Algid (#TronnorAU)

Chapter 4: The first walk

By the time the sun had dawned, Connor sat crossed-legged on the edge of his bed, his mind absent and his eyes wondering in no specific direction. He observed the black pavement turning grey, illuminated by the faint glow of early morning. He could hear the wind blowing off the leaves off the road, he could smell the musky scent of after rain in the air. Sometimes it was like this. Usually he would be a solid sleeper, and would have no trouble staying in bed past noon. And then, there was these other times in which no matter how tired or defeated, Connor stilled awake, aware of the world and his surroundings. His mind ran at ten thousand miles per hour, and yet, so slow.

Mikey was fast asleep in peace across from his end of the bedroom. Connor didn't need to be silent, because he slept like a dead log. That, and Mikey was by no means silent, given that he snored like a fully grown polar bear. In comparison to Connor's prolonged and deep sighs, he was a boisterous beast. But that wasn't what kept Connor awake, not by a longshot.

Connor hated to be treated like a hopeless case.

He loathed the people who thought they could look down on him and Alexis and feel sorry for them, like they were doing them some favor by doing so. He hated to feel powerless against them, and he hated to know that he was powerless. His entire life he had been powerless, and it was as if the world kept reminding him so each and every day. He would've taken ten times being made fun of by people who don't think over being pitied by people who don't care. But that was a luxury he didn't have, and even if he could he wouldn't, not for his sake but for Alexis'.

That's why he was adamant in his conviction when it came to the people around him, and this morning in particular, one person held his mind. The mysterious gas station kid surely was deserving of his hatred. But still, Connor couldn't bring himself to hate him, because after all, he did right the wrong of his trash of a brother. That was the only reason for which Connor had decided to stop hating the boy named Troye, and rather keep his person in perfect indifference. But was Connor even certain that it was because of Troye's doing that Tyde called to apologize to Alexis? He couldn't be sure. It might have been his parents instead. In fact, that probably was the case, it made much more sense.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorknob turning, opening the bedroom's door and letting the cold air from the hallway inside. Peeking through the frame and with terrible bed hair emerged Grace, who seemed like she had just woken up herself.

-"Mikey... Connor... time to wake up, you have to get breakfast..."—Grace greeted tiredly—"Oh! Connor, you're up already? Why didn't you come down to grab something to eat sooner?"

Connor noticed the rumbling of his stomach, and he wondered the same himself.

-"I'm usually up by six, so it's really ok if you wake up sooner, I can prepare you something to eat as soon as I'm up. Or if not you can take something from the pantry!"—Grace mentioned—"Anyway, you two should get showered; the bus will be here in forty minutes max."

Grace switched on the lights of the room before leaving and closing the door behind her. Mikey moved around in his bed for a bit before he sat up straight, still with his eyes very shut and his hair all over the place.

-"What time is it...?"—he asked, barely conscious.

-"About seven."—Connor answered.

-"Do you mind if I shower first?"

-"Go ahead."

Mikey left his bed, and walked dizzily into the bathroom. Seeing that he might take a while, Connor stood up himself and left the room, walking down the hallway three doors to his left, where he knocked softly.

-"Al?"—he asked—"Al, are you awake?"

-"Con?"—Alexis voiced from the other side of the door—"I'll be right there."