It was definitely different when Phil got back to school. It wasn't a huge difference but they held each other's hands on the way to class, and for the first few day he was back at school Dan insist he wear his hoodie. Phil refused to bring a hoodie to school, claiming it would only get his body more sluggish.

Nobody really mentioned anything for the first few days, which was surprising, knowing Zoe and Louise. It was actually pleasant knowing they just didn't care.

Phil had just woke up, it's been about five days since he's cured from his cold, they were almost on winter break at their school too. Which meant they had to turn in their crappy romantic story by Friday. They weren't expecting it to do as well as their last story, but they weren't expecting to fail either.

He checked his phone for his usual text from Dan.

danyul: no going to school today dr appointment xoxo dan

Phil snorted before responding.

Phil: your so damn cheesy have a great day getting poked and prodded at

danyul: >:(

He put his phone down and began to get ready for school. He was honesty worried about Dan though, he'd missed a week worth of school and they'd only been there for four months. It's not even him just being lazy or anything, beside that one time getting sick he's days off were mostly to the doctors office. It worried Phil. He made a mental note to ask him about it later.
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When Phil was approaching his locker, he saw Louise talking to some guy. He was tall with blond hair and glasses, he was holding a book close to his chest like his life depended on it. He was looking down at Louise and laughing, they were practically centimeters apart. Phil, being the oh so good pal he was, walked up to them squeezing in between them to opened his locker, making sure to give this boy an aggressive look as he finished getting his stuff and slammed the locker shut.

"I gotta go now, bye Louise." The boy, with a surprisingly deep voice, squeaked out before rushing away.

Louise turned towards Phil with a scowl. "How mature Phil."

He smiled brightly, bopping her on nose as he winked.

Her scowl was gone and replaced with a gentle smile. "I love you Phil, but you don't have to go into protective mode whenever somebody comes near me."

He thrusted the notebook into her face, his nose in the air.

Yes I can

She rolled her eyes and huffed, blowing wavy locks out of her face. He sighed, writing something else more reassuring down.

You're like my over achieving older sister, I can get as protective as I please

He quickly added something else down at the bottom.

Who was he anyway

She smiled at him again, more of an annoyed smile then anything, but it was what he could get.

"And you're like my annoying little brother." Phil put his hand to his heart, feigning shock.

She rolled her eyes. "And his name is Jake, he's in my drama class, he's the one that played Inchabod Crane in our Halloween play."

Phil vaguely remembered it, they'd all promised Louise they would be their for her big play. She'd even got roll of the leading lady, so it wasn't that much of bored.

"Anyway, he asked me if I wanted to go over a few lines for our Christmas play, which is on Friday, you all better come."

Phil nodded, tossing her a pack of sticky notes with a message on it.

So like a date?

Louise turned bright red, refused to meet Phil's eyes, and stomped away.

"Let's get to class." She grumbled.
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Lunch was bored, Louise ditched Phil to go hangout with Jake and he hadn't seen Zoe in all day. She probably called in sick, or at least he hopes. He can't handled being ditched by both his friends.

Instead he decided to make the best of it and have a free period in the boys bathroom, which sounds weird but it's not just that. Anybody hardly steps foot in the boys bathroom. It doesn't smell bad or look like a shit hole or anything, boys just never really use the bathroom at their school.

So he snuck out the lunch cafeteria with key lime yogurt and a spoon, heading for the boys bathroom.

As soon as he stepped in there he knew something was wrong. He heard a noise, like someone sniffling. He quietly made his way toward one of the stalls and but his ears toward it. The sniffling stopped.

Who's there?

Is that Zoe?

He opened the door a little to see Zoe sitting the the toilet seat with puffy red eyes.

She sighed in relief. "Oh it's just you Phil, you scared me."

He gave her a concerned look as she began to shake her head.

"I'm fine Phil it's nothing."

He shook his head closing the stall door and sitting on the ground across from the toilet. The boys stalls were pretty large since it had to contain both a toilet and a urinal.

She closed her eyes tightly, Phil could tell she was trying hard to fight the tears off.

He sat there looking at her for a couple of minutes as she tried to hide her face, as she tried hard to not cry.

"It's hard Phil, it's so hard."

She sobbed into her hands, tears spilled down her face recklessly.

"I'm such an idiot."

Phil wanted to ask what was wrong, but he physically couldn't. Trying to say words didn't work for Phil. So instead he got up and hugged her. She didn't hug him back, but it was December and she was wearing a skirt and she was cold. So Phil didn't mind hugging her for a while.

By the time she calmed down a little the bell had already rung, but Phil wasn't gong anywhere. He sat on the floor with his back against the stall and beckoned Zoe over. She crawled over to him laying her head on his shoulder.

"My boyfriend cheated on me."

Phil couldn't react, the whole school had known for months that Craig was cheating on her. She'd even known but they were all just rumors, and rumors are just rumors until proven not.

"I'd heard the talk but, I never thought it could be true."

Phil wanted to kill Stacy right about now, how could she do that, to the girl that stick by her side all through middle school? Zoe talks about her other friends all the time. Louise mostly rolls her eyes, but from what Phil could gather Stacy was Zoe's good friend. How could she do you like this.

Damn it Stacy.

"I don't wanna say anything though, shouldn't this just go back to normal?"

Phil have her an incredulous look, and she looked down.

"I sound like an idiot right now, don't I?"

Phil slowly nodded, and Zoe laughed. It made him smile.

"Enough, about my love life, what about you and Dan huh? Is he your boyfriend now?"

Phil shrugged. He honestly had no idea what they were. They hadn't talked about the kiss since it happened, it was practically non existent.

"You kissed didn't you?"

Phil didn't say anything, he turns away from Zoe as she began to smack his shoulder.

"You did! Why didn't you tell me Philly?"

Phil groaned sinking down to the bathroom floor, covering his face so Zoe couldn't see it looked like a tomato.

"Is that why you got sick? Cause you kissed Dan?"

Phil nodded painfully slow.

"You dumbass."

Phil didn't say anything but he didn't have to because she was already laughing.
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Phil had though a lot about what Zoe had said, he thought maybe he could talk to Dan about it. Fortunately he didn't have to make the first move because Dan had already texted him during his met up with Zoe in the bathroom, to come to his house after school.

He didn't even have to knock or anything because Dan was on the porch waiting for him.

"Phil!"

Dan ran toward him, wrapping him in a hug, then giving him a peck the lips. Dan was laughing and it rang through Phil's ear like the sound of bells on Christmas.

Phil gave Dan a puzzled look.

"What?" Dan said defensively. "I can't be happy to see my boyfriend?"

Phil smiled, kissing Dan on the cheek.

You dork. He thought