The New Boy: Phan High School AU

Chapter 25 - Dan's POV

oh ho ho I think ur gonna like the chapter

After we've all eaten a bit, everyone starts to split up into groups to go walk around the neighbourhood checking out costumes and decorations.

Greta and Saoirse and Will join Taj and Cara in a giggling bunch. You can tell who's part of the costumes and makeup crew because their costumes are just that little bit more intricate. They and the rest of the tech kids join together or with friends in the cast to walk around. Stage crew mostly sticks together. Danny and Jamie go with Chris and Pj.

"Wanna come check out the costumes with me?" Phil asks.

"Sure." I get up from where we were sitting on the floor, offering him a hand up. He takes it and his hand lingers for a moment. Is it weird that I like the way his hands feel? His fingers are long and a little bony, but his hands feel strong. God, I hope he's not dating Jamie. And also he's gay.

We spend the next few hours mostly discussing costumes. I point out my favourites (a witch with an extremely realistic warty, hooked nose, the eleventh doctor, and actual fucking Mount Rushmore. Some kid printed a pic of the mountain onto some cardboard and stuck his face through Thomas Jefferson's) and his (a cracked china doll, some kid in a refrigerator box painted to look like the Tardis who was trick-or-treating with Eleven, and a kid with a traditional sheet-ghost costume).

After a while, our talking turns to the future. "What are you going to do next year?" He asks.

"I'd like to keep doing theatre. I've applied to a few universities, but I'd really like to go to University of London."

"No way, me too! My dad went there and I guess I want to follow in his footsteps kinda."

"Wow. Well, see you there I hope!" Yeah, I really hope.

"Yeah, we could room together," he laughs.

My eyes widen. "Yeah...." I struggle to keep my voice light. Geez, is he trying to kill me?

We walk for a bit longer, pointing out some of the better costumes along the way, until we spot some familiar faces.

"Hey," I say, as we fall in step next to Chris and Pj. "What happened to Danny and Jamie?"

"They ditched us, just like you guys." Chris smirks. "I imagine we'll see them back at the house though."

"Hey!" I attempt to defend myself. "We didn't ditch you, we just...." I trail off, unable to come up with a defense.

"No harm done, Daniel. These may have been the preferable groups." He says cryptically.

The four of us continue walking until we realise that we've looped around and we're back near Jamie's driveway.

We walk up to the front door and ring the bell. Danny answers in a moment with half his moustache falling off. "Welcome back, you're just in time for the movie."

We go into the living room, where Jamie's flopped on the couch, TV remote in hand. "Hey," she greets us. "Are all of you staying for the movie?" She asks, directing her question to the rest of the room. Most of the guests have left and now it's just me and Phil, plus Danny, Jamie, Chris, PJ, Will, Saoirse, and Greta.

"Nope, I've gotta pick my little brother up from his Halloween party." Greta says.

"Wish I could, but I've got to be up early for work in the morning," Will says, peeling 'zombie skin' off their face.

"And Will's my ride home, so I've got to go with them." Saoirse adds. "See you guys Monday, though!"

So we say our goodbyes, and the rest of us settle on the couch or the floor.

"Okay, I'm thinking Poltergeist, The Conjuring, or Paranormal Activity." Jamie says.

Phil speaks up, "Um, not The Conjuring, if that's okay."

"Yeah, no problem. So, votes for Poltergeist?" Danny, Chris, Phil, and I raise our hands.

"Paranormal Activity?" Only Pj raises his hand, then groans when he sees how outnumbered he is.

"Sorry, dude," Jamie laughs. "Poltergeist it is." She selects the movie from the menu screen and dims the living room lights.

Jamie sits on one side of the couch with Danny next to her. Pj sits on the other side and Chris sort of goes...upside downish? His head rests just off the couch, and his legs are crossed and lazily thrown over the back off the couch. I take the low armchair on the other side of Jamie, and Phil leans against it.

5 minutes into the movie Chris groans loudly and changes positions, complaining about how uncomfortable he was. He eventually slides down onto the floor with a pillow.

The movie really isn't as scary as I thought it would be, but there's sti-NO. DO NOT reach into the WALL, stupid man. Yep. That is a drill. HOLY SHIT ITS COMING CLOSER. YOU'RE GONNA LOSE AN EYE, MATE. And it's gone. Okay. That wasn't so bad.

I unfurl myself from my tightly wound position of horror and see Phil covering his eyes. "You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, just don't wanna see him get his head drilled through."

"Oh, he pulled away at the last second. It's probably safe to look now."

"Thanks." Phil smiles up at me, and I give back a nervous half-grin.

About halfway through the movies I feel Phil's hand brush against mine. I assume it was a mistake, until a moment later he reaches up and takes my hand.

I look down at him in surprise. He doesn't look at me, he just keeps watching the movie, but I see a smile dance across his lips. I interlock my fingers with his and he slightly squeezes my hand.

We stay with our hands linked like this until just before the movies over, until just before Jamie turns on the lights.

well? did you like it? I liked writing it tbh

lmao my foot got run over by a car and I have three dance classes tomorrow so that's fun. nothing's broken tho thankfully

how've you guys been? how was spring break if you had it?