Him And Nothing Else 004: You Know It | A Dear Evan Hansen Fan Fiction
[Chapter 3: Get Me Out]
Tonight, I am going to have fun.
That’s all Jared wanted ever since he started being a camp boy the summer before high school started.
But then one of his bunk mates just had to point out how helpless he is at making new friends.
“You must be gay!”
“Leave me alone, my life is none of your business!”
Jared stopped himself from letting that part of his life resurface.
I’m so glad he isn’t here this year, now is my chance.
He scanned the picnic area looking for fellow campers that he managed to talk to during previous camps.
He always managed to make a small conversation with someone new before Keiran would do his usual walk-by and say horrible things about him.
Keiran was the camp bully for three Summer Camps. This year it’s Natalia, the Barbie look-a-like from Brooklyn’s cabin.
But unlike Keiran, Natalia is a different kind of bully.
The kind that bullies stupid people and anyone who bothers everyone that she considers to be her friend.
Best of all, she is open-minded about certain aspects of life.
That’s why she’s friends with Brooklyn.
Oh, sweet Brooklyn.
The only girl from camp who bothered to complete a conversation with him because they’re the same.
It was Natalia’s idea that he and Brooklyn should have an experimental hook-up for a while.
“I never knew that I am a bisexual until I tried, you guys should check too.”
Her idea did help a little bit, mostly on stopping Keiran’s old buddies from calling him a faggot once more.
Heck, they seemed to be proud of him now.
“Dude’s banging Miss Big Boobsy of the Sexy Israeli Gals since camp started. He’s the man!”
He’s not the man.
The whole thing was a lie.
The discover your sexuality part?
It didn’t help, at all.
It only made him more confused about himself.
On the first night that they tried, Jared had a panic attack when he saw her topless.
She’s beautiful, yes.
But he couldn’t touch her.
He didn’t want to.
So, the next few nights were just the two of them kissing for a few minutes until they don’t feel comfortable anymore and ends with the two of them talking about their respective point of attraction.
“Have you told him?”
“He doesn’t know. He doesn’t need to know.”
Jared smiled at the fact that he has someone who knows about the truth. It’s a good start.
He watched as Brooklyn laugh beside Nina, her point of attraction.
He wonders if it will ever be like that again with his old friend.
He messed up their friendship at some point and it is going to be difficult explaining his behavior for the past three years.
Archie silently sat beside him while he contemplates if he should tell his point of attraction what he wanted to say.
“You know, you can tell me the truth.”
Jared was snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Archie who was now slicing some mangoes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Archie smirked and proceeded to gobble the biggest mango slice. “No one looks at a chick that he is banging that way. You guys have obviously not done it.”
“I- “, Jared looked around to check if someone was listening.
“Relax, your secret is safe with me. Just don’t let the other demons find out.”
Archie was one of Keiran’s “Demons”, the quiet one in the group.
He’s the only one who never bullied Jared, the only one who bothered to stop Keiran from going physical towards any campers.
Jared always liked Archie, mainly because prior to starting high school, he witnessed this guy calm a lot of people down with just simple words and a look, like a celestial being able to control events at his will.
Does that make sense?
Maybe it’s Archie’s abs or his height, but he just seemed to be the persuasive strong guy that Jared wanted as a friend.
He reminds him of someone.
But then again, Archie was only there whenever Keiran was almost done with his bullying.
He never stopped Keiran from starting his destructive actions.
“We’ve all kind of known everyone in this camp since we started. I think I would know if Natz had been telling the truth.”
“Your point?”
“Natz is horrible at creating and spreading rumors. It’s a good thing the rest of our fellow campers bought her so-called ‘great news’ about you and Brooklyn.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I like observing people and I think we should become friends.”
“I like that.”
The rest of the day was filled with Jared and Archie going over all the picnic tables and every circle of friends to remove the social barrier that Kieran had created.
It felt great to do this.
Letting the truth out to trustworthy people and making some friends.
