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"Mom, I'm going into town," Evan Hansen called over his shoulder, basket in hands.
Evan was what was you'd call "good looking," with honey blond hair and warm brown eyes, the color of rained-on soil but not nearly as dull. They actually seemed like they were full of light. He had a nice build and light skin, and always wore blue clothing.
The honey blond teen was the best-looking man in his village, yet nobody liked him much. He was prone to "possession," as others called it. He called them "attacks." It was when everything was so overwhelming and he lost control of himself, usually ending up crying.
Another reason why nobody liked him was that he wasn't the best in social situations. He'd be a wreck, have no idea what to say, fear that he was being judged worry about his sweaty palms- yeah. Not the best.
Today, however, was a beautiful day. And Evan was trying to convince himself that it would be just as good as pretty; he'd even written himself a note, explaining exactly why it would be a good day. He was one of the few literates in his village.
Evan sighed, preparing himself for the same, boring scene that was undoubtedly awaiting him. Then he pushed the door open and stepped outside.
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
"Bonjour!"
It was perfectly chorused, like a song. Everything seemed to happen like a melody that was rewound with the start of each day. It was boring. What's worse, the people always looked at Evan the same way, whispering behind their hands when they thought he wasn't looking. He pretended it bother him for his mother's sake.
"Good morning, Evan!" A familiar voice said.
Evan turned, smiling. "Good morning, Monsieur Frank," he replied.
"Where are you going on this fine day?" The man queried.
Evan laughed lightly. "Off to the library to return a book. It's about two lovers in Paris." Evan was a hopeless romantic. He loved those kinds of books.
"Sounds boring." Of course it does. Evan gritted his teeth.
"Well, I'd best be off!" And with that he turned and walked off.
Entering the library always gave Evan a little thrill. It was small, sure, but books could take him far away from here. He hated it here. He wanted out from the whispers and gossiping.
"Ah, the only other bookworm in town!" Alana Beck said with a smile. "Where'd you go this time?"
"Two cities in Italy. I didn't want to come back."
Alana beamed at him. "Well, I don't have any new books, but feel free to reread any of my old ones." She gestured towards the small bookcase.
Evan smiled gratefully, picking up his favorite. "Thank you, Alana. Your books are the only escape from this awful place."
"I agree. Have a safe trip!" Alana laughed, waving as Evan left.
Evan immediately buried his face in the book, walking and reading, ignoring all the chatter.
That is, until Jared came.
"Evan Hansen!" He called out, holding flowers. "May I join you for dinner tonight?" He held out the flowers.
Evan gently pushed the flowers away. "No, not tonight." He said firmly.
Jared's eyes flashed. "Busy?" He asked hopefully.
"No, not busy.." Evan mumbled, backing away.
Jared followed, easily keeping up. "Why not? I'm the most suitable man for a beauty such as yourself. Why must you keep rejecting my awesomeness?"
Evan sighed. Honestly, he couldn't stand Jared. Stuck up, full of himself, stupid, shallow. Just having a conversation with him made Evan want to bang his head against the wall.
Seeing his house, Evan quickened his pace. He moved to open the door-
"Evan, come on! Just say yes! Say yes, and you won't end up poor and alone! I am the only person here willing to tolerate you!"
Evan stopped dead. "When someone says no," he said softly. "They mean no." He ignored the sting of Jared's words, closing the door on his face.
Evan Kleinman. The words left an awful taste in his tongue. He could never imagine being the husband to that stupidity. That would tie him down here, and he wanted to be far, far away from here.
One day.