Fun drinking game: take a shot (of water) every time I say fool.

.

At first, opposites attract. Then opposites attack.

.

All things considered, one can only reach a single logical conclusion; Daniel Howell is a dick.

Exhibit A could be the fact that this is the second day he's been avoiding Charlie because he doesn't want to see him sad. Charlie being sad would mean that Dan would have to comfort him like a good friend like Quinn or Newt would do, but Dan does not do comfort. He isn't good with words and he's absolutely certain that even if Charlie wasn't that sad that day, Dan would somehow manage to make him miserable. He always managed to make everyone miserable-even the happiest of people.

It's a gift at times because it gives Dan another excuse to not be social. But times like this, when his childhood friends are involved, he feels trapped and useless because he can't really help or even make an attempt to do so. Sometimes he even wonders if any form of a godly power is watching him from above thing 'Oh, that fool again. What  a tool.', however, even if that's the case he can't be mad. He would have the very same reaction.

"All I'm saying is that the proper time to do it for both Quinn and Charlie would probably be the weekend." Brendon stated, still scrolling through the calendar app on his phone"But then again, she will know if we do it then because it will be obvious that we would do it then."

"Bren, you're stressing."

"You think?" Brendon whispered yelled at Newt who shrugged. Dan watched Brendon continuing rambling about the dates and felt his heart getting tighter. This was probably the type of friend he should try to be. Surely, Brendon Urie wasn't the best shoulder to cry on nor the best listener-mainly because due to his ADHD Brendon was more hyperactive than a five-year old-but he was good when it came to taking action. 

"Are you okay?"

Apparently, though, Dan wasn't good at actions either. He had completely zoned out and was hardly taking part in the conversation. He really should just grab a suitcase full of clothes and beer, go live in the mountains and become a hermit. Still, he doesn't get to finish that thought because he can feel Newt's eyes examining him and then slowly turning to Skye who sat silently next to him. Silence. That was a very unlike-Skye thing.

"Hm?"

"You two are quiet. Suspiciously quiet." Brendon told them thoughtfully. He stared at them for a second or two before placing his phone on Newt's lap and climbed the table to come closer to the two siblings. "Who did you murder?"

"No one."

"Okay, then who was bitten by a radioactive insect?"

"If I knew we were going to have this conversation right now, I would have gotten drunk before coming to school." it's a light joke and it escapes Dan's lips before he can take time and think it through. Brendon sips his tongue out which sends a wave of relief in Dan's body because either Brendon doesn't know or he thought it was a harmless joke. However, at that point, Skye perks up her ears and looks at them. If looks could kill, he thinks, he would be dead. Thrice.

"We do it on Sunday night. Quinn's birthday is on Friday which makes Friday the ideal date but Charlie's parents' death anniversary was literally yesterday so drinking and partying should probably wait for about a week. Therefore, we do it on Sunday so it won't affect Charlie's state and it will take Quinn by surprise because who has a party on a Sunday when it's the middle of the school year."

"Cool." Newt nods at Skye"You do realize though that it's December. School just started."

"Feels like an eternity already."

.

Dan lives a pretty mundane and boring life.

Same routine, same school, and the same people. The only difference is that today one of the halls is covered in blue paint instead of the usual yellow and it somehow makes Dan feel uneasy. Or perhaps that's not the right word. He likes the change. He prays for a change. Constantly. But now the change is here, and it's new and calming and clean and so unfitting. The change is pretty because it's new. The change is well-made, a product of much hard work he realizes as he still sees a group of students and miss Pillsbury standing in front of it with brushes on hands, and it does not go well with the rest of the school. Soon, the brand new wall will be covered with food stains, drawings of genitalia and holes. Change is good but not in this school. Because despite evolution being a scientifically proven fact, humans still resist and remain the same as they were. 

"Dan!"

Except maybe one.

"You like the wall?" Phil asks him breathless. He looks like he had just run a marathon but from the few things, Dan had learned about the black-haired boy he wasn't fond of exercising so that wasn't the case. He smiled slightly at the thought of Phil being useless with exercising much like himself. "It took us quite some time but it was very fun to do and if you ask me, it turned out great."

Dan opens his mouth and is ready to say exactly what he's thinking of the wall. Only he can't. He can't because Phil seems so happy and proud of their work and Dan can't just turn that into worry for the insignificance of human life and progress. On the other hand, he can't lie. Not that this was hard for him-he seemed to be doing a great job with lying to his sister-but it just seems too out of character. Too good. He wasn't ready for that.

"It's different."

"I'll take it as a compliment, then!"

The bell rings and Phil is clearly disappointed. Dan is too to some extent but he refuses to acknowledge it. "Sorry, Lester, I have to get to class."

.

Phil likes to think that he's a good person.

He really isn't, though.

He can be selfish at times and he's constantly obsessing over the love of others. He's sweet and kind and he doesn't understand why people can't be like him. Correction. He doesn't understand why Dan can't be exactly like the person he wants him to be. It's a type of masochism, really. Phil's criteria for the people he likes are particularly low but Dan manages to be the exact opposite of them. And yet, Phil hopes a little too much and has put a very big amount of faith on Dan without any serious reason.

Phil has high hopes. He flies incredibly close to the sun when others avoid even going out when it's out, it isn't necessarily bad but it certainly isn't good.

"I really don't understand what you see in him," Chris tells Phil with a raised eyebrow as he puts his painting brush on the box. "you two are polar opposites."

"And he's a bit weird." PJ adds from behind.

"Although, we shouldn't judge him about that."

"What? We're cool." PJ argues and both Phil and Chris laugh.

