Thoughts on new cover??

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History, fourth period, and it is taking all Dan has inside him to not be drooling asleep on the desk right now.

For the past week, Connor and he had stayed up stupidly late, so they were basically zombies at school, but there's nothing a coffee can't fix... Maybe.

"So, can anyone tell me what sparked World War Two?" Mr Hall asks, pacing around the front of the room, his old, tired voice not helping Dan's need for sleep, "Lester, enlighten us."

Phil sits up straighter in his chair, slightly resembling a deer in headlights, unprepared for the question, as he has spent the past half hour drawing lions in the back of his book with a black outliner pen.

"Um, it was sparked because an archduke was assassinated," Phil says, his voice raising slightly at the end, so it sounded more like a question rather than an answer.

"Good Lester, not very detailed, but correct," Mr Hall nods, walking to the other side of the whiteboard, "however, the assassination was not the only thing, there was many smaller things leading up to the..."

And the rest of the presumably interesting talk Mr Hall was currently giving, Dan would never hear, because he was fast asleep on his desk.

"Dan!" Phil hisses, stepping on his toe, hard, "c'mon mate!"

Dan groans silently, his face screwing up in displeasure at the thought of waking up completely. He hasn't slept for long enough...

"Dan, get up or you'll get a detention!" Phil whispers again, shaking Dan's leg under the desk, "you can't get a detention cause we have homework, and I'm coming over this afternoon, and I'll kill you if you get detention."

Dan sits up slowly and reluctantly, rubbing his eyes before stifling a yawn, shooting Phil an unimpressed look, as if to say, 'you woke me up for this?' To which Phil just rolls his eyes.

"And Howell, I can see you're listening, so why don't you answer the question?" Mr Hall asks, staring down at Dan, who's slouched in his desk, his face hot.

Dan cringes and bites his lip. Although a few people know he's mute, majority of the school still thinks he's just really quiet, which is something Dan would prefer them to think - possibly for forever. He doesn't really want to tell the whole class he's mute, it never ends well.

"I'll answer it sir!" Caspar shouts, raising his arm high in the air and waving it around like a beacon, a giant grin on his face, "please sir, it's finally a question I know!"

"Fine then, Caspar, what was one event which contributed greatly to the start of the First World War?" He asks, walking over to Caspar's desk and looking at him expectantly.

It's quite clear to everyone from Caspar's expression, that he actually doesn't know the answer, and was just saving Dan; something Dan is very grateful for.

"Um, Adolf Hitler killing Jews?" Caspar says, sounding more as if he's asking a question rather than answering one.

"That was the Second World War Caspar," Mr Hall says, rolling his eyes, which makes everyone giggle and Caspar just sit there, blushing slightly but hiding a grin, "now, back to Howell..."

The bell sounds, and Dan has never been so happy to hear that wonderful ring. But he decides to stay back, scribbling a note to his teacher in the back of his book to show him so he won't have a close call again.

"Ah yes, sorry Howell, I forgot," Mr Hall apologizes when Dan shows him the note, "I see why Caspar interrupted now, my respect for that kid has gone up."

Dan nods, smiling softly at the teacher. "You can go now," Mr Hall says, so Dan nods again and hurries out of the room, to where Phil and Caspar are waiting.

"So, how was it?" Caspar asks, "did you tell him?"

Dan nods, pulling out his phone an quickly sending Phil and Caspar a text, telling them what happened.

"Yay, his respect for me has gone up!" Caspar grins, fist pumping the air, "who's a respectable human? Caspar's a respectable human! Yeah!"

"You're an idiot Caspar," Phil laughs, rolling his eyes at his friend, "that was really brave too Dan, if it were me, I wouldn't have had the guts to go tell him, I would've just uh! Because he's so intimidating, but after what you said, maybe he has a heart after all. But I mean like, he-"

"Phil, shut up," Joe says, appearing behind them and putting his hands on both Dan and Phil's shoulders, "hey Dan!"

Dan smiles and waves at Joe, which is kind of weird because he's standing right beside him, but he can't really say 'hi' back to him, can he?

"Question Dan, have you ever tried talking recently, like, your voice may come back miraculously," Phil says, "have you ever? How do you know? What-"

"Let him answer Phil!" Joe laughs, interrupting Phil as Dan starts typing on his phone.

Dan: yes, I have, and all that comes out of my mouth is silence.

"Oh, that's a shame Dan," Phil says, "I'd get so frustrated with it, like seriously, imagine me not talking! Never! My mum says that I'll still be talking when I'm dead, which is probably true, like, I just can't stop the words fr-"

"Phil, stop," Joe and Caspar say simultaneously, laughing as their voices overlap each other.

