The Murphys weren't always so cold towards one another. They used to go on family picnics when Connor and Zoe were little. They would go up to the apple orchard and spend an entire day there as a family. They would all smile and laugh. Zoe and Connor would even play together and enjoy each other's company.
Connor had always had a tendency to lash out in anger easily. He was famous for throwing a printer at Mrs. G in second grade because he didn't get to be the line leader. That was one of the worst outbreaks he had, though. He could usually keep his fury under control.
It wasn't until Connor was in middle school that everything started to go sour.
In eighth grade, boys started bullying Connor. They called him names and constantly teased him. They knew they could get under his skin easily. They would always laugh at how Connor freaked out in his anger. Connor told his mom, but she just told him to not let what they said get to him. He tried his best.
Connor didn't tell anyone, but he had a crush on a girl named Molly during middle school. She wasn't afraid of who she was and marched to the beat of her own drum. She dressed the way she wanted to and listened to music that she liked and didn't follow the status quo. She listened to jazz and wore flowing pants, despite how many people told her that it wasn't normal to do any of those things. Naturally, Connor fell in love. She was just as different as he was, but she wasn't afraid to show it.
He decided that he wanted to ask her out, which made present-day Connor slap his forehead in embarrassment. He knew now that middle school dating was meaningless, but that point didn't penetrate his head until he was well on his way to high school.
He saved up his allowance for several weeks before Valentine's Day and bought Molly a bouquet of red roses. The "bouquet" was really two flowers haphazardly tied together with pink yarn he had stolen from Cynthia's yarn basket when she was into crocheting. He just wanted to tell Molly how he felt about her. He caught her after class and asked her to come with him to his locker.
Unfortunately, the second he pulled out the flowers, Morris and Oscar rounded the corner. Oscar and Morris were the two boys that tormented Connor the most. They called him so many awful names and beat him up every once in a while.
Morris and Oscar laughed when they saw the flowers in Connor's grip.
"You really think you can ask Molly out to cover up how gay you are? You're such a skinny twink. Why would you think anyone would want to go out with you, disgusting fag?" Oscar laughed.
Morris sneered at him. "Yeah. And what if Molly rejects you? Which, by the way, she will. You'd go all Hulk and start throwing stuff." Morris slapped the roses out of Connor's hands and ground his foot into the petals. The two boys walked off, laughing.
Connor ran off as humiliated tears welled up in his eyes. He ran down the halls to the counselor's office, hoping somebody would help him with what he was going through. The counselor sent him home for the day and told him to ignore the boys' words.
When Connor's dad asked what happened as he picked Connor up from school, Connor told him exactly what happened. His dad told him to not let the boys get to him. He even recited the old "sticks and stones may break my bones" adage.
After they arrived home, Connor rushed inside to hug his mother. She asked him what happened at school. Again, Connor told his story. His mom told him that the boys were just jealous of Connor's courage. She told him not to let their words bother him.
Nobody understood him! Connor ran off to his room sniffling. He knew that he was supposed to just ignore Morris and Oscar, but he couldn't ignore them every day for the rest of his life! He couldn't control his anger no matter how much he tried. He wanted to know how to make them stop saying everything they did. He wanted them to be punished for their actions!
He heard Zoe come home and walk up to her room. Connor walked out of his room, still crying. He pounded on her door.
"Zoe!" he called. No response.
"ZOE!" he shouted. Again, no response. Little did Connor know that Zoe was huddled under her covers in fright at the banging at her door.
"I HATE YOU!" Connor yelled at her. "I HATE EVERYTHING!"
He banged on her door a few more times. He wanted to talk to Zoe. He wanted to tell her about his awful day, but she wouldn't open her door.
He stomped back to his own room, frustrated with everything. He didn't eat dinner that night nor breakfast the following morning.
Both his parents called to him through the locked bedroom door that morning, pleading with him to go down to breakfast and then to school. He didn't listen. He was laying in bed with a pensive look on his face. He didn't want to talk to his cowardly parents who didn't even think to help him.
"We have to help him! He's crying out for help!" Connor heard his mother say.
"He doesn't want help. He just wants to stay by himself. Give him some time. He'll come around," Connor's dad said.
"We've been giving him nothing but time! It's time to get him an appointment with a therapist," Connor's mom said.
"He'll figure it out. Kids are always like this."
"And I suppose you would be the expert. Hell, you're on your computer all the time. How would you even know what our boy needs?"
"He needs time, Cynthia. Therapists aren't going to help him. They're just a waste of money."
"What about a yoga retreat? I heard about them on NPR this week. They're designed to help kids like Connor," Cynthia pleaded. Larry sighed.
"Fine. Find one. I hope it works," Larry said sarcastically.
A yoga retreat? Really? Connor wanted professional help! A therapist! Not some stupid yoga retreat. Connor heard his dad walk out the door, headed to work as always. His mom headed out about five minutes after to go to her taekwondo class. Or whatever class it was this week.