Maybe the two of them are right. Maybe Phil is expecting too much. Actually, what was even Phil's expectation? He liked Dan, yes. Probably even fancied. But it wasn't as if anything could happen. They had only some months ahead of them and it would probably take two years for Dan to open up about anything, let alone go after a relationship. 

Just like that, any fantasies of quiet knights in the suburban vanished.

(Phil didn't even know he had those.)

.

In chemistry, Dan is paired up with Brendon for an experiment and he feels grateful.

Maybe he's the only one because in total he can see four people who aren't happy with the teacher's choice. For starters, Brendon smiles at him because Brendon is usually happy and smiley. Especially with his friends. But Dan catches him staring at someone few rows behind them. He doesn't bother looking. It's none of his business. Although, he does suspect that Brendon is suffering a case of being lovestruck. If that's truly the case then he's as much as a fool as Dan is.

The second person who doesn't approve the pairings is Dallon Weekes. A shy for the most part student who you wouldn't notice if he wasn't incredibly tall. He's even taller than Matteusz and that's a particularly scary thought. He pities his future girlfriend who will always have to wear the tallest of heels. Actually, he pities more any future boyfriend-if that was the way he swinged-who would also be forced to wear heels. Everyday. Still, he isn't sure if Dallon is disappointed with Dan and Brendon being paired up together or with another pair. 

Speaking of pairs, Dallon's partner was probably the least pleased with the pairings. He would often glare at Dallon. A glare similar to the one Kara would send at Skye or Finn at Charlie or Newt. An asshole move, really. But Dan didn't expect something more mature than Ryan Ross. He was an asshole. Dan knew that much. All these years being an asshole himself helped him with a radar of assholism and every time he would see Ryan all the lights would flash red on his radar. 

Finally, there was Phil. Phil who didn't fully express his disappointment but he looked Dan with such a sweet and sad smile that made him feel weird inside. He smiled back. Not a real smile, but his lip twisted a little which seemed enough for Phil. And well, if that was truly enough for someone who devoted their entire existence to another person, then perhaps Phil was the bigger fool between them.

"We pour the thing from the green tube. Wait no, it's not green. Where is the green?" the good thing about Brendon was that he always spoke. He always had something to say. Dan, on the other hand, preferred to remain silent. They were the perfect duo. A non-stop talker desperate to be listened and a boy who wanted to silence the word. Maybe this was why Dan considered Brendon his friend from the beginning and not Phil. 

"Brendon."

"Yes."

"It says grey not green."

"Fuck." and Dan laughs because this is how things are with his friends. He isn't incredibly awkward and bitter with his friends. He feels free. He likes them. Yet when he laughs he turns his head slightly to the right to catch a glimpse of Phil and Santana Lopez working on their own projects. 

At the end of the day, maybe him falling-it's the first time he thinks about it without doing much thinking, as if it's the most natural thing in the world-for Phil Lester is the beginning of the end. Because the one is a walking ray of sunshine and the other is the smell of bathroom stalls and for the second to fall in love with the second it takes much foolishness.

.

When Phil goes to the bathroom to pee, he feels very relaxed.

That's until someone opens the door in a hurry, almost shoves Phil to the ground, and jumps inside a stall. Phil doesn't pay much attention to it, despite his heart beating loudly, but he hears a toilet seat closing and some weird noise as if someone has pressing something heavy on the toilet seat. Due to the weird things he had seen at this school's party, Phil believes it's best if he doesn't think much of it.

That's until Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman storm inside-Phil barely manages to zip his pants-and at that point he decides that he's never using the school's bathroom no matter how much he needs it. The two boys begin opening the stalls and mumbling to each other. "Are you sure he got in here?"

"I think? Probably? No? Yes?" Phil watches as Noah tries to come up with a proper answer and fails. There is only one stall left and Phil is sure that he's about to do the most stupid thing in his life.

"Don't go in there!"

"What?" Finn asks"Why?"

"Someone used that stall before." Phil tried to explain"He had quite the lunch and well, the sight isn't pretty."

The two boys look at each other for some time, nod, and leave. Phil lets a breath he didn't know he was holding. He hears shoes tapping the floor and the stall unlocking. There in all his pastel glory is Newt Whittman, breathless might we add, with his hands pressed on his forehead.

"Thank you."

"No problem," Phil tells him smiling"why were they chasing you exactly?"

"It's a long story involving my beautiful sweatshirt and the fact that Finn Hudson is an animal." Newt states proudly"Although, now that I'm thinking it over, this is a pretty normal day for me."-Phil laughs-"I'm Newt, by the way."

"Yeah, I know you. I'm Phil."

"Oh, this is awkward then, because I know you too." Newt told him probably remembering that one time they had al drove together at a party"You're Dan's friend."

"I'm pretty sure you are Dan's friend."

"Nah, I know what I'm telling you." Newt smirks making Phil look at him with both confusion and excitement"He is always talking about that insanely kind guy who probably coughs rainbows and chocolate."

"That could be anyone."

"You were in detention together."

"Okay, that was me." Phil admitted. It was Newt's turn to laugh. It was the first time Phil had a proper conversation with one of Dan's friends and he had to admit it was something entirely different and new. Newt was much like Phil, a polar opposite of Dan. You could only talk to them for a second and you would immediately realize how different they were. Much like Dan and Phil.

He wondered what the fact that Phil still held on to the curious case of Daniel Howell say about him? What did the fact that he didn't give a fuck about the universe's clear signs mean for who he was as a person?

"I really admire how you're trying to be close to him, it's very nice of you. Just like the fact that you covered me up earlier." Newt smiled and finally walked towards the bathroom door. "I don't know if you're constantly up for the challenge or a big fool."

It doesn't take a genius to guess which of the two Phil truly is.