That night, there was a knock on the window where Jared and Brooklyn were supposed to do their nightly hook-ups.
Since then, there was a different nightly routine at the summer camp.
A routine that Jared was comfortable and happy with.
Stories about the past, a dream of the future, and the laughter in the current time.
No secrets in between.
When the camp hit its “half-way-there” celebration campfire, Archie asked him for a walk further in the woods.
“I swear, if you ended up being some psycho-killer who plotted Keiran’s assassination that happens to be the reason for his absence this-”
“Relax, just follow me. Okay?”
Jared has never felt so contented before.
And he was contented at the fact that he and Archie finally shared a kiss.
The cheesy part of it was Archie’s preparation.
A comforter in the middle of the woods. How in the-?
Despite the bonding times that they’ve had, they were never alone like this before.
If Brooklyn wasn’t always in the room with them, Jared would’ve probably made the move.
He wouldn’t do that, of course.
He didn’t even know that he wanted to do that until now.
They were finally in their full on make-out session when Jared’s phone vibrated from his front pocket.
Archie giggled at the feeling and took the phone from Jared’s pants.
“Inappropriate touching of a sensitive area, Mister. If you didn’t have abs I would’ve Kodokan the hell out of you,” said Jared as he tries to take the phone away from Archie’s hand.
“Yes, do your Judo moves on me. I’d love that.” He mumbles as he nibbled on the side of Jared’s neck.
“I didn’t realize that you actually have a kink. We can work on that someday.”
Jared face slowly turned to worry as he read the text from the mother of his original point of attraction.
Original? You’re not even sure if that part left to begin with and the ‘new’ one probably doesn’t count.
Summer vacations can also be awfully a short time to get over and learn new things.
Her text was long, and it didn’t answer any of the questions that started to brew inside Jared’s head.
“Shit!”
Evan is in the hospital and his mom, Heidi, was asking if Jared could stay the night at the hospital to keep an eye on Evan until he’s discharged.
Did she forget that I’m not home this time around?
What didn’t help from this long message is that it’s just an excuse letter of why Ms. Hansen couldn’t be there for her son.
The other thing that wasn’t helping was Archie.
He seemed so focused on what he’s doing, he didn’t bother to know what was Jared’s current concern.
He barely remembered what Archie told him and what his response was.
He just typed questions about how and why Evan was in the hospital and if he was okay.
It took a few minutes before Heidi’s simple response arrived.
He was missing for a few hours according to his manager then he ended up in the emergency room.
What is it with people answering messages with incomplete context?
Does she not know her own son’s condition?
He wanted to go.
He wanted to be there for Evan.
But there’s no way he could go home right now, even if he wanted to.
Jared typed as fast as he could to explain why he couldn’t come and that how much he really wants to.
A simple thank you text came from Heidi while Jared was unconsciously muttering “please be alright” repeatedly.
What the heck happened to you Evan?
Did somebody abduct you?
Where were you?
Are you dying?
How critical is your situation right now?
Did the hospital did the right procedures to take care of you?
Thousands of questions flooded his brain, he didn’t even realize that Archie was kissing him again.
"Everything is going to be fine. I'm here for you."
He didn’t believe him and the kiss that followed felt empty.
It felt insincere.
It even felt more ridiculous when he heard a movement and Archie insisted that he’s imagining things because he’s worried.
But Jared saw somebody.
Not the person’s face, just their silhouette.
Curly haired male with a tall and thin physique.
And he was about to vomit as he runs away.
Vomiting because of what he saw, perhaps?
Guess we’re back to square one.
Now he must deal with the fact that someone saw them that night.
He was miserable since then.
He stopped going to his nightly camp routine.
He avoided Archie, he avoided Brooklyn, he avoided everybody.
He didn’t want to be part of anything.
He needs to be left alone.
This fanfiction will also be updated here:
http://archiveofourown.org/works/11566770/chapters/25985823
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12575118/1/Him-And-Nothing-Else
[Photo from Dear Evan Hansen]