If You Loved Me, Why'd You Leave Me?

Chapter 4

I was relieved when I heard a knock at the door and looked out of my window to see a mop of black hair standing awkwardly outside. It was the boy who I had met in the alley, and it was the boy who had called 999 on hearing my screams. I never had the chance to thank him, but I do now. As I watched my mum answer the door and talk to him, I notcied how the boy was wearing something on his bare wrist, something that sent a pang through me. Everything about him seemed so familiar - it was frustrating.

"He's in his room, probably asleep." I heard mum tell him, resulting in me sticking my head out of the window and calling down to them.

"Send him up!"

Ten seconds later I was sat on my bed, facing the boy with the black hair and blue eyes who seemed very awkward standing at the foot of my bed. I had closed my door; mum had a tendency for listening into my conversations.

"Do I know you?" I began, staring at the bracelet on his wrist. It was a black string one with a rainbow of beeds spread our across it. Something you'd buy for a friend; a friendship bracelet. "You seem familiar, plus you knew my name."

"Dan." The boy nodded and his fingers went straight to the bracelet. "I can't believe you don't remember me. When we were boys, we - we did everything together."

"We did?" I asked, not fazed at all. I had had a lot of best friends, this boy just happened to be one that I had forgotten about.

"We did. I'm Phil." The boy - Phil - looked a little hurt, but when he said his name a small smile appeared, filled with warmth and tension and uncertainty. I felt sorry for the poor guy. "Phil Lester. Ring any bells?"

Yes. It rang a lot of bells. So many, in fact, that my head started to pound. Memories came flooding back and suddenly Phil didn't seem like a stranger anymore. I knew almost everything about him - well, about his younger self. "No, doesn't ring any." I shrugged, leaning back against the pillows. I patted the space next to me and Phil hesitantly sat down. "So what happened to us? Why did we drift apart?"

"I moved away." Phil told me, not meeting my eyes. "You remember? You told me to come and live with you but I refused, so you got mad, said you hated me." Phil coughed. "But we were young and I was being selfish, it's fine."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said cluelessly, but really I remembered it all. The hurt and betrayal and hate. And the upset when he left until I found someone else and forced myself to forget about the bestest friend I had ever had. "So, why are you back here?" A question I did not know the answer to.

"My dad died." Phil sniffed. "We came to live with my grandma, my brother and I."

I knew Phil's mum had died when he was two years old and that wasn't something he really cried about, but his dad? As a kid he had loved his dad so much, and now he was orphaned. "I'm sorry." I mumbled, truly meaning it. I couldn't imagine losing my parents. "I wanted to thank you," I blurted, staring him right in the eyes. "For saving my life, that is."

"I heard you screaming." Phil said as if it meant nothing. "I thought someone was being murdered."

"Hmm, in a way I was." I smirked and Phil giggled. It was pretty cute. "How long can you stay for?" I asked, really wanting him not to go. It was nice having someone my age to laugh with for once. Phil and I weren't that close anyway; he would cry when I died.

"I can stay for as long as you want." Phil smiled and I returned it. He really did seem like a nice kid, someone I'd love to be friends with, but that was impossible. He was also someone I didn't want to hurt. "Hey Dan, what's wrong with you? Why were you screaming the other day?" Phil asked, looking a little nervous about it but probably deciding he'd give it a shot. The boy was probably very curious.