It's been awhile. They're a few months into the new school year. Connor and Jared are getting along at least a little better. Jared is getting better physically. But not emotionally. He does end up adding just a couple more here and there and just hoping Evan doesn't notice. Evan is trying hard. He loves having Conner and Jared around all the time and he's trying hard to make sure Jared knows he is so loved. Just because Jared knows that Evan loves him, is what makes him not just off himself right there. But it gets rough. Sometimes too rough. Evan does all he can though. He's constantly kissing him and complimenting him and all that, whenever he can. Even Conner can tell he isn't doing well though. He tries to be as nice as possible. Jared appreciates it. He really does. But he's on edge. Soon he gets a call from his dad, who is in jail now, but that doesn't help the fact that his dad still says certain things to him.
When he does end up calling, it brings Jared to tears. Which concerns Connor who is in the room with him at the time.
"... Jared?" He just looks up at him, letting those tears go. Conner has no idea what to do.
"...Jared??" Jared put him on speaker phone for Connor to hear. It's clearly his dad as he states:
"- fucker ain't no son of mine. You might as well go and kill yourself right now! No one cares about you. Your mom would've said the same thing." His mom. That's as touchy as a subject can get for Jared. Conner is in shock he can't tell if this is real life. He feels his body move on it's own, drawing closer to Jared and his phone.
"And now because of YOU, IM in jail!"
"I-I didn't do anything wrong.."
"Of course you did! You always fuck up everything. It's always your fault."
"Your shitty parenting is NOT his fault!" Conner can't stop himself from shouting.
"Your neglect and abuse is NOT his fault, the fact that YOU'RE fucked up is NOT Jared's fault!" he just keeps screaming at him in Jared's defense. He hates this man. He hates him so much.
"Who the fuck are you to tell me how to be a parent?? Jared is MY child!! I can treat him however the fuck I want. And what he is, is a fuck up. He's a Fucking mistake!" Jared cries harder.
"And apparently a fairy and a baby as well! I raised you better!"
"You DIDNT raise me!!!"
"YOU FUCKED HIM UP BECAUSE YOU WANTED HIM TO BE AS SCREWED AS YOU ARE! YOU WANTED TO DESTROY HIM!"
"Fuck you! When I get outta here I'm gonna-" Then all you can hear is muffled yelling before the phone before it hangs up. Conner, who had picked up the phone to yell at the man throws it at Jeremy's bed.
"I cannot BELIEVE the absolute SHIT I just heard!!"
"The shit you just heard is the shit I've been hearing the past Eighteen years..."
"Jared. I- Man, I am so sorry."
"Evan is the only person who actually cared about me... can you see how I was upset when you took him from me? That's why I hated you."
"Dude... I just thought you were a jealous asshole. I'm really really sorry. I-" he sits next to him. "Do you want me to call Evan?" Jared nods and pulls his knees closer to his chest. Conner hesitates before wrapping an arm around his shoulders and using the other to call Evan.
"Ev, we've got a problem. Jared. No no no, calm down, it isn't THAT bad, just - can you come over? Okay. Okay, see you when you get here, baby." Jared lays his head on Conner's shoulder. They stay there like that until Evan rushes in to tend to Jared with small kisses and soft words and so much concern.
"I-I can't get away from him. He called me and he's in a JAIL."
"Shhhhhh, Jared, it's okay. It's okay, he can't get to you. And- And you don't have to answer when he calls. Or you could hang up. He can't touch you now, baby." Jared is so SICK of this. He's had to put up with this for eighteen years!!
"Just breathe. I'm here now, and he isn't. There's nothing he can do to you now."
"Fucking hell."
"Shush." Later that night, Ev and Connor are asleep. Jared is wide awake. He just... doesn't care. He doesn't want to do this anymore. Evan is wrapped around Jared, Conner around him. His face is buried in Jared's neck. Jared gets up carefully, making his way over to a cabinet. It squeaks as it opens. Evan shifts and curls into Conner at the sound. Conner stirs at Evan's movement. Jared takes out a bottle of Advil, planning to down the whole thing. He doesn't care about how uh noise he's making. Conner sits up.
"Jared, it's like four in the morning, come back to bed." He doesn't answer. He opens the bottle and pours almost all of the pills into his hand.
"Connor can you do me a favor?"
"Dude, what the fuck are you doing?"
"Tell Evan I love him." Then he shoves all the pills into his mouth. Conner shoots to his feet.
"Jared what the FUCK??" Evan jolts awake.
"Conner? J-Jared?" Jared's heart is beating so fast when he tries to swallow. Conner is rushing over, tackling him and shouting
"Spit em out! Spit em the fuck out, Jared!" He refuses. He's so content on dying.
"All right, sorry about this, you prick!" he pulls him up, shoving his fingers into Jared's mouth and right where they need to be to make him vomit, hopefully coughing up enough of the pills to be safe. Evan is so scared, he doesn't know what's going on.
"Jared! Jared, are you okay, what happened, what's going on??" Jared throws it up. And ends up heaving on the floor. Breathing so heavily. Conner pats his back.
"NEVER do that again."
"I can't promise anything."
"You sure as hell WILL promise! You wanna leave Evan without you?? You know how DEVASTATED he would be to lose you?? It wouldn't be pretty, Jared, Evan would be a goddamm MESS. You really wanna do that to him??"
"I don't want to be here anymore Connor! My life is already fucking hell!!"
"So you want to fuck HIS up instead of getting help?? Instead of getting to fix the shit?? Jared, He cares about you so much, Michael and Jeremy too, and you wanna crush them like that??" Jared is quiet. He just looks over to Evan. He's got tears streaming down his face.
"J-Jared?"
"Look at him, Kleinman, look what's going on. He cares so goddamn much about you."
"Ev-"
"Jared, don't - don't ever do that again." Jared is still breathing heavily.
"I'm... I'm so sorry Evan..." Evan holds his arms out. Jared gets up and slowly makes his way to Evan. Crying as well.
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm so sorry." Evan wraps him in his arms and holds him tight.
"Don't you EVER do that to me again, EVER, baby, I- NEVER." He still can't promise him anything. Evan and Connor don't know just how bad it is. How many cuts he has on his body. How many are actually fresh..
"I love you too much, don't you ever. Don't ever."
"I........ I need help Ev. I-I-"
"We will get you help, baby, promise. I promise." Jared holds him tighter.
"I... I can get you in with my therapist." Conner sits with them. Jared is shaking so bad, you can feel it. Conner wraps his arms around the both of them. Connor literally saved his life.
"C-Conner? Thanks."
"No problem baby. Wasn't gonna let him do it. I've been there."
"We.. We all have." That might surprise Connor but not Jared. He knows already. Conner clutches them tighter.
"What?"
"C-... Why do you think I've broken my arm three times?"
"Three?? There was a third time??" Jared nods slowly. He knows of all of them.
"Evan -"
"Like you said. I'm getting better." Jared hugs him tighter. He's still feels so bad.
"... We're all messed up."
"Mhm. "