Manifestation of Manipulation - Vance Hopper x Male Reader

Awating Ride - 8

Kids are scurrying through the hallways eager to get home, they're loudly laughing and talking, to block out the noise I put my headphones on and re-wind my tape to listen to 'Kick You When You're Down' again.

(This songs got a tight grip on me- if you don't like it you image something else 😙)

I've already got my bag, I took it to Gym class. Slowly but surly I make it to the front of the school where cars are lined up, parents waiting for their kids impatiently.

A hand grabs my shoulder and keeps me back, I'm not the slightest surprised to see Bruce Yamada with his happy aura. Slipping my headphones off and stopping the song to listen to what he has to say. "Wanna hang out with us before you have to go?" He asks. "Sure." I respond, not seeing a reason not to.

"Nice." Bruce leads me to the group of boys who seem to be deep in a somewhat heated conversation. Though they stop and correct themselves as soon as they see Bruce leading me to them. Not sketchy at all.

"Y/N, do you know where Grab n' Go is?" Billy eagerly cuts the awkwardness. "Nope." I shake my head, glance backwards to see if Morgan's here yet.
"Damn- Well uhm what street do you live on?" He's a faster talker but it's feels calm when he does it. I raise an eyebrow at him, Griffin chuckles and crosses his arms uncomfortably.

"No- I-.. Didn't mean it in a creepy way!" Billy stumbles laughing as Robin pats his back smiling. "Stonelock." I reply, Billy thinks for a moment and draws in the air with his fingers. "What's he doing?" I ask, looking around the group for an answer.

"He used to be a paperboy, he basically knows the town like the back of his hand." Gwen answers for the boys, walking up to us and sliding an arm around Finn. Robin nods in agreement as Billy smiles.

"You got a piece of paper?" He chuckles, I shake my head and take a pen from my backpack pocket. "I do have an arm." I gesture the pen to him, he nods and quickly takes it. "I can tell you the exact route." I let him do his work writing every left and right down on my arm. He closes the pen and hands it back to me, I smile and take it while looking at my arm.

"That's our normal meeting spot, anytime we hang out we'll meet there. If it changes one of us will let you know, 4:30 exactly, no later." Robin explains, glancing at Finn who is in his own conversation with Gwen and Vance. "Sweet, I'll be there."

"Dip-shit, later than 4:30 and you can forget it. Got it?" Apparently Vance had heard the last part, smirking I nod at him. "And miss that attitude of yours? Not for the world." I tease, before he can speak another hand grabs my shoulder. What is it with these people?

"Doofus, if you aren't gonna look out for me then I'm leaving you to walk next time." Morgan smiles at me, her hand slipping off my shoulder. "Shady lady." I hum shooting her a finger gun. "Ain't a delicacy you see." She replies with another lyric and does a half assed bow. "Who's your new friends." She asks, looking behind me at them. "Hello!!" She hollers even though they are two feet away, cringing I grab her arm and laugh. The boys give her mixed emotions, waves and slight smiles.

"Haha right, thanks MOM let's go now." I remark as a stab at her, scoffing she pulls away and slips to the boys who seem freaked out now. Probably the mom comment, gotta work on my sarcastic tone. "Uuugh." I groan as she begins asking them their names. Bruce, Robin and Billy all entertain her stupidity and even shake her hand. "Oh don't be embarrassed sweetheart." Morgan teases me trying her best to be embarrassing.

"Your moms hot Y/N." Vance smirks at me, I can feel my eye visibly twitch as Morgan replies. "Handsome little rascal you are! He's surly a keeper Y/N." Morgan purrs, looking back at me as I grab her arm again. "Haha, real funny. Quit pretending to actually be my mom, you jackass." I snap, mostly directing my words to Vance who I hope gets the idea. However his smirk doesn't disappear, instead it grows and now he's checking her out.

"Ew ew ew- Mom or not she is too old for you." I whine, pulling Morgan hard as she eagerly flirts with Bruce. Morgan's only seven teen. I know it sounds crazy but she skipped two grades, she's always been smart and highly gifted in any subject.

"Hey! I am not old! If I'm old you're well into your ninety's!" Morgan fights back, allowing me to drag her away. "See you at 4:30, bring your mom!" Billy calls after us in a teasing voice. Morgan purrs and wraps an arm around my shoulder. "Oooh they really are your friends!! You have plans and everything!!" She giggles, doing a happy bounce. "Friends is a stretch, and you're not coming with!" I yell, hurrying towards my car.

"Why not? They invited me?" She frowns, tossing my car keys to me. I catch them easily and slide into the car. "Because I don't want you to. I hardly even know the kids, they're... Different and I don't know if it's a good different yet." I explain to her, she just sighs and leans back in the seat. "Excuses excuses." She rolls her eyes and smiles at me. I smile back at her and turn up the radio, though it's nothing good, just some generic country song.

Vance's POV:
My smile fades as soon as Y/N and his girlfriend walk out of site. "They're interesting kids." Bruce chuckles, waiting for me to say something negative. "No way Y/N's a kid. If his girlfriend is younger than him, dudes gotta be 19 at least." I mutter, I catch a glimpse of Robins smirk, he shrugs.
"Shut up dick-wad." I growl with a smirk tugging at my lips, he raises his hands slightly in defense and laughs. "I didn't say nothin'." He laughs again when Finn smiles and chuckles. "Quit fucking laughing, there's no chance." I wanna be angry right now, but I can't seem to be.

"You don't know that." Robin says, Finn quickly adds on. "Yeah I mean, they didn't act like a couple." He shrugs at me, I clench my jaw and shake my head slightly. "I don't even fucking like the dude, he's a brat." Billy laughs at this and slaps Finns back who smiles with him.

"Brat? Vance you have got no room to talk!" Billy isn't taking this seriously at all. Maybe I shouldn't be either. He's just another stupid kid, another stupid kid who might be... No. No fucking way, I've gotta forget about that little shit. He's annoying anyways.

"I like them, they seem nice." Bruce smiles his normal bright smile. "Of course you fucking like them you shit face." I remark, Bruce laughs and shrugs.
"What can I say, I see the best in people! If I didn't, you wouldn't be stuck with me." He says, Griffin and Gwen laugh but I don't let their laugher live long this time. "Something tells me that's not the only reason." I mutter under my breath, still loud enough for them to hear. Bruce refuses to let my negativity win. "I never said it was the only, but it's definitely the biggest reason."

I let Bruce win this argument, he's really earned it today and I don't feel like crushing my best friends spirit.