Flower Crowns and Stars. Phan AU

Chapter 7

"Phil!" Phil's mum almost yelled. "Where on earth are you going at this hour?" Phil stiffened, his hand hovering over the handle of the front door. He was hoping to slip away again without anyone noticing. Usually, it worked out without any problems. Not this time.

"For a walk." Phil responded, the lie coming to him almost naturally.

"Nearly every night you are up at midnight going for 'a walk'. What are you actually doing? Are you meeting with someone?"

"No. I'm actually going for a walk. Why don't you trust me?"

"Because no one in the right state of mind goes out this late." Phil sighed to himself before opening the front door and walking out.

He knew he would be in trouble for walking out like that but he didn't entirely care all that much.

The night was fairly bitter. It was cold and most of the sky was covered by a thick lining of clouds. Phil pulled his lilac jumper over his hands as he felt a shiver travel through his body due to the coldness.

He followed the streetlight lit street until he reached the hill. He wandered to the top, just like usual and, sure enough, Dan was lying there, looking at the cloudy sky.

"I had fun today." He whispered as Phil laid down beside him.

"I did too.." Phil's voice didn't seem to be as enthusiastic as it usually was and Dan noticed.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I've got a lot on my mind." Phil couldn't focus on the sky at all: he was way too restless. He needed to occupy himself to put his mind at rest. He needed a distraction.

"Like what? You can tell me, you know."

"My mum thinks something is wrong with me because I always leave the house at midnight."

"Does she?"

"Yeah.. She keeps pestering me about it and she caught me leaving tonight. I told her that I was just going for a walk and walked out on her."

"Oh. Was she angry?"

"I think so."

"Tell her the truth."

"She won't believe me." They silenced for a moment as Dan contemplated what to say. He wasn't very good at advice.

"You can try at least."

"I guess.."

"Is there something else?"

"Why?"

"I don't know.. you just seem really on edge."

"Yeah.. There is something else." Phil admitted. "I think I like you." The words lingered on Phil's tongue but he couldn't find it within himself to actually say them.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"I have to go."

Dan furrowed his eyebrows as he watched Phil anxiously run away.

-

As soon as Phil closed the front door behind him at four in the morning, he was greeted with his mum yelling his full name at the top of her lungs. That meant trouble. She was standing in the kitchen, her arms folded as she glared at her son. "Where did you actually go?" She sounded angry. Phil barely ever saw his mum that angry and it petrified him, especially since Phil couldn't tell his mum the truth.

"For a walk." Phil was going to stick with the lie. Of course he was. It would be suspicious if he suddenly came up with another excuse and he wasn't an idiot.

"For four hours?"

"Yeah?" It came out more like a question than a fact. Phil mentally cursed himself for earning another suspicious look from his mum.

"Phil, I didn't want it to come to this but if you are caught leaving the house after eleven at night, there will be consequences." Phil had never really gotten in trouble before -not properly at least- so the tone of his mum's voice made the colour drain from his face. "Until you tell me where you're going."

"I can't tell you, okay?" Phil blurted out, tears filling his eyes: he really didn't want his mum to be angry with him.

"Why not?" His mum's voice was softer now.. it was less angry and more worried. "I won't judge you."

"It's nothing horrible. It's not like I am doing drugs or anything.."

"Then why won't you tell me?"

"Because you might stop me." Phil then stepped forward, ready to push past his mum to flee to his room. Sadly, his mum wasn't ready to terminate the conversation yet.

"Just tell me.. it would make this easier."

Phil sighed. Maybe it was best to tell her. "I meet with this boy." Phil's mum's mouth dropped to form a perfect 'o'. Phil could have sworn he heard her gasp too.

"Is this boy a friend? Or perhaps more than a friend?"

"He's just a friend."

"Is he hurting you at all?"

"No.."

"Is he pressuring you into doing things?"

"No.."

"Is he-"

"Mum, he's really nice. He isn't hurting me at all. He's one of my bestest friends."

"I have one more thing to ask." Phil gestured for her to carry on. "Why do you meet up so late? Why not during the day when it's light?"

"Because we like to look at the stars together."

-

"Mum," Dan mumbled, both of his hands in his pocket as he looked down at his feet. "I changed my mind.. I don't want to see a therapist again."

"Are you sure, honey? You seemed awful the other day and I hate seeing you like that." Dan's mum responded, her eyes soft and full of kindness.

"I'm certain.. I think I've found someone who can make me happy again."

"And who may that be?"

"Someone new at my school."

"Do you like them?"

"Yeah.. A lot. They actually put in the effort to talk to me and they don't think I'm a loser."

"Is she nice? Can I meet her?"

'Of course she would assume it was a girl' Dan's mind taunted, making him frown. The person was a guy and yes, he was nice. He was really nice.

"Yes, they're very nice and no, you can't meet them."

His mum sighed. "Why not? I want to meet the girl who makes me son happy." Dan could have sworn that he winced every time his mum said girl, she or her. He wanted to correct her, he really did. He was just afraid.

"You just can't. Just know that they're really kind and they make me happy."

Dan had a crush on Phil.