Pastel Punk [Phan] ♡ HIATUS

Chapter One

❀ Chapter One ❀

When I was a child, I imagined myself as one of those teenagers who partied all the hours of the night with alcoholic bliss-fests, had more friends than I could count at the age of six, and still managed to be at the top of my class, flying by with stellar grades. 

So maybe my past self didn't quite nail it with the first two. The third, however, had pretty much hit the bullseye on the metaphorical target.

I guess you could say one labels me as a nerd, but I preferred the term "educationally accomplished", as it sounded a lot less lame (albeit it made me further bullied when people laughed mockingly and shoved me to the side). Maybe that's why I found comfort by residing in libraries whenever I could. I relished in the comfort of the laconic silence of the room and the everlasting shelves of books of all kinds of stories and mementos, where I could peacefully drift away from reality for a few hours or so, escaping from the jabs from uninterested teenagers.

Sadly, however, I thought with mild deject as I trudged through the hallways with the intent of getting to the school's library, The reading will have to wait. I got an essay to finish.

I may pass with flying colors, but that doesn't mean I like doing five-page essays on the minor themes in Of Mice And Men. It was extraneous and I knew I wouldn't need to know about loneliness and views on solitude anytime soon. I understood that pretty well already, due to my sub-par social status.

After the dismissal bell had rang, I quickly left my last period class to beat the crowd of kids wanting to escape the four-wall hell. I squeezed by a couple of sophomores talking animatedly about the new shade of watermelon lip gloss they bought, and with a pretentious scoff, I flew down the hall towards the media center. I huffed for air after climbing the flight of stairs, clutching my heaving chest.

I was not exactly the most active person, as you may have tethered.

"Made it," I mumbled to myself, pulling the heavy double doors open. I was actually kind of surprised to find it empty. Usually there was someone checking out books or on the computer. Not today- the normally filled tables and rows of computers were vacant.

"Hello?" I called out loudly, hesitantly. Was the library closed today? I hope not, because I needed to get this essay done tonight and if I didn't, I'd suffer miserably. I surveyed the area, hearing only the sound of distant shuffling of feet and slamming lockers, when a cranky voice interrupted me out of my thoughts.

"Hush! This is a library!" The librarian poked her head from around the corner of her office. Excuse you, for your information, there's no one here to disturb.

I almost said something incredibly sarcastic in response, but I bit it back and instead mumbled some semblance of an apology. She glared at me, nodded once, and disappeared into her office again. I rolled my eyes irritably and took a seat in front of the last computer in the back, logging in and starting my essay.

I sighed and propped my head up with one hand as I flipped through my book annotations. This is going to take a while, I thought miserably, threading my fingers through my knotted hair.

By the time seven rolled around and the sun was beginning to set, a sound of shoes against the floor and keys jingling snapped me out of my over-caffeinated reverie.

Startled, I peeked my head over the computer monitor to find the janitor circling his key ring around his finger and pushing a large supply cart down the hall. The sound of his whistling was muffled, as he was on the other side of the door, but he had brought it to my attention that I seriously needed to get home, fast.

I swiftly emailed the essay document to myself, put my book and notes into my messenger bag, and secured the buckle in the front. The chair scraped annoyingly against the floor as I stood up and walked to the exit. I reached for the handle and yanked it, but it didn't open.

Feeling my heart pound harder than normal, I tried pushing the door. No luck.

Did the dumb librarian forget I was there and went and locked up without telling me? How frustrating!

I began to breathe hysterically, feeling myself start to have a panic attack. "Dan, Dan! Calm down! Stay focused," I said in a failed attempt to assure myself, but my brain kept telling me it was hopeless.

I pounded my fist rapidly against the door, hoping the sounds would echo and reach the janitor. I craned my neck to look down the hallway, but it was too dark to see anything- most of the lights had been turned down, as the school was closed.

I sunk down to the floor, back sliding against the wood of the doors. I was completely lost in what to do- my thoughts and worries were shooting and firing in my head so quickly it felt like a war inside of my brain.

My phone didn't get reception from the school building, the only phone in the library was the snooty librarian's locked office, and there was virtually nobody around within a mile's radius. I cradled my head in my hands and tried to wrap my head around the fact that I'd be residing in the library for the night, ultimately getting a shit night's sleep and worrying the crap out of my overbearing parents. Well, to be fair, any kind of parent, overbearing or not, should be worried if their kid goes missing all night. At least, that's how it's supposed to go.

Sleeping in the library tonight... My brain repeated over and over without pause, like a broken antique record from the sixties. Sleeping in the library, alone... That means I have hundreds and hundreds of books to read with no one to stop me!

I giddily got to my feet, gravitating towards the young adult reader section. I surveyed the endless selections and picked a couple to start off with. I imagined due to the circumstances, I wasn't going to be getting any sleep that night anyways, so why not make the most out of my time with stellar literature?

I practically skipped towards the next shelf, feeling floaty as my previous worries had melted away like a popsicle on a summer day. Everything is going to go alright, I reminded myself. There's nothing to worry abou-

A deafening crash that sounded like someone had broken a wall of glass and a door being roughly kicked open filled my eardrums, startling me so bad I nearly fell over. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I retreated to crouch behind a bookcase, staring at the source of the ear-splitting sound. Panic struck through me when I saw the four tall, well-built people, seemingly male, who had bursted through the media center's double doors. I clamped my hand over my mouth to mask any squeak of surprise that came out.

They all wore masks, simple ones that gleamed like silk and covered most of their face. They reminded me of Batman masks, but more masquerade-like. They were all wielding baseball bats and clubs, tapping them against their hands or resting the heavy clubs on their shoulders.

