Dear Evalynn Hansen

SIX

After school, Connor waited until Evalynn exited the building before approaching her.

"Hey. Do you, uh, want a ride home?"

She fixed Connor with that bewildered stare from earlier. Like she couldn't believe he was actually talking to her.

"Um...okay."

She followed him to his car, then paused before climbing in.

"What?"

"This...this is your car?"

"Yeah, why?"

"It's just that...this morning, I saw...never mind."

She climbed into the passenger seat and Connor climbed behind the wheel, mentally kicking himself. Of course she had noticed his car following her that morning. He had just wanted to make sure she made it to school safely after what he had read in her letter to herself. As he pulled out of the parking lot, he glanced over at her in the corner of his eye.

"So. I'm going to ask something that you totally don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Okay?"

"What did you mean? When you said 'all my hope is pinned on Connor who I don't even know and who doesn't know me'?"

He saw her swallow, blushing slightly as she opened her mouth to reply.

"I, um, well I've had this major crush on you since like...eighth grade, but I, uh, didn't think you ever really had even n-noticed me, so..." she trailed off.

Connor nearly crashed the car. A girl actually liked him. And apparently she had for several years now. He thought with his behavior the past few years, no one would be interested in him in that way. And here this girl was, who was suicidal and messed up and someone he could actually probably relate to, and she liked him. Like that.

The car ride is pretty quiet after that until they stop outside the Hansen home. Connor is dreading returning to his own place of residence and is thinking that maybe he'll stop at the orchard for a couple hours and get high when Evalynn speaks again.

"Do you want to come inside?"

Connor looks at her and she starts rambling, her words running together due to the speed at which she says them.

"Youtotallydon'thaveto,exceptthatEvan'sprobablyatJared'shouseandmymomusuallyhasclasslateonTuesdays,soI'mgoingtobehomealoneforseveralhoursand...I'm going to shut up now."

Her gaze lowered to stare at her hands clasped in her lap and she didn't move to get out of the car, so Connor shut off the engine and takes off his seat belt. She looks up as he opens his door.

"Coming?" Connor asked, climbing out and heading toward the front door.

She joined him a moment later, unlocking the front door and heading inside. Connor followed her into the house, closing the door behind him. He took everything in after dumping his stuff beside hers next to the door. It's small and none of the furniture matches, something his house is the complete opposite of. It almost felt homier than his own mansion-like house where his family was constantly arguing with each other because Connor did this or that and maybe if we could just find the right cure, then Connor would change.

"I know it isn't much, but it's home," Evalynn says, interrupting his thoughts.

"It's perfect," he replies, watching as the statement makes her blush.

"D-do you, um, want to watch t.v.?" she asks him.

He nods and they sit down on the couch. She turns on the t.v. and finds some game show that's playing and she immediately gets sucked in, playing along and getting answers before the contestants do. But Connor isn't paying attention to the screen. He keeps his eyes on Evalynn and can't help but think that this beats getting high any day.