We are the ghouls of London // PHAN

•CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE•

Leaving school without Dan was odd. To Phil, it felt like something was missing but standing in its place was PJ. But, as good of a friend he was and for how long they had maintained this relationship, Phil still wished he had Dan walking besides him at that moment. Maybe he'd feel a lot more calmer than he already was feeling since at that moment he was experiencing a build up emotions which now were beginning to affect what he was thinking about.

"You ok Phil?" PJ had obviously noticed Phil's drastic change in mood and how down he seemed to be. His voice was calm despite his facial expression showing utter confusion.

With a small nod, Phil smiled weakly as he looked down at the pavement, "Y-Yeah... just thinking. That's all."

"Thinking? About what?"

Phil sighed as he looked towards PJ, "About my mum."

PJ gave Phil a look before sighing, "You think about her a lot, don't you?"

Phil laughed weakly, "Yeah. I do."

A reassuring smile was given towards Phil by PJ before they reached the front of PJ's driveway, "Well here's my stop."

"Yep, it sure is."

The car PJ's dad owned was gone, suggesting he was still out on a shift and also meaning that his dad too would also not be present at home. Which in his eyes was good as he could go home and play video games in the living room whilst drinking hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and eat hobnobs without his dad coming into the house and making fun of him for doing so.

A smile appeared onto his face as he said goodbye to PJ and walked towards his house located a couple of streets away.

As he entered the house, the warmth of the house made his cold cheeks glow from the sudden change in temperature. He took off his now dirty converse before walking over to the Christmas tree him and his dad had put up the night before, and turned it on. It instantly shone brightly, the blue and silver lights twinkling and reflecting off all the blue and silver baubles which hung off the pine tree, a few of it's needles scattered onto the floor outside of its plant pot.

Phil put his school bag by the sofa, vowing to do his homework later on before making his way into the kitchen, filling the kettle with water and then letting it boil as he turned it on. After finding a cup and putting the desired amount of Cadbury's hot chocolate powder into the bottom of the cup, Phil leant against the work surface and looked towards the door which led into the garden. The door was white with a few scratches on it, giving it that vintage feel and look about it. Through the glass, Phil spotted on the grass beyond the wooden decking a small ginger cat. It was just sitting there, minding its own business.

Phil looked towards the kettle which was still boiling before grabbing the keys and opening the back door. The cat looked towards him; it looked frightened but did not run away just yet. Phil moved slowly towards it until he was directly in front of the cat. He knelt down in front of it and stroked it, its soft fur tangling with Phil's fingers.

The cat began to purr and was soon lying in Phil's lap as he sat himself on the dewy grass. Phil had always wanted a cat of his own, a pet for him to look after and take care of. But he was allergic to most kinds of cats, and when Phil began sneezing due to his allergies kicking in, Phil knew it was time to let this cat go.

After saying his goodbyes to the cat, Phil made his way back indoors to once again warm up. He washed his hands to rid of any cat hair which had become present on his hands and then continued to make his warm drink, dropping marshmallows over the top of the drink once he was done. Satisfied, Phil took his mug into the living room, placed it on the drinks mat which had a marble design before turning on the TV to to play a game of Mario Kart WiiU online against many people, some from Japan, some from the USA, and some still in England but in the West Midlands.