You're Driving Me Mental - Phan

Chapter 8

Phil's POV

"Oh for fluff sake Louise how do you keep winning?" Pj directed towards Louise.
"Wait, what the 'fluff' seriously peej?"
"Stop judging me and teach me and Phil your secrets!"
"Alright alright, keep your fluff on." Pj shot a glare that could only mean bad in Louise's direction before laughing at her innocent expression. We were all sat around a small table in the games room playing card games, all of which, Louise won easily. I always thought friends where pointless and no one would ever talk to me anyway. But it was nice. I had friends and I was enjoying it. Friends don't change the fact that you're worthless and fat though Phil. If you keep missing every meal, you can be perfect. You can look perfect. You can get friends. You won't scare off Dan anymore. It will be perfect. You will be perfect. Well. As close to perfect as a fat, worthless idiot can get anyway.
"Okay, so firstly when..." Louise was cut short when a disheveled Dan came into the room and walked over to Louise. What the hell is he doing here?
"Hey Dan, what's happened?" The only thing that was going through my mind was that Jane had told me Dan went mad a couple of hours ago. Not in those words, but I knew what she meant. He sat down on the cushioned bench that ran along one side of the wall.
"Dan?" Louise looked at him pitifully before pulling him in for a hug. "Sorry boys, my strategies may have to be shared later." Me and PJ looked at each other, confusion spreading across our faces like wildfire. Dan had his face hidden in Louise's neck but you could tell he was crying.
"I-it h-happened-d a-ag-ain Louise. I-I'm g-going mad Louise." Dan's grip on Louise visibly tightened and he began shaking.
"Dan, what are you doing here?" Even Louise was clueless as to why Dan was there. He was supposed to be in what was nicknamed 'the white room'. That's because he's mad Phil. You just want to be pretty. But Phil, he's interesting. But he hates you like everyone else. For some reason, Dan wanting nothing to do with me stung worse then anything I had ever experienced.
"I d-don't-t w-want-t t-t-too. D-don't m-m-make m-me s-stay t-there." Dan stuttered.
"I promise it will be okay Dan."
"Don't make promises you can't keep Louise." His staggered voice became very clear, his face looked like that of a school teacher when someone is talking in their lesson.
"I don't make promises I can't keep Dan."

Third person

It had been exactly 3 weeks since Phil left his parents crying at the reception of the closest mental hospital to their house. He had became accustomed to the plain walls and shiny floors within a week. But he wasn't used to Dan. No one was used to Dan, he was much too unpredictable. Some days he wouldn't talk to anyone or even acknowledge their existence. Some days he would freak out over anything and everything. And some days he would sleep, ignoring the world and all its faults. Dan wasn't okay but he had never been okay. Phil wasn't okay but he knew what okay was, making everything increasingly harder for him as happiness packed it's bags and left. He never used to be worried about his appearance, his size or anything else for that matter. But as he grew up, his self esteem was murdered, poisoned by words and strangled by the very mind that owned it. Dan on the other hand, was being starved and abandoned on different park benches when self esteem was handed out. He was being pressed against grey walls when happiness was being dished out on a platter of family and friends. He missed the only nearby events serving these things so his father could hurt him. Phil, he went to the events but the the reward was gone, only to be filled with memories of them together. There was hope for Phil though. He could get better in a mental hospital then go home. Go home to his family, make friends have fun. Once he left he could attend another event serving the things he needed greatly. There wasn't hope for Dan though. He could attended the event but he never had happiness to start with. The only homes were already full of bad memories. Dan believed there was no room for happiness. But happiness can be powerful and fight well. There is always room for happiness. Dan just didn't know it yet.