd cared more about book endings and doing well in school than when he was going to die. It had seemed far away and not too much of problem. But now it was a constant threat, that had Phil obscenely worried about every move he made. Anything could bring him down that path, and he really wasn't ready.

Of course, he also wasn't ready for school, but that was something he would have to deal with for right now. He had spent enough time hiding in his room, and now that him and Dan were.... slightly okay again, he didn't really have a reason for doing so. And his parents would start getting suspicious if he continued being absent. He didn't want to drag them into this situation at all, if he could avoid it.

The usual walk to school seemed a lot longer and tiring. That might also be given to the fact that he wasn't a morning person, and physical movement wasn't on the top of his Thing I Like list, but there was something else, too. Reluctance to reach his destination, at the prospect of having to interact with people anymore than he had to. Either way, by the time he did reach the building, he had a headache and was ready to go back home.

But maybe he had just an ounce of luck left in his life, because almost as soon as he walked through the doors, he ran into Dan. Quite literally, having to grab the other boy's shoulders to keep from falling backwards. Dan grasped his arms, smiling slightly.

"Clumsy today, are we?" He said with a laugh. Phil rolled his eyes and gave a sarcastic grin.

"I'll have you know, I'm always like this. You're just too thick to notice it most of the time."

It was unreal, how they naturally fell back into their normal routine. Teasing and laughing, as if the events of the last week hadn't even happened. Phil was half convinced it had all been some lucid dream, some dramatic, sleep deprivation-induced fake reality.

Dan hummed, letting him go and continuing the way he'd been heading before. Towards the front doors.

"Um, Dan?" Phil questioned, pointing behind him when Dan turned around. "Class is that way."

"I'm not going to class today." He said, simple as anything. As if this was something that everyone did, and you'd be crazy if you didn't. Phil folded his arms.

"Really?" Dan nodded. "Where are you going, then?"

"Well, you'll just have to come with me to find out, won't you?" Dan replied with a smirk, walking backwards and staring at Phil.