Empath - Phan

2

Warning: this chapter contains triggering subjects as does most of the chapters in this book.  You've been warned.

Phil

He watched as the boy walked away. He was too shocked to follow him.

When Phil grabbed his hand to help him his emotions disappeared and were replaced with nothing. He'd never felt nothing before. He'd felt great sadness and grief but not nothing.

Then when Phil asked if he was okay what he said shocked him. He never knew someone could think like that. He wanted to run after him and tell the boy that Phil cared about his feelings. But he didn't.

And that's what shocked Phil the most. That fact he couldn't get over his shock to help someone who clearly needed him. Phil sighed as he got back in his car and drive after Joe and Conor.

Dan

Dan braced himself as he unlocked his front door. He prayed today was a good day. But who answered prayers from a boy who feels nothing?

"This is your fault!"

"How is it my fault the fucking boy can't feel nothing?"

"You're never around!"

Dan sighed. His parent were fighting. About him. And he was too tired to give a shit. Not that he could anyway.

He rushed himself upstairs and into his room. However pathetic it was, he just laid on the floor. He couldn't cry. He couldn't be scared. He couldn't be anything but nothing.

Carefully, he lifted himself off the ground and walked into his bathroom. Dan gazed at the boy in the mirror.

His tall lanky limbs are covered by black jeans and a black Mario Kart hoodie. His dark brown fringe was swept neatly to the side.

The boy staring back at Dan looked tired. The bags under his eyes from many sleepless nights filled with nothingness proved that.

Dan wanted the punch the mirror so hard that it would shatter. This wasn't who he wanted to be. He wanted to feel something. Anything. But he didn't.

Slowly, he opened his drawer and dug through it until he found them. His razors. Bringing the to skin he thought about what he wanted to feel.

One for sorrow.

One for anger.

One for happiness.

One for grief.

One for everything he'd lost.

And one for not feeling a single thing.

Phil

When Phil woke up this morning, he was still stumped. How can someone feel nothing at all? He thought about it the entire time his friend bickered this morning.

Now he was walking to his first class with Zoe, Joe's sister, and he still was held up on it. He couldn't figure out why it stumped him so much.

That's when he saw him. He was being shoved against the lockers. Phil watched as he just let the boys push him around and hurt him. It broke Phil's heart to see this. The boy just didn't care.

Phil rushed over to the boy and blocked a punch from some guy. "Leave him alone," he sneered at the two boys. Him being taller than both of the boys gave him a more intimating look. In reality, Phil would never hurt a fly. Still, the boys believed his act and hurried away.

Phil turned to the emotionless boy. "Are you okay, um?" He asked, grabbing at his arm. The boy hissed slightly as Phil pressed the sleeve fabric to his arm. Phil felt the nothingness seep into him.

"It's Dan and yes, I'm fine," He growled. "Now,  leave me alone!" Dan turned on his heel and stormed off.

Dramatic much?

Dan

He hadn't meant to snap at Phil. He hadn't meant to provoke those boys. It just happened.

As Dan took his seat in English he felt a pair of eyes watching him. He had no doubt it was Phil. It was probably the first time Phil had realized Dan was in his math class.

They'd been going to school together since the second grade and Phil hadn't even known his name. It's wasn't Phil's fault though. Dan had always kept a low profile. Lower than he meant to.

His teacher began explaining the concept for today. A poem. Great. 

Dan hated poetry. It was confusing and never said outright what it was about. Still, he began to write down a rough draft.

Empty by Dan Howell

I see nothing visibly.
I feel nothing clearly.
I hear nothing loudly.

I am nothing.
I am empty.

As he finished writing the last line he felt a figure looming over him. "Dan, do you think you could help me with my poem?" Phil said, grinning. Dan shook his head.

"Oh come on Dan! It'll be fun!" Still, Dan shook his head. Phil flicked Dan's ear.

"Daniel you are helping me whether or not you like it, " Phil demanded. And Dan shook his head. There was no way he going to help Phil Lester write his poem.

*

Lolz yay! I'm so excited rn. Empath has reach #45 in the #feeling. I know that's nothing huge but it still makes me happy.

Anyways, I'm not too sure about this chapter but I feel the need to post soooooooo.

Okay I don't have anything else to say so bye👋

-27dm

(Edit: I went through and fixed grammar and a few other things so for any rereaders that why it looks and sounds a bit different.)