I know where you stand,

Silent in the trees,

And that's where I am,

Silent in the trees.

Dan swung his legs over the branch and stared down at the ground, it wasn't that far below him but a fall would be enough impact to kill him. He made sure he was fully balanced before reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone and earphones. He put them in his ears and closed his eyes as the sound of his favourite bands filled his ears. It almost made him smile but he never smiled anymore. A year or so ago, he would be grinning like an idiot at the rock music but that was before everything happened. Before he became invisible. He didn't even bother attempting a smile because, he was so distressed that, it would never last. The minute he stepped inside his house every wall came crumbling down. He couldn't even act numb. The screams were slowly killing him and any day now would be the end. Soon enough the scream will kick at his fragile glass and send it smashing into smithereens; it was already cracking.

Why won't you speak,

Where I happen to be?

Silent in the trees,

Standing cowardly.

Usually, Dan would sit alone, enjoying the silence. No one was ever up in the trees, people always feared the great height which Dan only took as a challenge. So what if he fell? He was debating the idea of death anyway... But this time he could see a smallish figure climbing up. This confused him as this was a dangerous height and he didn't look like the bravest of guys. He had mesmerising blue eyes and dark hair to reflect his pale skin, his eyes were wide and almost scared looking. He could have been one of Dan's "kind" but he didn't want to risk anymore human contact. He couldn't have another person hurting him. "Why are you here?" Dan whispered, taking out one earphone to hear his response.

"Because it's a danger to myself." The stranger responded and Dan narrowed his eyes.

"And..? You could injure yourself if you fell..."

"I know."

"Then why are you here?" The boy smiled, it was slightly crooked but it was still a smile. There was something about this stranger that attracted Dan forward, but he couldn't stand people and had major trust issues. They weren't going to be friends any time soon...

"Because I like the idea of putting myself in danger." Dan had never met any other people who enjoyed danger as much as himself so this was a weird experience to him. He could have the chance to make a new friend but his thoughts were telling him to stay clear of people at all costs.

"So do I..." Dan replied, almost unsurely. Could he trust a boy he just met when he couldn't even trust his own family?

I can feel your breath.

I can feel my death.

I want to know you.

I want to see.

I want to say, hello.

Hello. Hello-oh-o. Hello.

Na na, na na na nah na na. [4x]

The two never verbally announced their friendship but either way, they were gradually growing closer. It almost became a daily thing for the boy to meet Dan but, for some reason, Dan didn't even know his name yet. He made a mental note to ask. His friend would always come to the trees at exactly 12 and Dan would always be there. Dan barely ever moved. Until one day, the boy didn't show up. Dan looked at his phone and watched it change to 12:01. He was only a minute late- he could still come, right? Wrong. He didn't come that day or any days after that for a whole month. Dan would just sit on the same branch, listening to the same music as he waited for his friend to turn up. Even after 2 weeks, he'd still expect to see the boy swinging up the branches to sit opposite him. He'd expect to have a conversation about some rock band. He'd expect the boy to make some stupid joke they'd laugh for hours on end about.

But it didn't happen.

Dan eventually gave up on the boy but, still, every time he watched his phone change to 12, he had this secret hope to see the pale boy climbing up the tree. All he wanted was to be able to say one word, 5 letters, 2 syllables to the boy again. That's all.

He wanted to say "hello" again.

I know where you stand,

Silent in the trees,

And that's where I am,

Silent in the trees.

Dan was climbing up the same old tree early in the morning, his hands clenching each branch with anger. He was having another bad day and all he wanted was to sit on the branch and listen to some sad song whilst closing his eyes. He wanted to block out the world. He got to his branch to see the one opposite was finally occupied. "Hello?" Dan whispered, sitting down and glancing at the boy he missed. He just lifted his head and nodded. "I never found out your name." The boy just shook his head and jumped down the branches.

He was gone again...

Dan was confused. He liked this boy a lot but he just ignored him. Maybe he didn't like him?

That's why he didn't like trusting other people, they always confused you and no one was good. No one.

Why won't you speak,

Where I happen to be?

Silent in the trees,

Standing cowardly.

Since then, every day, the boy would be there waiting but he never spoke a word. Dan would always try with absolutely no luck. So Dan ended up pretending he wasn't there. He went back into his old routine of listening to music and getting lost in the lyrics as if the boy wasn't there. It was the same for a while until one day Dan climbed up to his high branch to see an empty branch again.

What was with that boy and disappearing?

So Dan just sighed and balanced himself on the bark. He closed his eyes and silently mouthed the lyrics to his music. He just wanted to forget. About the boy. About his family. About what was going on. About life. He subconsciously leant back until he could feel himself slipping. He was about to fall when a hand pulled him back.

"Phil ." The boy whispered and Dan gasped. "My name's Phil."

"Hello." Dan mumbled and Phil nodded. "Why wouldn't you speak?"

"Dan, my life his hard." And there he was, disappearing again.

But little did Dan know, this would be the last time he'd see him in a while.

I can feel your breath.

I can feel my death.

I want to know you.

I want to see.

I want to say, hello.

Weeks passed as Dan sat by himself on the old branch, listening to his music. Months. Years.

17 year old Dan climbed up to the branch again and remembered how 12 year old Dan used to sit there with his only friend. If he could call Phil that. All the memories came flooding back and suddenly, all Dan wanted was to say hello to the boy again. He didn't know how he survived so long, but he did. And that was a miracle in itself. Dan repositioned himself on the now-small branch and closed his eyes. He mumbled some lyrics to himself because he was alone and no one could hear him but he wasn't alone. He had some unknown company.

"Hi." Someone whispered, breaking Dan's barrier between reality and dreams. He hesitantly opened his eyes to meet an oddly-familiar set of blue orbs.

"Hello?" He mumbled, scanning the boy. For some reason, his small, pale figure stood out to him and those blue eyes made him feel warm inside. Then it hit him. Phil. "Hello!" He said more confidently. "Are you going to leave me again after we talk..?" Phil sighed and fiddled with his long jacket sleeves for a second. "Last time I disappeared, I wasn't meant to return..."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not real."

"No-"

"Dan, you imagined me."

"No I didn't."

"Ever wonder why I wasn't always there?" Dan reached out to grab Phil's shoulder but he disappeared.

Na na, na na na nah na na. [2x]

Hello, hello.

Na na, na na na nah na na. [2x]

Hello, hello.

Hello, hello. [2x]

Dan felt tears fill his eyes as he climbed down the branches. He didn't even get to say goodbye. He sighed and let out his first sob. More and more followed...

If he could say "hello" to this boy one more time, he'd die a happy man.

But, no, he had to face the truth.

"Phil isn't real." He muttered to himself, realisation hitting him.