Fall Away//phan

Chapter 3

"Are you sure he's gonna want to talk to you Phil? He never talks to anyone, he's Dan! I know I suggested you should but... I don't want you to get hurt okay?" Pj sighs looking into Phil's eyes

Phil breaks the eye contact and looks down the corridor anxiously. "I need to at least try, I have to know what's going on with him."

Pj sighs loudly "But you don't though, Phil. You deserve to be happy and I don't think that knowing what's going on in Dan's life is going to do much good."

Phil shakes his head a little annoyed. "Pj you were the one who suggested that I talk to him! I've already made up my mind, I'm gonna try."

There was a parting in the crowd of people as the chattering died down a little. Dan's dark figure appeared around the corner, earbuds in his ears and his dark eyes glaring at the people staring at him. His gaze moves onto Phil, Pj, and the rest of their friends.

Dan looks away and attempts to walk past them all, but Phil pulls Dan aside.
"Dan, I know when I last tried to talk to you it didn't go too well... Not well at all actually now that I think about it but-"

Dan rolls his eyes and folds his arms. "But you want to try again? You want to help me, you want to be nosy and find out about my life? No. Fuck off Phil Lester." Dan walks off down the corridor and outside into the car park leaving Phil in stunned silence.

Pj walks up to Phil and shakes his head. "See? It didn't work, you tried and it didn't work now will you please leave Dan alone? He's hurt you enough, Phil. You're an amazing kindhearted person and you don't deserve to be treated like that by anyone, Dan in the least!"

No, Phil didn't want to believe that. He wanted to help Dan. "I'm going after him." he walks off after Dan and Pj shakes his head annoyed. "For fucks sake Phil..."

Phil walks out through the doors into the car park and up towards Dan.

He was smoking.

"Dan." Phil walks up closer to Dan who turns around and glares at Phil.

"What? Didn't I make it clear? Fuck. Off." Dan turns away from Phil willing him to leave.

"No." Phil pulls Dan around so he's facing him. "You need to stop this Dan."

but I don't want your way I want mine

Dan sighs staring down at the ground.
"I can't, Phil." Phil shakes his head smiling at him.

"But you can! I know you can, you can get help, you need to get help Dan."

Dan laughs but just like before it was hollow and humourless. "This is my help, Phil. I don't want your help. I want my help, I have my help. All these drugs, and alcohol, and cigarettes. I'm addicted. I'm addicted to the feeling of my empty heart being taken over by the rush of drugs."

Phil sighs quietly. "But why Dan? Why did you start in the first place?" Dan throws his cigarette on the floor and stands on it.

"Because I'm falling away. I'm falling and there's nothing to catch me when I hit the ground."

Phil looks at Dan with sadness in his eyes. "But I could catch you, I can stop you from falling in the first place, I want to help, Dan! Let me help you!"

Dan shakes his head staring at the ground blankly. "There's no point. I'm hurting you, Phil. I'm not stupid. It's hurting you that I don't want to open up to you isn't it? Well I can't."

"But why-" Phil starts slightly annoyed before Dan cuts him off.

"Because if you're there to catch me when I fall, then the impact is going to damage us both."

Phil shakes his head "No. That's not true Dan! I can help you I know I can."

"No, you CAN'T! I already told you! So fucking listen to me Phil!"

"Dan, you're being ridiculous-"

"No, YOU'RE being ridiculous!" Dan glares at Phil backing away. "You can't help me! So just STOP trying to be a good person! I don't deserve to be helped!"

Phil looks at Dan sadly. "No, that's not true at all!"

"Yes it fucking well is, everyone knows it! Ask your friends! Ask Pj! They hate me!"

Phil bites his lip nervously. "No, Dan, they don't hate you... Besides Pj was the one who suggested I try talking to you in the first place!"

This upsets Dan even more. "Oh so you talk about me behind my back, do you?! Do you have fun talking together about idiot me doing drugs, drinking, and smoking?! Do you have fun Phil?!"

Phil shakes his head hastily. "Dan, no! Of course I don't! That's a horrible thing to suggest!"

Dan turns away "Well guess what Phil?! I'm a horrible person!" And with that he walks back off into the school building leaving Phil once again in shocked silence unsure of what exactly he should do now.

Should he just leave Dan alone? No... He couldn't do that. As much as Dan tried to deny it, Phil knew that he needed help. He needed someone. But Dan doesn't have anyone.

Phil wanted to be someone to Dan.

He just needed to give Dan a little time to calm down.

Phil sighs loudly and walks back into the school building and is greeted by Pj who was looking at Phil with an expression that seemed to say 'I told you so!'

"That didn't go very well then, did it? I just saw Dan walk through the corridor, he seemed pissed what did you say?" Pj laughs a little then stops seeing Phil's expression.

"I just said that I wanted to help him, that's all. But he doesn't want help." Phil sighs a little sadly and Pj smiles at him supportively.

"Well at least you know that he's not worth your time anymore right? I mean, he clearly doesn't want you to bother with him anymore."

Phil shrugs at Pj and starts walking down the corridor with him "I don't know... I still really want to help him. He's hiding something, I can tell."

Pj and Phil continue to walk down the corridor towards their first class "Well maybe it's best if what he's hiding stays hidden." Pj glances at Phil as they walk.

"I don't know Pj... Whatever, let's go to English"

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so that was a pretty short chapter, i was thinking about combining it with the next chapter but then it'd drag on for wayyyy to long and i'd have to add a time skip during the chapter instead of between chapters like i usually do, yikes.

thank you for reading!