iamhoussem17 : I am glad to hear that you've enjoying this. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep providing for you.
Chapter 10: Talk, and Take in the View
"Holy shit."
"Ok, Jared, that's not very helpful. Like, they… they think I'm his friend! His best friend!"
"Ho-ly shit."
"Ok. Just don't tell anybody. Just, you're the only person I can talk to about this, alright? You can't…"
"Ey! Jeremy! Michael! Get in here!" Jared shouted?
"Hm? What is it?" Their two voices joined into the call.
"You brought them? Really?"
"We were playing some video games, alright? They're literally right there. They would have heard anyway."
"Evan? What's this about?" Jeremy asked hesitantly.
"Connor's parents think he's their son's boyfriend," Jared interrupted before Evan could say anything. "This is great. Who else can I get on here? Alana!"
A new person joined the call, or what actually seemed to be multiple people, judging from overlapping giggling.
"No! How many people are you going to bring here?" Evan complained.
"Don't worry, I'll stop here if it really gets you so stressed," Jared reassured. "Alana? Who are you with?"
"My name's Catherine," a voice with a delightful British accent said.
"I'm also Katherine," a different voice said.
"Well, how do we tell the two of you apart?" Michael questioned.
"You just do," Alana said. "They're completely different people, let me tell you."
"Ok! Ok! Great!" Evan said, hurrying along. "That's great. But Jared, what do I do?"
"Here's what you do. When you head over to their house, just nod at everything they're saying. Just agree with them. Don't say a word," Jared instructed. "Just let them grasp at whatever they want. They're distraught. Help them through it."
"Shouldn't he tell them the truth?" Alana asked. "It might save a lot of trouble."
"Their son has died!" Jared said. Despite the sheer morbidity of the situation, you could still practically hear him grinning for some reason. "Evan is their last hope! If he tells them that he didn't even know Connor, what are they supposed to do?"
"I mean, Jared does have a point," Jeremy said.
"But Alana does, to," Catherine replied firmly. "Honesty is always the best policy."
"Well, Evan. Looks like you actually have to make a choice," Jared said. "Try not to mess this up."
"Wait!" Evan called out desperately. "I still don't know what to do? What if I need to-"
The call abruptly ended.
With heavy shoulders, Evan grabbed his coat and prepared to leave his dorm. He'd be having dinner with the Murphys tonight, and he still didn't have a clue what he was going to do.
He was looking down at the ground and so busy in his thoughts that he nearly ran into Alex coming into the room.
"Hey, Evan! First weekend of the semester, right? Are you heading out somewhere?" Alex asked cheerfully.
"No. I… I…"
Evan broke down and spilled the entire story to Alex, right there outside their dorm room. Alex listened, staring intensely.
"Evan." Alex grabbed his shoulders, steadying him. "You have to do what you think is right,"
"But I don't know what's right!" Evan nearly shouted.
"You'll know what to do when you get there. I'm sure of it."
"A...alright. Alright, Alex."
With a growing pit of dread settling his stomach, Evan left his friend behind and prepared for yet another march across campus.
Once again, everything around him was beautiful. It had just become evening, and there were all sorts of social groups hanging around, talking and laughing, doing homework, eating in restaurants, and just enjoying college life.
Once again, Evan found himself walking alone, watching everything pass by.
This lasted for all the time that it took to cross campus once again, until he found himself walking out the front gates of campus.
There, standing on the sidewalk, was the very familiar figure of a very familiar girl.
His palms were sweaty. They were so damn sweaty. He felt as though he wanted to bolt out of his own skin. His entire being was practically screaming to get him out of here, out of this situation, out of this life.
Evan took several leaden steps forward until he was standing next to her. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. He was quite afraid that he just might throw up or something right now.
She turned. "Oh. It's you."
"You- you know who I am already?"
"You're all my parents can talk about," Zoe said, turning away again.
"Oh...oh…" Not knowing what to say, Evan shut his mouth.
Eventually, after what was probably a much shorter time than it felt, a black car pulled up to the side of the road. The passenger-side window rolled down.
"Hop in, kids." Cynthia said wearily.
"Not a kid anymore," Zoe replied nearly instantly.
Her mother did not say anything as the young girl opened the door and stepped inside.
"Evan?"
He sighed. There really wasn't any other choice than to get in, was there?
Resigned to his inescapable fate, Evan entered the car as well, shutting the door behind him.
The engine revved, and they drove off, away from King's.
Hello, all you people out there reading this. I'm sorry that this story had went on a rather long break. I also apologize for the rather shorter length and lower quality of this chapter compared to the previous ones. Fortunately, school for me ends in less than two weeks, at which point I should be able to resume writing normally.
Some pretty dark times have just gotten darker recently. 2020 has just not been a good year so far. Stay as safe as you can.
Happy pride month. Until next time, readers.