..But Not Because We're Gay - A Tree Bros Fanfic (Dear Evan Hansen)

Chapter XXII

The Finale

Evan went to school two days later. Monday.

Jared still hadn't mentioned Connor's disappearance. He didn't want Evan to be any more upset than he has been over the last two weeks.

Evan's memory of Connor was pretty much as existent as his outgoing, happy personality. He went to through the library and into the computer lab quickly before his next period.

"Whatcha doing, Hansen?" Jared strolled in as cocky as he did the first time. He stopped at the printer Evan was patiently staring at. A paper exited the machine and Evan grabbed it. He held it for a second to feel the warmth, as Jared had noted from before.

"Letter to yourself again?" Jared asked kindly.

"Yeah," Evan boringly replied. "Assignment for therapy again. You know the one you called um a se-"

"Ah your sex letters. Right."

Evan rolled his eyes. Zoe passed by Evan again, this time not saying a word. It looked like she had been crying recently. She looked distraught.

~

Evan walked out of his chemistry class after being called over the loudspeaker to go to the principal's office.

When he finally got there, he knocked on the door and walked in, nervous.

He noticed a stiff man sitting on the chair to his right. To his left, a woman sat quietly and she seemed approachable.

"Good morning. Um is Mr. Howard...?"

The man uncomprehendingly faced him.

"I was called over the speaker. Uh is he...?"

The man seemed to have understood. "Oh, Evan. We wanted to speak with you in private. Please, sit." He gestured towards a fold-up chair that faced the couple.

The woman took out a folded piece of paper from her purse. The man beside her whispered something in her ear, to which she replied out loud, "Larry, I'm going as fast as I can."

"That's not what I said, is it?"

The woman handed the paper to Evan. She frowned. "Connor... This is... Oh Evan, he wants you to have this."

Evan suddenly realized who she and the man - Larry - were. He opened the letter and looked away quickly. "He um gave this to you?"

"Oh he, it was addressed to you, um," Cynthia started. "These were words he wanted to tell you."

Larry added, "His last words."

Evan shifted on the uncomfortable piece of metal.

Cynthia and Larry exchanged a concerned look.

There was a pause before Larry said, "Connor, uh, he took his own life. In the orchard. He... He overdosed on some pills."

Evan looked to Cynthia for more information. She was bawling silently.

"He didn't..." Evan muttered. He glanced at the letter, Larry and Cynthia, then back at the letter. "Connor didn't, um, um..." Evan was in enough shock that he had forgotten.

"Larry, relax. Stop. He's in shock," Cynthia said calmly to Larry. "Evan, are you alright?"

Evan forgot who Cynthia was.

Cynthia had also been a bit fuzzy on Evan.

Connor's death got 'em all shook.

Evan mumbled something quietly. Larry asked him to speak up.

"I have so much work to do."

~