stars [phan]

three

  "I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness because it shows me the stars."

-Og Mandino

Shutting the computer down, Phil breathed a sigh.  This day had seemed to go on forever, even though it was only just past 2.  He liked having the rest of the day to do stuff he wanted to do, like draw occasionally or read, but he missed the company of Elise.  She had gone a few minutes before, leaving Phil to close up as he usually did.  He didn't mind; there was something nice about being the last one in a store for the day.  He double checked to make sure everything was done, turned off the light and turned towards the door.

He would have left for the day if the phone hadn't rung.  Phil groaned.  The phone hardly ever rung here, and when it did it was the usual "what time do you close?  Do you have a certain book that no one has ever heard of before?" to which he always answered the same things.  It got tedious after a while, but being around books made up for it. 

"Hello?" he said after he debated just leaving the phone.  "I'm Phi-"

"Hello Phil."

Phil nearly burst out laughing.  "There are easier ways to contact me, you know."

"I know, but I only had this number."  Dan sounded awkward.  The boy sounded different on the phone, but Phil supposed everyone did.  He sounded younger and less confident, which was saying something considering he always hid behind his jacket. 

"It's fine, don't worry."  They sat in silence for a few seconds. 

"So, uh, what is it?"

"Uh, you don't have to if you don't want to or anything but I usually walk around that park we were in most nights.  You can always come and join me, or something."

Phil didn't even consider it.  "Of course!"  He cleared his throat.  "I'll be there."  If he could see Dan, he was almost sure he would be smiling.  The phone beeps in his ear.

"Dan?  You there?"  The phone continues beeping.  He hung up.  Phil shrugged.  He'd see him tonight anyway. 

He put the phone down and finally left the shop, locking the door behind him and walking home strangely happy.  He hadn't made many friends in the time he'd been here, and Dan sounded like he would actually be a friend to Phil and not someone who ditched him as soon as they got what they needed.  Now that he thought about it, he'd only had a few good friends in his life.  A few people from high school back where he was raised and that was it.  Even then, they were only teenagers he got along with.  Not necessarily people he'd be able to trust with his life.  Why did Dan, this guy he'd met a week ago, seem so much more trustworthy than they did?  He didn't even know anything about Dan, except that he liked stars.  Phil wanted to know more.

Dan seemed so mysterious.  He was always somewhere but didn't seem to be anywhere when Phil wanted to talk to him.  At least he'd see him tonight.  They could talk about stars, even though Phil didn't really give a crap about them.  To him, they were balls of gas burning billions of kilometers away.  They obviously meant something to Dan, though, and Phil supposed that was what made the boy so intriguing.  The way he saw the world, the way he talked about things. 

Phil was thinking like he'd known Dan for more than a few hours.  That they'd talked more than a few sentences that night.  They weren't even friends.  How did Phil expect Dan to give a crap about him?  Although he had managed to call Phil.  That had to mean something, he supposed.