Hi Sydney (Tronnor)

Chapter 7

'I want coffee,' Connor pouted exaggeratedly. 'Too bad, you still have to film with Tyde before Bounce,' Troye replied distractedly as he fumbled with his car keys, finally managing to unlock the door. 'Trooooye,' Connor pleaded, giving the other boy puppy dog eyes.

Troye could only throw his hands up in surrender, sighing as Connor cheered excitedly. 'It's only coffee,' Troye informed him.
'Only coffee?' Connor said, looking affronted. 'Only coffee?! Coffee, my friend, is life.' 

Troye didn't deign him with a response, merely rolling his eyes. 'Thank you though,' Connor said, ruffling Troye's hair fondly as slid into the passenger seat of the car. Troye stopped in his tracks, sure that a blush was creeping across his face.

'You coming?' Asked Connor, sticking his head out the window. 'This coffee isn't going to buy itself, you know.'
'I'm coming,' Troye muttered, all too aware his face was still faintly pink.

After waiting forever for Connor to get his Starbucks, they finally made it back to the house. 'What took you so long?' Tyde demanded, before registering the coffee cup in Connor's hand. 'Ah, never mind,' he grinned. 'Troye, mum wants your help in the garden.'
'But I just got back, why don't you help her?' Troye groaned.
'I have been helping her. For hours. It sucked, I've escaped, and now I can't help because I'm filming with Connor, so someone has to,' Tyde informed him in what was pretty clearly a well rehearsed excuse. Before Troye could protest, Tyde was already running up the stairs. Connor sent him a quick apologetic smile before following after Tyde.

'Hey!' Troye protested, 'you can't both ditch me!'
When he got no response, he sighed loudly into the empty room and headed out to the garden.

After pulling weeds for ten minutes, he was exhausted, having achieved his daily exercise.
'Troye, you look dead on your feet. Why don't you go inside?' His mum asked.
Dropping the trowel gratefully, Troye made his way inside and was about to collapse into a coma on the couch when he remembered Tyde and Connor.

He somehow managed to drag himself all the way up the staircase, and stepped into the open doorway to Tyde's room, watching as Tyde and Connor collapsed into fits of laughter. Seeing one of his best friends and his brother get on so well was nice, but Troye also (selfishly) wished Tyde would just leave so he could have Connor to himself again.

'Troye!' Connor called, looking genuinely happy to see him, 'Come in!' 'Aren't you filming?' Troye asked cautiously. 'Yeah, but you can sit behind the camera and pull faces at us or something,' Connor smiled. Troye shrugged, settling down on Tyde's desk chair to watch them film the remainder of the video.

Every so often, Connor's eyes would flick over to him and Troye would pull a truly horrendous face. It caused him endless amusement seeing Connor try to restrain his laughter.

After they finished filming, Tyde pushed Troye and Connor out of his room, saying he needed to get ready for Bounce, even though it was still few hours away. 'He means he needs to beautify himself,' Troye told Connor. 'He wants chicks to dig him, or whatever you straight people say.'

Connor flushed a deep red colour. He opened his mouth, took a deep breath as if he was about to say something, but then closed his mouth firmly, simply turning and walking down the stairs and leaving Troye standing alone on the landing. Forcing himself into movement, Troye hurried down the stairs to the spare room. It was empty. He stopped, confused as to where Connor had gone.

Going to his own room, Troye found Connor sprawled across his bed, staring at the ceiling. 'Connor?' Troye asked cautiously, perching himself awkwardly on the end of his bed.

'Mmh,' Connor murmured.
'I'm sorry if I upset you, or if I did anything that hurt your feelings.'
'No, you didn't do anything wrong,' Connor said quietly, pulling himself into a sitting position next to Troye. Up close, Troye could see that his eyes were red and filled with tears. 'It's me, I-' Connor stopped himself abruptly. Troye rubbed circles on Connor's back soothingly as his shoulders shook with silent sobs. Troye didn't want to say anything in case it upset Connor, so he stayed silent, keeping his thoughts to himself. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before Troye noticed the tears had ceased.