Chapter Text
They have been driving for four and a half hours, and Evan Hansen has said "Mom, please." approximately thirty-six times. Reason number one being that Heidi has been reaching out to grab Evan's non-casted right hand multiple times while driving.
Reason number two is that Evan does not want to go to this school. One, he's leaving behind his mom. Sure, half the time he feels like she never even wanted him and that he's a constant burden on her life, but somewhere, deep down in his heart, he knows that she's heartbroken sending him away, and that's what causes him to want to rythmically slam his back into the leather seat over and over and over again. But he can't, because then he'd start coughing and then his mom would freak out and he can't let her do that while she's been driving for so long.
"This is gonna be good for you Evan. Dr. Sherman suggested that this school would be a good social experience and you can make some new, close friends, and I would do anything for you to be able to have that." Heidi says sincerely, even taking her eyes off the empty road for a split second to look at Evan and smile warmly.
Evan is also attending this school because he had recieved a partial scholarship due to his high grades that resulted from him being too nervous to let himself fail anything, meaning that Heidi could afford to send him there when Dr. Sherman said it might be a good idea.
Hughes Boarding School, for rich kids who could afford it no matter their GPA, or for actual smart children who had worked to be able to attend this school, which practically guaranteed acceptance into a four year university. For the record, Evan could not have given less of a shit about any of this, and was only going along with it because he wanted to see his mother happy- it was hard to say no to this experience when it was hope for Heidi.
"Yeah, mom, I'm sure. I- I think it'll be... good..." Evan replied, then continued to look at the dark grey sky, most likely preparing to storm down any second.
"I am so proud of you." Heidi said, and looked at Evan once they pulled up to a stoplight.
///
Connor Murphy had his earbuds in and his head tucked into the pillow he'd brought with him. His eyes were shut tight and although he wasn't trying to sleep, he wanted his family to think so, because another "Connor, we're paying for your education here so please try" lecture from his parents is not what he needed. He did let his eyes flutter open for a second to look at his sister Zoe, who was looking out the window. The ends of his mouth may or may not have flown up a little bit when he saw her smiling open-mouthed at the sky which was quite literally fifty different shades of grey, and she looked like a six year old again, getting excited at the colors of the sky and how mushed together the trees looked when you stared at them as you zoomed past.
It was in this moment that Connor knew he was way too tired, and he turned back towards the front, eyes going glued shut again.
It was his third year at this stupid school, third year of studying things he only cared about half of, and his second year of being overshadowed by his little sister who actually made an effort whether she liked the class or not. His dad sat in the front seat, making light conversation with his mom in passenger, but neither Zoe nor Connor paid any attention, so Connor really hoped they weren't trying to talk to them because that'd just spark an argument.
"Are you two even listening?" Connor heard through his earbuds. Then sighed, pulling them out.
"Sorry, what Mom?" Connor said plainly, getting Zoe's attention. Cynthia rolled her eyes and turned her head back to face her children.
"I said, I want you two to be respectful to your teachers and classmates this year. I don't want any phone calls saying that you yelled at your Anatomy teacher or punched anyone."
"I did not yell at him!" Zoe retorted. "I simply got a little upset about an F."
"You totally yelled at him." Connor said, Zoe shooting daggers at him. "What? I'm not saying it was without good reason."
"Connor! Stop encouraging her! I don't want any more calls about you hurting people either." Cynthia said, straining to not raise her voice.
"Okay, fine, no more punching people." Connor lifted his hands in defeat.
"Okay, good. We're almost there." Cynthia sighed.
///
Evan had closed his eyes at some point during the car ride, but never fell asleep, because that would be legitimately impossible. He forced his eyes open when the car stopped and he saw that they had arrived in front of a large array of buildings that half looked like an old English castle and half like army bunkers.
"Shall we?" Heidi asked, and popped open the trunk, getting out of the car and pulling out two bags.
Evan jumped out quickly and walked around to the trunk. "Here, I-I'll take them, don't worry." He said, sighing, and slinging the backpack over his shoulder and taking the handle of the suitcase from Heidi, who closed the trunk.
Evan turned around and faced the large main school building and took a deep breath in. This time, he reached out for Heidi's hand, and she took it without asking.
"Come on. Registration is in the main building there, for 11th graders it's in..." Heidi fumbled around in her purse for the slip of paper she'd printed out before leaving. "Here it is, uh, room 104. I think. Oh well, we'll see when we get there!" she gave a weak chuckle and squeezed Evan's hand.
"Right. Okay."
///
"What do you mean I'm moving houses?" Connor asked Mr. Randall, at the 11th grade registration table.
"Sorry- we got a special request to put two brothers in the same house so we had to move someone. The good news is that there's only 423 students at this school so you'll probably know who's in your new house."
"That is the opposite of good news." Connor sneered.
Mr. Randall sighed. "Okay- Murphy, Connor, you will now be staying in the Palm house. Room 2C." He said, handing Connor a piece of paper, who just rolled his eyes and stormed to the other side of the room so Zoe could get her things.
"Here's your other bag, Connor. You gonna make it to your house okay?" Cynthia says, handing Connor a messenger bag.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Connor says, grabbing the bag and walking away to the faint sounds of his mother saying goodbye. He knew that his parents were gonna wait around to help Zoe, but it's not like he even wanted their help in the first place, so it totally didn't matter to him at all.
Turns out the Palm house had a very literal name, because when Connor reached the house, he quite literally wanted to vomit. The house was a bright yellow color, and there were decals of palm trees plastered in the windows. The sign out front that read "Palm House" had an inflatable palm next to it. As he walked up to the porch, Connor looked around and kicked over the inflatable tree really quickly, chuckling and walking the rest of the way into the house.
