The Wolf of The Woods

Chapter Nineteen: Run!

'Howell and Lester...' Seamus began 'who would've thought it?'

All eyes were on him now as he grinned maniacally. Dan's face still mirrored that of a deer caught in headlights.
'Back off Seamus' Phil practically growled, showing the same dominant and protective instinct that Dan had been so surprised by earlier.

'Why should I? I'm just giving the two of you a friendly greeting... Remember when we used to be friends Phil?'
'No, I don't Seamus, all I remember is you using me to do your dirty work' Phil replied stoically.

'There's no need to be so uptight now' Jack butted in 'we didn't realize we were interrupting something'
'Interrupting w,w- what exactly?' Dan whimpered, the first words he was able to get out sounding rather unimpressive.

'I don't know whatever you want to call it' Harvey said, wrinkling his nose 'disgusting affection, loving embrace'

The silence that followed had never been so piercing, each person waiting for the other to speak up. It was Seamus who did first.

'Anyway, not to worry. We'll be on our way now, come on boys let's leave the twinks to it' he concluded, giving one last side smirk as him and the other two turned to leave.

'Phil...' Dan whispered after they'd gone. Standing there hopelessly like all the life had been drained from him he turned to look up at Phil. It was all he could manage to say, any other words seeming to difficult to form.

'Come on Dan' Phil whispered back. He took Dan by the arm and then they started walking.

Dan hardly registered where they were walking to. He didn't notice the eyes of his fellow students that were looking at his dishevelled form. He didn't acknowledge the sound of the bathroom door opening and then closing behind him.

'Dan' Phil spoke softly, his voice waking Dan from his thoughts like a slap to the face, or rather the opposite due to how calm and sullen the tone was. 'Are you okay?' He asked.

It was beyond Dan, it really was, how someone could be so selfless. It wasn't just Dan who had been through that back there, it was both of them, Phil arguably more so.

So why? How, could Phil possibly care more about Dan's feelings than his own?

'They'll tell everyone Phil' he said, simply stating the one thought that wouldn't leave his mind. 'They've always seemed to know I was gay but I've never actually given them evidence to support it! And now they'll tell the whole damn school about us!'

'They... they might not' Phil replied, in a pitiful attempt at comforting.
'But what if they do?! What if everyone in this entire god forsaken place finds out! What if they, what if...'

Dan lost all compassion in his words. He hadn't really been sure what he was going to say, he didn't even know why having his secrets unwillingly found out terrified him so much.

It had all turned out okay when Phil had found out everything he'd tried so desperately to hide. But his mind couldn't help going back to another time when he hadn't been so fortunate.

The night when his parents had found out about his ability. They had burst into his room while he was transforming. Only gawping in horror, instead of rushing to help their son as he was being mutilated before their eyes. Even when Dan had come running back to them the following morning, hopeless and afraid, they had simply turned him away and left him to fend for himself.

That was what happened when normal people found out about your secrets, people less caring and sympathetic than Phil.

Dan was ripped like a book page from his thoughts then, and thrown back into reality. He didn't want to live in that reality anymore if these were the consequences. If it weren't for the loving blue eyes staring back at him he might have said that he'd rather be trapped in his thoughts forever.