cheerleader // phan

seven

dan went to school the next day with bandages over his eye, stitches on his lip, and bruises and band-aids all over his limbs. he kept his head down as he walked silently through the halls. he wore a pleated skirt and a pink blouse along with black ballet flats.

phil was nowhere to be seen.

he was nowhere to be seen the next day.

he came back to school two days later, and dan still had the stitches and eye bandages, but most of the band-aids on his limbs were gone.

phil gazed over at dan, heaps of homework he had to do over the past two days piled in his arms.

his heart broke.

he hadn't realized what damage he had done to dan. karlie was next to him and locked eyes with phil. she flipped him off and took dan's arm, whisking him away.

phil went to class quickly, hoping not to run into savanna. he didn't feel like dealing with her right now. he sat down in physics and ian sat next to him in their assigned seats. ian looked at phil and glared at him, his eyes full of anger and hatred. phil looked down at his blank sheet of paper.

"you do that again and i'll beat you up so badly you won't be able to walk," ian growled.

"look, it was an accident. and did you hear what the little brat said to me?"

"one, how the hell was that an accident? two, he was mad. i'm surprised he didn't say any of that earlier, and three, he is not a brat. don't even try me, lester." ian snapped back, the teacher walking into the room. phil rolled his eyes and kept looking at his paper.

•••

phil didn't know what he was doing. he promised himself he would never speak to dan again, but here he was, running to the swings for an unknown reason.

his brain screamed at him to stop, to keep his promise, but his heart told him to go. his heart told him to run to dan, to comfort him.

"phil?" dan choked out as he sat on the swing in leggings and a blouse.

phil rushed to the boy's side, but dan flinched back.

"dan, please," phil whined, holding out his arms.

dan knew it was a bad idea, but dan fell into the older boy's arms, and everything felt okay. they rested on the grass, phil rocking dan back and forth.

"i'm sorry for being so mean to you and savanna." dan choked. phil could hear the tears in his voice. phil just shushed him and said it was okay.

phil placed a soft and airy kiss on dan's forehead and got up.

"i'll drive you home, hmm?" phil whispered, holding hands with the younger boy as they walked to his truck. phil asked him where he lived.

"the apartment on 6th. 17th floor, room 1754." phil nodded.

•••

phil gripped the steering wheel as he looked over to dan, sleeping in the passenger seat. it was getting late, and phil concluded dan was tired from the long week. it was finally friday.

phil knew dan lives with karlie, ian, kennt, and connie, and phil knew if he carried dan through the door, karlie and ian would go ballistic, thinking phil had hurt the younger boy again, but phil decided to risk it when he pulled into the parking lot. he picked up dan's small and light body and brought him to his apartment. the woman at the receptionist desk smiled warmly at the older boy. he hesitantly knocked on the door.

karlie opened the door, and first saw phil, she clenched her fist, until she saw dan in his arms. his anger filled face faded and her fist relaxed.

"he's okay. he just fell asleep." phil said before karlie could speak. karlie looked into phil's eyes and felt confusion, but love. karlie eyes teared up for some unknown reason, but she knew she was happy.

"thank you." she whispered, taking dan and putting him on the couch, still sleeping. phil nodded and closed the door, leaving karlie and dan on the couch, soft snores escaping the boy's mouth in the dark of the night.