C O N N O R
It proved quite hard to convince my parents to skip graduation. All of my high school life I'd been living towards that moment, to graduating and leaving this town, and they couldn't believe me when I said I'd rather go to some youtube event than attend graduation. At first they just laughed, thinking I was making a joke. But when I didn't laugh along nor said anything, they turned serious. My dad got his glass of water from the side table, took a sip from it and leaned a bit more forward in his chair.
"Connor." His tone was a combination of a sigh, seemingly tired and disappointed of this, and like the start of a scolding. I looked up and wiped my, now sweaty, palms on my jeans. "We don't want to keep you from having fun, but graduation is crucial. You only get to graduate high school once in your life. It truly is a once in your lifetime experience." I knew all that, but I felt like it was a better thing to go to vidcon with Troye. After all, that too was a once in your lifetime experience. I'd rather miss graduation than miss Troye announcing his EP.
Besides, he was way too stressed about the whole thing and it was clear he needed someone there. And I'd rather I be that person than have Tyler be the person that has to comfort him. The guy was nice, yes, but the fact that he and Troye went on a couple dates and he looks at my boy the way you look at someone you at least like, made me slightly jealous and more aware of his presence.
"I know that, dad," I figured the best way to handle this was by acting rational and calm, rather than to get angry and shout at them. "but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, too." I looked both my mom and my dad in their eyes, and swallowed once, before continuing. "I need to be there for Troye, make sure he feels at ease when going up that stage. He's going go announce his EP, dad. He's been working on that for so long, so hard, I can't leave him hanging now. He's really stressed just thinking about it." I bit my cheek, wondering if it was nice to say the plane tickets were bought already and that we would have to leave in a couple hours to make it to the airport on time.
My mom sighed, and it seemed to me as if she started accepting there was no way to talk me out from this. My mind was set, and she knew me well enough to know that once I really set my mind to it, nothing would keep me from doing it. She laid a hand my fathers knee, and a couple looks were exchanged. I didn't know for how long I sat there on the couch, tensed up and waiting for either of them to speak up. Probably not really long, but it felt like forever.
"Connor..." I cast my eyes upward to my mom, "sweetie, we don't want to deny you the opportunity of being there for him, but it is graduation we're talking about. Are you sure you'd want to miss that? All your friends will be there, people will be asking why you're not present- they..."
"–so? If they ask where I am just tell them I had something more important than graduation. Besides, graduation is just putting on that weird cap and gown and walking down to the front of the auditorium, receiving a paper and them snapping a picture."
"Well, yes but..."
"Mom! I don't want to go. I want to go with Troye to support him and be there for him."
"Right. Okay. Then go ahead. I'm already happy that at least this time you take the time to inform us that you're going away for a couple days." With that, the conversation clearly ended and I walked upstairs briskly. I knew that now my parents had given me permission and I wouldn't have to sneak out and be confronted with rage as soon as I got home, again. So I knew that I was supposed to be happy, but something hadn't felt right about the conversation, and it left me feeling a bit hollow.
I got my suitcase from where I had it underneath my bed, and started packing. I wouldn't need that much, just some clothes, toiletries, chargers and electronics, shoes, and couple more necessities.
I heard a small knock on my door, followed by Brandon calling my name softly.
"Yeah? Come in." I was digging through my closet, looking for my light blue sweater. I was sure it was clean, or cleanish- I'd only worn it once, a couple days ago-, but I had no idea where it was.
"You going away?" A small voice piped from behind me, and I heard a squeak on my bed. He most probably had sat down on it. I looked up and straightened my back, deciding to come sit next to my younger brother. "Hmhm," I mumbled.
"But don't you have graduation tomorrow?"
"Yeah, but I'm not going, Bran." He seemed genuinely confused at that, which I couldn't really blame him for. "I'm going to vidcon with Troye, you know vidcon. He's announcing something really special there, and he wants me there. So I will be."
"Oh." He took a couple seconds to process it before asking what Troye was going to announce. I cocked my head to the side then, a look that could be best described as an 'are you fucking kidding me'-look on my face. "Okay, okay!" He held his hands up in surrender, laughter escaping his mouth after that. It made me smile.
"When are you leaving?"
"Couple hours, don't exactly know what time, but I'm gonna head over to Troye before we go to the airport, though." I ran a hand through my hair, smiling slightly.
We chatted a little bit more, but he left to go to his own room not much later, leaving me to pack the rest of my suitcase and start looking for that sweater once more. When I really couldn't find it, I started doubting myself, thinking that maybe I had put it in the laundry after all. I didn't recall doing so, but you never knew.
"Mom!?" I ran down the stairs, looking for my mom. If there was one person in this house who knew if I had put it in the laundry or not, it would be my mom. Or Nicola, but she was out with friends at the moment. "Have you seen my pale blue sweater?" She shook her head no, and with furrowed brows I got upstairs again and packed another sweater instead.
I then spend a couple hours not really doing anything. Just a bit of helping with chores wherever needed, playing some video games and soccer with Brandon, and explaining a bit more to my parents about what time I would leave and when I would get back and where I would be staying, if there were going to be supervisors "no, mom, there won't." But these people are responsible for their own actions, most adults, and besides, I would be turning nineteen this year. It wasn't like I hadn't stayed anywhere on my own before- England, for example- and we were staying in a hotel and heading to a convention pretty much all day.
