It Will Be Alright -- Treebros

Ten -- Dinner

I dropped Evan off before returning to my house.  I unlocked the front door, stepping in.  My mom looked up from her book.  "Connor, where have you been?" she inquired, giving a confused/concerned look.  "Why would you want to know?" I asked, irritated.  "I'm your mother, Con, I want to know what's been going on in your life," she replied, frowning.

I just rolled my eyes, "I don't have to tell you anything if I don't want to."  "Connor, listen to your mother.  Where were you?" Larry asked sternly, obviously done with my shit.  "Who was this friend, your drug dealer?" he growled.  I scoffed, rolling my eyes as my mom scolded my dad.

Zoe came down the stairs.  "Con, is something wrong?" she asked.  "Larry is an asshole.  Also, that person I like has a crush on someone else." I replied.  She frowned, hugging me a little.  "It's okay, Con, come here." She led me up the stairs to my room and I broke down in tears.

"I know they'd never like me, because I'm not even worth liking, y'know?" I cried, Zoe, hugging me and shushing me.  "Did they tell you who they like?" she asked.  "Yes," I answered, drying my tears and looking away.  Zoe continued, "Who do they like?"

I hesitated, "....you.  The person who I like has a crush on my sister.  What a coincidence.  They're probably trying to get close to me just to get closer to you,"  Zoe frowned, "Connor, I'm sure they'll like you soon enough.  Don't doubt yourself yet, you don't know that they don't like you."

I smiled a little.  "Maybe they do.  I don't know," I said hopefully.  Zoe smiled, "Now that's the spirit.  Can you please tell me who this person is?"  I sighed, "It's Hansen," She smiled, "I.  Knew.  It."  She started giggling like an insane person.  

"Okay, tell you what:  I can talk to Evan tomorrow, and we'll see if he'd like to come over for dinner.  Just to get to know the family and stuff, mkay?" she giggled as I rolled my eyes once again.  "Yeah, sure, okay," I said, a small smile on my face.

The next day, Zoe talked to Evan and convinced him to come over to our house.  Zoe drove Evan to our house and I drove home myself.  I arrived before them, getting everything set up.  I set the table and went to cook the food.  My mom came down, asking what I was doing.

"I'm having a friend over, you can help me cook if you want," I suggested.  She smiled, "Should I have your father come down?"  I shrugged, "As long as he doesn't fuck things up,"  "Language, Con." my mom scolded.  "Sorry, mom," I apologized, focusing on my cooking.  "It's alright, I'll have Larry come from his study, I'd love to meet your friend, and I'm sure he would too," she said gleefully.  As she walked upstairs to go get Larry, Zoe opened the door, Evan following close behind.  

I turned around, taking the food off the stove and setting it on the counter to cool down.  "I didn't know you cooked, Con," Evan said, rather fascinated.  I shrugged, "It's become a hobby of mine."  Zoe had Evan sit down at the dinner table as I laid out the food.  I sat next to Evan, Zoe starting a conversation with him and me.  

My mom then came down the stairs, "Larry will be down in a minute- oh, you must be my son's friend!"  My mom greeted Evan, shaking his hand and grinning from ear to ear.  Zoe and I just chuckled as Evan nervously greeted with a brief "Hi," 

Larry came down the steps, sitting at the table with us.  I glared as he sat down.  The five of us sat in silence, eating now and then.  Larry eventually spoke up, "So.... you're Connor's friend, huh?"  Evan looked up, gulping, "Y-Yeah, I guess you could say that."  Zoe grew nervous as well, knowing this most likely wouldn't end well.

"He has a name, Larry," I grumbled at my dad, him asking what it is.  "It's Evan," Zoe replied.  I crossed my arms.  "So, Evan... You and Connor have been hanging out lately, huh?" Larry continued.  Evan grew tense, yet I didn't know if he was tense because I was, or because he was.

"Y-Yeah, we have," he mumbled, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.  "My son has been getting into drugs lately, do you have something to do with that?  Perhaps you're his drug dealer?" Larry asked suspiciously.  

I stood up, slamming my hands on the table as Zoe and mom shouted, "Dad!" or "Larry!".  I furrowed my eyebrows in anger, holding myself back from punching Larry as Evan sank in his seat.  Zoe stood up, taking Evan's hand and leading him to her room to leave me with my parents.

"He is not my drug dealer!  You ruin everything!  God dammit, can't you handle the fact that I have friends?!  Evan is the last person you should expect me buying drugs from!" I lashed out, tempted to physically harm my dad.  My mom added in, "Larry, that is not how you treat guests!" 

My mom and Larry fell into an argument before both of them stopped, noticing that tears were streaming down my face.  "Honey, I-" "Connor, let's go," Zoe interrupted my mom, grabbing my wrist and leading me up the stairs while shooting a glare at our parents.

We got into Zoe's room and Evan rushed up to me, hugging me tightly.  "Connor, it's alright," he whispered as I hugged back.  Zoe went back downstairs and I immediately heard yelling from downstairs.  Evan sat on the bed, holding his head in his hands.

"Headache?" I asked, sitting next to him.  He nodded, "Everyone's so mad.  Can't you feel the tension?"  I nodded slightly.  "Ignore their feelings and focus on yours," I stated, trying to help.  He hugged me, gripping on tightly as if I would somehow be here one moment and be gone the next.

I felt more relaxed and at ease when I was near Evan.  I combed my hands through his hair, finding it more relaxing to do so than just sitting there while he held onto me for dear life.  Evan suddenly started crying, and I knew why.  He was feeling what I was feeling, so I tried my best to calm down in order to help him do the same.

I know that if I'm alright, he'll be alright.  We'll be alright.