When Dan arrives at school the next day, there's something different about Phil. It only takes him a few seconds to realise, then he feels his heart plummet.

The words above Phil, the one's only he can see, they're no longer 'on the edge of suicide'. They're even worse. Dan feels his body freeze and nails dig into his palms as his tightened fists shake. Above Phil, is a different five words, and he thought it couldn't get any worse than the last ones;

going to kill himself today.

Dan feels panic begin to rise inside him, a thousand butterflies adorned with razor sharp wings take flight in his chest, slicing his organs in a beautifully painful manner. He can't let this happen, he's the only one who can stop this, the only one who knows. Phil is the razor wired butterflies; he's going to destroy Dan from the inside, hacking away at his heart.

"Hey Dan," Phil greets him with smile, waving as Dan walks towards him.

Dan almost wants to throw up at how happy Phil looks. Shouldn't he be crushed, broken, sad... anything other than fucking cheerful? And there he is, right in front of Dan with his floppy fringe, sideways smile and once again shining eyes. He looks so happy, the happiest in ages, and the most sickening part is that it's genuine.

"Dan?" Phil asks, waving a hand in front of his face jokingly and laughing, "is anyone in there?"

Dan hauls himself back into reality and stares at Phil until he has to look away before he screams. He can't look at Phil, not when he knows. He doesn't understand it, he doesn't understand how Phil could be so ready to do this, he just doesn't get it - it makes no sense.

"Y-yeah, h-hi," Dan says, stumbling over his words and not meeting Phil's gaze, "you, uh, I... yeah."

"Are you okay Dan?" Phil asks, looking at Dan with an expression filled with concern.

"Yeah I um... did you want to stay over at my house tonight? We can hang out and um, yeah awesome cool," Dan blurts out, still staring intently at the air in front of him.

"Um, I don't know it's just I'm... kind of busy?" Phil says but it sounds more like a question, the excuse yet Dan knows the truth anyway.

"What with?"

"You see I have to uh... help my... mother? Yeah, with something uh kind of private sorry," Phil says, panic reflecting in his eyes and voice as he shakily breathes out lies.

"You know, you can just say if you don't want to," Dan sighs, "please don't lie to me Phil."

Phil stares at him for a second, his sunny facade faltering for a second. Something flashes through his expression for a second... worry? guilt? sadness? regret?, Dan will never know.

"Sorry Dan," Phil says sadly, eyes flickering to the floor, "I do wish I could, you seem like you'd be a really great person."

Is this his goodbye to me? Dan wonders, feeling nauseous at the thought. Dan nods, slightly dazed and unsure as of how to respond to this. He wonders if this is how Phil is going to leave it, what if he can't save Phil and these are the last words they share?

"Thanks. I just want to say that you're uh- you're a really great person Phil and I'm glad you're my friend. I really hope we can become close," Dan replies, smiling at Phil while he tries to decode Phil's reaction to this.

Phil's pale cheeks flush with a pink tinge and his smile lights up slightly at Dan's words. He rubs the back of his neck as he speaks.

"Thanks Dan, I'll see you in class," Phil says as the bell sounds.

"Phil, I... I'm sorry," Dan blurts out as Phil is about to disappear around the corner.

"What for?" Phil asks, looking confused.

Dan doesn't reply, he just turns and walks towards his next class, wondering how much more sorry's he can fit onto his conscience before he breaks.

*

Throughout the day, Dan attempts to conjure a plan in his head as of how he can stop Phil. The only seemingly logical one he can come up with is to follow Phil after school, however that is a tad on the creepy/stalkerish side. The only problem is, Dan can't think of anything else. He doesn't want to tell anyone as that could risk him exposing himself, and what if he was wrong? But as a last resort, he would call someone at least. His secret isn't worth any life other than his own.

When the last bell finally goes, Dan basically jumps out of his seat. Phil is in a classroom a couple of doors down, so he has to hurry to catch him. If Phil slips away, so does Dan's chances of saving him. Once again, Dan's height becomes an advantage as he can see over the large flood of people wanting to get home. He sighs in relief as he manages to spot Phil's head sticking out of the crowd and heading in the opposite direction, towards the back exit.

Dan quickly goes after him, but ensures he stays a little behind so he's unseen. He walks behind Phil for around fifteen minutes, weaving through people on the paths and ducking behind the occasional hedge and corner when Phil's gaze wanders. Suddenly, Phil stops and turns right - towards the bridge that passes over a busy road below.

Dan breaks into a run as his heart pounds against his ribs. He stops at the start of the bridge, watching Phil pace back and forth, his bag now discarded on the ground. It's a heartbreaking sight, watching Phil inwardly decide whether he really wants to die or not, but Dan knows that truly he does. Phil peers over the edge and one haunting thought enters Dan's mind:

he looks so ready to just jump.

Dan takes this opportunity to start forward, towards him. Phil is so transfixed on the road below that he doesn't notice Dan approaching him, thankfully. Dan is so close now that he can see the tears shining in Phil's tired eyes and rolling down his cheeks, he can see his whole body trembling as the last of him crumbles away under the weight; he can almost see the battle going on inside his head right now, the battle that appears to have been waging a long time unnoticed. Above Phil are now the words wants to die.

And the razor winged butterflies take flight again.

Dan reaches his own shaking hand forward and wraps it around Phil's wrist like a death grip, determined to not let go, no matter what. Phil's head whips around and eyes widen as his gaze locks onto Dan's. He looks frightened and deathly afraid but also desperate. His chest expands as he takes a deep breath and a single tear escapes his left eye, travelling down a trail carved by all the tears beforehand.

"D-Dan," he whispers, voice trembling yet desperate.

Then, four more whispered words fall from his lips and that's when Dan truly feels his heart completely break into millions of fragments and fade into oblivion.

"Please let me go."