cliché (phan)

seventeen

✿✿✿✿

"So about yesterday," Phil began.

I looked over at him, continuing to shelf away things in my locker. "What about it?"

"I mean, I don't know. In the movies they talk about it, get in a fight, then fuck it out so I was kind of hoping for the ladder here."

I eyed him. "We're in school, Phil."

"So? We did it in the school showers-"

I giggled. "You're just very excited today, huh?" He winked and I shut my locker, leaning back on it to look at him. "Anyways, as nice as that sounds, I'm still failing math. And even though I'd rather see your pants drop, I can't let my grades do the same."

I began to walk away until his fingers wrapped around my wrist and yanked me back. I gasped, clashing back into his chest. "Go on a date with me."

I felt my cheeks heating. "Uh, w-what?"

"Not the answer I was expecting," Phil blinked, shaking it off. "Oh well. But seriously- Howell, will you do me the honor of going on a date with me tonight?"

"Where?"

"That part is a surprise," Phil grinned. "You have to bring a blindfold."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "So it's in your bedroom then?" I joked.

Phil laughed. "And you call me the excited one."

I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "See you tonight, Lester."

I felt his face heat under my lips and smiled to myself, grabbing my things and heading down the hallway. An idea popped into my mind and I found Tyler at his locker, running and knocking him into the wall.

We crashed to the ground, me on top of him.

Tyler cleared his throat. "As flattering as this is, I want Troye on top of me, not you."

I rolled my eyes. "If you shut up and listen that chance is open," I told him. He shut his mouth and quickly stood, helping me up in the process. "Phil asked me on a date, and since you want to talk to Troyeboy so bad, how does a double date sound to you?"

He scoffed. "I don't do double dates."

✿✿✿✿

"So, uhm. . . this is nice."

Troye and Ty sat together, Phil and I on the other side of the booth.

Troye cleared his throat. "Right."

I itched the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Well I'm up for a foursome if-"

"Phil!" All three of us said in unison. He raised his hands up in defense.

"Okay so maybe dinner wasn't the best idea for a first proper date," Phil sighed. "Who says we break into our own high school and roll down the hills like blunts?"

"Phil, you don't even smoke," Tyler pointed out.

"It's a simile, shut up," Phil playfully hissed at Tyler.

Troye grinned from ear to ear. "That sounds really cool, actually."

Tyler gulped, shooting up from the table.

"Last one on the hill is a rotten egg!" He shouted, nearby customers looking at us oddly. Phil groaned.

"But I have to pay!" He protested. I giggled, snatching money out of my pocket and slapping it onto the table.

"No you don't." I smirked. I then grabbed his hand and pulled him out the restaurant, chasing after Troye and Tyler.

We crossed the street and ran up the hill, panting and sweating by the time we got to the top.

"The last time I was sweating this much was-" Troye cut himself off, eyes widening as they locked with Tyler's. Phil and I raised an eyebrow. "When I ran a mile?" He lied, the statement sounding more like a question than an answer.

Tyler cackled. "You don't run."

"Well I roll," Phil piped in, throwing off his shoes and pushing off his jacket. He lay down at the top and I gasped excitedly, slipping off my sweatshirt and shoes and laying next to him.

Troye and Tyler followed suit, and we all lay in a line.

"Count of three!" Troye yipped. "One, two, three!"

We pushed off and my body went tumbling down, my eyes squeezing shut as laughs and yelps tumbled out of my curled lips. I opened them and watched as my friends rolled down, giggling along as if we were little kids.

The moon created a blue silhouette onto the grass and the stars burned onto us like a lightbulb, the picture simply perfect. A live video in the eyes of one or another, kept to themselves in their own private album.

We stopped rolling and laid there, still catching our breath.

Then Phil was no longer smiling, instead shaking and stepping back.

I furrowed my eyebrows, following his gaze which was locked on a car driving to park at the restaurant we previously dined at.

"What? What is it?" I whispered. He was frozen, lips trembling.

Troye and Tyler were already heading back up the hill, hand and in hand and tuning out our voices.

Phil raised his hand out, pointing. "T-that car. . ."

"What about it?" I blinked. He stepped back, silent and watching as a man hopped out.

"Oh my god," he breathed, his voice trembling. I reached out, taking his face in my hands.

"Phil, you're shaking- what is it? Who is that?"

We locked eyes and he gulped. His eyes watered.

He took a sharp intake of breath, his skin a sickly pale- as if he'd seen a ghost.

"It's my dad."

Well now I know why he thought he saw a ghost, because this man was already dead enough to him.

I turned back around to see the man staring right at us.

"Philip Michael Lester, is that you?" His voice boomed from across the street. Troye and Tyler paused, looking at the man.

Phil stepped to hide behind me and I locked our fingers, glaring.

Tyler was the first to come down. "Who's that and why's he staring at us like we're prey?"

"It's his dad," I murmured. Troye furrowed his eyebrows. Phil tapped my shoulder and pointed. My eyes widened when Phil spoke up.

"And he's walking right this way."