dusk • brance

.;16;.

(griffin is gonna be in this chapter. i hope your excited)

"bruce? was that vance?" his mother asked, inching closer to him. "yeah?" bruce told her. "okay.. and why did he kiss your forehead?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder and wiping his forehead with her sleeve.

"i don't know," he blurted out. "is there something you're not telling us, bruce?" james asked him.

"no.." bruce shook his head. his parents looked to each other for a moment. "are you sure? i've never seen friends do that to eachother.." erik pointed out.

"i don't know!" bruce raised his voice at them, his tears coming back. "we just want to know what's going on. if you.. like boys or whatever, we wouldn't mind. you are out son afterall," james told him reassuringly.

"nothings going on. we're just friends. i don't know why he did," bruce shouted at them before he tugged his mother's hand off his shoulder and ran upstairs.

"something's definitely going on," erik sighed out. james nodded his head in agreement.

with vance, his mother also started to ask him questions.

"where were you, vance? you're usually home so early, but lately you've been coming here later?" she asked, standing up from the couch.

"yeah, and? i've been busy," vance mumbled. "with what? have you been hanging around bruce?" she wondered aloud.

"what? no! why?" vance blurted out. his mom furrowed her brows. "well it's just you asked about him a while ago.. remember? i don't care if you do. he's your friend after all," she shrugged.

"okay, then yeah. i have been hanging around bruce," vance told her. "perfect. that boy could do you some good," she spoke before sitting back down on the couch. vance confusedly walked up the stairs. what did she mean by do him some good? did she want vance to be more like bruce? vance wouldn't blame her if she did.

vance stomped into his room, slamming his door shut.

a few hours later, vance's mom barged into his room, looking distressed. "vance.. my friend just told me her son tried to off himself.. did you know him? he went to you school," she sadly asked. "who?" vance asked.

"his name is griffin.. i think he was a grade below you," his mother frowned. "never heard of him. is he alright? like.. alive?" vance wondered. he had never even heard his name before.

"yes, he's okay now. i was heading over to the hospital to see him now. want to come?" vance had no reason to go, but he was about to start punching things, so at least that would get him away from those thoughts. "sure, i guess so," vance shrugged. he pulled on a sweater and followed his mom out to the car.
••
(some griffin content. bahaha.)

"loser!" "freak," griffin heard every insult he's heard so far, just this year. he's been called hundreds of names. he couldn't handle it. his shaky hand gripped the full bottle of his mom's newly refilled pain killers. he twisted open the cap and poured out a promising amount. then it all went down his throat. he didn't know what happened next. everything went black.
••

bruce sat next to griffin's bedside, speaking with his mother. he didn't know griffin all that well, but he did see him around the hallways last year, usually being followed by some boys saying rude things about him. so after a few days bruce stopped griffin in the halls to say hi and so his bullies would back off.

they became friends. but at the start of bruce's eleventh grade year, he began seeing less and less of griffin. he never saw him around halls, he never even heard his name. he never heard his name anyways, but this year it was more noticeable for bruce.