***

dan

Dan's eyes stay on the floor as he walks through the hallways, people automatically clearing the way from him.

Dan isn't popular, he isn't adored, he isn't wanted, he's feared. He is known for his sudden rages, breaking the rules, speaking to few and for his infamous scowl permanently plastered on his lips. He doesn't mind being alone though - in fact, he prefers it. The way he sees it, the less people know you, the less ways they have to hurt you.

Dan finally arrives at his history classroom, walking in and taking a seat at the back of the practically empty classroom. There's still half an hour until school actually starts. He puts his feet up on the desk, leaning back in his chair and pulling out his phone. Despite it being a semi hot day, Dan still wears all black - it's what everyone expects of him anyway.

He plugs in earphones, finding some music to play before switching onto a game - angry birds. No one except Dan knows what he does on his phone - they all presume that Dan is watching porn or plotting killing someone on his phone, but in actual fact, Dan was pretty harmless.

"Oh I totally forgot we had a test today!" a voice exclaims, and Dan looks to see two boys stumble into the classroom, "I'm so screwed!"

"You'll be fine mate," the tall, sandy haired guy says, patting his dark haired friend on the back supportively, "it's only history."

"Yeah but I can't fail Caspar! I've already failed two other ones!" the dark haired guy - Fin or Phil or something, Dan thinks - groans to Caspar.

"Well, study now?" Caspar suggests, shrugging at his distraught friend , they haven't noticed Dan yet, "you'll be fine Phil! Just sit up the back and copy me."

"Copy you Caspar? Seriously?" Phil exclaims, clearly freaking out, "what if you get it all wrong?"

"Hey I studied for this test!" Caspar defends, frowning at his friend, "and we both know history is one of my strong subjects."

"True," Phil admits as they walk towards where Dan is sitting, "but I'd feel guilty."

"I'll just help you out if you're desperate," Caspar says, shrugging, "just turn if you need help."

Phil sits I'm the desk beside Dan, with Caspar to his left, as it's the least visible area to sit in the room. Phil turns to Dan, only jut noticing he's there, and that he's sitting beside him. He keeps staring, making Dan uncomfortable and slightly angry - people always look at him like he's a scary monster.

"Can I help you?" Dan asks, narrowing his eyes at Phil, tugging out an earphone and raising his eyebrows at him.

"N-no sorry," Phil squeals out, fear flashing through his eyes, making Dan's heart sink a little - what did he think Dan was going to do, murder him, eat him, stab him?

Dan sighs, putting his earphone back in and turning to face out the window again. All he has is a little but of a reputation, but rumors spread, lies made up, painting Dan as a dangerous psychopath, making everyone avoid and fear him. Dan heard a rumor once that he killed someone, which was certainly not true, but people still believed it, and Dan let them.

"Wow, that was scary and I didn't even talk to him," Casper whispers to Phil, pulling a face, "I heard that he owns a gun and shot someone for drugs."

"Really?" Phil whispers, glancing sideways at Dan, a confused and nervous look on his face, "I don't believe that. He doesn't seem violent, just... Cut off and isolated."

"Maybe, but I don't think so, I mean, that's what he's known for isn't it?" Caspar asks Phil quietly.

"I guess, I'm not really-" Phil starts.

"Can you please not talk about me like I'm not here?" Dan says sharply, shooting a glare at the two, "it's considered quite rude."

"Sorry!" Caspar squeaks, his eyes wide, partially hiding behind Phil's shoulders, "we didn't mean to be rude, don't shoot us!"

"Yeah, I'll shoot you with my non existent gun," Dan says, narrowing his eyes at the pair.

"We're sorry," Phil says, giving Dan a nervous look, "we really are. Caspar doesn't exactly think before he speaks."

"Don't say things you don't mean," Dan says sharply before turning his head away, looking out the window beside him, turning his music up louder as he lets out a sigh.

Dan is sick of people judging him, thinking they know him when they've never even spoken, making up rumours about him. He sees the looks he gets in the halls, he sees the way people look at him: either like he's a monster or like he's a god.

Yes, Dan has a reputation and yes he does some bad things, but that doesn't make him a bad person. Dan is just a little lost, a little misguided - after all, his life hasn't been one smooth ride, but no one knows that except for Dan himself.

***

phil

Phil walks out of history, sure that he's failed the test.

"I'm sure you didn't do that badly," Caspar says comfortingly, patting him on the back and grinning at him, "did you copy me?"

"No, I'd feel too bad," Phil sighs, turning and waving at someone as they pass them in the hall, "I just couldn't live with it."

"You're too innocent and kind for your own good sometimes Phil," Caspar says, laughing as Phil stops to help a junior open their jammed locker.

"Sorry," Phil laughs as he leaves the younger boy, his locker successfully opened now, "I like being a nice person."

"I know," Caspar laughs as they reach their lunch table, sitting down, "it's quite amusing actually. Everyone's reactions to your smiles and offers for help are so funny. They either think you're joking or into them."

"What's this about?" their friend, Louise asks, looking over at the pair who just joined her at the table.

"Phil being so nice to everyone!" Caspar says, laughing, 'and how it's funny."

"Yeah it is," Louise agrees, giggling at the pair.

"I'll tell you what isn't funny?" Phil says sulkily, pouting slightly, "my most likely failed history test, I completely forgot about it! I didn't study and I hate history!"

"Oh yeah! I forgot! Today, we went to history early and we were sitting up the back and then he spoke to us!" Caspar exclaims, "I was so terrified, he's really intimidating and scary, and he had this glare on his face."

"He's just a person," Phil says, frowning slightly at Caspar, not liking to hear negative comments about anyone, even Dan Howell, "maybe he's actually a really nice guy."

"Yeah, and maybe I'm secretly as smart as Einstein," Caspar says, raising his eyebrow at Phil, "people call him 'dangerous Dan' for crying out loud!"

"I think that it's rude to judge people based on rumours," Phil frowns, making Louise laugh at how insistently kind Phil is to the world, "He could actually love kittens, be a nerd and is just hiding it from the world."

"Doubt it," Caspar says, "it isn't just rumours, there's evidence Phil."

"seriously, stop gossiping like a bunch of teenage girls," Dan's sharp, annoyed voice says, glaring at Phil and his friends as he walks past, "it's rude and annoying."

Phil watches as Dan walks off, disappearing behind one of the science blocks. He then spots Dan through a window, and watches as he sits on the grass behind there by himself. He frowns - disliking seeing people by themselves.

"Phil, what are you looking at?" Alfie asks as he joins them at the table, his girlfriend, Zoe, sitting beside him, smiling at everyone.

"Nothing," Phil says, shifting his gaze back to the table and his friends, "I was just thinking."

His friends start up a conversation as they start eating their lunches. Phil, for once though, isn't listening. He is thinking about Dan, and how alone he must feel and be. He'd never really seen Dan before today, he'd heard of him and seen him around, but Phil had never thought about how lonely Dan must be.

He hate seeing all the pain in the world, he just wishes everyone could be nice and get along. He doesn't see Dan as a dangerous 'bad boy' who should be avoided, he sees Dan as just a misunderstood person.

Phil sighs, looking away and back to his friends. He smiles at them all, glad he isn't alone - he just wishes that everyone wouldn't feel alone as well.

**************

an: hey guys hope you enjoyed it! IDK if anyone's really reading this but anyway. Please leave a vote, comment and share it around!

please tell me what you think so far. I'll try to update again soon. :D