Turned To Stone

Chapter 6 - Zoe

I didn't think Evan noticed my reactions to Connor's general existence at first. It was easier for me to ignore him when he had locked himself away in his room, hissing at anyone who tried to disturb him.

I guess I was wrong.

"Do- do you- I can- can ask Connor to t-turn- turn off the- y'know...." Evan wrung the edge of his polo between his hands. Zoe had the random thought that he might put a hole in it, and then wondered if he had done so before.

"You mean his music?" She asked.

Evan nodded quickly. "Since- you know- I can- I can talk to him."

"Does he scare you?"

Evan looked surprised. "Huh?"

Zoe shrugged. "He can't affect you. Does he still scare you as much as he scares the rest of us?"

"N-no."

She frowned. "You don't sound so sure."

Evan laughed nervously. Zoe couldn't help but smile. His laugh was... unique, to say the least. Sort of human, sort of like little pebbles being poured from a bucket. 

"I never- never s-sound sure." Evan finally said, looking down at his hands.

Connor cranked his music up a couple more notches and Zoe gritted her teeth. She briefly wondered if he had been listening to them or something.

Evan got up, but Zoe moved faster, grabbing his wrist. "Evan, don't."

"Why- why not?"

She frowned. "He'll lash out."

"He can't- y'know- c-can't hurt me."

Zoe bit her lip to keep herself from saying he didn't sound sure. Again.

"He'll lash out at us. Once you're gone." She figured honesty was the best policy. 

Evan smiled a little. "I think- I th-think I can f-figure it- it out."

Zoe let go of his arm reluctantly.

He walked out of her room and down the hall. She didn't hear anything he said to Connor, but he was smiling when he came back into the room.

The music turned on in Connor's room again, but Zoe had to smile when she realized it was much quieter than before.

"What did you tell him?"

Evan shrugged. "That it- it made m-me rattle." His entire body made a grating noise and Zoe jumped. "I-I can do- do it on- whenever- on command."

"That's... cool actually. Thank you."

He nodded and sat down on the bed again. "Glad I- I- happy to help."

Zoe joined him, pulling her homework over again. They worked in silence for a minute but she couldn't focus on what she wanted to.

"Evan?"

He didn't answer, but he looked up at her. Zoe put her homework aside.

"Why are you so determined to defend Connor?"

Evan looked surprised, then frowned. "Why- why not?"

Zoe made an annoyed noise. She didn't mean to, it just popped out. "He's- I don't know how else to say it. He's mean. He's vindictive, he's aggressive, he's borderline crazy. He lashes out at us and he's got no problem with turning people to stone to get what he wants-"

"That's not true!"

His voice was surprisingly clear.

Zoe frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He- the other day- day at lunch-" Evan groaned in frustration and grabbed his notebook, beginning to scribble furiously. Zoe watched, confused, but waited for him to finish.

He handed the notebook over and she peered down at the page.

The day he turned you into stone in the cafeteria I found him in the reptile room by the biology classrooms. He was freaking out and crying and I think the snakes were trying to help him but he kept telling them to shut up so I went in there and tried to help him and he was having a full on panic attack. I helped him through it.

 I think he's just as scared of himself as you all are of him because he doesn't know how to control what he can do and he can't talk to anyone because everybody's scared of him. He just needs someone to talk to, someone who can help him, and I think he'll get better. Maybe it won't fix everything perfectly but he needs help.

Zoe looked up at Evan, frowning. "Is this supposed to make me change my mind about him?"

Evan shrugged, wringing his polo hem again. "I just- y-you- I needed to- to tell someone."

She sighed and dropped the notebook on the bed. "I don't care. He's... I can't even describe how horrible he is. He's threatened to kill me. Actually attempted to end my life. And Mom's. And Dad's. I'm not going to feel sympathetic for him."

[A/N as always, tips on writing Evan's stutter/stammer are appreciated!]