The Soulmate Theory (Phan AU)

Chapter 3

  I went through that first day trying to be invisible. I didn't speak unless I was spoken to, and even then I gave the shortest answers I could. I sat in the back of the classrooms, sat alone at lunch. I wish I could say that I enjoyed the solitude, but I didn't. I watched the other people with their friends, imagining what it would be like if I opened up to people again. What it would be like to have friends again. But I shook my head, pulling myself out of my daydreams, reminding myself that the possibility of pain wasn't worth it.

But every class I had, one person was there: Dan. We had the same schedule, and he tried to talk to me, he tried introducing me to Chris, but I was having none of it. When the day finally ended, I got on the bus and sat in the back again, putting in my earbuds and playing the newest album from Muse.

I was two songs in when I felt someone next to me. "Is that the new Muse album? I love them!" I looked over to see, no surprise, Dan sitting next to me.

"Yeah, it is." I muttered, before turning to face the window.

"Phil, did I do something to offend you?"

I turned to look at Dan and paused my music. "Look, you and your friends are really nice and all, but I have no interest in being your friend. I don't want friends, I don't need friends, I'm perfectly fine on my own."

"I don't believe you."

I rolled my eyes in response.

"Phil, I'm not going to stop trying to talk to you."

I groaned and ignored him until I finally got to my neighborhood. And, to my surprise, Dan started getting off the bus, too. I glared at him. "This isn't where you got on this morning."

Dan rolled his eyes. "Ever heard of a sleepover? I stayed the night at a friend's house, but he goes to some private school, and the bus stops at that neighborhood anyways, so I just got on the bus there."

We walked side by side in silence, before I got to my house, and I turned to walk up the driveway.

"Bye, Phil! See you tomorrow!" Dan said waving. I didn't answer, but opened my front door and walked in.

My dad was sitting on the couch, looking out the window. "Hey, Phil! How was your first day?"I took off my shoes at the door. "Hell."

"Who were you walking with? Did you make a friend?"

"No, I didn't. He an annoying kid who keeps trying to talk to me." I went to my room and closed my door and looked out my window to see Dan walk into the house across the street.

Of course. Of course he lived across the street. There was literally no escaping this kid.

Dan's POV

I watched as Phil walked into his house and shook my head. I felt bad for him, I remember how hard it was for me to move countries when I was 13, and I just wanted to help him, but he wouldn't let me in. I could tell that something was wrong beyond just moving, it was obvious just by looking in his eyes.

I went into my house and was greeted by the smell of my mum cooking dinner. "I'm home!" I shouted, walking into the kitchen. My mum greeted me with a hug. "How was your first day?"

"Good! It was nice to see Chris, especially after he had been gone all summer. There was a new kid. He's from England."

"Oh, really? What's his name?"

"Phil, he actually lives in the house across the street."

My mum held up the spoon she was cooking with. "Oh! Yes, I met his dad when you were at your Connor's yesterday! Poor kid, his mum died last year, and they were really close apparently. His dad said that Phil kind of cut himself off from everyone after that. They moved here for a fresh start."

I imagined losing my mum and shook my head at the thought. "That's terrible. I can't imagine. I tried talking to him all day, I introduced him to PJ, Chris, and Louise. He was having none of it."

My mum smiled. "It will probably take a while, but I'm sure he'll come around."I nodded and went upstairs and laid on my bed. No matter what it took, I wouldn't let Phil be alone.