-Collide-

~5~

A/N- Important thing to note while reading this chapter, it goes from the transition of using emails to texting, so this is basically just parallel to Connor's, if that makes any sense. Ugh I'm bad at explaining.

Evan wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to the loneliness his house offered.

He had just watched his mom enter, who said hello to him, asked if he had eaten yet, and then hurried off to bed. He couldn't be mad at her, she had just worked a twelve hour shift and then had class.

Evan shook his head, pulling up the email app on his phone. He opened one of his drafts and began to type away at it, occasionally stopping to think.

He was stopped, however, as his phone began to ring. Evan jumped at the sudden sound of his default ringtone while his phone buzzed in his hand. He looked at the caller ID to get clarification.

It was his dad. Mark Hansen. Or whatever new last name he had for himself now.

Evan didn't want to answer it. He wanted to shut out his so called father just like he did to him. He didn't want to give him another chance.

But Mark would contact Heidi about this and even though she doesn't like him talking to Evan, there isn't much she can do. Evan doesn't want to worry her anymore, so he answered the call.

"Hey champ!" Mark had said a little too enthusiastically. "How've you been?"

Evan winced at his tone. He was obviously trying too hard. "Umm... I've been f-fine. Broke my arm..."

"Really? How'd that happen?" Mark's enthusiastic tone didn't die down.

"Why'd you call?" Evan sounded irritated.

Mark just laughed, "Can't I just talk to my son?"

"You're- I-I'm not your son! You may have had a part in, in making me, but you haven't- you h-haven't talked to me in years!" Evan whisper-yelled into the phone.

"Mark Junior Evan Hansen, you do not talk to-"

"You don't get to c-call me that! Not after you left mom! Not after you left me! You don't know how much we've been s-struggling because of, of you! You're a, a horrible excuse for a father!" Evan didn't give him a chance to respond, because he'd hung up afterwards.

Evan usually was a fairly calm person. He didn't make big deals out of small things. This however was a big deal. It was his no good, cheater of a father, calling him after years of avoiding them.

He went to his bedroom and shut the door as quietly as he could, before falling into his bed. He buried his head into his pillow, and screamed into it so it was muffled. It wouldn't wake Heidi, he didn't scream loudly and she was a heavy sleeper.

No matter how much his dad wanted to pretend, Evan already knew he'd never truly care for them.

——
Dear Connor,
Why do some people pretend to care? Why do they renter our lives expecting something for nothing? My dad is acting like he didn't leave his family and is trying to rekindle our bond or something. I'm not interested in talking to him. He's had years to reach out to me.
I suppose something a little embarrassing would be the time I got stuck in a tree. I was just a little kid who loved climbing and got in over his head. That's literally it.
Snacks? Granola bar, quick and easy to eat. I don't snack much though.
You're fucking crazy if you think I sleep without my radio on. I don't like silence and I need something to fill the empty.
1. Stuffed animals or no?
2. What type of YouTube stuff do you watch? (I watch conspiracies, even though they make me anxious they're addicting)
3. You have to spill an embarrassing childhood story now.

——
Evan wasn't exactly sure how to handle an email asking for his number.

It was from Connor. It wasn't formatted like the usual emails were. It gave Evan a frantic and pleasing vibe, which made him feel uneasy.

There wasn't any reason as to why he was asking. It was just 'Send me your number. Please'.

Evan had no idea what could've been going on with him or if he'd even answer his question, so he sent a reply simply with his number, and a request to explain what was going on.

Little did he know how much this would change things.

——
Connor's parents knew about him, and Evan felt like he could only blame himself.

They'd been talking about sexism and the generalized picture perfect man for the picture perfect woman when clearly neither existed.

Don't get Evan wrong, he doesn't have any problem with people being flawed, he was just talking about how men should be able to be sensitive or able to cry without being judged.

Basically Evan was ranting about equal rights for both genders (plus fluid people and nonbinary people).

What he hadn't had known was that Connor brought his phone down to the dinner table, and when they heard it vibrating, it lead to questions. Questions Connor couldn't lie about.

In order to distract themselves, Evan decided to talk about how crappy his night had been.

Jared had already arrived from summer camp that day but made the decision to ditch Evan for his more popular friends. Heidi had promised they'd eat dinner together, but got called in (that was out of her control, so Evan understood that). In general, there wasn't a lot to do at home. Evan didn't want to go on a walk because he'd most likely run into a classmate that would just have to wave at him, and he'd rather not put up with that today, thank you very much.

|Connor|- honestly fuck kleinman. Didn't you say he uses you for car insurance

|Evan|- Yeah, I did. But I can't do anything about him.

|Connor|- well you don't need him. You have me

Evan tried to ignore how warm that simple message made him.

|Evan|- Even though we don't hang out outside of messaging?

|Connor|- ... that's besides the point. I don't wanna make you anxious, that'll make me feel bad

|Evan|- Connor, the more I'm around you, the more I'll get used to you.

|Evan|- Besides, EVERYONE makes me anxious. It isn't just you lol

|Connor|- hmmm... well maybe some other time, then. I'm busy this week

Evan had a sneaking suspension Connor was lying, but he wasn't the type of guy to call people out like that.

So, he had to suck it up as he was helpless to do anything else.