If only I could love you

Chapter 6

“I think Alice likes you.”

Chris looked up, panic in his eyes, “What?!”

PJ laughed, “Alice? The new girl? I think she likes you. She’s been looking at you,” he nodded beyond Chris to where Alice Waters was sitting, a couple of tables behind him.  

Chris turned to Dan, who was sitting next to him. “Is she looking? Dan?” Dan hadn’t been concentrating. It was Monday, lunchtime, he was tired, and the lunch hall was loud. He looked up and turned to follow PJ’s gaze. Alice’s strawberry blonde hair wasn’t difficult to spot. Oh wow, she was staring. Jeez. And next to her was Zoe, looking down at her food. Fuck. Dan was trying to avoid her. He turned back and looked at Chris.

He grinned, “Yeah, mate, she’s seriously checking you out.” Chris’s cheeks turned scarlet.

“You should ask her out,” PJ suggested. Dan nodded. Chris wouldn’t actually ask her out, he’s really shy around girls. But Dan and PJ liked to tease him about that sometimes. “Actually she’s sitting next to Zoe,” PJ turned to Dan, “You could get Zoe to talk to her, right?” he winked.

“Shut up, you twat,” Chris laughed, nervously.

“Yeah, actually, that wouldn’t be possible,” Chris and PJ both looked up from their meals to Dan, “to talk to Zoe, I mean. I’m kinda trying to avoid her at the moment.”

“Why? What’s up?” Chris asked, frowning.

“I’m having a bit of a problem and-”

PJ interrupted, mockingly, “Dan, if it’s another sex problem, please don’t ask me. Our last conversation on that subject was so awkward, I don’t think I could survive another-” he stopped when Dan hit him over the head, playfully, of course. Both PJ and Chris burst out laughing.

“Shut up! Actually, I think I wanna break up with her,” PJ and Chris stopped laughing and frowned, “I just don’t want to go out with her anymore-”

PJ interrupted, again, “But Dan, she’s hot!”

“I know she is, but I thought that when you’re in a relationship with someone, don’t you kinda have to like them? But anyway, I was jogging yesterday and I bumped into her and she got all emotional and started saying that if something were to happen to us, for example, if I break up with her, she didn’t know what she’d do, ‘probably something bad’.” Dan looked to Chris and PJ for inspiration.

Chris shook his head, “yeah… I wouldn’t break up with her if I were you…” PJ nodded in agreement. Fuck.

“So then, I freaked out, and told her I love her…”

PJ hit Dan over the head this time, “you’re a fucking idiot.”

“Yes. I know. Anyway, she had to leave, she was meeting someone. And then, I bumped into the new kid, Phil Lester.”

“Who?” asked Chris.

“Uh, he joined this year, but he’s been away three weeks on a boxing tour. I met him on the first day of term, behind the bike shed. And then I saw him again yesterday. He took me to this amazing sandwich shop; I’ll take you guys sometime. He’s a really great guy, actually, really-”

“Handsome?” Chris interrupted, batting his eyelids, mockingly.

“What?”

“You love him!” PJ winked. They were both taking the piss, and obviously found it hilarious because they started laughing uproariously.

“Ha ha. Very funny.” They continued to laugh, Dan sighed, “He’s just a cool guy, that’s all.”

Some time passed. They ate their food and sat at the table talking about something that someone had done at a party the other week. Then, someone put down their tray next to PJ, opposite Dan. Dan looked up. It was Phil. He smiled, and Dan noticed that he had a cut on his lip. A big one.

“Hey,” Dan smiled, “what happened to your lip?”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry. What’s up?” Phil tucked in to his food.

“Not much, you?”

“I’m good.” As Phil said this, Chris nudged Dan. Oh, right.

“Hey, Phil, this is Chris,” Dan pointed at Chris, Phil waved, “And, this is PJ. Guys, this is Phil Lester, the new guy.” PJ and Chris started giggling again. Dan shot them a dirty look.  

“Hey…” PJ said, looking at Phil, “you’re in my Geography class, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Phil replied. PJ and Phil talked for a while. Phil was surprisingly fast at eating, and so, in no time at all, he had finished his lunch. During a break in the conversation, he looked up at Dan, and smiled. Then, he looked beyond Dan.

“Hey, Chris. Some ginger girl’s properly staring at you…” Chris gasped and turned to look. Then, he turned back, hyperventilating.

“She… She smiled at me!” PJ, Dan, and Phil laughed. When Phil laughed, his tongue stuck slightly out of the corner of his mouth. It was cute-wait- shut up Dan. Maybe he wasn’t straight? Maybe he was bi-curious or something... Maybe. Everyone had stopped laughing. Phil slowly waved a hand in front of his face, and Dan realised he was staring at him. Oh my god.

Dan blushed, “sorry, I was thinking about something…”

Phil laughed, “its fine. Anyway, I have to go. See you guys later,” he winked at Dan, and then stood up and walked over to put his tray away. Dan couldn’t help but think: his butt looks so good in those jeans.It was undeniable; Dan Howell may have a teeny, tiny crush on Phil Lester.

Shit.

(AN: woah woah woah getting interesting amiright. I wasn’t sure about the beginning but hopefully it got better towards the end. Im going away for a week, so there might not be another part unless I write one before Monday, OH WELL. <3)