the quiet ° phan

i. start

It was 6:30. Today was the start of a new life for Dan Howell. He would be starting at a new secondary school. He had been homeschooled for the past two years, but his mum had recently discovered a school that suited his needs.

Dan is mute. He has never been able to talk and never will. As a child, people dismissed him as shy and a late bloomer. It wasn't until his third birthday that people started to worry. That was when the Howells found out their eldest son would never be able to speak to them. His vocal cords had formed incorrectly due to a broken chromosome and thus he could never produce sound.

Once he was old enough, he went to a private school for special needs children. However, his family later moved and he had to transfer schools in year 8. The only place to send him to was a decent public school. He was bullied so tremendously that his mother pulled him out after the first semester. He was homeschooled through year 10. This year, he would be back in a private school, but it would be different. The dean of the school had offered to get him a guide that spoke British sign language. According to his mum, the dean was a nice woman with a highly praised school.

In order to find such a nice school, they had to move away from their current home. No one disagreed with the decision. All the Howells wanted was for their eldest son to feel more accepted, even if they had to give up part of their happiness.

The day the Howells moved into their new home, it rained. It seemed to be raining all the time in Manchester, but that day, it was pouring. Dan wasn't an entirely superstitious person, but he did believe that the weather indicated the way the day would go.

He was miserable his first week in Manchester. He couldn't speak to anyone, so there was no point in trying to meet new people. Dan had been preparing for the first day of school, and now it was finally here.

He quickly showered and got dressed. The uniform he wore wasn't as bad as he expected it to be. It was simply a light blue polo and slacks. There was also a blazer with the school's name embroidered on it.

His brother, Adrian, would be starting year 4 at a public school a few kilometers away from Dan's school. He was very supportive of them moving, but that didn't mean he was happy about it. Adrian always wanted the best for his brother, even if it meant sacrificing himself.

At 7:00 that day, the entire Howell family gathered for breakfast. Dan's father had to leave by 7:20 to get to work on time. His mother was taking him and Adrian to school, as she didn't have work until 9:00.

"Nervous, honey? You've barely touched your food," Mrs. Howell said.

Dan nodded and smiled apologetically.

"Well, I see no reason for you to fret. I've spoken with the dean many times and it sounds like a lovely school."

"You say that about every school, Mum," Adrian butted in.

"This time, I mean it. Oh, I almost forgot! I have to drop Dan early so he can meet with his translator. You don't mind being a bit early, do you, Adrian?"

"I never mind."

"Great. Boys, check and see that you have all your books. I can't just come back and get them for you."

While Mrs. Howell loaded the dishwasher, Dan and Adrian waited outside by the car. It was a particularly overcast morning, but it had yet to rain all week. After a few minutes of waiting, Mrs. Howell appeared outside. She unlocked the car and got in the driver's seat with Dan to her left and Adrian behind her.

The first few minutes of the drive were extraordinarily quiet, more so than usual. Every Howell was nervous for the new life ahead of them. Soon enough, though, they reached Adrian's school. He waved goodbye to his mum and ran off with the other boys and girls, ready to adjust to the life he'd been forced into.

Once Adrian had safely made it to school, Mrs. Howell started driving to Dan's school, Southern Manchester Academy. The nerves Dan had been suppressing now hit him like a wave. Eventually, the lackluster grey building came into view. The sky matched the shade of the facade. The only unique thing about it was metal welded into the shape of the school's emblem on the left-hand side of the building.

"Well, here we are. I can't believe it! Come on, Dan. You don't want to be late on your first day!"

Dan opened the car door and stepped outside. It was fairly brisk for September, which made him pull his blazer around himself.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you? I've still got ten minutes before I have to leave for work."

Dan shook his head and waved goodbye to his mum. He slowly approached the metal doors that held his future for the next year. After one last breath, he pulled the doors open and entered the school.

The interior was just as gloomy as the exterior, only it had a plethora of fluorescent lights that hurt Dan's eyes.

Because the school looked identical around every corner, it took Dan a while to find his way to the main office of the school. Eventually, he found it and went inside. The office was spacious with a front desk and several rooms off to the side.

He approached the door marked "DEAN LESTER" and carefully pushed it open. Inside sat a woman with long, light brown hair in a pantsuit. Her desk was void of any pictures or personal belongings. Dan looked up from the desk when she cleared her throat.

"Are you Mr. Daniel Howell?"

Dan nodded his head.

"Hello, I'm Kathryn Lester. Welcome to Southern Manchester Academy. I would give you a tour, but of course, that's why you've got a guide. I'll go get him now."

Dean Lester walked to the back of her office and cracked open a door. Dan heard her yell, "Phil!" before a black-haired boy emerged.

"Daniel, this is my son Phil. He'll be your guide this year."

The boy named Phil just stared at Dan. It wasn't until his mother nudged him that he spoke.

"Hi," he said. He looked at Dan with his sparkly blue eyes. Dan had never seen anyone with eyes as vibrant as his. The blue iris was rimmed with green while yellow surrounded his pupils. He was entranced by the two marbles inside Phil's head and didn't realize he was staring until Phil cleared his throat.

Dan's eyes widened, and it took him a moment to realize he could sign the word "sorry" now that he had Phil as his guide.

Dean Lester caught on to the tension quickly.

She pulled her son closer to her and said, "Honey, why don't you get started with the tour?"

Phil nodded and stepped away from his mother. He didn't say anything to Dan, just held the door open for him.

The moment they were out of the office, Dan turned to his guide.

Call me Dan, he signed, spelling out each letter of his name carefully.

Phil smiled, his eyes lighting up as he said, "Alright, Dan, let me show you around."

It was in that moment, looking into Phil's eyes and walking beside him down the halls, that Dan knew he'd found his first friend.