In the Long Run

You'll be obsessed with all my forest expertise...

Evan started when a hand touched his shoulder. He had fallen asleep on the couch in his living room, waiting for his mom to come home. He had a question for her that he had never even considered before.
He looked up at his mom.
"Mom, d-did you and, and dad get y-your emotions? With with each other?"
She sat down next to him.
"Why do you want to know, sweetie?" She asked, not answering his question.
"Just, uh, just just curious."
His mom looked up to the ceiling.
"Kind of. I got mine." She said, not looking at him.
"What do you mean?" Evan asked.
"I got my emotions, but your father didn't. When he left, apparently he found another woman and they both got their emotions. He never felt as if we truly belonged together, so he took it upon himself to fix the problem." She shrugged. "I guess it was for the best."
"Do, do you ever... ever re-regret m-marrying him?" Evan asked.
"Absolutely not." She said without hesitation.
"Why?" He asked, confused.
"Because then i wouldn't have you." She said, cupping his cheek.
Evan looked down.
"What's wrong, hon?" She asked.
"I- I met the Murphys to-today."
"The Murphys?" Heidi asked.
"Some really rich kids that go to my school. Connor and Zoe."
"Zoe?" She asked, a smile spreading over her face. "The Zoe you always talk about?"
"I d-don't? al-always talk about her, that is." Evan said.
"Wait, Evan, did you get your emotions?" Heidi asked, excited.
"N-no. No. I was uh, just wondering? Be-because i, i touched Zoe, and and i didn't. Get emotions." Evan said, looking at the ground again.
"Oh." Heidi said.
"I-I'm going to to go? To to bed? I'm I'm tired." Evan said, unable to stand his mom's disappointed face.
"Ok, hon. that's fine." Heidi said, smiling at him. He saw a lot in that smile. His mom's stress from her work, the late nights, the constant worry. worry for him, for the world, for everything in her uncontrollable, tiring life.
It made him wish that he could have emotions just so he could relate to her. possibly make her life so much easier.

He trudged up the stairs and flopped down in his bed.

The next morning, he woke up to that god-awful sound of a beeping alarm. and not just any alarm sound. that really REALLY annoying one that beeps constantly and makes you want to bash your head against a wall.
Evan groggily reached over and shut it off.
He rolled out of bed and went to go brush his teeth. on his way there, he passed by his mom's room. Her door was open and she was looking at one of the only pictures she had left of herself and Evan's dad. Before he could move on, she spotted him in the doorway.
"Good morning, Evan. Did you sleep well?" She asked, a tired smile on her face.
"Yes?" He said it more as a question than an answer.
"That's good. I'll be right down to make you breakfast." She said.
"Oh. I- I'm fine. I'll just, um, have cereal?"
"Oh. Ok, then, sweetie. Have a good day at school."
"T-thanks." Evan said, and hurried off. After brushing his teeth, running a comb through his hair and putting on khakis and a striped shirt, he decided to forgo the cereal and just went on his way.
When he made it into school, he immediately out of habit hugged the walls on his way to his locker. When he got there, he started to get his books but was roughly shoved from behind. he hit his head on his locker.
"Look, it's Mr. Stutter. Heard you've been making friends with the Murphys, huh, Mr. Stutter?" Evan turned and found Jared Kleinman and his posse behind him. Jared shoved him again. "I asked you a question, Mr. Stutter." He smiled maliciously. "Or should I say, M-M-M-Mr. S-S-S-Stu-Stutter?" He asked mockingly.
"I-I d-don't know wh-what you your your talking, a-about?" Evan said.
They laughed.
People had always mocked Evan for his stutter, but Jared was relentless. He had tormented Evan since grade school, and Evan had no idea why.
"What? You gonna go cry to daddy? Oh wait, you can't, can you? He left you. He left BECAUSE OF YOU. Remember that, Stutter boy?" Jared sneered.
Evan turned and ran, shoving his way through the crowd and back out the school doors. he ran into the forest near the school. He didn't slow down until he was far in. As he slowed to a walk, he named every tree he passed to try and calm himself down. He had taken a liking to nature and trees in particular when he would hide in the woods so he didn't have to hear his mother's crying.
"Redwood maple pine oak dogwood..." He mumbled. He eventually crouched by a large maple tree to try to collect his thoughts.
He wouldn't let Jared get into his head.
He wouldn't let Jared get into his head.
He wouldn't let Jared get into his head.
He wouldn't let Jared get into his head.
But was it true? Did Evan's dad leave because of him?
Evan sat down and put his head between his knees. He stayed there for another hour.