sacred sleep || phan

one

>•<

"What are you doing after this class, mate?"

I jumped, startled by the feeling of Phil's warm breath flowing over the sensitive flesh that was my neck. I was immediately overcome with chills, and I turned around to give him a good smack on the back of the head. I wasn't mad, it just shocked me.

Phil recoiled, bringing his hand to the place I had just struck. "Ouch," he deadpanned. "Care to tell me why you did that?" His eyes were actually watering, and I was flooded with guilt.

"Sorry, sorry!" I exclaimed, touching the now tender spot on the back of his head. "It's j-just, I don't l-like it when stuff touches my neck." I could feel my face flushing as I stuttered the words under the gaze of his piercing blue eyes.

He gave a small, shy smile, and I turned back to my notepad, where I'd been scribbling nonsense poems around the calculus equations.

My phone buzzed while I tried, and failed, to learn about sine and cosine, and some old hippie catching another old hippie smoking something? With a swift movement, I had the text pulled up. My eyes rolled dramatically.

you didn't answer me :( – p

what was the question again? :P – d

what're you doing later? – p

idk – d

can we go to the treehouse? – p

As I was typing out a response, Miss Nicole cleared her throat, pointing at the board. My head shot up and I felt guilty again, which I seemed to be doing a lot that day.

"Daniel, if you don't start paying attention, I'll have to give you attention," she paused for dramatic effect with a glint in her cold eyes. "Again." She was tapping her foot on the tiled floor, pissed.

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am." I responded quickly, tucking my phone underneath my leather-clad thighs. She turned back to the board, seemingly satisfied.

I'd just picked up my pen to jot down notes when it buzzed again.

sorry for getting you in trouble – p

it's alright, mate :D – d

okay! so, treehouse? – p

yes, but back to the flat soon after – d

okay again! i'll just text mum – p

I smiled, bittersweet, at the thought of Phil informing his mum of yet another night at the flat. She probably thought he was trying to move out, with how much time he spent there.

We were only in year eleven of high school, but we spent most nights at the flat my parents used to own. My father left when mum got sick, about five or so years ago, so now I own the flat, because of her will.

It took a while to get used to the silence, the loneliness, but I fared pretty well. I learned how to pay the bills quickly, when I had to go three days without water and electricity. Phil kept me company a lot of the time, but even he had limits, and a family, so I spent one or two nights alone every week.

Phil was such a great friend. He'd been there for me when I was shocked by my dad's departure, after Adrian died, and when mum got sick and she died. Everyone else around me left, but Phil stayed and he didn't treat me like a dejected puppy. He was everything soft and safe and secure.

He was my best friend.

My everything.

>•<