The Wolf of The Woods

Chapter Thirteen: Truth or Dare

A/N: look at this cool art done by @Amarish01 on insta!
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It was a few days later now.

Dan and Phil had returned to the treehouse and after Dan's offer, Phil had moved in with him.

He was settling in quite nicely, even consistently adding to place now that he had all his old stuff from his parents house.

It had taken them many trips back and forth through the woods to retrieve Phil's things, and some of them (like Phil's bed) they had outright refused to lug back.

All in all though the treehouse was looking much nicer with various posters and possessions now scattered around the place.

Phil had also had quite an amusing time trying to teach Dan how to use his laptop.

'But seriously why are there so many buttons?' Dan had asked perplexed. It wasn't like he was clueless about technology, he lived in the modern day after all, but his parents would never have bought him something like a laptop.

'They're keys' Phil chuckled. 'You use them to type, look you press one and it makes a letter come up on screen'
'So you can write messages and stuff? To the other people who have one of, er... these?'

'Yes' Phil laughed looking at the puzzled look on Dan's face. 'And you can share pictures and videos too, it's called social networking'

'Hmm, my brain hurts'
Dan yawned and sprawled backwards onto his bed.

'You know Phil, we're probably gonna have to go back to school soon' he sighed.
'I guess so. Oh god, I couldn't think of anything worse... After everything that we've been through how are we supposed to just go back and live normal lives?'
Dan thought for a second.

'I don't know, but unless we want to live in the forest forever we're gonna have to try'
'Who says we don't wanna live here forever? This place is awesome!'

'Well, maybe for you but I've lived here nearly all my life. I'm going to be eighteen years old soon and I wouldn't mind becoming something more than a deadbeat forest hobo'

Phil couldn't help snorting at that comment but then he composed himself.

'Yeah well maybe, I guess it's just one more year and then we can leave school and get on with our lives with nothing holding us back' he replied thoughtfully.
Dan paused at that comment. He looked over at the moon charts on his walls and then up at the sky.

'Yeah... nothing'
Phil seemed to get the hint.
'Oh Dan I... I'm sorry I forgot'
'No, no it's okay I try to forget too' he sighed 'I just wish I was normal'

Phil looked slightly troubled then by Dan's words. He shifted closer to him.

'Don't wish you were normal Dan, wish you were happy. We've both been through so much in our lives and now that my family are out of the picture and most of my problems are gone I want to do everything I can to help you through this'

'Phil... I'
'Come on tell me what I can do to help you. Anything'
Dan didn't know how to respond to that. He'd already opened up to Phil so much and he trusted him, he really did, but he didn't want him to get swept away with him and caught up in all his problems.

'There's nothing you can do Phil, just be my friend that's all I need' Dan smiled weakly. 'Come on why don't we go for a swim down by the lake? That could be fun'
'Okay'

-

They reached the lake carrying towels and dry clothes under their arms. Dan had always come swimming here, ever since he was a child but it had only just occurred to him that he'd never been with anyone else before.