Best Friends? (Connor Franta Fan-Fic)

Chapter 4

The month of December closed in quickly, sometimes leaving clouds of thick snow covering the ground. It was the time of year to drink hot chocolate by the fire, covered with a thick blanket while watching old Christmas cartoons. People go outside, building snowmen or having snowball fights. 

I used to carry out these activities with Connor, but sadly, I haven't seen him in several weeks. Not since Thomas showed up at my door. He left that afternoon, and I haven't seen him since. I'll admit I miss him. He used to come over every day, and I haven't seen him in 4 weeks. 

At the moment, I am curled up on the window sill in my room, a cup of hot chocolate in my hands. I had slept in, so my hair was a mess, and I was still wearing my over-sized sweater and Sponge Bob pants that I had slept in. I haven't even left my room yet. My mother had placed the steaming drink on my bedside table before she left for work. 

Children were running around outside, burying each other in the snow. They screamed and ran, throwing snowballs and building snowmen. I sipped my drink, watching the kids. Then something caught my eye. 

The Franta's front door had opened, Connor stepping out. He closed and locked the door behind him, making his way towards his truck that he had gotten for his birthday. He had a large bag slung over his shoulder, and he placed it inside his car, getting in after. He started the car, and in seconds he was speeding down the street, out of sight. 

 Curiosity got the best of me. I placed my now empty cup down, climbing off my window sill. I searched through my closet, grabbing out a pair of skinny jeans, and a long-sleeve shirt. I slipped on my combat boots and grabbed my jacket, running out of the house. 

I followed in road in the direction in which he went, soon finding myself downtown. Cars sped by quickly, older men honking as they passed. I was lost at this point. I didn't know where he went, so I was following an imaginary map. 

I let my feet carry me as my mind wandered. Why has Connor been so distant? We used to see each other every day, but lately he hasn't made an effort to talk to me. Does he not want me around? 

After several minutes, I found myself in a parking lot. It was completely empty except for a single car: Connor's new truck. I looked up at the building just a few feet away. It was the local gym. What was Connor doing here? I entered the building, met by a wave of heat. 

The inside was warm and clean, a young woman sitting alone at a desk. She looked up when I entered, smiling wide. 

"Hello there. How can I help you?" she asked. I looked around the room, afraid to meet her eyes. 

"My friends' truck is in the parking lot. I was wondering if he was here?" I asked, crossing my arms. 

"What's your friends' name?" she asked, leaning on one arm. 

"Connor. Connor Franta," I said, finally looking at her. A big smile spread across her face. 

"Ah yes, Connor. Quite the gentleman. If he didn't keep talking about this girl he liked I would just take him and keep him for myself. I'm guessing you're that girl? He didn't mention a name," she said. A wave of jealousy spread over me. A girl? 

"No, that's not me, but he hasn't mentioned any other girl," I said. "Is he here or not?" 

"Yes, he's here. Right through that door," she said, pointing at a set of doors on the far side of the room. I nodded, crossing the room to the doors. I pushed them open, entering the main part of the gym. 

Guys and girls were spread out across the room, some boxing, others lifting. A large boxing ring stood in the center of the room, surrounded by red and blue ropes. I scanned the area, looking for my brunette friend. 

On the far side of the room, two tall guys stood. One had pads on his hands, taking the blows of the other man, who was wearing thin gloves as he threw punch after punch. It took me a minute to realize that this man was Connor, and the other was Thomas. They were both wearing just basketball shorts, sweat covering their bodies. I slowly made my way over to them, watching what they were doing. 

So Connor had taken Thomas up on his offer? 

Their was a table located a few feet away from where they were standing. I climbed onto it, sitting cross-legged as I watched. Connor was completely focused on what he was doing. He didn't miss a single hit, and his blows were hard enough to knock Thomas off balance a few times. 

I didn't move from the table until they were done, about half an hour later. Thomas had raised his hand in the air and Connor had instantly stopped, standing straight as he wiped sweat from his brow. 

"Nice work, Connor. See ya tomorrow?" Thomas asked, taking the pads off his hands. Connor nodded. 

"I'll be back at the same time," he said, taking his gloves off. Hearing his voice made me realize how much I had missed him. He starting walking towards the small doorway just a few feet away from me. He stopped when he spotted me on the table. His face flushed red, not able to meet my eyes. 

He continued towards the door, and I followed after him. The hallway was short, which led us into a locker room. No one was in here, so I turned and shut the door, turning to face him. 

"Explain," I said, placing my hands on my hips. Connor stood with his back facing me. 

"I did what I thought was necessary," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"How was this necessary?" I asked, my rage growing. He sighed, turning to face me. 

"I need to protect you, and this is the only way I can do it. I'm getting stronger, and if I earn myself a reputation, maybe then people won't mess with you. I just need you to be safe," he said. 

"Connor, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't need to be protected? I can handle my damn self!" I yelled, balling my hands into fists. 

"Don't curse," he mumbled, as if he knew that I wasn't going to stop. 

"I thought we agreed that you weren't going to do this. After what Thomas did, do you really think you can trust him?" I yelled. 

"Thomas is my friend," he said quickly. 

"He wasn't your friend when you were threatening to kick his ass a month ago. Speaking of a month ago, do you want to explain why you've been avoiding me these past few weeks? Why have you been so distant? It's this whole boxing thing, isn't it? This is exactly why I didn't want you to come here. It's changing you." 

"God damn it, I'm doing this for you, May! I'm trying to keep you safe," he yelled suddenly, scaring me. Connor never yells. "It scared the shit out of me that night. I'm trying to keep you safe so that kind of thing doesn't happen again. I'm doing this for you!" 

I stood completely still through his rant. Why is he yelling? After a few seconds, he seemed to calm down enough to realize what he just did. His eyes went wide as he stared at me. 

"No, May, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you," he rambled. He took a step towards me, but I took a step back. I didn't want to be around him if he was going to start changing. "I'm sorry," he whispered again, reaching towards me and grabbing my arm. I jerked away, turning and opening the door. I ignored his yells as I ran down the hall and past the gym area, entering the room with the lady. 

"Did you-" she stopped herself when she noticed that I wasn't listening as I made my way towards the exit. I ran outside and across the lot, making my way home. 

"May, I'm sorry!" Connor yelled after me, but I wasn't listening. I should've never left home.