POLARIZE (Phan)

he.

(Dan's POV)

"Dan, Why do you smell like strawberries?" Phil asked, seeming genuinely curious. Before I could stop it my lips cracked into a big smile, and I was too happy to stop it. This may sound crazy, but I've never kissed a guy before. It's not like that was my first kiss; I've kissed girls before, but I don't think girls count. "Because I washed my hair this morning...?" I tried. I have no idea what he was thinking, I hadn't touched a strawberry in, like, two months. It's not that I don't like strawberries, I just don't eat them very often... "Yeah, but it's not the sent of strawberries it's the smell!" He attempted to explain. "Uhm... What?" I chuckled, deciding that Phil already knew my biggest secret, my sexuality, so there was nothing worse he could possibly use against me.

"Well you know how lemon smells really citrusy and faint?" He began. I gave him a questionable look, not completely sure what his point was. "That's the actual smell of lemons but when people make lemon scented candles and stuff like that it smells really sweet and good. Same thing with strawberries." Phil reasoned. I nodded, understanding what he was trying to reason. It's like how grape lollipops taste nothing like grapes but it's still grape flavor. "Yeah, I get it." I nodded. "You're such a nerd." I giggled.

***

"Damn, Dan! In the bathroom stall? Get some!" Ryan licked his lips as he made an over exaggerated thrusting motion. "Oh, that's disgusting, Ryan, stop!" Emma ordered. Ryan rolled his eyes and kicked his feet up. "Fineee!" He threw his head back, hanging it behind his seat. That was when Charlie decided to join us. He smacked Ryan's head causing him to jolt his head up and yell a classy "Oww! What was that for?!".
Charlie ignored his question, sitting next to me at the lunch table. I frowned when I saw he had no food again. He wasn't anorexic, but he didn't like to eat in front of others. He thinks he looks fat. We've all given up on trying to get him to eat at lunch, so we take turned going to his house and hanging out with him, making sure he's happy and eating. Charlie knows this, and at first he was offended, saying he could take care of himself, but after a bit he realized it was only for his sake, and let us. "Hey." I punched shoulder, jokingly. He turned to look at me with a deadpan expression, his eyes had thick bags underneath them. My eyes widened, "Hey." He answered, voice deep and low. I almost jumped at how different he sounded; he had been crying.
I gave him a questioning look of sympathy, "You okay?" I mouthed. He simply shook his head and pulled out his phone.

My phone buzzed with a text from him.

'He left again. This time I heard him go. They were arguing in the kitchen and he just got fed up. I don't know when he's coming back.'

My eyes softened. It was his parents. His dad left a lot, but always promised to be there for important events. You see Charlie's dad wasn't a bad person. He was just happy. A happy, free soul like his had no use in a poor family with a stressed out mother and a depressed son, hell, even their dog looks mopey. He knew what was good for him, but he sure loved Charlie to death. He gave the best Christmas presents, and I know because he always gave me one too. Maybe it was just his way of saying sorry for leaving, but every time his father came over he was a ray of sunshine in Charlie's dark, dark world. I just wished he was there more, because the second he leaves, it's lights out.

'Garden?' I texted.

Charlie didn't answer, he just got up without a word and started walking. "What's up?" Ryan asked, looking as concerned as I felt. "He left again." I watched his and Emma's eyes go wide. "Yeah... I gotta go." Then I slipped away. I ran as fast as I could down the hallway, trying to get to him. When I got to the garden, Charlie was laying on the bench, slow tears falling down the side of his face. "Why can't he just... Stay? Dan, he's my goddamned father and I know that doesn't mean anything for some people but not me. I wish I could go with him..." Charlie asked. He always asked the kind of questions you weren't supposed to answer, because he already knew the answer. His dad was like Ryan; that boy can't stay in one place to save his life, but he has a heart of gold. I was the only one of our friends he liked to talk to about this, because his father meant the world to him... And my father means nothing to me. I slid in the space between Charlie and the wall and pulled him closer to me. "It hurts because you love him so much. You know what it's like to have the best father ever, and you only get him on holidays. But you know he lives you, and he's coming back for you. You'll be fine."  I comforted as best I can. He leant his head on my chest and let his body shake with silent sobs. "It hurts.." He whispered. We skipped the rest of that day and I took Charlie home. I didn't want him to walk by himself that day, and Emma stayed with him that night.

Okay so I know there wasn't much Phan in this chapter but it's for a reason, I swear. Sorry this is so short, I have no reasoning for that. Also I wanted you to get a better understanding of what the characters are meant to look like so here's them below. Another thing: this had nothing to do with the story but yesterday I told my best friend I liked her and she said she likes me too and that just made me really happy 😁

Ryan

Emma (yeah I know it's Alex but shh)

And Charlie (*explosion*)