the quiet ° phan

v. intrude

In the days that followed, Dan began spreading his wings. He still went to classes with Phil, but he didn't limit himself to one friend; he sat with some of his other peers as well. He integrated himself into the other group's lunch table. It seemed as though life was starting to go right.

This didn't sit well with Phil. Every time Dan went to be with Zoë or Louise or someone else, Phil would frown or make a face before letting him go. He kept allowing Dan to associate with them, but then he would undermine his actions by expressing his disgust nonverbally.

On Wednesday, whilst the boys were walking to their lockers, Dan spotted Zoë in the hallway. He waved to her and she waved back, giving him one of her pearlescent smiles. It was afternoon, the time when Dan didn't have any classes with her.

"I don't know if you should be hanging out with them this much," Phil said once they reached their lockers.

Dan couldn't respond, as he was opening his locker, but he gave Phil a confused look that conveyed his message.

"What I mean is that I'm your guide and all, sort of like your guardian here, and you should probably stick around with me. Uh, not that you can't hang out with them or anything. I just want you to be safe."

Dan smiled at Phil's blubbering.

When they sat down in their next class, Dan had an idea.

There's a new movie premiering on Friday. Want to see it after school?

Phil smiled, his eyes sparkling for the first time that day. Yes.

• • •

Time passed by slowly after that. Something shifted in Dan. Maybe it was seeing Phil so happy or knowing he had real friends here. Either way, he couldn't wait for Friday.

It was lunchtime. The group was currently watching Joe throw grapes into Caspar's mouth, and so far, only one had made it in. As hilarious as that was, it also made Dan lose his appetite.

Can I have your cookie? Phil asked him.

Dan nodded and shoved his lunch tray towards Phil. Phil seemed eager to devour the chocolatey goodness Dan had abandoned. When his eyes met Dan's, he grinned sheepishly. He had chocolate on his chin, which Dan pointed out through a series of gestures and awkward looks.

"So, Dan, have you always been mute?" Marcus asked, resulting in a shin kick and wide-eyed stares.

Dan looked down and nodded, feeling embarrassed not because of the question, but because he hadn't been asked it since grade 9.

"Oh. That sucks, man."

And it did, but that didn't stop Dan from seeing the positive in his situation. At least he hadn't become mute. At least he didn't remember how it felt to talk, to laugh, to scream. At least he didn't have to learn how to talk without a voice, how to converse in silence. That would have been much more painful.

• • •

Dan waited in the parking lot of the cinema for Phil. His mum had dropped him off. It was only a few minutes until Phil showed up. He was early, which Dan didn't find surprising.

"Ready?" Phil asked.

Dan nodded, walking in the cinema with his friend. When he opened the door, he could already smell the popcorn and hear the chatter from within.

They walked up to the ticket booth, Phil taking the lead.

"Two adults, please."

The ticket guy nodded, handing them their tickets.

"That'll be £16."

Phil pulled out £16 in notes and handed them to the guy. As they walked to the concessions line, Dan signed to Phil.

You didn't have to do that.

"I wanted to," Phil whispered.

Clearly, there was no point in stopping him from paying for food, either. Dan would just pay him back later.

The two grabbed their bags of popcorn and their drinks. The movie they were seeing was playing in theater 7, not far from the concessions stand.

Before Dan could even take a step towards the theater, he heard a familiar sound. It was laughter. Not any laughter, though. It was a sound only one person could make.

"Hi, Dan! Fancy seeing you here."

Dan turned around and saw Zoë, just as he suspected. He couldn't wave because his hands were occupied, so he smiled at her. Phil noticed Dan had stopped and came to stand beside him. When he saw Zoe, his furrowed brow turned into a frown.

"What movie are you guys seeing?" Zoe asked.

"Uh, the new superhero one," Phil replied.

"Us too!"

"Us?" Phil asked in confusion.

"Yeah, Louise is here too. She's getting our snacks." Zoe pointed to her left where Louise was filling up their drinks. She grinned when she saw the two boys.

"Oh."

"Hey, why don't we all go together? That would be fun," Zoe suggested.

"Um..."

"Great! We'll catch up with you guys in a second. I have to help Louise with the food first."

Once Zoe was out of earshot, Phil turned to Dan.

"Did you know she was coming?" Phil whispered harshly.

Dan shook his head.

Of course not. This was meant to be just us, I promise.

Dan and Phil sat in the theater before Zoe and Louise, meaning only one of the girls could sit next to Dan. That girl was Zoe, of course.

The whole duration of the movie, the girls kept moving closer to Dan. If it weren't for the armrest separating their seats, Dan thought Zoe might be in his lap. It didn't help that Phil was inching closer as well. It felt as though everyone was engulfing him.

After the movie had ended, Zoe and Louise bid the boys goodbye. Louise simply waved before walking away, but Zoe stopped to give Dan a kiss on the cheek. He smiled, his dimples on full display and a pink flush creeping into his cheeks.

Once the girls were gone and the boys started heading home, Phil finally spoke again.

"The night's not over yet. Why don't we go eat something before our mums start asking for us?"

Dan nodded. The rest of the evening was fun, the entire day having been a mixture of attention from very different people. Between acquaintances, friends, and his best lad, Dan was happy with the way his Friday turned out.

That night, he slept with the image of Zoe's smile in his mind.