The two now much stressed parents went to pick up Sage and Tyde. Laurelle told the situation to her two children, both equally shocked.
"Ma, what about Troye?" Sage asked concerned, everyone in the household knew how special Connor was to Troye but Sage was the only one to know at what level of admiration Troye had for Connor.
"I don't know sweetie..." she trailed off, sighing.
When they got home Laurelle told everyone to just get to bed as it was quite late now, and she wanted to rather deal with Troye alone for now. She came into his bedroom to find the lights off and was fast asleep on his bed, still in his clothes from that day, clinging onto Connor's sweater for dear life and gradually falling off the edge of the bed.
Laurelle went knelt next to him, making sure he doesn't fall and stroked his curls out his face; she gasped to see his face blotchy, red, and covered in dry tears, her heart swelled. She shook him gently to wake him up.
"Con?" he mumbled, eyes still closed, trying to swat his mother's hand away.
"No honey, its mum," he opened his tired eyes and wiped them, his vision remaining slightly blurry.
"Is Connor home yet? I looked everywhere for him b-but I can't find him and-"
"Honey stop," Laurelle said placing her hand on his shoulder as he sat up from his previous uncomfortable position. "Connor's not coming back honey," Troye's face fell. "Here," Laurelle gave her phone to Troye so that he could listen the voice mail.
As he listened to it he started to cry once again. Laurelle rubbed his back reassuringly. He held the phone tightly and when it was over Laurelle took it out of his hand before it would crack in his grasp.
"It's going to be okay honey, we are all here for you, I know he was your best friend but remember you have other friends as well and-"
"It's not the same," Troye interrupted, his voice became deeper and steady, the tears now fell again silently.
"How is it not the same my boy?" Laurelle felt almost offended that he brushed her off like that but couldn't be angry it him because she knew he was hurt.
"You won't get it," he said harshly.
"Sure I will Tok."
"No...you really won't," and with that he got up from the bed and went to his bathroom, shutting the door loudly.
Laurelle sighed and felt like there was no way to get Troye to talk about this now so she went back to her bedroom, she knew if she stayed there she would bother Troye more and the last thing she needs is him shouting at her.
As the cold water ran over his skin Troye felt numb he couldn't be bothered to turn the hot water on. Connor is gone. I will never see him again. Why would he do that? Was that a story he made up so that I wouldn't be worried about him? What if he is actually still with Kate?
Troye dried himself off and looked to the mirror, he was disgusted by how he currently looked and quickly turned away before he was tempted to do something he knew he would not be proud of.
~~~
The next morning Troye still lay awake, not able to get a blink of sleep. He couldn't just forget him, it was that night Troye knew he was in love with Connor and he wasn't just come pathetic crush.
Laurelle walked in and sat beside Troye. He didn't even look at her, he just continued to stare at the wall in front of him.
"You don't have to go to school okay," Wasn't planning to.
