"yeah, mom, i'm on my way. no, i don't need help getting there. this is new york city. the streets are numbered, for crying out loud."
connor murphy was talking to his mother, cynthia, over the phone while he waited for the taxi to stop and let him off on broadway.
"still, connor, it's new york! i don't want this to end up like home alone 2..."
connor sighed at what he figured was fake concern for his well-being as his mom kept blabbering on. eventually, he tuned her out.
the taxi passed times square, and connor gazed at all the flashing lights. he was suddenly filled with a desire to be able to see it all in color. he closed his eyes and imagined that it was exploding with colors. and it was beautiful, in some crazy, twisted way. his imagination ran wild until he was forced to open his eyes and be faced with reality - it was all just black and white.
connor wondered if he would ever see the world in color. he often thought that he never had a soulmate.
he snapped back to reality at his mother's voice raising over the phone.
"...and what if some homeless person just grabs you and kills you and then you'd be dead, connor!"
"mom. please. i will be fine."
the taxi suddenly stopped, and connor hung up the phone. he paid the driver and stepped out onto the busy street.
what connor did like about new york was that no one bothered you or cared about you. everyone was focused on themselves. it sounded rude, but it was actually nice for connor, someone who everyone seemed to care about too much. whether they hated him (which was usually the case with his old schoolmates) or they showed fake concern (his family), they made connor feel put on the spot and horrible under their eyes.
now, he could finally disappear.
of course, this didn't mean that connor was happy that his father decided to pack up the family and move to new york. even though he wouldn't miss his old house or his old school, he would miss what he had come to know.
well, it wasn't like there was anything that he could do about it now.
so he started making his way down broadway, waiting for it to intersect with fifth avenue.
his earbuds were in his ears, and connor got lost in halsey's music. so lost, in fact, that he almost didn't notice the stop light in front of him, meant to keep him from crossing the street. he took one step forward, and then he moved back when the horns started.
"hey! watch where you're going!" a driver yelled as he zoomed past.
"sorry," connor mumbled back.
what he didn't always like about new york was everyone's big mouths.
finally, the light was green again. connor started to cross the street, examining the other pedestrians closely.
he had just reached the other side when, suddenly, he saw eyes.
eyes.
blue eyes?
wait... their eyes are blue? how do i know that? how can i see that?
and the world came to life with bursting color.
but connor didn't notice. he was too busy gazing at the blue-eyed boy in his vision.
the boy's mouth was slightly ajar in wonder, and his eyes showed anxiety and curiosity all the same. his hair was dirty blonde, and he had a little dusting of freckles across his cheeks. he had on a blue polo shirt, and his left arm was wrapped in a blank cast.
connor was stunned and amazed and struck and everything in between. it was like cupid had aimed, fired, and made a bullseye.
and suddenly, someone pulled the boy into an alleyway.
connor yelled "no!" and dashed towards the alley.
but when he got there, the boy was gone.
the sudden pain drew him to the ground. it was like he had lost something that he never had the chance to find.
and with that, connor broke down in the middle of a new york city alleyway.
he had seen his soulmate. someone he didn't even think existed for him. and then, in the world's even crueler manner, his soulmate was gone.
then and there, connor made a promise to himself.
"i will find him," connor sternly whispered to himself. "i'll do whatever it takes."
***
a/n:
idk man i'm obsessed with yet another musical so here we goooo