Bad Words | phan

5-The Game

A/N: I'm American and I think I made Dan a quarterback and then I realized I could've made him like soccer and honestly I don't know what I'm doing with my life so let's pretend I didn't make him the quarterback because I don't know anything about American football, but I know a little about soccer/English football.

Tyler grabbed Phil's arm, intertwining them like an old-times married couple. "Are we still going to the football game?" Tyler asked.

Phil laughed cheerfully, agreeing, "Of course! We have to watch Alfie and Zoe." Whenever there was a home football game, Tyler and Phil went to watch Zoe cheer and Alfie play. Cat never liked watching sports events, so she usually stayed home. Afterwards, they would always get ice cream at a little shop roughly two kilometers away. The routine was an old tradition between the friends, almost like a religious ritual.

Dan and Tyler walked to Health together, discussing their ride. "I can just pick you up," Tyler insisted.

Phil shook his head. "It's out of your way," he replied. "I don't want to be a burden." Phil always worried about other people, deeming them more important than himself. He always tried to make them happy. He didn't realize that sacrificing his happiness for someone else's wasn't helping him, but it was hurting him. Phil was in several toxic relationships.

"Phil," Tyler sighed, grabbing either side of Phil's head. "You're not a burden. You're my best friend. I want to pick you up." Tyler gave a half smile, and Phil knew that he had hurt his friend's feelings by declining.

Phil grinned at Tyler's affection. "Okay, when do I need to be ready?" Phil asked. He wouldn't do much, but Phil did like to brush his hair and teeth before he went out anywhere.

Tyler smiled widely. "Try half five," Tyler decided after a moment.

The bell rang, and Tyler left Phil's desk to take his seat. "I'll see you there," Phil called, aiming his words toward his friend.

Dan, who hadn't been late to Health since Tuesday (it was now Thursday), had been watching their exchange. Though he would never ask for confirmation, Dan decided that Tyler and Phil were dating. He began to wonder what would happen if he accepted his sexuality and came out. Could he be happy too? When he realized what he was thinking, he looked down and forced himself to think of girls. Dan told himself that he was straight, repeating the words to himself throughout the class.

Half way through the lesson, Miss Copard had begun to call on people, asking about different bones. Dan had always hated anatomy, and scarcely understood what was being said. The names of bones all sounded like different slurs of the same word. He could never figure out the difference. Eventually, she reached Dan.

"Daniel," she decided, "can you tell me where your incus is located?"

While the question seemed simple to Miss Copard, Dan was confused. He, of course, refused to reveal his confusion and replied, "Can you tell me where the exit is located?" This earned a round of laughs from the class, but Miss Copard was not amused. Dan glanced at Phil, wondering why his face was devoid of emotion. The reaction confused Dan because Phil was always happy.

"Mr. Howell," Miss Copard scolded. "If you don't know the answer, just say so. Philip, where is the incus?"

Phil got an awkward feeling. He didn't want to make Dan mad, but feared angering his authorities even more. "The ear," Phil replied after an awkwardly long pause. Dan clenched his hand into a fist, slightly angered, but did nothing else.

Miss Copard smiled, a knowing smirk growing on her face. "Thank you, Mr. Lester," she nodded.

Dan stared at the back of Phil's head, knowing the raven-haired boy could feel his eyes boring into the back of his head. Phil struggled not to shudder, because he really did feel Dan staring at him. Suddenly, he grew weary of the exposed skin on the back of his neck, which gave him small goosebumps. Dan wanted Phil to look back at him, but Phil didn't because fear clogged his throat, leaving a lump.