Printer Boy (Connor Murphy x Fem!Reader)

2. Smoke

The cafeteria bustles with activity as I enter through the double doors. It's huge, tables lining the entire thing, yet there's not a single empty one in sight. Shit, I think, mortified at the idea of sitting on the floor and eating alone. Fuck it. I turn on my heel and leave the noisy cafeteria, exiting the building and heading to the back of the school.

I sit down on a curb that faces the back wall, pulling out a joint and lighting it. I close my eyes. The tension leaves my body as I put the little piece of paper to my lips. I know it's not healthy, but weed is the only thing keeping me sane at this point. I exhale loudly, opening my eyes. 

And he's there. Connor Murphy. Sitting against the brick wall of the school, a joint of his own held between two fingers. He puts it to his lips, inhales, and blows the smoke right at my face. We're too far away from each other for the smoke to reach me, and I watch it dissipate a foot away from me. I blow smoke back at Connor. He laughs.

His laugh isn't pretty, exactly, but there's something about it that draws me in. It's not a humorous, haha-funny laugh. It's more of a laugh of disbelief. Or frustration. Or both. It's just like his eyes. Broken. Shattered. And once again I wonder if people see me as broken.

"Are you just going to stare at me?" Connor asks, his voice more scratchy than before. Almost as if he's been crying, although it might just be because he's high.

"What else am I supposed to do?" I say, standing up.

"I don't know." And then he laughs. Like it's the fucking funniest thing he's every heard in the world. And this time his laugh doesn't sound quite as broken. Something about it makes me laugh, which makes him laugh even harder. We laugh together, strangers, but somehow understanding exactly what the other one is going through. 

"We're really fucking high, aren't we?" I manage to get out between laughs.

"Higher than fucking cloud nine." He agrees, patting the floor next to him. "Sit down." I obediently sit down next to him.

"You're printer boy, aren't you?" I say, leaning against the wall as I sit. I can sense his body tense up next to me.

"Shut the fuck up."

"My bad." Connor scoffs, suddenly losing his playfully high demeanor.

"What's your name, anyway?" His voice is sharp.

"Y/n." I watch him take a drag, "If it makes you feel any better I lit my teacher's car on fire when I was eight."

"You what?" I can see him visibly stifle a laugh.

"I got angry 'cause she skipped me during show and tell time. The thing I brought was this lighter that was shaped like a unicorn. I got it at a seven-eleven. During recess I saw her car in the parking lot and I..."

"You lit her fucking car on fire?" Connor laughs out loud this time. I smile, I like making him laugh.

"Yeah. I lit her fucking car on fire." Just as I say this, the bell rings, loud and piercing. "Wait, um." I fish around in the pocket of my jacket and produce a sharpie. Grabbing his hand, I scrawl out my number.

"What're you doing?" Connor asks as I write.

"My number." I explain, standing up and brushing off my jeans, "Text me. We can get high together or something."

"Or light a car on fire?" A smile tugs at my lips.

"Or that. That works too."

Connor's POV

I watch her leave. I don't bother going to class, they won't expect me to be there anyway. I've always picked and chose the classes I attend. 

I stare at the numbers she wrote on my hand. Trace them with my index finger. Stare some more. Stare until they don't look like numbers anymore. This must be some kind of sick joke. Someone must have put her up to this, there's no way someone like her would actually want to be my friend. Fuck. I almost fell for it. No one likes me. No one cares. I bet no one would even notice if I disappeared.

I stand up, filled to the brim with self-loathing, and head to the computer lab.

A/N:

Ahhhhh I really hope you enjoyed! I promised myself no spoiler but I'll spoil you just this once. Connor WILL NOT die in this story. I love him too much for that. If you're enjoying this story so far I would really appreciate it if you could vote! ALSO I NEED FEEDBACK I CAN'T TELL IF MY WRITING IS SHIT OR NOT SEND HELP

- Vale