Unlikely Lovers

10: Evan

Evan dragged Connor to lunch, Jared was mortified as the sat down at the table beside them. And he didn't try to hide it. But he bit his tongue, not without shooting Connor a couple of dirty looks though, which Connor just smiled politely to. They were sitting for only a couple of minutes when a girl walked up and sat next to Jared.

"Oh hi there, it's Evan right?" Evan nodded.

"Yeah you're Alana, from history?" Alana smiled.

"Wow i cant believe you remembered! How did your maths assignment go?" Evan smiled.

"Yeah great! Connor and I both got an -A." Alana smiled.

"That is amazing Evan you should be proud, you too Connor. We have biology together, and English in the 10th grade do you remember? When we did that project on Huck Finn?" Connor sniggered under his breath.

"Don't you mean Fuck Finn?" Alana laughed.

"Yeah you did always call it that, no one these in the class thought of that one." Evan turned to Jared.

"So when did you start sitting with Alana?" Jared rolled his eyes.

"Well you'd know wouldn't you if you didn't go frolicking off with Murphy." He spat. Evan shifted uncomfortably and Connor shot Jared a look. He sighed.

"Alana and i are working on a biology project together so i offered her to come sit here so we could work on it." Alana nodded enthusiastically.

"Normally i just eat my lunch in the bathroom because no one ever wants to sit with me." She smiled and started eating the chips off her tray. "So Connor," Jared flinched in his seat as Alana started talking.

"So Jared says your friends with Evan now?" Connor nodded, taking a sip from Evan's soda that Jared bought back from the lunch queue.

"And that you send kinky gay emails to each other?" Connor nearly spat his drink everywhere, Evan started blushing violently and Jared, Jared just sniggered to himself. Evan stepped on Jared's foot.

"Um ow! Hey it was just a joke man geez." Evan piped up.

"Hey Alana. Did you know that Jared likes to cronch bathbombs?" Jared went completely red.

"Haha what?" Jared whispered quietly.

"It was like one time i was drunk." Evan chimed in.

"Well the first time you were drunk yes, but the other three or so times you were sober- i have them on video." Alana burst out laughing.

"What does a bathbomb taste like Jared?" Jared straightened himself up trying to act cool.

"Well it depends on what one you get really, some are sort of fizzy while others are more-" Jared went on explaining, sharing his bathbomb expertise with everyone. Alana was talking about all her extra-curricular activities including feeding the homeless and volunteering at the animal shelter on weekends. Evan told some of his classic tree jokes. Alana laughed the hardest out of everyone.

"That's so funny Evan, and i find it so inspiring that you care so much for the state of our environment." Evan looked over, and to his surprise he found Connor and and Jared talking. Like civilised people, they weren't even trying to strangle each other and Jared seemed really interested in what Connor had to say. Evan joined the conversation.

"Hey what are you guys talking about?" Jared turned around and smiled.

"Oh Connor is telling me where to get some good dope." Evan blinked.

"What?" Jared shrugged.

"Ya know, 420." Evan just looked at him, eyes wide and confused. Connor peered over.

"Weed Evan, he's talking about weed." Of course, the only time that Connor Murphy and Jared Kleinman would ever get along is if their are drugs involved. A few minutes later everyone was talking amongst themselves, about music and tv shows and homework. Evan found himself overcome with the strangest feeling. Or rather the absence of one. He didn't feel alone. I mean sure with Connor he knew he had a friend but the both of them were as broken and vulnerable as each other. But this, this was different. Evan just felt like a normal high school kid. Just a group of kids sitting at lunch talking, something so simple just made Evan feel so... complete.

...

When school finished, Evan went home and opened up his laptop. Jared requested a skype call, Evan answered.

"Hi Jared." Evan watched as Jared sunk back in his chair.

"Sup." Evan raised his eyebrows.

"So. Lunch wasn't that bad was it?" Jared sighed.

"No Connor is a dick and an asshole and is definitely going to murder you in your sleep but i have to hand it to him, the guy knows his pot." Evan just stared him down. Jared threw his arms up in defeat and sighed.

"Oh alright, he's not as bad as i thought. Still a psychopath, but he's... alright." Jared swallowed hard at the last word, as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "But anyway about you Evan. You've changed bro." Evan shrugged.

"How, how do you mean?" Jared laughed.

"How do you mean? Was today not enough for you? Couple of weeks ago you wouldn't have even had the balls to say one opposing word to me, and now? You're full on roasting me and freaking pulling the blackmail card on me!" Evan played with a loose key on his laptop.

"Sorry."

"God Evan don't ruin it! You're actually fun to hang out with when you've got a pair of balls." Evan frowned. "Okay bad expression but still, you're getting confident which is a good thing, as long as it doesn't interfere with my car insurance." Jared's perky tone became more serious, "It's a good thing Evan and i know i don't say this, and i never will say this again and if you ask me about it i will deny everything, but i care about you man. Sure it was kinda a pain getting stuck with you at first but i do care about you. And i know you've had it rough, ooh scrap that that just sounds kinky, um... things have been difficult for you and i just hope things turn around for you. That you can start being happier, like you used to be as a kid when my parents always dragged me to all your lame parties." Evan laughed, but he was really touched by what Jared said. He never knew that Jared actually cared about him, even it is mainly because of the car insurance. "Well yup i said that moving on." Jared sniggered, "But Evan i must say, with your behaviour of late, perhaps Zoe is not the only Murphy you're trying to impress..." Evan looked at Jared blankly.

"What, what do you mean exactly?" Jared played coy, started swinging in his chair casually.

"I mean it's not for me to say or anything but you know since you can Connor started hanging out together i mean-"

"I don't like him like that." Evan blurted out. Jared sat up and smiled mischievously.

"I never said you did Evan. I never said you did." And with that he hung up. Evan panicked, scrambling for his phone.

Evan: Jared, Jared it's not like that please

Jared: I didn't say anything Evan

Evan: You know what i mean just don't go drawing conclusions

Jared: So I'm not allowed to believe that you and Connor are two individuals who happen to be of the same sex sharing a platonic relationship with absolutely no romance involved? That's a conclusion isn't it?

Evan: You know what i mean, don't go spreading rumours about stuff you don't understand.

Jared: Okay Evan calm the fuck down i can hear you practically hyperventilating from here. I wont say anything geez I'm messing with you man.

Jared: And have fun on your date.

Evan: date?

Jared: Yeah? You, Zoe Murphy? She was talking to me about it in English, said you two had a date tomorrow.

Evan: Oh yeah that right, thanks.

Evan put his phone down and was overcome with a sickening realisation. He had completely forgotten that he was mean to be going on a date the next day.