Probably The Happiest I've Ever Been (Phan AU)

The Beginning

It was nearly December, his favorite month. Only a couple of weeks and it would be here: the snow, the generally wintriness, and most importantly, "the C word," as Phil liked to call it. It was all he thought about on that particularly brisk November morning. His day began happily, as it usually did. There wasn't must that really made him upset.

Though, if there was one thing that Philip Michael Lester really disliked, it was school. He wasn't sure what it was about it: the waking up early, the massive amount of work, the horrible teachers, or was it the even-more-horrible student population? But, he knew he really couldn't complain. They weren't /all/ bad. Phil had a few friends; guys he'd hang out with from time to time, and he had a few good teachers. Nobody really picked on him. He stayed hidden, in a way. Just stood back and watched. Which, he concluded, was probably why he was able to realize how awful everyone was.

Phil walked into his first class of the day and sat down at his desk. There were only a few others in the room, for it was still a little early. He doodled in his notebook a bit as he observed more students trickling in, cackling with one another about whatever oh-so-hilarious event had happened last night. The usual.

Finally the teacher entered the room. Ms. Gillman was definitely one of the school's better teachers. She was of average height and medium build with red curly hair. She always wore a skirt, Phil noticed, and walked almost sassily in a way that made her curls bounce with each step. Despite her serious demeanor, she was kindhearted and pretty smart too. A smile flashed on her face as she announced to the class that she would be taking attendance.

Phil slumped into his chair as she began to read off the names. A tap on his shoulder followed, and he turned around to face his peer.

"Hey Phil, you got a pen I could use?" asked Liam. Phil knew him since they were about eight. They used to take karate classes together but were never really great friends.

The black-haired boy pulled one out from his bag and passed it back.

"Go ahead," Phil replied.

"Thanks," said Liam politely politely with his slight Irish accent. He'd moved to Manchester when he was six.

Their teacher continued calling out names, and then finally she began the lesson. It was history class, and history probably Phil's least favorite thing to study. But, the class itself wasn't too bad. They were learning about ancient China and its dynasties and all of that stuff. Just as the students began to take notes, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

A voice summoned Ms. Gillman into the hall. One minute later, she returned. But, she had someone with her that time. A boy. A boy with brunette hair and fringe almost identical to Phil's. A boy with chocolate eyes and an unsure smile. He looked around the room, eyes glazing over the face of each student. Then they returned to the floor nervously.

"All right, everybody, this is Daniel, and he's just moved here. Now, go take a seat... ah, yes, right there in the back. The one next to Philip."

Phil smiled to show that he was in fact "Philip," and a blush came with it. It was a package deal. He couldn't help it... Daniel was incredibly good-looking.

"Hi... Daniel," Phil whispered hesitantly as the new kid sat down.

"Hi... or, um, hey," an innocent voice answered, "please, call me Dan."

"Oh, great... I'm Phil," he replied awkwardly.

Ms. Gillman continued her lesson. Phil kept sneaking looks over at the new boy. Dan was... as much as Phil didn't want to jump to anything too quickly... perfect, he confirmed. There was no other word. His tanned skin and sparkling brown eyes complemented one another indescribably. Even his hair was perfect. Not a flaw was visible. Hell, the way he dressed was hot. His black skinny jeans and t-shirt showed his lean figure, and his Converse completed the look. In fact, Phil had the same ones. Dan's army green book bag was dotted with buttons referencing all sorts of things. One showed a tri-force from The Legend of Zelda, Yes, Phil thought as he smirked, we've got a nerd on our hands. Other pins referenced bands such as My Chemical Romance and, Phil's personal favorite, Muse. He nearly squealed in that "omg you like them too" sort of way.

Class was nearing the end and, as Phil realized, he'd spent none of the time taking notes and all of the time thinking about Dan.

"That's enough for today," Ms. Gilman announced, "We still have a few minutes left or so, feel free to talk amongst yourselves."

Phil mentally thanked her for the opportunity and looked over at Dan. He had been frantically trying to keep up with the notes, scribbling down every last bit of information. Dan looked up and caught Phil's gaze.

"Hey," he said softly. "Cool shoes."

"Thanks, Dan." There was a pause. "Do you know where your next class is? I can help you find it if you need."

"Yeah, that'd be great. It's room 306."

"Ah, that's down the stairs on the other side of the school I think, want me to show you?"

"Sounds great."

The bell rang and class was dismissed. Students ran to their next class. The two boys left slightly later to avoid the mass, as they were each used to doing. At his old school, Dan was never the coolest. People were nice to him and all, but he never got too close with anyone. He was big in the drama club and had most recently played the role of Benvolio in their production of Romeo and Juliet, which earned him some praise.

Phil and Dan embarked on their quest to find room 306 which, quite frankly, Phil didn't really know the location of. But if it meant he got to spend time with the new kid, he knew he could figure it out. They navigated through the sea of bodies and down the stairs, where Phil almost slipped off the last step. Past the gym and across the hall was where they finally found it.

"See you later then?" Phil mentioned hopefully.

"Sure. Do you have lunch next?" the brunette boy asked.

"Yeah! I'll meet you outside the cafeteria then."

Dan said goodbye and the pair parted. Phil watched Dan enter his classroom and noticed his legs trembling a bit. He wanted to run after him and give him a hug so badly. Phil lingered in the hall for a moment before realizing that he was late for his next class. Whoops. (Who cares? This was waaay more important.)

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AN: this is my first fic, any feedback is appreciated. thanks!