The Benefits Project ; phan au

1 ; 'Danny Boy'

#1

-The Present, Sixth Form-

"Dan, please," Louise said softly, she re-positioned her glasses since she wasn't wearing contacts today. "We all know you are still rather shaken from Phil ditching you even though it was five years ago-"

"Really Louise, I'm fine," I had cut in. "Stop fussing over me, I'm over Phil."

"Then quit staring at him," Pj intervened.

I looked back to Pj and blushed more out of humiliation than anything else.

"God, you really do like him don't you?" Emma teased. "It's been four years since you told us you liked him, he's a bad boy Daniel."

"Shut up," I snapped.

It was true, I had liked Phil for a long time but I'd never spoke to him. Troye raised his eyebrows and took a pringle out of the tube we were sharing for our lunch.

"I'd watch out if I were you Dan," he said with a mouthful of food. "He's giving you the look right now."

I was about to turn around but Louise grabbed the top of my head to make me look at her instead. We all chuckled at Troye's joke. He'd came up with it when we were in Year 10 together, even though Phil wasn't trying to get people in his bed, when he wanted people to pay attention to him he would make 'the look' and it was something we'd joked about ever since.

"Stop it, you don't want him to get any ideas do you?" Louise said strictly.

I scoffed.

"What like you did?" I said.

Louise scowled. 

"Yes like me, shut up it was a mistake."

I rolled my eyes. 

"That's what they all say," I said bitterly. "You even knew I liked him when I did it."

Everyone looked down before Emma nodded grinning.

"Look at us Dan, the only virgins on the table," Emma laughed.

"Maybe I can change that," a voice from behind me said in a husky tone.

"Go away Phil, no one wants you here," Pj snapped.

"I remember what you were like Pj," Phil sneered from behind me. "You do good hand jobs I'll give you that but I bet Danny boy here can do better."

Phil took my chin with his finger and made me look at him, his other hand stroked my thighs which made my skin crawl. I pushed him off me and luckily he just straightened his back.

"I'd never get with you Phil," I snapped and turned away so he couldn't see my blush. 

Phil chuckled and walked away with a wicked grin on his face.

I sighed looking at the time.

"Do any of you guys have a class with me next?" I asked.

"I've got free period," Pj and Louise said.

"Maths," Troye said smiling.

"Free period too," Emma added. 

I frowned and grabbed my timetable, searching for period 5 on Fridays.

"Art," I said sarcastically.

"Hey you're good at art, don't say it like you hate it," Troye said.

"Can we see your sketch pad?" Louise asked

I hesitated before picking up the large A3 sketch pad leaned against the table beside me. It was a present for me from my mum when I turned thirteen. It had over five hundred sheets to draw on, I didn't let anyone touch it without my permission though because I only show them what I wanted them to see. I opened it up to the first page which my friends had seen many times before.