Friends with the Babysitter (a Dear Evan Hansen Fanfic)

Ch 8--Caught in the Rain

Evan walked out of school and groaned. It was pouring rain so thick it looked like a white sheet falling from the sky. And of course his coat didn't have a hood and he forgot his umbrella at home today.

    He sighed, pulling his jacket as far over his head as it would go and hunched his shoulders, pulling his backpack under his arm to keep it dry, and running down the steps and onto the sidewalk that would eventually take him to the Murphy house, where he was supposed to "meet his friend" so he could do Connor's chores.

    Evan slowed down a bit. What was the point in running fast? He was still going to be drenched by the time he arrived.

    A horn honked from behind him and he turned around, looking at the Murphy's white BMW with delight, hoping maybe Connor had thought about him when he was leaving school. He knew Connor drove to school everyday, but once when Evan worked up the courage to ask Connor if he could give him a ride, since they were going to the same place, Connor told him that 'princes and servants don't ride in the same carriage' and he shouldn't be so presumptuous. Evan had dropped the matter, but Connor must have changed his mind.

    But the person who rolled down the window wasn't Connor, it was Cynthia.

    "Evan, quick, get in!"

    Evan hurried to the passenger door and hurled himself inside, throwing his bag by his feet and swiftly shutting the door.

    "Sweetie, you don't even have a hood or a proper rain coat," Cynthia commented, blasting the heat when she saw him shivering.

    "Y-yeah, I d-didn't check the w-weather this m-morning." Evan said through chattering teeth.

    "Oh, you poor thing." She patted his arm, cringing when her hand came back wet, then began driving.

    "Th-thank you for the r-ride." Evan whispered once they got out of the school parking lot.

    "Oh, it's nothing, really. I was up here for a PTA thing, they needed my signature for one of the fundraisers I'm planning." She glanced over at him. "Why aren't you riding with Connor? He told me he brought you home everyday."

    Evan paled. What was he going to tell her? She hired him to be Connor's friend, and Connor hated him. And Connor said they had to look like friends to everyone, especially his mom.

    "Oh, uhm...I uhm...I h-had to stay l-late and t-talk to my t-teacher. I told C-Connor to just go h-home and I'd w-walk. I d-didn't realize it w-was raining."

    Cynthia frowned.

    "He still should have waited for you. Are you sure you boys are getting along? He doesn't seem like-"

    "Oh, no, w-we're good. Me and C-Connor are, we're uhm f-friends." Wow, how convincing, Evan.

    "If you're sure...He's still in trouble for not waiting for you, though. When he saw the rain, he should have waited anyway."

    "NO! I m-mean..." Evan hadn't meant to shout, but he knew that if Connor got punished for this, he would also. "It isn't a b-big deal. H-he didn't w-want to, but I c-convinced him. P-please don't, you d-don't have to mention it."

    "Okay, okay, I won't mention it." Cynthia glanced at him, but didn't say anything. They arrived at her house shortly. She parked in the garage so they wouldn't get wet, or in Evan's case, more wet.

    "Okay, Evan, let's see what we should do about you..." Cynthia opened the door that led from the garage to a hallway Evan swears he's never seen before, telling him to wait there, and came back with a few towels. One she wrapped around his shoulders, one she set on the floor, and one she placed over his head like some sort of headscarf. Evan smiled at her.