The morning that Miguel was supposed to meet Elm on at the library’s roof, he looked for Evan expecting him to be by a tree. He had gotten a text from Evan the night before saying ‘let’s hangout tomorrow in that courtyard where all the confessions are. The trees are so nice to climb,’ (area mentioned in Confession Time (Ep 12)). Miguel had sent back a simple ‘kk :P.’

“Miguel!” Evan’s voice called out. Miguel spun around trying to see where Evan was.

To his surprise he found the voice had come from halfway up an oak tree. Evan sat there happily, legs swinging.

“Hey Evan.”

“Hi,” Evan said with a boyish grin, ‘cute’ Miguel couldn’t help but think, to Miguel, Evan reminded him of Miguel’s young cousin, happy, carefree, irresponsible, and easily excitable.

“So what’s up?” Miguel asked the boy above him.

Evan said, “Okay first come up here!”

“Okay, okay!” Miguel laughed at the other’s enthusiasm. He stared at the tree trying to figure out his most efficient way up. Eventually, he decided on a path and attempted to climb up. After 30 seconds of Miguel struggling, Evan took pity.

In between laughs, Evan forced out “Need, help, tall, boy?”

“Oh, you meany poo!” Miguel said though he couldn’t stay mad at the energetic little boy like a boy. “Yes, please, I really need it.”

“Aww, the big sad boy.”

“I swear I will leave.”

“No! I will help, sorry, stay!”

Miguel let out a grunt and took Evan’s outstretched hand. Evan effortlessly pulled the much bigger boy’s body up the tree, so that he was pressed against the tree trunk and Miguel was on the rather large branch.

“Oh please have a seat in my humble abode,” Evan said warmly as if it was his home.

“Much obliged, good sir,” Miguel said, continuing with the odd way of speaking. They both sat down, carefully balancing on the thick tree limb.

“So how has your month been?” Evan asked although it seemed like he was asking just because that was what most would do.

“Pretty good? I mean… nothing special happened,” Miguel said, deciding not to mention the Alex ordeal nor anything else.

“Cool,” Evan said, sounding like he barely listened even though the answer was very short. “Did I tell you about my experience with that raccoon.”

“No,” Miguel said confused.

“Okay so I live in the middle of town, you know, so I was in my backyard, moving the trash, compost, and recycling cans like I do every week. I had to move them to the street obviously. I had taken out the trash and the compost, wait no, I had moved the trash and recycling. So then I went for the compost can and heard a rustling sound.

“Thinking nothing of it I was like, ya okay, and kept going. I heard the sound again coming from somewhere near the can, but I was like whatever. So I continued and moved the can to the street which is pretty loud, you know?”

“Uhuh,” Miguel said, utterly disinterested.

“But once I got back into my house I was like ‘What’s that sound?’ Cause I heard a crash. So I went back to the front and I saw that the compost can was on its side, and a raccoon was just sitting there. Like it was on the freaking can’s top which was on the ground, it was really funny and cute!”

“Aww!”

“Yeah,” Evan said, his face suddenly flushed.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just-” Evan said, looking away for a moment, before turning his head back saying, “You are him? You are right?”