Take Your Chances, I'll Take Mine.

Chapter Two

All the students of the trip were groggily making their way to the school in the dark of the morning. Dan made his way to where Geography class, hoping to be grouped with anyone but Phil. Even just thinking about spending the next five days with that asshole made him grit his teeth in anger, and set a burning sensation aflare in his chest. Upon arriving, Dan, as well as the other students, shed their coats, appreciating the small amount of warmth that the class's radiator was giving off.

Mr. Dunwhel was the only one who appeared to be in some semblance of a good mood, taking delight in what Dan assumed was the suffering of his students.

"Welcome. Welcome. I will take the fact that you all showed up here at six as a sign that you know we're going on a field trip," he said jovially, eliciting a synchronized groan from the class. "Right, well it's time for me to tell you your groups."

Dan didn't even bother lifting his head from its place in his arms on the desk. His eyes tugged shut, but he forced them open, immediately and not intentionally meeting Phil's eyes. Phil half-smiled at him, tipping a nod. Dan let his eyes drift back closed. He could hear Phil's scoff from the chair next to him, and the mutter of a barely audible, but nonetheless passive aggressive, "okay then." Dan clenched his teeth.

Mr. Dunwhel began rattling off names in groups of three. It wasn't until the end of the list where he said, "We have one group of two, due to hotel bookings and number of students. Dan, Phil, you'll be sharing a room." Throughout the entire class, you could hear a pin drop. For a few seconds, that is, until the class spontaneously burst out laughing. Dan turned beet red, and Phil, who had been fighting to stay completely silent to that point, stifled a laugh in his sleeve, in order to preserve whatever was left of Dan's precious ego.

Dan just wanted to punch something. What had he ever done? Why did the universe hate him? Would he be just put in juvie or would he be tried as an adult if he murdered Phil in his sleep? So many questions buzzed around in his skull, and he repeatedly hit his head on the desk to clear them out.

"I would tell you to stop or else you'll damage your brain, but I'm not sure you have any brain cells to lose," Phil sniped from beside him, and Dan whirled on him, seething.

"Just because you -"

"Ah, boys," Mr. Dunwhel interrupted Dan's little tirade, and Dan glanced sullenly away. "I see you two are already next to each other; that will make this easy." His face turned serious, and Dan braced himself for whatever storm was about to come. "Dan, I put you with Phil because I need you to pick up your semester grade. Philip here knows a lot, and will be a great resource for you if you decide you want to get serious about your grades, "he stated quietly so that only Dan could hear.

"But I am serious abo-" Dan began, his voice rising in volume and pitch with how frustrated he was becoming.

"This isn't an attack, Dan; I'm just trying to give you a push in the right direction. Besides, how could putting you with a student who has tutored and succeeded at teaching others to be a bad thing?"

Dan sullenly nodded and said a quick and quiet, "yes, sir," sinking back into his seat as he did so.

"Glad we had this chat, Dan," Mr. Dunwhel said, walking back to the front of the room. Dan muttered profanities at the teacher's back as he walked away, earning a snort from Phil.

"What? What is it? 'Av you got something to say, you nerd?" Dan snapped, slipping into a slurred, challenging accent.

Attempting, but failing to suppress his laughter, Phil chortled, "nothing, nothing at all," his voice getting higher towards the end of the sentence as he tried to choke back his chuckles. Dan scowled, snarling slightly at Phil.