Back In Time

Chapter 4

Evan walked to his room, burying his face in his pillow as tears soaked into it. He didn't know what to do anymore.

He didn't want to be here. He didn't want this timeline at all, he didn't-

He couldn't stay here.

"Evan."

Connor.

"Leave me alone to mourn in my pillow of sadness," Evan said, the sound muffled.

"At least go eat something." Connor frowned.

Evan took his head out of the pillow to face Connor, giving him a look of 'are you fucking kidding me' before returning back to his original position.

"Okay fine!" Connor sighed. "Look, I've been doing some research. About the timelines."

"And what about it?" Evan asked.

"Well, since you were so adamant about being Jared's friend, this and the past timeline are starting to collide. They're becoming too much like the other," Connor replied.

"What? They're colliding? How is this timeline anything like the other one?"

"When you compare it to a timeline where I blow up the school, or one where you get run over by a bus, it's a lot different," Connor shrugged.

"Oh."

...

"You know, if you somehow find a miracle way to get us back, that doesn't make you a saint," Evan said, sitting up on the bed and glaring at Connor. "And I'm not going to accept any apology for what you made me do today."

"If I'm giving you a second chance, it's only fair you give me one," Connor replied, glancing back at him.

Evan scoffed. "Are you kidding? This is messing with timelines! Worlds!"

"Yeah, but at least I didn't lie about a dead kid!" Connor snapped. "Sorry that I made a mistake in the time warp!"

"I warned you about it."

"And I'm a dumbass! At least I admit it!" Connor yelled.

"At least you're not watching your best friend die!"

"At least you're not watching yourself die! At least you're not watching all of the mistakes you've made in your life reoccur right in front of you! At least you have a physical form to where you can impact the world! I can't do shit, and I'm watching myself die!"

Evan sighed, glancing down at the bed. "I'm sorry, Connor..."

"I know that Kleinman's your friend, but you need to stop being self-centered around it," Connor replied, looking over at him. "I know that you want him. I know you want normalcy, and I know that this is hard on you. But Evan, you have to remember. This version of Jared isn't your friend. He's hurt. He's traumatized. He's different. He is nothing like the Jared you know. This new Jared? He isn't home. He's everything except home. And you need to get that out of your mind."

"Connor-"

"I don't want to comfort people. In fact, I hate doing it," Connor interrupted. "But goddamnit, Evan. You have to stand up for yourself. Try to blend in, something. You have to be strong."

"How?"

"What?"

"How do you be strong?" Evan asked, picking at his cast. "I've never been... confident. My entire life. And now you're asking me to be it, and I don't know how."

Connor sighed a little. "First step, you have to believe in yourself."

"I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen," Evan scoffed.

"Well, if you don't try, then you won't get anywhere," Connor shrugged. "And Evan, we need you. We need you if we're ever going to get these timelines back to normal, okay? We have to try. You have to try."

"Okay," Evan replied, nodding. "I will."

"Cool..." Connor didn't really know what else to say there. I mean, he wasn't about to say 'congratulations' or something. "So... with these timelines merging? People from the original world might end up like a spirit like me. Or at least a voice, I'm not sure yet, it's confusing."

"What? Why?" Evan asked. "Why would the originals come?"

"Remember? They're merging. That means that everyone in our world is going to merge into this dimension since we're currently here."

"Damn, you really fucked up," Evan said, getting a disapproving glance from Connor, causing him to sigh. "Okay yeah, we both fucked up."

"All we can do is wait right now. The only way for us to go back is if we fix this timeline and hop back to our old one once they aren't merging anymore," Connor stated.

"How will we know how to fix it?" Evan questioned.

"I have to get some intel from the originals first," Connor replied. "I'll tell you when I find out, okay?"

Evan sighed. "You sure?"

"I think so."

"Connor." Evan frowned, remembering that Connor gave him the same exact response earlier, and that led to nothing good.

"Okay, okay! Yes! Yes, I am sure. I hate this place," Connor said, looking over at him.

"I do too."

"That's pretty obvious, Evan." Connor sat down on his bed, shrugging a bit. "It's late. You should sleep."

"I guess..."

"Tomorrow you just have to accept all of them for who they are here, or at least try your best to," Connor replied.

Jared won't be at school, so that won't be as difficult. The reason why Jared wasn't there though would be a bit more complicated.

"Okay."

...

"Goodnight, Connor."

"Goodnight, Evan."