Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind - Treebros

Chapter 13: "Singing In Silence"

Saturday, November 10th

The Murphy house looks significantly less intimidating during the day. The lack of Halloween decorations probably contributes to it as well.

That didn't mean my forehead wasn't damp with cold, nervous sweat. The house just didn't have anything to do with it.

I had just shown up to Connor's house, completely unannounced, carrying a gift for a birthday he mentioned one time about a week ago.

And that's fine. This is fine. Friends do that stuff. Friends know each other's birthdays, and friends buy gifts for said birthdays, and friends go to each other's houses.

I ring the doorbell quickly, getting it over with. Worst case scenario, I just drop off the gift. And then he texts me 10 minutes later saying he hates it and hates me and.

I take a deep breath. Connor wouldn't do that. So that's not even a worst case scenario, because it would never happen. He's too nice.

Worst case scenario: he hates it and won't tell me and privately hates me until one day he finally can't handle me any more and tells me he never wants to talk to me again. Which is infinitely more likely than the first scenario.

The door swings open, and I almost stumble back. Zoe's standing there. "Evan?"

Oh shit. I forgot she lived here too. It makes sense, obviously, they're siblings. But now she's here and I probably look really stupid and sweaty.

"H- hey, hi. Hi Zoe," I stammer, cradling the small box in the crook of my arm and pulling at my collar.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, even though her eyes are glued to the present and she obviously knows it's Connor's birthday because she's his sister, so she definitely knows what I'm doing here.

"I-" I almost start explaining, but I already know I'll start rambling. Instead I just ask, "Is Connor home?"

Zoe pulls away from the doorframe, and looks up towards the steps behind her.

"Connor, there's someone at the door for you," she shouts.

Why did she call me 'someone'? Did I make her hate me? I hear a muffled response, but can't discern what it says. Zoe can, apparently.

"Dick," she mutters.

A door upstairs slams and Connor comes down the stairs, glaring at Zoe. He stops when he sees me.

"Shit! Zoe, why didn't you say it was Evan?!" he asks, and she shoulders past him.

"Didn't think it was important."

"Fuck you!" he spits. I clear my throat and he looks at me.

"Con," I gently reprimand, and he sighs.

"Sorry," he calls after Zoe. She's long gone.

"Hi. Sorry, if Zoe had told me it was you I wouldn't be looking like a sewer rat right now," he says, and I laugh.

His hair is haphazardly pulled into a bun, and the strands that have pulled free are dancing around the collar of his sweater. One of his socks is white and the other's dark green.