Definitely not being polite enough to knock or ring or anything, Connor opened the door and stepped inside hastily, coming face to face with a very tall, intimidating looking bald man, who could not have been older than 45.
"I knew there was gonna be one. All black, girl hair, and a slamming doors tendency. Listen up- this may be your house while you're here, but if you cause anything to break, the next thing to be broken will be you." He snarled, getting up into Connor's face.
Connor was definitely somewhat intimidated by this man, but not nearly enough to let it show on his face more than leaning backward ever so slightly. He held his hand out for the man to shake. "Connor Murphy."
The man does not take Connor's handshake offer, but looks down at the papers that he has in his hands. "My name is Ryan, I'm in charge of this house, and also a PE coach at the school. Murphy. Here's your keys, second floor, third door to the left."
Connor faked a smile. "Thanks." He nodded at Ryan and walked up the wooden staircase, looking at the windows that desperately needed to be dusted and the deep brown-red of the railing, how it seemed mostly smooth except for the small spots where bubbles had formed in the polyurethane and hadn't been smoothed over before it dried.
The second floor hall was just as musty as the first, this time with more small tables with dead plants on them, and Connor had to wipe off the plaques next to each room to make sure he was going into room C. Once he did, he closed the door and sighed, rolling his eyes. The room was rather small, with a bunk bed on the left and a single twin bed on the right, and a window in the middle with a large dresser underneath it. Connor let out a huge sigh, simply thinking that it looked like all the other rooms. He barely took a step before he heard some grumbling, and a booming nasally voice:
"Wellllll looks like we've got customers!" Connor nearly jumped, and a figure appeared from the top of the bunk bed and smiled. He was a pudgy, tall guy with dirty blonde hair and glasses that looked like something Connor's grandmother would wear.
"Jesus Christ, Kleinman. Give me a heart attack, why don't you." Connor said, deadpan, putting his things on the lower bunk. "Had I known I was getting the honor of sharing a room with you, Jared, I'd've stashed myself back into my parent's trunk and not gotten out until we were in the fast lane on the highway."
"Well, Connor, still wearing out that school shooter aesthetic in our junior year, now. Please, dear God, tell me we're getting another roomate." Jared jumped down from the bunk bed, as Connor remained unresponsive, and looked out the window again.
It's not that Connor and Jared hated each other deeply on a personal level. In all honesty, they didn't know each other at all, it's more that a lot of people had this predisposition that Connor was shady and going to get the wrong idea from the movie Heathers one day, leading Jared to continually throw insults at him just like everyone else, and Connor replied snarkily, just like he did with everyone else.
///
"Okay Evan, do you want me to help you with your bags or are you good here?" Heidi asked as the two walked up to the porch of the looming yellow Palm House.
"Uh, u-um I think I-I'll be fine here, Mom. Thanks, Mom." Evan said, smiling at Heidi. Heidi simply giggled and pulled Evan into a hug, which lasted for God knows how long, but it wasn't nearly as long as Evan knew he needed.
"Thanks, Mom." Evan said again when they pulled out. He picked up his bags and smiled at his mom one last time, before turning around and taking the couple of steps to the door, and he stopped before doing anything. Should he knock? Would anyone answer? Was there anyone the house? Was this even the right house? Before another thought entered Evan's brain, he realized he was knocking on the door already.
The door was opened and Evan was greeted by a tall man with a huge beard, smirking down on him. "Come on in, son." He said, and gave a big smile to Heidi, and waved at her while he closed the door behind Evan.
"I'm Ryan, the charge of this house. I'm also a gym coach up at the school. Name?"
"Oh-uh- Evan. Evan- Ha-Hansen. Evan Hansen. Yeah." Evan replied.
"Hansen. Room 2C. Third door on your left." Ryan says, handing Evan a key.
"Th-thanks." Evan forced a smile and took the key.
"Hey, don't sweat it kid. There's a lot of great people here."
"Ok." Evan said and grabbed his bags, treading up the stairs and to the room.
When Evan pushed open the door, there were two people already on the two bunks on the bed to the left, the one on top typing furiously on a laptop, and the one on the bottom bunk reading a book with the title painted out. As he walked in and put his bag down, the kid on the top bunk looked up and straightened his glasses.
"Hello!" he said quite loudly, startling Evan.
"Oh, uh, hi." Evan said quietly, continuing to quietly put things on his bed. The response had made the brooding kid on the bottom bunk look up as well, who chuckled and looked up at the top of the bed as though to be looking through to the top.
"Well look at that Jared, we don't get the pleasure of being the odd ones out with only one roommate." he said.
"Damn shame. Guess that puts our angsty drunk 3 am makeout sessions on hold." Jared said, then stopping to laugh at his own joke a little too hard. Bottom bunk kid simply rolled his eyes and sat up, eyeing Evan.
"Uh, hi. I-I'm Evan. Hansen." Evan said, slowly and cautiously out his hand for him to shake, then quickly switching hands when he'd realized he'd put out his casted hand.
The other kid simply chuckled and looked him seemingly right in the eyes, and Evan stared right back. They looked like sad eyes that had seen a lot.
"Wow! You must be new. I'm Jared Kleinman, that asshole is the Phantom of the Opera himself, Connor Murphy."
"Fuck off Kleinman, before I kick your ass." Connor sneered, laying back down on his bed and picking his book back up.
"Well, anyway, Evan, right? It might be nice for you to keep that naivety because that might stop Connor here from killing everyone else at any given moment." Jared said, turning back to his computer as Connor kicked the bed up from underneath. "This bedding situation was a horrible decision."