Dark Red Rose (Tree Bros)

1

Evan's POV

I wake up to the realization that it's my first day of senior year. It's my fourth year in this terrible place and I still am single and have no friends.  Well, I have Jared, but he doesn't count because he's a ~family friend~

"Evan, honey," I hear my mom call from the kitchen. "Come get some breakfast before school!"

"Coming, mom," this morning routine was not something I'd missed.

"I know it isn't anything special for your first day," my mom pants as I walk into the kitchen. She's hustling around in her work clothes, and she sets a plate of toaster waffles down on the cluttered table. "But, I'm late for work, I promise we'll have something nice for dinner." She hurries out the door.

I sigh and walk to the kitchen table and waffles. I see her head pop back into the house. "Chinese food! But, Evan, you'll be home before me even though I'm coming home early, so just order the food. I'll definitely make it home before they do.

"Okay, bye, mom," I say to the closing door. I pick up the plate and walk up the stairs to my room down the short hall. I set it on the food of my bed next to my laptop. I pull out a few shirts and decide on a new grey t-shirt, which I immediately exchange for the light blue striped polo you'll usually see me wearing. I don't want people to think I'm any different. I don't want anyone to notice me, they'll ask questions about my arm. I don't want to have to talk to people. I reach for a waffle, but my eyes flit across the computer screen. At the sad attempt of a letter to myself.

"Dear Evan Hansen,"

I look at the time in the top right corner. 7:30. I need to leave in ten minutes. I'm going to be late, but I take a waffle and try to think of what to write.

Uh.

"Dear Evan Hansen," I read over and over.

I slam the computer shut and race out the door, checking that its locked, and to Jared's house next door.

"He's not going to get you to school on time. He won't even drive you, take the bus," I tell myself, turning to walk to the bus stop.

"Talking to yourself, Hansen" I recognize Jared's familiar, mocking tone from his downstairs bedroom window.

I ignore his voice and walk away to the bus stop. I hop onto the first bus that comes and sit in the closest empty seat to the door. As soon as I get to school I head to the computer room. I take one step into the room and can tell its full. I spin around to leave and bump right into Connor Murphy. He smells slightly of smoke and what I think is pot.

"What the hell are you doing in my way?" He half yells.

"N-nothing. Um, I mean, well, I was going to write a le-" I stammer, my face heating up. I want to shrink away into nothing. I wanted to avoid talking to people, I've failed.

"Which is it?" Connor Murphy interrupts.

"I-I'm sorry, w-what?" I wipe my hands on my shirt.

"Why are you doing that?" He asks me, gesturing to my shirt.

"Uhh, I-I guess I'm j-just n-nervous?" I say softly, trying to hide.

Idiot.

"Hi, nervous. I'm Connor," Connor Murphy flashes me a big, cheesy, fake smile before pushing past me into the computer room. My face heats up. Was that a dad joke?!

Connor's POV (this is rly short. but, like, connor's pov is fun)

As I walk into the room I notice some girls whisper and quickly escape. Ouch. I shrug it off and settle in front of a computer to print out my summer homework. I notice that socially awkward kid sit in front of the computer farthest from me and start typing.

Evan's POV

"Dear Evan Hansen,"

I glance over at Connor Murphy to see his eyes flit away.

"Dear Evan Hansen,

Connor Murphy is really hot."

I feel my face heat up and delete the sentence. I mean, I know I'm bi and all, but I DO NOT like Connor Murphy. So, I type.

"Dear Evan Hansen,

Turns out this hasn't been an amazing day after all. This isn't going to be an amazing week or an amazing year, because why would it be?"

"Hansen!" I hear a familiar voice coming from the direction of the door. I turn around and see Jared already halfway across the room to my computer. "What're you looking at, Connor?" Jared glares at Connor Murphy. I smile at the sound of his name.

Connor's POV

"What're you looking at, Connor?" I hear the kid's asshole friend say. I shrug and glance at the awkward guy (Hansen I think his name was?) who's grinning like a maniac for some reason. What the fuck? I turn back to my computer quickly, but apparently not fast enough.

"OH. MY. GOD," the asshole gasps.

He saw me looking at Hansen, and he saw Hansen smiling. I roll my eyes, but direct my attention to the asshole, who gapes at Hansen.

"Evan, is Connor your boyfriend?!" The asshole laughs.

Evan. Evan Hansen. Cute. But, not like that. God, Connor, you're straight. Right? I think, yeah. And, also apparently talking to yourself in your head? That's weird, get  out.

"No, Jared, obviously not," Evan rushes. "I d-don't even k-know him."

"Suuure, you're probably writing about him right now," the asshole, Jared, tries to peer at Evan's computer screen.

Evan's POV

I try to cover the screen, but Jared reads aloud, "'Dear Evan Hansen, turns out today hasn't been an amazing day after all. This isn't going to be an amazing week or an-' God, Evan, this is just depre-"

Jared is stopped by a punch in the jaw coming from Connor Murphy, who briskly escapes the room, grabbing his bag from his chair and his paper from the printer as he leaves. I notice a folded piece of paper on my keyboard that Connor Murphy must have dropped. I carefully slip it into my pocket before Jared can see.

Jared adjusts his now probably broken glasses and curses, storming out of the room as well. Leaving me alone there, with a couple baffled sophomores. I close my computer window, logging out, and I set out to find Connor Murphy and return his note.