but not because we're gay//treebros

Chapter Two

"Matt give you a hard time?"

A voice interrupted the silence in the hall. Evan looked up and almost gasped out loud. Connor Murphy. Evan nodded quickly.

"Are you alright? You're bleeding pretty bad," Connor said. Evan nodded again. Connor laughed. "Aren't you gonna say anything?"

Evan quickly responded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, it's okay." Evan expected Connor to leave then, to nod an 'alright' and go catch his bus. But he didn't. "You don't look so fine," Connor said with a laugh, extending his arm down to Evan. Hastily, Evan took his hand, heaving himself off the floor. He winced in pain. Evan gently lifted his shirt, revealing a red mark on his side, already beginning to turn black and blue.

"Shit, man, you wanna go to the nurse?" Evan shook his head no. "No, no, really, I'm fine. I just have to catch my bus and go ho-" Evan stopped, remembering that those jerks had taken his house key.

Connor looked out the window. "Busses already left, amigo. Here, I'll give you a ride."

The two walked out into the parking lot, Evan limping slightly. They got into the car after Connor moved all the books and miscellaneous crap off of the passenger seat. After they'd been driving for a few minutes, Connor reached into the glove compartment and handed Evan a tissue. Evan looked at it, then to Connor. Connor looked back expectantly. "Your nose is bleeding?" Connor prompted.

"Right, right, oh yeah, sorry," Evan rambled, holding the tissue to his nose to stop the already subsided bleeding.

"So where am I taking you?" Connor asked. Evan thought of what to say, silent. "You got a house or anything?" Connor joked.

"Yeah, yeah I do, I just...Those guys took my house key, and my mom's got class 'till late so..." Connor nodded.

"M'kay. I know. Wanna get ice cream?" Evan sat up straight. "Really?" he asked. Connor laughed. "No, I just invited you for ice cream as a joke. Yes, really. I know this really good place downtown, Á La Mode."

Evan nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, that...that sounds great." Connor grinned. "Alrighty then. Oh, and by the way, I never asked your name. Mind filling me in?"

"It's, uh, it's Evan. Evan Hansen."

"Good to know. I'm Connor Murphy. Maybe you've heard of me. Threw a printer at my second grade teacher?" Evan giggled. "Yeah," he whispered. But that wasn't why he knew Connor. He knew Connor for his beautiful blue eyes. He knew Connor for the outgoing younger sister that he lived in the shadow of. He knew Connor for the way Evan sympathised with his overlooked, misunderstood life. He knew Connor because he was in love with him.

"Here we are," Connor said, pulling into a little parking lot out in front of a cute little ice cream shop. Á La Mode, a sign read. Connor got out of the car, and Evan followed him inside. A little bell jingled as they pushed through the door. "Welcome back, Murphy," said a man behind the counter, scooping a strawberry ice cream for a pigtailed girl staring giddily at the cone. "Hey, could you hook us up with two of the usual?" Connor asked the man as he sat in a little booth in the corner. Evan followed, sitting across from him. "Sure thing," said the worker, getting right to it.

"So," Evan said, looking around the shop. "Come here often?" Evan immediately regretted saying that. "I-I mean, I didn't...it's just, that came out really..not how I wanted it too, I didn't-" Connor laughed. "Chill. I know what you meant. Yeah, ever since I was a kid. They make the best sundaes."

"Speak of the devil," the worker from earlier exclaimed, setting two delicious-looking ice cream sundaes on the table. "Thanks," Connor said, pulling some bills from his pocket. This man held out his hand. "No, no," he said. "On the house."

"Well thanks," Connor said with a grin, pulling one of the sundaes closer to himself. Evan did the same.

"So," Connor said, his mouth full of ice cream. "What do you like to do?" Evan took a bite of his sundae, thinking. "Well," he said after a while. "I-I like trees."

"Trees?"

Evan quickly shook his head. "N-Nevermind, It was stupid of me to say, I really don-"

Connor cut him off. "No, no, I like trees too. Tell me more?" Evan hesitated. Did Connor Murphy really just say that? Evan grinned. "Well, I, uh, I apprenticed at Ellison this summer."

"That's so cool!" Connor exclaimed. "I love Ellison!" Then, a smile crept across Connor's face. "But there's this other place, Evan. This place you need to see, what time is your mom back?"

"Not 'till late," Evan said, eating his ice cream happily.

"Perfect," Connor said. "If you like trees, you're gonna love this."