Back to Us ( pastelxpunk d+p )

S E V E N

•Dan •

"What do you mean I shouldn't be around Phil?", I looked angrily at Chris.

I'd gotten there and followed Chris up to his room, where Pj sat on the edge of the bed.

They had told me that I shouldn't hang out with Phil. No context either.

" Dan I'm surprised you don't already know...", Pj stood up and took a step towards me.
" Don't know what?! Tell me what I don't know!", I yelled but calmed myself down. Chris opened his mouth to say something but Pj tightly gripped his arm signalling him to stop.
" We both think you should ask Phil yourself, Dan", Pj seemed so calm.

" You literally just told me to stay away from him and now you're telling me to go see him?!", I stormed out, running home.

When I got home I plopped on my bed. Am I overreacting? Probably... maybe they are just trying to protect me? From Phil? That doesn't make any sense. Phil was so sweet. I know I haven't known him that long but... why would I need to be protected from him?

I was tempted to text Phil. Ask him why. But I decided not to. I'll just talk to him tomorrow? Yeah.

•The Next Day•
•Phil•

I got to school early because I wanted to wait for Dan at his locker so I could see him. Honestly, I really liked Dan. I knew I liked him more than a friend but we haven't known each other for that long and I should wait to tell him anything.

I grabbed the books I needed and made my way to Dans locker. A few kids passed me in the hallway making sure they didn't make eye contact with me. I frowned but kept my head up high as I walked. 

Dans locker was on the other side of the school from mine so it too me a while to get there considering this school is absolutely ginormous. Once I did though, I leaned against it and pulled out my phone. I was tempted to text Emmet but decided against it.

More and more kids entered the school, walking around, talking to there friends. Suddenly Emmet came into my head again. The only friend I had besides Dan. Hm.

I looked up seeing Dan slowly walking towards his locker. " Hey you", I said with a smile. Dan looked up at me nervously, " Hey". I moved out of his way so he could open his locker. " Do you wanna go sit under the trees durning lunch again?", I asked peering over his locker door. "I can- actually, yeah", he said closing his locker, "Meet me out there?". " Definitely".

•Skip to lunch•
•Phil•

" Wow really? I'm so glad I don't have her as my maths teacher!", I said sitting down and Dan sat across from me. " Yeah! She was all ' I'm going to give you a text every week if you all don't get working!", Dan said laughing, his eyes squinting as he laughed. I laughed along with him, sticking my tongue out as I did.

Silence grew between us and out laughter faded. Dan looked down at his hands a fiddled with them aimlessly.

" Can I ask you something?", he looked up at me his large smile in a frown now. " Yeah, what's up?", I was scared of what he was going to ask honestly. I was terrified.

" Why would my friends tell me not to hang out with you?".

•3rd person•

Dan instantly regretted asking this. He should've just said nothing. Phil looked down. He opened his mouth but quickly shut it a few times. He searched for the correct way to put it if there even was one.

" Well... you know how I was kinda shocked you'd never seen me around school before? Well last year, I wasn't the best person. I thought in order to get people to like you you had to be a jerk sometimes to the more unpopular kids. But I took it too far, and the only thing that happened after I was a dick to basically everyone, they all feared me. Stayed far away from me. I fell into a depression and did some online school because I couldn't take it being here. Honestly I'd probably be six feet under if it weren't for my only friend who was going through a similar thing. But I don't want to get into that. I put on the black clothes and got piercings to seem intimidating. I guess, I got my wish. But I don't want to take me piercings out. I'm scared that if I do I'll become the bullied. I probably deserve it though"

Dan didn't know what to say so Phil continued " I was bully. I would rather not say how or what I did because it makes me so angry at myself at all of the terrible things I did. I still don't know how you didn't know me. Honestly if you don't want to talk to me anymore I get it..."

Dan thought for a moment. Phil didn't seem like someone who would go around being a dick to people. He could see Phil's pain telling this to him. How ashamed Phil was of himself.

Dan leaped toward Phil pulling him into a tight hug. Phil started to cry into Dans shoulder. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be crying. I'm not the victim I was the bully I have no right to cry", Phil said in between sobs.

Dan began to rub circles with his hand onto Phil's back to calm him down. " Shh it's okay", Dan said as calmly as he could holding Phil tight.

The blue eyed boy slowly calmed down and when he did Dan let go of him sitting back in his previous position. " Last year I didn't really talk to anyone. I woke up, went to classes, did my work went home and repeated the cycle. I hardly ever talked to my friends. I didn't meet new people. I didn't hear what was going on in the school because I didn't care. I just wanted to get by. Over the summer my friends started to force me to go places with them and try and have fun. And I did. It brought me out of my shell and made me who I am right now. I put on these pastel clothes to be more likeable. Don't get me wrong, they are great and all and I like them but it doesn't feel like me most of the time. Except for the flower crowns. I love the flower crowns. ", I said letting out a nervous laughter at the last bit.

" I see how you didn't know me then", Phil said with a fake smile and a nervous laugh.

" Yeah, if you don't mind me asking what did you wear before you punked out?"

Phil laughed, " Bright colours, not like yours though. Ones that kinda just said ' Pow! I'm Phil!' and not these that kinda just go ' pow. I'm Phil I guess' ," he said the last bit with a flat tone of voice, " What did you wear before you went all pastel?".

" Black. Not even joking. I wore all black sometimes colour though. Not like the way you wear black though. No leather jackets or the huge, thick boots. More casual. With lots of unnecessary zippers."

" Hm. You really are something Dan", Phil said looking the other boy in the eyes.

" You're one to talk"

•••••••

oKAY there we go! I'm sorry it took so long but I was having some major writers block. Also... THANKS SM FOR 300+ reads!!

Also who else thought of the forest fic when I wrote ' terrified'????