Connor Taylor killed himself exactly a week before he was supposed to start his senior year of high school.

Now, that wouldn't be happening.

Instead, he broke his family apart, and made them even worse off than when he was there, and that was saying something.

Perhaps it was a nosy neighbor, maybe a mailman, but somehow the word about Connor Taylor had spread. It wasn't long until everybody in the town was talking about the boy.

His younger sister, Zoe Taylor, dreaded starting her junior year. Being stuck around hundreds of teachers and students who undoubtedly heard about her brother was her new worst nightmare.

Which was why her stomach churned as she walked to her bus stop on September 1st. It was the first time she had walked by herself since she began high school, and it made her feel sick. There were about five other kids already there who stopped their conversations when they saw her, which definitely didn't help her nerves.

She didn't feel like just standing there at the moment, so she pulled her phone out to just stared at her lock screen. It was a group picture from middle school, back when everybody used to be friends. It felt almost weird to see herself so happy around people she almost couldn't stand anymore.

It's funny how much things can change in just a few years.

"Zoe." A boy appeared beside her, his voice quiet and nervous, "Uh, how...how have you been?"

As she looked up, she realized it was Evan Hansen, the boy who used to be Connor's only friend.

After the event happened the week before, the two of them began hanging out, seeing as both of them had practically no friends, which was easy because they live about a single neighborhood away.

Zoe just shrugged in response to the question.

"What happened to your arm?" She questioned, eyeing the cast on his left arm that hadn't been there a few days prior.

"Oh, um...well I had this job as...as an apprentice park ranger? Um...at- at Elison State Park? And, well I was climbing a tree? And-uh, and I fell."

"That's sad," Is all she says, rubbing her eyes, which were red from both crying and lack of sleep.

"Yeah well...uh, I'm kind of..kind of a tree expert now. I mean, not- not to brag."

All Zoe did was watch him. She felt a bit too exhausted to give a response

"Anyways, uh...I was climbing this...this forty foot tall oak tree, and then..."

"You fell?" She asked, shifting her bag to her other shoulder.

"Yes, but- but it's a funny story though! See because there's- there was a solid ten minutes after I fell where I just laid there on the ground...um, waiting for someone to come get me. I was like 'any second now!' You know, I kept- uh... I just kept saying 'oh any second now! they're gonna come!'"

"Did they?" Zoe asked, noticing how anxious the boy seemed.

"No. Nobody came. That's the- that's what's funny."

"You could have called me. I would have picked you up." Was all Zoe said.

"Oh. I- I didn't know if you were- if you were busy or anything and...well I didn't want to bother you."

Zoe gave him a nod of understanding before she turned back to her phone.

"Hey do you..." Evan's voice dropped significantly, and the rest of the sentence was too quiet for Zoe to hear.

"What?" She looked up at him.

"What? Nothing!"

"What did you say?"

"I asked if maybe you would want to maybe sign my cast? Cause- cause we're friends? Right?"

"Oh, sure." She paused, "Yeah, I guess we are kind of friends."

Evan smiled.

"Do you have a Sharpie or something?" Zoe questioned, and his eyes widened.

"Oh! Uh, yeah." He pulled one out of his pocket and the girl took it, before scribbling her name about the size of his pinkie, "Um...thanks."

Zoe gave him a half-hearted smile.

It wasn't long until their bus showed up. As Zoe got on, she ignored the pitiful look the bus driver gave her, and headed down the isle.

For some reason, this certain bus driver had a thing for assigned seats. She would add in new kids when they came along, but other than that the seating chart mostly stayed the same since Zoe had started riding this bus in her freshman year.

The chart was in no particular order, which is why Zoe couldn't help but think of how her brother should have been sitting in the third row.

She pushed that thought to the back of her mind as she pressed the side of her face to the cold window, her knees pressed against the seat in front of her.

After a few more stops, the spot next to her was filled by a certain art student that Zoe used to be friends with.

It had already been awkward having to share the seat with Janis Ian, but somehow, it was even worse now.

Zoe kept sneaking looks at the girl, completely unaware that she was doing the same.

The blonde had wanted to remain friends with Janis, but Regina George had threatened to out her to the entire school if Zoe had done that.

So, out of fear, she didn't.

But now she was kind of wishing she had, because somehow this girl sitting next to Zoe just seemed like she had her life together. She knew who she was, and even with everyone bullying her for something that wasn't even true (at least to Zoe's knowledge), she still was generally a confident person.

And Zoe admired that.

The two girls were silent, unlike the rest of the bus that roared with conversations.

It wasn't until everyone was getting off the bus, and swarming into the school, when the girls finally said something.

"Hey, Zoe." Janis placed her hand on Zoe's shoulder, making her stop, "Look, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about your brother."

Zoe glanced up at the girl's face.

"...thanks."

Janis offered her a half smile, before she disappeared into the crowd of people, leaving Zoe to wonder what the hell had just happened.