Two Player Game

~Chapter Two~

Whenever Connor gets home, he has the house all to himself. Zoe's at band practice and their parents don't get home until late. Conner ends up laying on the couch for a bit after lazily doing whatever it was he was supposed to for his mom, he doesn't even remember what it was, but it's done. God he needs a smoke.

When Zoe does get home, she passes by Connor with a cigarette in his hand. She rolls her eyes at him.

"Fuck off Zoe." She just ignores him and walks inside. He's such a jerk. He blows smoke from his mouth slowly and elegantly. It would be impressive if it weren't so sad. He flicks the cigarette into the yard. Now he smells like smoke. Great.

Whenever Connors parents get home, Zoe's in her room and Connor is on the couch. As usual.

"Connor, for Gods sake, get your feet off the coffee table."

"Why do you have a problem with my feet on a carved block of wood?"

"Hey Dad..." Zoe came down when he heard his voice

"Zoe." Connor Groans. "You be nice to your sister Connor Murphy."

"Yeah Connor." She sticks her tongue out at him and moves to the kitchen

"Wanna tell dad about the nerd you were giving heart eyes to earlier today? You were practically throwing your panties at him."

"What??"

"Get that excited at all guys that stutter and fall out of trees, Zoe?"

"Oh you mean the same guy who you gave your number to and signed his cast?" Jared told her at the end of band practice.

"I was being nice Jackass."

"Uhuh. Didn't sound like that when Jared told me."

"Fuck Jared!"

"Connor."

"You like him too? Wow Connor, I didn't take you to be a player."

"I'm not a fuckin fag, Zoe, fuck. Off."

"Connor!" They're mom walks in. "How many times do I have to tell you, watch your language!"

"Zoe won't shut her fuckin mouth."

"Yeah? Well apparently you won't either!"

"Stop fighting with each other. Now." She needs to take control.

"Fuck you, Zoe, you're just upset I gave him my number because he's probably a fruit, ever seen the guy??"

"Yeah I have. And I never said I liked him anyway. I just said that he should come to our next Jazz Band Concert!"

"Sure, so the kid gets that excited about YOU?? Ha!"

She growls. "Stop it you two!"

"At least once more." he looks at Zoe. "Bitch!!"

"Jerk." She returns.

"Connor, go to your room now."

"Fine, it's better than being down here with you all."

"Conner, don't speak to your mother that way."

"I'm going all right, at least give me my freedom of speech!"

She sighs. "What am I gonna do with you two?"

Conner slams his door. "FuCK!" he punches a wall.

"He started it."

"Zoe-"

"Dad was there."

He sighs. "Conner was the instigator."

"I believe you Zoe. I do but he best way to handle these things are to not fight back." Zoe sighs and heads up to her own room. Ready for any death threat Connor throws her way. As she passes he's eerily quiet tonight. In her head she's thanking God for him being so quiet, but it's too quiet for too long. She starts to worry. She creeps over to his room next to hers an knocks on the door, waiting carefully for a response. He doesn't answer. Zoe opens the door, "Connor?"

The window is open. She walks over to it and looks up, seeing Connor hunched over his phone. Legs hanging off the roof. It's not the first time he'd be up there.

C: [So you're Evan right?]

E: [Yeah! Yep, that's me.]

C: [Either way you're going in my phone as tree boy.]

E: [Haha okay.]

Connor smiles softly. Zoe leaves him to it, as long as he doesn't do anything stupid. She feels at least partially responsible for him. She is the older sibling. Conner is just happy someone actually wants to talk to him. Evan, on the other hand, is freaking out because it's hard to carry conversation when you think the person you're talking to has a thing for you. Connor and Evan talk all night, by morning, Treeboy is exhausted.

Evan's alarm goes off and that when he realizes that he slept through his alarm "What?" He blinks sleepily. "Oh Shit!" He rushes through getting ready. That was his third alarm. He's wearing the same pants as the day before, his hair is an absolute mess, he's got to go. Mrs. Hansen was about to check in on him when he rushes out of his bedroom.

"Evan-!"

"Sorry mom, gotta go, love you!" He checks his watch. He's got five minutes.