Dark Red Rose (Tree Bros)

12

Connor's POV

I shrug past Zoe as she leaves for school. I jog around to my backyard. I relax with my back leaning on my house. I pick early dandelions and shiver in my hoodie. It's too cold for this, but I don't care. It's pretty. I glance through the trees at Zoe's old swing hung from a sturdy tree branch.

I weave my way through the bushes and trunks of bare trees until I reach the swing. I remember picking through these few trees with Zoe when we were small. Everything was an adventure in our brains back then. I wish everything was as fun, easy, and interesting as it was when I was younger.

Memories of smiles and laughter fill my brain. The swing seems so low to the ground now. Standing beside it, I push the swing around with a loose grip on the rope. I sit on the swing and hear the once familiar creak of rope and wood. My knees are up at waist level, how could I ever have fit on this thing when I was younger.

I stand up and walk back inside my house and into the office. I pull the big photo album off of the bookshelf. Connor's first birthday, second, Zoe's first birthday, third, second. This isn't in perfect order, but they're all dated. I see pictures of me and Zoe on the beach, I'm nine. The photos of me stop when I'm about 12. The photos then are Zoe, only Zoe. Little Connor, why did you stop mom from taking pictures. I want to remember. I flip through until I find a picture from three years ago. We're at the top of the Empire State building. I'm wearing a green t-shirt and I'm grinning. That was the happiest day of my life since sixth grade. I haven't been more happy after that until...

Until Evan showed up in my life. Suddenly I slam the photo album closed and shove it back into the bookshelf. I run upstairs and down the hall to my bedroom and dig in hoodie and pant pockets to find my credit card or wallet. I find the card in the back pocket of a pair of black jeans hanging over the edge of my underwear drawer. Shoving the card and a book into my bag, I swing the bag onto my shoulder and sprint back outside and to the bus stop.

The bus arrives almost immediately and I take it to the last stop, reading my book on the way. I finish the book by the time I get to the train station. I walk up to the station clerk's booth.

"One ticket to New York City," I say.

"One way or round-trip?" The clerk asks.

"One way, I guess," I shrug.

"That'll be $32.75," he tells me and I slide the card under the glass. He takes his time, but eventually gives me my card and my ticket. "The train leaves at 10:15 from platform 9, it'll be best to get to the platform now, the train will arrive in 20 to 25 minutes."

"Uh, okay, thank you," I say turning to walk towards a sign. I follow the signs to the left for platform 9. I get to the platform and stare at the wall between platforms 9 and 10, it's funny because the book I randomly picked up happened to be a Harry Potter one. I settle into a bench and in another half hour I get on the train. I'm able to finish the book with extra time to watch the people around me. I get
out of the station and take out my old metrocard from inside my phone case.

I take the subway to Times Square and look at all of the theaters. Looking down I start to weave my way through people I bump into someone shorter than me. They have dark clothing and a grey messenger bag. Haha a Connor Murphy look-alike. I glance up at their face. I hear a "sorry" mumbled as he looks up at me.

"Hi, Evan."

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guess who's just adding stuff to make the story longer? this bitch right here