We need more Kleinsen

Keys past midnight

•I'm honestly very proud of this one :3•

Boarding school AU
~Please listen to the song when informed~

Jared, Alana, Zoe, Connor, and Evan all went to a boarding school together.

Alana, Zoe, and two other girls named Veronica and Jenna were rooming together in the girl's wing.

Connor, Evan and two other boys, Rich and Jake, were rooming together in the boy's wing.

Jared, despite requesting to room with his other two male friends, got put with three boys he didn't know. Let alone, three dickhead jocks. Kurt, Ram and Dustin were unfortunately his roommates.

They taunted each other often, but the recipient for most of their teasing was Jared. Jared usually slept on the couches in the hang out 'living room like' area in the boy's wing or he didn't sleep at all due to his insomnia.

Jared was the type of person who locked away all of his insecurities and problems instead of going to someone for help. He was the person to endure the issue and suffer in silence, alone.

But everyone has their way to cope. Everyone has some key to unlock peace, even if they'd be locked out a little while later and the key was only temporary. The lock is ever changing and some keys can be brought back, while some others are a one-use-only type of key.

Jared discarded the 'cutting key', for he had done it once in middle school and immediately regretted it, promising himself to never again do it.

But one key that Jared used time and time again, while no one was around and everyone was fast asleep, involved actual keys.

Jared learned piano when he was five years old. He took lessons for seven years until he quit, losing interest in the lessons. Even though he quit, he actually played piano more often, learning whatever he wanted, than when he took lessons. Eventually it became a coping mechanism.

A key.

Once he started going to boarding school, he wasn't able to play piano to help unlock peace. His demons and insecurities and pain kept coming back and he couldn't get to peace. He had started biting his fingers, not fingernails. He started pulling his hair. He started clawing at himself. Anything to feel pain without breaking his promise to himself.

Doing those helped his enter peace for only a short while.

He needed more though.

He was about to he surrounded and forced off the metaphorical plank into the sea of brokenness until he got an idea.

The music room had a piano.

Every night Jared would sneak out to play all the songs he learned over the many years.

No one seemed to notice or be bothered by it, so he kept doing it. Night after night after night. He wasn't sleeping, but he was used to that anyways. Besides, playing was way better than sleeping in his book.

Of course he knew that eventually someone would find out and he would be mocked, criticized, lectured about sleep, or just be made uncomfortable. He knew that this couldn't go on until he graduated, but here he was! Senior year! And no one had caught him over the four years he had attended this school.

Until of course one night. He had to pass the rooms to get to the music room, which was in a different building. He noticed one door was opened, Connor and Evan's room. He passed it quieter than the other rooms, not wanting to wake anyone.

But it was open because Evan had gone to get an ice pack, for he had run into a wall and fallen over, hitting his head. Evan was on his way back when he saw Jared tip toeing his way passed the rooms. Evan was curious Evan, so he followed him like a sneaky Evan.

Jared, unaware of the sneaky boy's presence, left the building. He walked along the path that lead to the electives building.

He pulled out two barrettes that he had stolen from Zoe when they were hanging out in her room one time. He used his lock picking skills to unlock the door to the building. He walked in and made his way to the music room.

Evan quickly placed his hand in the door before it could close all the way. He followed Jared from a safe distance, wondering why Jared Kleinman was sneaking off into the electives building at 1:43 in the morning.

He followed Jared to the music room. Jared didn't close the door behind him. Evan stayed outside, hiding behind the wall separating the hall from the room.

Jared walked over to the piano, grazing his fingers over it lightly as he sat down on the bench. Jared was facing away from Evan, making it so Evan wasn't able to see his front. Evan was a little disappointed but slightly relieved at the direction Jared faced.

Jared looked at his hands as he delicately placed them on the keys. He thought of his desired song and heard and saw it flash through his head, giving off a light purple and blue colour in his mind. He remembered this particular song very well knowing he could flawlessly play it with ease to unlock peace. His foot delicately sat on top of one of the petals.

He started playing Insight XIV.
~Please listen to the song now~

Jared's fingers gracefully hit every last note and his foot pressed the petal when needed and even in a couple extra spots to make it sound more interesting and dramatic. He didn't even notice the tears falling down his face until he felt some hit his hands. He closed his eyes, not needing to look and let his head lean back slightly as he got into the song.

He let himself play and be free and calm. He find peace dwelling within the keys that his fingers pressed.

Evan watched in awe, amazed by the beauty ad grace that the piano and Jared produced.

Evan noticed the song coming to an end as it got slowly quieter. The last note hung in the air still.

He saw Jared's hands fall to his side.

Evan was awestruck and incapable of doing much, so he used one of the only muscles that was working at the moment. He clapped for his friend.

Jared looked behind him at Evan, shock, sadness, and peace evident on his face. Jared looked down.

"Just get it over with. Just say it."
Jared muttered as more tears fell.

Evan was shocked and confused.

Jared noticed the confusion and proceeded.
"Say I'm lame. Say I'm a loser. Call me a pussy. Call me a fag. Just... get it over with so we can both leave."

Evan, as fast as a bolt of lightning, rushed over to Jared and engulfed the shorter boy in a comforting hug. Jared relaxed slightly into the embrace.

"I would never call you those. You were amazing. Better than I could ever do, let alone memorize perfectly. It was breathtaking. It was beautiful. You're so talented and amazing. Don't ever think otherwise. And anyone who says that to you can go suck Ram's stinky micropenis."

Jared chucked a little and said,
"Wow Evan. Language. I never expected Evan Hansen to ever say someone has a stinky micropenis."

They both shared a laugh.

"Jared,"
Evan's face turned more serious,
"You seriously need sleep though, how often do you do this? I'm assuming every other night, possibly more?"

Jared nodded shamefully.

"I'm just concerned about you. Just, if you ever need help, or just an ear to listen, you can always come to me. Don't worry about being a burden or whatnot. I don't mind"
Evan finished.

Jared smiled, real.

Evan became a long lasting key. As long as Evan was there for Jared, he could find peace within him. And Evan could find it within Jared as well.

Keys.