stained (phan) || book #1

three

(fanart by greenarrowtheiv )

P H I L ' S   P O V

"So? Did you make any new friends?" Mum pestered as soon as I walked through the front door.

I shrugged. "I talked to one person. His name's Dan."

"Why is he there?" She questioned.

"I don't know, he didn't get to tell me." With that, I went to my room.

During the middle of the night, Bryony and Wirrow climbed through my window.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone?" Wirrow asked.

"It's dead," I mumbled. He huffed a sigh, sitting on the window pane as Bryony hopped on my dresser, sitting down.

"Why don't you charge it then, dipshit?" Wirrow teased. Bryony crossed her arms, looking at me.

"So? Have you gotten any news on Dan yet?"

I nodded. "Turns out he's in my support group. Don't know why. He's sixteen and a swimmer- that's all I know."

"What a cunt," Wirrow snorted. I forced a laugh. "Let's just skip him for now. I'm in the mood to chase somebody down."

"I don't really-" I began to protest, when Bryony raised an eyebrow.

"Phil, you aren't thinking of backing out, are you?"

I hesitated before shaking my head, grabbing a hoodie and weapon before hopping out the window after them.

We tiptoed across my roof, jumping down from the edge and landing on the damp grass. I chased after Bryony and Wirrow.

"Who's on the list now?"

"Some guy named PJ. He killed his own boyfriend."

"Who was his boyfriend?" I blinked, not lessening my pace as we ran though the woods.

"I think his name was Chris. Now come on."

---

I woke up back in my bedroom, still in my clothes from last night, my metal bar laying on the carpet. Dried blood was present on my hands and hoodie. I sat up and unzipped my hoodie, hurrying downstairs and throwing them in the washer.

"Phil! Support group this morning! You can't be late again!" My mother yelled.

I gritted my teeth, looking at my crimson hands. Quickly washing up, I ate my breakfast and maneuvered into my car. I shut the door and was immediately greeted with the stench of a decaying corpse, leaning over and puking in a bucket in a passenger seat.

Why was I puking? Oh right, because Bryony and Wirrow decided to throw PJ's corpse in my fucking trunk. I held my shirt over my nose, feeling sick during the whole car ride. Halfway through I parked in the middle of the woods, popping open my trunk and throwing PJ's body into the lake after slipping on gloves to avoid fingerprints.

"Sorry buddy," I mumbled, running to get back in my car. I pulled out my cologne and sprayed it, also rolling down the windows to kill off the smell. I drove back to support group and went to the bathroom, washed my hands and face, and then found my seat next to Dan again. "Hi,"

He was wearing a pink sweater this time, a simple beanie hugging his curly hair.

"Hey."

"How'd you sleep?" I asked him, noticing the bags under his eyes again.

"Well I was swimming pretty late but I heard screaming, so I went back inside." I nodded, gulping down the fact that he might have heard our execution.

"Why would you be swimming at 3am?" I furrowed my eyebrows. Dan looked at me.

"How'd you know what time it is?" He asked. I opened my mouth but he spoke again. "Did you hear the screaming too?"

"Yeah, that."

"Anyways, I swim because it's peaceful. Nobody else is awake, and if they are, they aren't bothering you. I have time to think- to be alone."

I nodded, looking down at his pink sweater and changing the subject. "Is that a girl's sweater?"

"Dunno. I saw it and I bought it, that's how I am. Either way, gender roles are bullshit." Dan giggled.

Our conversation was cut short by my phone ringing. I looked down, seeing it was Bryony.

"What is it?" I whispered into the device once I picked up.

"We killed the wrong guy."

My eyes widened. "What?" I hissed. Dan raised an eyebrow at me and I gestured that I would be back. Once I was sure I was in private, I continued. "Who was it?"

"It's Mason Howett. Not Mason Howell."

I slammed my fist onto the sink. "So Wirrow just looked up the wrong guy and decides to kill his whole family?" I growled.

"I guess. We have to kill the Howell family, Phil. No witnesses. Speaking of, how's the little Nutella haired twink?"

I scoffed at the nickname. "He's the same- still quiet and still feminine."

"Alright. . . just don't forget what the plan is, alright? You know what Wirrow did last time."

I gulped, my eyes watering. "Don't bring that up," I breathed. "You know not to do that."

She apologized and hung up. I regained myself before trudging out to see Nyla chatting to Dan.

That's the girl that criticized Dan's outfit the first day.

I walked up to them, forcing a smile. "What are you two talking about?"

"I was just apologizing to Dan. I never meant to offend him."

"So, why are you here?" I asked Nyla after sitting down.

She looked down. "Eating isn't really my lifestyle."

Dan sucked in a breath. "I'm sorry."

Nyla shrugged. "I live at the hospital a street over. I get lonely, so my doctor requested this place. It's not so bad, I just wish I had some friends."

"Hey, I'll be your friend if you'd like," Dan offered, flashing her a toothy grin.

Nyla smiled at him. "Thank you, Dan."

I stayed silent until it was time to go. Nyla and Dan hugged before him and I walked out together, but I paused when I felt a raindrop hit my nose.

"Shit, is it raining? Ah, I didn't mean to swear!" Dan cried, covering his mouth with his sweater paws. I laughed at him. Soon, it was pouring down, soaking the both of us within seconds.

"It appears so. I gotta go," I told him. Dan waved as I began walking off but I stopped in my tracks, spinning on my heel and shoving my hands in my pockets. "Dan?"

"Hm?" He hummed, his hair tangling into messy wet curls from the rain droplets.

I cleared my throat. Then I asked something I thought I'd never ask anybody.

"Do you, uhm, need a ride?"