cheerleader // phan

one

"gaylord!"

the common nickname from a familiar voice rung through dan's petite ears. his face, which was facing his decorated locker, frowned, because he knew what was about to happen.

he was so close. school was over. he just needed to grab his binders to bring home for homework and run. he was so close to not being bullied all day. but of course, it had to be ripped to shreds.

he became tense. his heart beat increased as he turned around on his toes. his legs trembled as he saw who approached.

phil lester.

he walked in front of his small posse of friends. he was tall, muscular. it was almost like he was ripped out of a cliche 90s movie.

before dan knew it, he was slammed up against his locker, pain flowing through his body. he winced and saw phil inches away from him.

"you thought you were gonna get out today off the hook, trannie?" phil sneered, his breath so close dan could smell the faint smell of smoke.

"i'm not transgender," dan grumbled, his lips covered in a light pink lipgloss, moving with grace.

"what'd you say to me?" phil growled and pushed dan harder into the blue lockers.

"i said... i'm not trans!" dan said louder. phil looked at him as if he was absurd.

"hah! and santa is real!" phil mocked and punched dan in the shoulder. dan winced again but his confidence kept raging.

"get off of me!" dan almost screamed and pushed phil away with all of his strength, which wasn't a lot, if we're being honest, but for today it was enough to make phil let go, and he booked it.

he ran, and ran, and ran, until he was to his safe place; the playground.

sure, it was meant for children, but it was so abandoned and decayed to shreds, the only thing that really stood were the swings. dan walked to the swings, out of breath. he sat, and wrapped his small fingers around the rusted chain.

the soft, creaking sound of the old swing going back and forth filled dan's ears with comfort. his mary-jane covered feet lightly brushed the ground each time he swung back and forth. his shoes flowed into his knee high socks, only to start his overalls, which covered a purple long sleeved shirt.

***

"welcome home, dan" a friendly voice greeted dan when he got home to his crowded apartment. dan's best friend, karlie stood at the kitchen counter, the fumes of her cooking filling the small home on the 17th floor of the building.

"hey," he smiled lightly as he walked into his room, tears threatening to leave his eyes.

he lived with four other people. karlie, who was his best friend. only she knew about dan's sexuality. then there was ian. he was dan's other best friend. they were always very close and touchy, but it didn't really mean anything.

then kenny. dan made a pledge to himself a long time ago that he would never hate another human. but that didn't mean people didn't hate him back. kenny was one of those people. kenny constantly told dan how gay and weird he was. the only reason dan and kenny lived together because it was kenny's apartment and he needed money. connie was almost the same. she didn't hate him, but she didn't love him, either. she especially didn't like him when kenny was around.

he let out a sob when he entered his room. he was so close to being free. but no matter how hard he tries. phil always comes back. always.

"dan! are you alright?" ian panicked as he entered the bedroom. karlie, ian, and dan all shared a room, and connie and kenny shared the other. ian quickly sat by dan on his bed and placed a hand on dan's thigh, "please don't cry."

in one swift move, dan was sitting on the older boy's lap, his legs wrapped around his torso, ian's legs criss-crossed under dan. their arms were around eachother as dan's head nuzzled into ian's neck.

normally, when dan was at school, his fake confidence radiated like the sun, shining on everyone, until he got home, and it all sunk to his small feet. especially around ian. around ian, he felt safe. comforted. they went to the same school, but dan was a junior as well as karlie. and ian was a senior, as well as kenny, connie, and phil.

they hugged for hours, not speaking. only soft sobs came out of dan's lipgloss covered lips.

they stayed like that until they fell asleep together.

as friends, though.