stained (phan) || book #1

nine

D A N ' S   P O V

Holy shit.

He was kissing me. And I was kissing him back. My heart pounded and head spun as I wrapped my hands around his neck, pulling away onto to take a breath and smile at him.

He smiled back, our eyes half-closed as euphoria filled us from head to toe. I pulled him on top of me and pressed my mouth back onto his, parting my lips so his tongue could explore my mouth. I let out a breathy moan and he held himself up, the two of us kissing passionately as his lip ring brushed against me.

"I'm here," I breathed against his mouth.

"And you won't leave?" Phil asked, beginning to pepper kisses along my jawline. I nodded.

"Never. Will you?"

But he didn't reply, and I didn't ask again because his mouth began to nibble at my neck and I became a mess.

I was letting out quiet whimpers at every nibble, bite, and lick he left on my skin. I knew he was leaving a hickey and that I had swimming practice tomorrow, but I couldn't bring myself to stop him.

Suddenly my phone rang and we both groaned in annoyance. I apologized and grabbed that stupid cockblock device, hitting answer.

"Daniel James Howell, where the hell are you?" My mother cried. I tensed up. Crap.

"I got scared and went over to a friend's house. I'm fine, mum."

"Thank god. But this does not change how angry we are with you! You are grounded, young man! Get back here right now!"

I sighed. "Fine," and then I hung up. I looked at Phil. "Grounded. I'll see you at support group, alright?"

He nodded and I slipped a pair of jeans on before kissing Phil's cheek then walking towards the window, but stopped and turned to him.

"Hey, um, my competition is this weeknend. Do you think you could come?" I asked him, smiling shyly.

He chuckled. "I'll see."

I nodded and climbed out his window, ignoring the tingling in my tummy as I thought back to our kiss.

----

"Hi, Mr. Yagami," I smiled at my swim coach, holding my towels close to myself.

"Hey Dan. Have you been practicing? Our competition is this weekend."

I nodded, beginning to tug off my sweater. "''Course. I'm prepared."

He nodded once and I jumped out of my jeans, now only in my swimming trousers.

Mr. Yagami left to go the restroom while I set my towel down on the bench, walking over to sit by the edge of the pool.

Ben, another boy on my team, came up behind me. "Look who decided to finally show his face!" He taunted. "Where's the hickey from, huh?"

"None of your business," I shot back, keeping my eyes locked on the water below me. I didn't dare make eye contact with him.

Alex came up next, kicking my goggles into the deep end. "What were you doing hanging out with that guy at the mall? We saw you. He's way out of your league,"

"He's a faggot, guys, don't touch him. That's why he's on this team anyway. He just wants to see guys half naked," Parker added in, laughing devilishly.

I stood up, my fists clenched. "I like to swim, actually. Besides if I wanted to see guys half naked, I'd want to see nice bodies- so obviously that doesn't qualify to you. Secondly, at least I have skills so I suggest you shut up."

Ben laughed, not intimated at all. Honestly I don't know what I expected- I have a flower crown on for God's sake and all I wear is pink. I'm about as intimidating as a butterfly. "Or else what?"

Without knowing what I was doing I swung my fist, punching Ben straight in the eye. He was knocked backwards, holding his eye and groaning in pain. I stared at my now aching fist in shock, surprised that I was capable of such a thing.

My pride didn't last long though, because Ben decided to command his friends. "Get him."

Parker and Alex grabbed one arm each and dragged me from the building, throwing me into the sidewalk. Ben followed after, ripping the flower crown from my head and ripping it in two, then throwing the pieces on me.

Parker threw punches, Alex kicked me, and Ben spat insults. I whimpered, trying to shield myself, wishing that Phil was here to protect me or Mr. Yagami.

My nose was bleeding, my left eye ached, my jaw and head throbbed, and my eyes stung with tears. I tasted something metallic in my mouth and realized I was now bleeding in my mouth.

"We need to teach the little shit a lesson. This isn't good enough," Alex told Ben. Parker stopped, an idea in his head. He grinned deviously at me.

"Since you love swimming so much," Parker began, forcing me to stand up. Ben grabbed me by my hair and they followed him. "I bet you'll like drowning just as much."

"No!" I screamed. "Please! I'm sorry! Don't do this! Stop it, stop it, stop it! Let go! Please!"

I needed somebody to help, but then remembered I had my phone in my pocket. It's not like that mattered though- there was no way I could get it without them seeing. Then I got an idea. A stupid one, of course.

I swung my foot backwards, hitting Alex in the crotch, then elbowed the other boys on my sides, running as fast as I could. I snatched my phone and scrolled through contacts, hitting Phil's number.

Please work, I prayed to myself.

My finger moved to hit the call button but my phone was knocked out of my hand and straight into the pool. I watched in shock as it floated to the bottom, the screen now black. I turned to see Ben, his face red with anger.

"You stupid little asshole," he growled, forcing me onto my knees over the water. Alex grabbed the back of my hair while Parker held me down and Ben watched. "You thought you could get away."

"No! No, no, n-" but my throat was stopped when water filled it and my head was pushed underwater. I was flat on my stomach now, my back being stepped on by Parker's painful weight. I watched as the blood from my nose and mouth mixed in with the chlorine and squeezed my eyes shut, screaming into the water.

My arms flailed as I searched for something, anything to grab onto, but there was nothing. My anxiety was getting bad now too, and my chest was heaving as I sobbed underwater.

Where was Mr. Yagami? Phil? Bryony? Wirrow? Hell, even Nyla.

I tried my best to push my head up but I was becoming weaker as my oxygen was lowering by the second. Maybe this is how it ends. Maybe I'll die tonight. Maybe I'll never see Phil again, or get to swim again, or see my parents again.

I'll see Mason though. I'll see him and I'll ask him who killed him. Then I'll know.

I heard them laughing and shouting insults from land while my ears stayed underwater, my lungs burning from lack of air. I tried and tried, but nothing was working. White dots were beginning to form in my black vision, and my limbs were starting to become weak. I gave up and stopped screaming, only trying to gasp for air- which resulted in choking on the water.

I clutched at my chest, the burning getting stronger and stronger. The last thing I felt was the weight pushing me down leaving me and then I was cold and alone, and water was surrounding me.

I was weightless. I was floating.

I was underwater, nobody touching me and nothing to be heard. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't open my eyes, and I couldn't move.

It was quiet all over again.

Then it was black.