two birds - [Phan]

neighbor - 03

                               {🌿}

    No way.

    Dan could do nothing but stare in absolute shock as Phil grabbed his bag from the car and walked over to the people talking. The woman and the man with the briefcase must have been his parents. Phil spoke with his parents for a moment before leaving them to let them talk to the worker. He disappeared inside his house and Dan pulled away from his window and let the blinds flutter shut.

    He collapsed on his bed, his head reeling. I can't believe he lives right across the street, Dan wondered to himself. He tried to get ahold of the situation and resumed changing into casual clothes. He put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and headed down the steps again. I'll think about this later, he thought.

The Next Morning...

Dan entered Mr. Weller's classroom, his backpack slung around his back and his book tucked under his armpit again. It was one of those small moments in the morning when the teacher wasn't here and everyone was talking amongst themselves again. Dan was still tired though as he missed out on sleep again. He look towards the corner where he sat and saw him again.

Phil was sitting on his desk next to Dan's with an open sketchbook, drawing. Dan stayed still for a while, debating whether or not he should bring up the fact that they were neighbors. He strolled between the rows of desks and sat down, placing his book on the desk before him.

"Good morning, Dan!", Phil chirped from beside him. Dan flinched, for some reason too nervous to move.

"Hey, Phil.", he responded. He stared down at the book he brought and finally decided to ask him.

"Hey, so where do you live?", Dan asked, tilting his head to the side. Phil stopped to think before saying, "I don't know the exact address, but it's the neighborhood down the road from the Java House. You know, the coffee shop?" Dan gulped and nodded. "Yeah I live there.", he said, trying not to make Phil over-excited. His efforts were fruitless, though.

"Really?!", he said in a pitch almost high enough to make everyone in the room stop talking. "We should visit each other sometime."

"Yeah. That would be cool.", Dan said. Turning to look back towards his book. This guy, Phil, really seemed to be a genuine friend to him. He probably was going to move on though because he was new and he had only talked to Dan because they sat with each other at lunch. He opened his book and removed the bookmark. He found where he had left off and continued to read.

Sounds like a plan to me, Dan thought.

Later that day...

Dan exited Mrs. Rumfield's eighth period class more tired than ever. He had fallen asleep three times throughout the day but he still felt like a zombie. He stuffed his book into his backpack because it was obvious by the tall hallway windows that it was raining outside. He pulled a jacket out and put it on over his blazer. He took out his phone and put on a playlist of songs to listen to while he walks home.

While he walked down the halls, he saw high schoolers in their natural habitat. Some of them had bottles obviously filled with alcohol and some were already pulling out cigarettes as they exited the gates of the school. Some got into their cars and drove off. Dan hadn't bothered to learn how to drive. He planned to live in the city anyway.

The gates of the school slowly drew open and everyone walking home on the sidewalk exited. Rain pelted the top of Dan's head and he could feel it through his hood. The sidewalk glistened and he could see his reflection in the ground. The sky was completely dark and it was getting chilly. He shivered quietly to himself and picked up his pace.

He passed by Java House, his favorite coffee shop. They baked sweets and made their coffee with care unlike many chain restaurants. He walked down the street and approached his neighborhood. The gates to his neighborhood were usually opened during this time of day on weekdays. The neighborhood is large though, so it's like a mini adventure for Dan. He came up to his house and noticed Phil's car pull up on the right side of the road where Phil lived.

Phil's dad stepped out and hurried inside as he had nothing to shelter him from the rain. Phil, however, had a jacket on. He saw Dan and immediately smiled. "Hey Dan!", he shouted over the rain. Dan waved at him. "Do you think I can come over?"

He had totally forgotten about the offer Phil had given this morning. However, it did sound cool. "Yeah sure!", he also shouted back. Phil gave him a thumbs up and rushed inside his own house.

Dan walked up to his door and opened it. It was already unlocked because his mother was home. "I'm home, mum.", Dan said. His mother was in the kitchen again, most likely preparing dinner.

"Daniel, honey, can you dry your feet off on the mat, please? I don't want you tracking any mud or water in." Dan obliged and spoke up once again.

"Hey, I'm going to have a friend over. Is that cool?" His mom stopped everything she was doing and shouted from the sink, "You brought a friend? Of course!" His mom wasn't used to Dan ever even mentioning friends. He didn't usually even talk to anyone so having someone over was notable.

Dan swiftly changed in his room before hearing the doorbell ring. "I'll get it!", he shouted from the top of the steps. Dan blundered down the stairs and answered the door. Phil was standing in a galaxy jacket with the hood pulled up. He was also wearing a black shirt and jeans. He had a book bag slung around his shoulder. He looks nice, Dan thought to himself.

"Can I come in? It kinda rainy outside.", Phil said. Dan cleared a pathway for him and led him upstairs to his room.

This should be cool.

(A/N: this was kind of a filler chapter. anyways i hoped you liked it.)

~ mystery man 🌼