Step Into the Sun

30

After hanging up, Connor sat and stared at the wall for a bit longer until his eyes stopped leaking. He wiped away the tears left on his cheeks and headed downstairs to where Evan was making sandwiches for lunch.

"Hey," he greeted softly. "How did it go?"

"I don't know," Connor mumbled, sitting at the counter to watch him. "I didn't tell her anything. I got scared that she would be disgusted with me, so I told her to ask Zoe everything."

"Oh, that's nice of you," Evan sighed sarcastically. "Poor Zo."

"She'll handle it better than I could." He shrugged as Evan slid a plate across the counter to him, then sat at next to him with a plate in front of himself.

"Are you okay?" Evan asked after a few minutes of them eating in silence.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

"It seems like that would've been a tense phone call," he reasoned. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to bottle your emotions around me. You can trust me. I-I'm your friend, right?"

"You're my best friend, Evan," Connor confirmed with a small smile. "I would tell you if anything important happened, but I just vaguely told her about what my life has been like recently."

"Okay." Evan nodded, then glanced at the clock on the stove. "Well, we should head out soon."

Connor agreed and dashed upstairs to grab his shoes while Evan cleaned their dishes.

"I'm ready," Connor called, out of breath after running back downstairs with his shoes and jacket on and his messenger bag strung over his shoulder as per usual.

"You're strange," Evan giggled. He grabbed his own coat from where it laid on the table, tugging it on before heading to the front door with Connor in tow.

"You're cute," Connor shot back with a cheesy grin, causing Evan to roll his eyes.

They talked as they strolled along the sidewalk and out of the neighbourhood, in the direction of the park. Connor observed his new surroundings while he listened to Evan explain all of the different sights.

"That's my old grade school, a couple blocks that way is where I went to high school... Jared's house is down there and a few streets over. That's where my mom's friend used to live. She had a daughter who I was friends with when we were like ten. Down there is the green belt where a bunch of popular people used to smoke pot but then someone told the police and they busted everyone."

Connor snorted at that part, amused by the story. He wrapped an arm around Evan's shoulders, pulling him against his side.

Eventually, they reached a small cemetery where Evan stopped to open the gate. He turned to face Connor, who, as expected, looked a little confused.

"Um... This is where my grandma was buried," he explained quietly, avoiding Connor's eyes. "I was really close with her. So was Mom. She died when I was thirteen. Y-you don't have to come with me to see her if you don't want to, I know it's kinda weird to bring a friend to see a dead person but I-"

"I'd love to go with you." Connor cut him off with an understanding smile.

Evan nodded and turned to lead him to his grandmother's grave. As they approached the correct headstone, Connor noticed a bunch of little plants growing around it, contrasting the array of bouquets resting on top of the surrounding graves.

"She always said that flowers were prettier alive, so Mom and I planted these for her," he explained softly. 

"They're beautiful," Connor commented, looking at the different plants, a couple with flowers in full bloom.