Save my soul [Imagine Dragons Fanfic]

Different

Ben:

Thursday. I sigh. Just today and tomorrow and then we did it again. Another week gone. Platz, Wayne and I are entering the school buliding right now. We decided to do something together this weekend and we want Dan to join us. "We can ask him right now can't we?" I ask but Wayne responds: "I'm not sure about that. He hasn't been that early for the past few days. So it's possible that he won't be here yet." Platz opens the door to our classroom and we are all a bit surprised to find Dan in here. He is sitting with a hood on, bowed over his notebook again, his head resting on his hand.

"Morning." The three of us chorus and laugh a bit as we sit down next to him. "Morning." he grumbles not looking up. Wayne and Platz exchange confused looks. "Are you alright?" Wayne asks. Dan lifts his head and I can see a small bruise over his eyebrow that makes me take a deep breath. "Yeah. Just didn't sleep that much!" he says and looks at his notebook again. He scribles a few seconds then closes it.

"Dude where do you have this brusie from?" Platz asks shocked. Dan shifts on the chair and replies: "I fell down the stairs yesterday. Nothing bad, just me and my stupidness again!" I can feel Waynes eyes resting on me so I look at him. As I meet his glance I can read worry, bemusement and doubt. "How did it happen?" I ask because I'm not sure if he really fell down the stairs. Dan shrugs his shoulders. "I just ran up the stairs and slipped. That's it." As he looks at us he can also read our expressions. So he adds: "What do you think happened if you don't believe me?" A glimmer of anger rising in his voice. "Nothing." I answer. "But you know that you can talk to us, don't you?" Wayne adds. "Yes, I know. But I just fell down the stairs! That's it!" he growls. "Okay. We got it." I try to save the situation.

"Ahm Dan?" Wayne starts another theme. "We wanted to ask if you would like to do something with us this weekend." Dan looks at him and I can read soemthing in his eyes for a second. But I don't know what. Nevertheless I have a feeling that something is wrong with him. "Sorry, can't!" he replies quickly. Then the teacher enters the room and we have to sit down again.

After two lessons Platz, Wayne and I happen to be in the same class but Dan is in a different one so we say goodbye for the moment. As we walk down the hall I address Dans behavior. "So guys. I know that I haven't done that much with Dan the past days. But is it me or does he act strange to you too?" "Yeah I'm thinking the same. He was more open and I guess who looked more relaxed or soemthing." Wayne answers.

We enter the class and sit down, then Platz asks: "Do you believe him the stairs story? Because I think that he acted strange while he told us about it." I nod: "Yeah, as if he doesn't want us to know the truth!" "Do you guys think that he is getting bullied again?" Wayne asks. Platz shrugs is shoulders. "Well this time it wouldn't be my fault!" I state. Wayn grins: "Don't worry that's not what I was thinking." "Do you think we should ask him again?" Platz asks. "Hard decision. But I don't think that he would tell us something different now. I'm pretty sure we would just annoy him or something." Wayne answers. "Well I would say we can think about that. I mean we have time until PE. Which makes four hours in between! If we ask him, then we should do it in PE!" Wayne nods and Platz responds: "Yeah and so we can even think if we'll really do it!"

After that lesson all of us have lunch together. In the cafeteria we meet Dan again but we don't talk about the bruise or the weekend. We just talk about normal stuff, including school, homework and music. Music is the one theme we all love talking about. Dan doesn't show that much excitement as the rest of us does but he also seems really interested in it. Wayne even told me that he thinks that Dan is writing lyrics. But the three of us agreed in not asking him about it becaue he doesn't show anyone. And he knows that we love music. So I think it's just private and I'm okay with that, I mean you don't have to share everything!

So we get to music as always but even though we talk about our all favourite theme Dan seems a bit off. He talks even less than normally and he also looks like he doesn't even really listen. When we ask him a question we mostly have to ask him twice because he was somewhere else with his thoughts. What's also different is that he is scribling in his notebook again. I mean yeah, he does that pretty often. But right now he writes more than I think I've ever seen him write before. As I exchange looks with Platz and Wayne I can tell that they noticed too but we inaudible agree on not asking him about it. He easily gets angry if we push things and even if we do he doesn't say a thing. That's typical for him. Pushing him doesn't help, he only tells you about something if he wants you to know.

We continue to talk and as the break ends we have to seperate again. We'll all have the same PE lesson but before that we won't be all toghether. By the end of the break I'm pretty sure that I could count the sentences he said during lunch on the fingers of two hands. That's not normal, not even for him!