The Kids in the Dark

Chapter 2-Maybe, Maybe Not

"You know, you sing really well."

"You're joking, right?"

"No, why?"

Phil's face assumed a look of pure shock. The compliment might seem nominal to some, but it was the first genuine complement Phil had received in a while. The fact that it was coming from an undeniably attractive girl also helped, just slightly.

"Oh, um, I-I've never honestly been told that before."

"Well, it's definitely true. Hey, you want to come sit with my friends and I instead of sitting in the corner of the cafeteria?"

Emily anxiously awaited Phil's response, watching intently as the boy thought over the offer. She was honestly quite surprised at her newly acquired outgoing-ness, as she usually left that stuff to her friends. However, she felt guilty that Phil had to sit in the corner of the cafeteria without a person to talk to. Granted, it was probably great for completing homework, but that just made it more depressing.

"Um...sure I guess?"

Emily's mouth spontaneously formed into a smile, though a small one at that. She aided phil in gathering his belongings, and led him to her table, sitting him down in the only empty seat, which just happened to be next to her seat.

Phil nervously looked about once he sat down, having already been introduced to the other occupants of the table by Emily. Not being one for conversation, Phil ended up doing his calculus homework. Others found it odd, but Phil honestly didn't find calculus too complicated, it just required a little more thinking. He was nearly done with the last problem when one of Emily's friends, whose name he couldn't remember for the life of him, asked him a question he received a countless number of times.

"Whoa, you're taking Calculus? Aren't you still a sophomore?"

Phil replied to the question like he always did, profusely denying that it was anything special, and pointing out that there were a couple others that were doing the same. However, as always, it was met with the usual response, which this girl, who he had finally remembered was named Melissa, seemed to recite to the very last letter.

"That's bullshit, if it was so easy the I'd be able to understand whatever the hell all those "dy/dx" things on your paper mean."

For whatever reason, sentences like that caused Phil to go into teacher mode, it was just a part of him. He loved learning, and he felt that if he could impart any knowledge he had unto others, he was doing humanity a service. So, after making sure that Melissa wouldn't mind, and after quickly finishing up the problem, Phil launched into an explanation derivatives and their applications.

Emily, who was watching this exchange with rapt attention, found this quite endearing. Unknowingly, Phil had managed to gain the attention of half of her friends, who were nodding along as he explained the basics of calculus to them. She couldn't help but smile and stare for whatever reason. The boy was in his element, and Emily found it adorable. Additionally, she needed help on her math homework, so she decided to call up Phil later that day for some help.

"Emily? Emily, you fine there?"

Emily ripped her gaze from Phil and directed it over to the person who had made the inquiry, which just so happened to be Diana, one of the few girls at the table who wasn't listening to Phil, mainly because she, like him, was taking calculus as well. Diana had a knowing look plastered all over her face, one that let Emily know exactly what her follow up question would be, regardless of whatever Emily decided to say.

"Go on then Diana, spit it out. What do you want to ask me?"

"You like him, don't you?"

"What? No, I don't even know him!"

"Mmhm, sure Evans."

"Evans? Like Lily Evans? How does that apply?"

"All I'll say is denial."

With that, Diana turned her attention back to her lunch, while Emily, realizing that Phil's impromptu lesson had ended, noticed that he was staring at her intently. However, the minute they made eye contact, Phil immediately jerked his head away, and began blushing profusely, causing Emily to smile yet again. For whatever reason, everything that the boy did seemed to be some combination of some combination of adorable and endearing.

In fact, Emily was beginning to realize that Diana may have been closer than she initially thought.

Maybe she did like him.

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Hey guys, Phil here. Just want to let you guys know that I'm not a narcissistic asshole, and that the whole "writing about a character who looks like me looking hot thing" is honestly fucking weird to write. Just wanted to clear that up.

Please vote or leave feedback in the comments if you can. Hope you enjoyed!