Back In Time

Chapter 6

"I have to tell Zoe about this. That's what I did before, I talked to Jared afterwards. I have to do it again," Evan said, sitting on his bed while taking out his computer.

"Why?"

"Jared did the emails, meaning Zoe will do them this time. I'll need proof," Evan replied, focusing more on the computer than Connor right now. He was too hyper focused.

"Couldn't you just... not bring up emails?" Connor asked, glancing over at him.

Evan shook his head. "How else would I explain Jared banging my head in the lockers?"

"...something not involving emails?"

"Jared told me to not change the story," Evan said, looking back up at Connor for a split second before pulling up Discord on the computer. "If that means I have to have a short conversation with Zoe right now? So be it."

Connor sighed but didn't say anything else, which led Evan to start up the call. Zoe answered pretty quickly for a girl who had a lot of friends to hang out with.

Oh wait, she didn't.

They talked for a bit, and once Evan dropped the news that Heidi and Cynthia think that Evan was Jared's friend, Zoe couldn't help but laugh. "Holy shit."

"I didn't say anything, I just... I couldn't say anything!"

"Holy. Fucking. Shit."

"They invited me over to dinner," Evan said, glancing down at the screen. "Th-they want to know more about me and Jared's 'friendship', and..."

"What are you going to tell them?" Zoe asked, smiling a little. "Don't tell me you were going to tell them the truth."

"Yeah, yeah, I- I wasn't planning on it," Evan sighed. "The letter? It's... it's like, halfway torn up now."

"Why did you tear it?"

"Because the last part... actually did specifically mention me?" Evan replied before shaking his head. "It's not important."

"What do you mean it mentioned you?" Zoe questioned, now kind of curious.

"It's not important!" Evan yelled.

Zoe's eyes widened with shock at the fact that Evan raised his voice before simply shrugging. "Well, okay. If you say so. I highly doubt that, though."

"I... yeah..." Evan sighed.

"Look, I got to go hang out with my real friends," Zoe said, looking away from the camera to make it seem like she didn't really care about Evan at all in that moment, which Evan knew better than to believe now.

Because of what happened before.

He's such an idiot.

"I'll see you at school. Not because I want to, but the car insurance, y'know? Have to keep that up," Zoe shrugged.

"Yeah. That's totally why you're doing it," Evan replied, hovering his mouse over the hang up button.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Zoe asked. "I have a lot more friends than just y-!"

End call.

"For someone who was my other self's friend, you're kind of a dick."

Connor and Evan's head turned towards the other side of the room, and what do you know? Alternate-Jared was standing right there as a spirit.

"Wait, you're here?" Connor questioned, actually kind of surprised.

"Yep," Jared shrugged. "What's up."

"This is... really weird," Evan replied, glancing over at him.

"Dude, the other me sounded desperate to get that message across," Jared said, crossing his arms. "Like the whole thing would've failed you didn't know it. I think he was being over dramatic."

Evan chuckled a little. "Well, that's what Jared is."

"What other-Jared is," Jared stated.

"No, you're other-Jared." Evan frowned. "Regular, original, whatever Jared is the one who talked to you."

"I'm pretty sure I'm the original here?" Jared asked. "You're in my dimension. Treat me with respect."

"Sorry about him. He's awful at adapting," Connor shrugged.

"Hey!"

"It's fine. Honestly, I figured," Jared replied. "After everything that happened in the halls, it makes sense."

"I'm not bad at adapting!" Evan snapped, glaring at Connor.

"Sorry to break it to you, Evan, but you kind of are," Connor said, glancing right back at him.

"Oh." Evan frowned.

"But you. Who are you?" Jared asked. "You're Connor, right? The other timeline? Which one of my people are you the most like?"

"Oh, uh," Connor sighed, looking over at him. "You, actually."

"Oh."

...

"Oh." He faced the ground after hearing that, causing Connor to laugh a little.

"Yeah. We're both fucked up."

"Equally?"

Connor shrugged. "I don't compare. Problems shouldn't be weighed, they should all be dealt with in their own ways no matter how big or small."

"Well, you're definitely 'wiser' than I am," Jared laughed, laying down on Evan's bed. "Because I wouldn't say shit like that."

"I mean, you could," Connor replied.

"Well, yeah, but I just don't care enough," Jared said, glancing over at him. "I'm mean, and I'll always be, so whatever."

"That's what I thought too," Connor responded, looking back at him. "It feels like everyone's already painted you as this school shooter type, so you just fall into your spot in society and accept who you are."

"I- I mean... yeah," Jared sighed. "And I guess... we both gave up?"

Connor frowned a little before nodding. "Yeah. Yeah, we did."

"If there was a way to bring you two back, I'd do it," Evan replied before shaking his head. "Unless it has something to do with Connor's weird time travel powers. Then I wouldn't."

"Wait, time travel?" Jared asked. "You knew everything that was going to happen? And you went along with it anyways?"

"Other-Jared told you to tell me to stick with the story, right? I had to deal with it," Evan shrugged.

Jared frowned. "You two were pretty close, weren't you?"

"Friends since first grade," Evan sighed, picking at his cast like he usually did when he got a bit nervous. "Had a little fallout in ninth grade and nothing was the same after that, but we had our ups and downs. Every now and then he'd get better, but he just fell back down again. And... I made the biggest mistake of my life awhile back with him, and I just. Regret it... so much."

"And that's why you went back in time?" Jared questioned, to which Evan nodded. "You know, you could've probably talked to him about it."

"You wouldn't understand. You aren't like the other Jared at all, really. You just look the same and have the same voice. You're more like Connor than anyone," Evan shrugged. "But, talking wasn't an option. Whenever he sees me nowadays he goes away as quickly as he can."

"But he still reached out to you through me." Jared frowned.

"To save his own life from our timelines colliding? Yeah," Evan replied, shaking his head a bit before getting under his covers and closing his eyes. "I'm going to sleep now."

"It's not even nine," Connor said, looking over at the clock.

"I don't care."