"Sorry guys!" Phil laughs, pretending to zip his mouth shut, "I won't talk for the rest of the day."

"Yeah, as if you could do that!" Joe says, rolling his eyes, "you wouldn't last five minutes."

"Would so!" Phil argues, pulling a supposedly intimidating face, "I'll prove it, ten pounds I won't talk until the last school bell rings today!"

"You're on!" Joe says, shaking Phil's hand, "okay, your time starts... Now!"

"Wait! But you can't do anything to put me off," Phil says, "or else it's not fair."

"Uh, ruin the fun," Joe grumbles, " fine, time starts... Now!"

They all walk to the lunch table together, and it seems disturbingly quiet without Phil's constant rambling. It's weird with Phil silent, as it would be of Dan miraculously talked.

"You're being awfully quiet today Phil," Louise comments, glancing at Phil strangely, "is something wrong?"

Dan watches as they explain to Louise about the bet between Joe and Phil. The whole group then laughs at Phil, who sits there fighting a smile.

"That's why you're being so quiet!" Zoe laughs, "trust my brother to make a bet that throws off the balance of our group. It's weird without Phil talking."

"Hey Dan," Connor says cheerily, appearing next to him, "you look tired."

Dan is currently slumped over, his head resting on the table and his eyes flickering shut, he's drifting to sleep despite all the noise around him.

Dan gives Connor a 'no shit' look before his eyes drop shut again. He's so tired, he just wants to sleep. He feels himself slowly drifting away, his mind shutting down as he takes his final step to sleep.

"Useless!" His dad shouts, hovering over him.

Suddenly, Dan is six years old again, he's small, scared and shaking against a wall. His mum, her belly still going down from months of pregnancy, stands in the corner, an infant cradled in her arms - Dan's brother, just months old.

"He's a little piece of crap, such a girl," His dad slurs, the smell of alcohol filling the air as he pins Dan's shoulders against the wall, "you're a little pussy aren't you?"

Dan bites his lip, turning away, his eyes screwing shut as he tries to ignore the weight against his shoulders.

"Aren't you?" He yells, "answer me!"

"Yes! I'm useless! I'm sorry!" Dan cries, slumping against the wall, sobbing.

"Yes. You should be sorry, you're a disappointment," he snarls, taking one hand off Dan's shoulder to drain his beer bottle, "I think I'm going to toughen you up."

"No! Stop! Please!" Dan's mum begs, cradling Quinn from view, "please leave him alone!"

"No, he needs to be taught," Dan's father snarls, "man up."

Then, it happens. His father's arm tears back, the bottle glinting in the dim light before it smashes against Dan's neck, shards sticking into his neck. Pain overwhelms him as he falls to the floor, his mother's scream, the sound of glass falling to the floor and the cry of his brother echoing through his ears, but none match the volume of his own scream.

"Dan! Dan what's wrong?" Phil is shaking Dan's shoulder, and Dan jolts upright, his hands flying to his throat, tracing the faint scars.

That dream, had it just been a figment of his imagination, or was it a memory resurfacing? Was that voice he heard his own? Has he finally heard his own voice?

The questions shoot through Dan's brain, and he struggles to comprehend everything. Had that scream been his last?

"Ha! You lost the bet!" Joe exclaims, grinning and pointing at Phil.

"Sorry for caring when my friend was basically having a fit in his sleep," Phil snaps, "if it ever happens to you, remind me that a bet comes first."

"Sorry... I-I didn't realise," Joe stammers, his smile falling, "is Dan okay?"

"I think so... Sorry I'm just worried," Phil apologizes, glancing at Joe before back to Dan, "are you okay?"

Dan nods, still feeling slightly dazed. Dream or memory, dream or memory? The whole thing was so fresh in his mind, it was the only thing he could focus on right now.

"Are you sure you're okay Dan?" Connor asks, giving Dan a skeptical look.

Dan nods, forcing a smile at Connor before the bell rings, and Dan stands, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"You're telling me what's up when we get home," Connor whispers in Dan's ear, "no buts."

Dan raises his eyebrow as he looks at his friend. Connor responds with, "I know you Dan." Before he turns and walks off to his next class with Zoe.

Dan sighs as he heads to English with Phil and Alfie. He is no longer tired, but his head is full of his dream, so he's basically conscious of the same amount of things happening in reality as he was when he was half asleep.

"You seem distracted Dan, you sure you're alright?" Phil asks as the class starts, but Dan only nods.

He needs time to think about this, to put the pieces in place. But the thing is, can he do it alone?

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AN: hey hope you like it! Please vote, comment and share! See you next week. Dan's new vid with Tyler is hilarious. Hope you're enjoying the book so far! :)