CHOKEHOLD - VANCE HOPPER

☆ APOLOGY ☆

THEIR STOMACHS STARTED HURTING.

The two kids sat on the dirt floor with their backs against a grey wired fence. They kept laughing at the cop's squeaky voice, and the fact that he couldn't catch up to a couple of middle schoolers.

"Fuckkkk! And he was like 'get back here'!" Vance mocked the police man's voice.
Y/n snorted, followed with a laugh. "Oh my god! Dude, that was perfect. What kind of police do we have working here?" Y/n joked.

'dude', Vance took a mental note of that. He laughed though, "Exactly! -Vance chuckled- Shit heads."

"Shit, what time is it?" Y/n asked urgently.
"Like I know." Vance said
"Right. Cmon, We have to get up early in the morning for school. And I'm not waking up on 5 hours of sleep." Y/n said.

She got up and held her hand out to Vance. He didn't want to go, he wanted to do dumb shit with Y/n. He had done this multiple times, so why did she make it feel so new? Vance sighed and took Y/n's hand. She tried letting her hand slide off his, thinking that was it, but Vance held his grip.

She took notice, but didn't say anything. She didn't want to make things weird.
"Cmon." She said.

Y/n and Vance walk between the two fences of the houses that are next to each other. They started walking on the side walk, towards Y/n's house. Vance looked up at the sky, searching for a shooting star. Y/n followed Vance's gaze, looking up at the sky.

"Ever see that fucker? A shooting star?" He asked.
"Yeah. You?" Y/n answered.
"Nah, I always think I do. But it's always some fucking satellite."
"Those always confuse me."

"What'd you wish for?" Vance looks away from he sky and at Y/n.
"Most of my friends had brunette hair at the time. They always told me they wished for blonde hair, because it was the popular thing. I wished for blonde hair, I guess I just forgot to say who it was for. But hey, -Y/n looked back at Vance- I think the misunderstanding wish was worth it."

They both smiled softly. Y/n decided it was time, the right time. Only one question, and it could fuck up the entire night depending on Vance's reaction.

"Vance?"
"Hm?"
"Could you, uhm, you know....tell him?"
"What the fuck are you talking ab- Oh."

Before Vance could say anything else, Y/n speaks.
"I just- I'm going to be honest, a part of me is pissed at Bruce. What he said, before getting to know you. It wasn't...fair. To say at the least, and you had a right to be mad. I believe that, honest. I wish I did something, anything,"

Vance eye's glistened as Y/n kept talking. Her eyes wandered off from Vance, lost in her words.
"But I didn't. And so, I just have this guilty feeling. Because it didn't have to end up like that but I just made it wor-"
"I'll do it."

She looked back at Vance, her face softens.
"I'll...apologize, or whatever the fuck. Just, I want to forget this. The moment you felt scared."
"Vance,"

They looked each other in the eye. Vance's eyes looked so shiny as the street lights reflected in them. She hesitated hugging him, but did it anyways. Vance thought he only let Y/n lay her head on her because she was too high to care, he was wrong. She felt new, like a new definition to a hug. Vance wrapped his arms around her lower back, returning the hug.

Y/n had gave hugs to many people before, but only Vance's skin felt so warm. Just the right temperature, something only he could bring her. Even if he was freezing, he was a blanket. Something about him felt different, his touch.

"Thank you," She whispered.
"Yeah. Yeah. Cmon, Shitheel." He said.

After peeling off each other, the two walked home, hand in hand. Their shoes crunching against the concrete. The cicadas echoing in the night. The moon was a full one today.

Vance walked Y/n home, wondering why her parents came let her come back so late. But, a truthfully, it was her parents that were the one's home late. So, not much she had to worry about. Vance walked back home, safe that night.

⎯ ⎯ ⎯ ⎯
Vance sighed, preparing himself. The next morning, at school Vance sat next to Bruce. Vance wasn't scared about apologizing to Bruce, but more or less that he wouldn't accept it and Y/n would forget Vance.

He found it weird, why didn't she judge him before talking to him. Not being scared, like everyone else seemed to. All those around her seemed too, so why did Y/n give him a chance?

The time ticked, the class almost over. A minute before class ended, everyone started packing up.
The teacher said something about homework, but her voice faded out in the background of other student's chatter. Vance looked at Bruce as he slipped on his backpack, Bruce did the same.

"Bruce."
"Yeah?"
"Uhm...shit, about the arcade thing. Yeah just...sorry about that bullshit. So." Vance said, rushing his sentence. A small part of him meant it. He wasn't sorry to Bruce because of Bruce, he was sorry to Bruce because of Y/n.

"Well, I'm sorry about what I said then. Mind if we brush past this?" Bruce said
"Shit, I wouldn't mind that." Vance said.
"Okay. I'll see you around, Vance." Bruce said, begging to walk away.

Vance gave him a nod before they broke off eye contact. Y/n leaned against a locker as she waited by the door of their class. Bruce walked out the door and noticed Y/n. He gave her a thumbs up, signaling Vance apologized. Still kind of stricken her weirdly.

Vance Hopper?
Apologizing?
Because someone asked him to?
Yeah right.

But it was true, Bruce looked legitimately satisfied. Bruce walked away and then came Vance.

"Vance!" Y/n spoke as he walked out the classroom door.
"Oh shit, Y/n. What's up, shit bird? I thought you had Kaminsky right now?" He smiled noticing the girl.

Vance started walking to his next class, Y/n followed him, walking by his side.
"I did, but the perks of being a "nerd" do help when she lets you leave class early because you "have girl problems"."
"Gag me with a spoon." Vance joked.

"Suck it up. Like you've never seen blood before."
"Whatever. Oh yeah, Speaking of you being a nerd,"
"Uh-" She jokingly took offense of his comment.
"I need help studying for Ms. Showalter's substitute's test."
Ms.Showalter was actually a teacher at there middle school.

"Oh my god! I totally forgot about Ms.Showalter. I was so preoccupied wondering if they were going to find Billy I didn't even care to talk to his mom. Shit."
"Yeah, the school gave her a substitute now that Billy's...you know."

Vance had no problem with saying missing, he just didn't want to say it around her.
"Yeah. But uhm, what were you saying about?"
"I need help studying for the test the substitute gave us. That subiste has a stick up her ass i'm telling you."

Y/n chuckled, "What's in it for me?"
"Uhmmm, you get to see my pretty ass, what else?" Vance joked.
Y/n laughed, "Don't flatter yourself, Vance."
"Why? Wanna do it for me, Y/n?" He turned to look at her, smirking.

She wasn't stupid, in fact, she was really good at school, and whatever shit Vance was trying to pull.
"How'd you know? Am I that transparent? Baby, Oh, Baby." Y/n rolled her eyes with a amused smile.

They both snickered at her joke.
"Would you, though? I've got not a fucking clue what cytoplasm is."
"Sure, Vance. I'll help you." Y/n replied.

They stopped by Vance's next class.
"Appreciate it, nerd." He said, winking at her before he walked into class.

She didn't even have a chance to respond. Did Vance Hopper just make Y/n nervous?

Vance walked into class, he knew exactly what he was doing.