And then I couldn't stand it anymore, so I hugged my parents and told them goodbye after reassuring for what seemed like the hundredth time that everything would be okay. Just as I closed the door and swung my backpack over my shoulder, my sister appeared in the driveway. Upon seeing me, her eyebrows shot upwards, and her mouth formed an 'o'. I mean. I did just leave the house with a suitcase and backpack without even telling here I would go anywhere. Oops?
"C-con? Wh... what are you doing?" Here voice was barely a whisper, almost as if she was scared I was running away or something. I just shook my head, chuckling slightly. Which, thinking of it, probably seemed like I was a maniac or something.
"Skipping graduation." Was all I said at first, after which she immediately let out a gasp, followed by multiple 'what's and 'why's. I let her stutter for a couple seconds before I put my hands on her shoulder, pushing them down, forcing her to relax. "I'm going to vidcon with Troye, Nic. Yes, I've spoken about it thoroughly with mom and dad. I'll miss you, but I like really gotta go now." That was kind of a lie. I didn't have to go. If we were to go to the airport right now, we'd be there about an hour and a half early. But I wanted to go. Knowing Troye, he was probably still lying on his bed with his laptop and an open suitcase, not even yet having attempted to pack for the days ahead.
My sister seemed dazed at all I was saying, really confused, probably, but she gave me a hug and told me to have fun before heading inside. I had no doubt that within a couple hours I would be receiving a text from her after she realised what I was going to her. For her, graduation had been one of the most important and best days in her life, so I was sure that when she would realise I was actually ditching graduation for a convention, she would freak a little.
-
My right arm was numb from having been around Troye's back for the whole flight. My neck ached a little too, from Troye resting his head on there when he fell asleep around an hour ago. I didn't mind though, and even as we landed I let my thumb rub his side slowly, squeezing a little ever so often. From him moving his head I got hair all in my face, springy curls and shorter plucks of hair standing up straight. How he managed to not wake up when the plane touched the ground I didn't know. Although I felt like I could fall asleep any minute now myself, so maybe that was why.
"Hey, hey angel, you gotta wake up now," I whispered, pulling my arm back and nudging him ever so softly. It took some time, but he grunted and moved. "Just five more minutes." I laughed. It was probably the most cliche and used sentence anyone said when half waking up.
"Tro, we gotta leave the plane in a few, you don't have five more minutes." I urged him to wake up a bit more now. We didn't have a window seat, and the woman next to me seemed to really want to get off of this plane right now, and I didn't feel like holding her up would cause much positivity. The boy however, didn't show any signs implying waking. So I rolled my eyes and shook him by his shoulders. Yes, it was two in the morning here, which meant it was four in the morning in Minnesota, where we had just come from, but that didn't change the fact that people were getting off the plane now and the woman next to us was impatiently tapping her foot. She cleared her throat and coughed multiple times, obviously waiting for us to get out of the aisle so she could get off of the plane.
It took another couple moments for him to open his eyes, and the moment he did, I intertwined our fingers and hoisted him up. I got the little bit of luggage we had taken on here, and kind of dragged him towards the exit. Which proved quite hard, given that he was half leaning on me. And he wasn't the only one who was tired. I felt like collapsing any second now, like I could just go to sleep right now and wake up in a couple days again. That seemed like a great idea.
But before I could actually go to sleep, we had to collect our luggage. Luckily for us, this went surprisingly fast- as well as finding a cab willing to take us to the hotel. By the time we were sitting in the backseat Troye had woken up a bit more, even though he seemed ready to fall asleep again.
"Connie..." he whined, leaning his head on my shoulder again and playing with my fingers as if he saw them for the first time ever with that strange sense of wonder sleepy people could have.
"Hmm?" I hummed, wanting to close my eyes myself.
"All I wanna do when we get to our room is sleep, okay? Just... collapse and sleep."
This indeed was what the boy did. We didn't really greet anyone since you know, everyone was sleeping. When we got to the hotel room he simply let go of his suitcase and backpack, collapsed onto the bed with clothes and shoes still on, and fell asleep. I sighed, wanting to join him immediately. But instead I tried being the responsible one of the two of us. I untied the laces of his converses, undid his jeans and took them off- which was harder than I'd thought it would be, given that they were skinny jeans-, and did the same myself.
The only different thing was that I brushed my teeth quickly, peed and put on another shirt. I then joined him in the bed, making sure the covers were covering the both of us, before lying down. The smaller boy seemed to reach for me automatically, wrapping an arm around my torso as well as leaning his head atop of it. My arm- the one that had felt numb, was now around him again, but I didn't mind. I didn't even notice it that much, as I drifted of to sleep myself not even three seconds later.
Im tired. Im sick of running bad races. I miss [you] slightly. Sleep well bbies, thanks for reading/voting.
Tbfh it was quite demotivating to only receive one comment on the last chapter I wrote even tho ten people voted. Im not trying to ask for comments, as its something u should do bc u wanna, but just know that-especially in line comments- really motivate me and might get chapters up sooner.
Two chapters and an epilogue left. Ily, you are amazing. Thank you. How the fuck are the reads on this growing so fast im literally screaming anytime i see the stats
I'll just leave u with this for a blessed day.