The male in front stood out to me the most, however. His mischievous smirk and criminalistic demeanor outshone the rest of them, and not in a good way.

"Boys, let's finish leaving our mark with a bang," He announced loudly, his sultry Northern England accent rolling off his tongue and making me shiver with fear and a bit of delight. What were these guys thinking? Obviously they had cameras all around the school and could track back to them with forensics and stuff....

Quit thinking about forensics, Dan! I scolded myself. You have bigger issues here! Like, for instance, whether or not you'll make it out of this alive?!

My internal debate was broken with the sound of vandalism and glass shattering. I gulped as I watched shards of glass scatter across the floor, discarded and pathetic. By the leader's command, tables and chairs were tipped over everywhere, the things on the front desk were cleared off with a swipe of a club, computer monitors were dented and knocked over.

"Gentlemen, what do you say we hit the books?" One of the cronies said.

I couldn't help myself, I snorted at the horrible attempt at a pun. That was probably- okay, definitely my fatal mistake. Four pairs of startled and wild eyes turned to me, where I was knelt by the bookshelf near the corner.

"Uhh...," I waved my fingers meekly. My brain was having trouble making sentences form, and I felt a present lump in my throat, like I was about to cry. I felt like crying.

They looked at me blankly and curiously for a second, then shared a look between them. I took this as the opportunity to run.

I had never been very athletic, but my adrenaline was pumping in full-swing as I pushed my legs to carry me across the media center and out the broken doors faster. I stumbled over my own feet as I made it to the hallway, not knowing where I was taking turns but not really caring. I could hear a plethora of scattered, heavy footsteps, sounding like they were everywhere.

I didn't dare look back. My breathing was out of control and wild. I clutched the strap of my messenger bag for dear life as I slowed down at the end of a side hallway. I leaned against the wall, catching my breath as quietly as I could. I felt like I was the main character in an action movie chase scene, and I didn't exactly like the exhilaration.

When it sounded like the coast was clear, I sprinted back down the hall and towards another direction. All the classrooms were secured shut and my only hope was to slip away through the main doors. I turned a corner and felt my heart leap out of my chest and my senses kicked into overdrive when someone grabbed me and pulled me close.

I struggled against his arm, fighting as wildly as I could. Somehow, he single-handedly (single-armedly?) managed to keep me in a hold and hushed me like I was an infant.

I glared up at my attacker. His electric, piercing blue eyes captivated me. The flecks of marbleized green and yellow could only be spotted from right under one's nose, but they were gorgeous. He seemed to be staring back, loosely entranced and forgetting everything for a split second.

That's when I remembered my current situation. The heavenly set of eyes that had tantalized me not two seconds ago blinked. Any previous, split-second connection faded away into the blackness of the corridor.

I clenched my teeth and tried to look frightening. "I'll scream," I hissed.

"Go on, I dare you," He challenged. I recognized him by his voice as the leader of the vandals. I sucked in a deep breath to scream bloody murder when he clamped his free hand around my mouth. My eyes widened in shock and my shout was muffled considerably. His hand felt cool and lightly calloused against my skin.

I ran out of energy soon after the constant yelling and I felt my eyes begin to droop. When he realized I had finished, he carefully removed his hand.

"Please let me go," I begged softly.

"Why? So you can turn us in? You dirty little rat," The boy fired back. His tongue swiped over his lip ring nervously, like the idea tasted bad on his mouth. My eyes flickered down to his wet lips, but I averted them away quickly before he noticed me staring.

Now wasn't exactly the time to be explaining, considering as I was immersed in a very real, life-or-death situation here, but maybe I've made it clear enough that you've depicted it already. I swung for the other team. Boys were way more hot and a lot better than cheesy girls, and I figured this fact about myself out around the age of twelve.

It was pretty easy to deal with. Obviously I hadn't told anyone at school, even if I was comfortable with the idea myself. The student body already shoved me around and teased me for my pastel sweaters and flower crowns enough, so I wasn't exactly bursting at the seams to shout it to the world. Honestly, the way I dress should be a good amount of proof.

Maybe you can see why I was fantasizing about this boy's sexy lip ring, glistening with moisture.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise. Please," I whispered, succumbing myself to his hard glare visible even through the vast darkness. "I'll never speak of it to anyone, if you just let me go."

The boy sighed and ran his teeth over his bottom lip while he thought over it. "What's your name?" He asked suddenly.

"D-Dan. Dan Howell," I managed to squeak out. Why was he asking me this?

"Alright, well, Dan Howell, I've got my eye on you. Spill the beans and you'll regret it deeply. You hear me?" He seethed through clenched teeth, sighing with defeat. Was he sighing at himself or me? It didn't really matter, I guessed.

"Yes, sir," I gasped out. I was surprised at how shaky my voice was. I blinked back tears lining my red-rimmed eyes and breathed a sigh of relief when he let go.

The electric sparks that were shooting through my body before disappeared. Was this mystery male making me feel those thrilling tingles? I didn't want to know. This boy was clearly trouble and I knew I shouldn't associate myself with him in any way.

I shared one last lingering look with its hidden craving for an unexplainable need with the stranger before whipping my head away and taking off. I flew down the hall, my lavender converse pounding on the scrubbed linoleum floor, face burning up, my heart beating out of my chest, and my knees wobbling with an overabundance of fear. I didn't even know his name, and I was already fantasizing, trying to get the permanent image of those dazzling, oh-so blue eyes and impish smirk out of my brain.

I failed miserably.