Chills & Thrills | Brance

three

(im changing it to third ppov. because its easier and because i can. so much for consistent pov, my english teacher would be soo proud.)

Vance wakes up the next morning with a horrific pounding in his head. He took a moment to figure out if it was an actual headache, or a sign from his body to just go back to sleep.

One minute later, his headache dispersed, so he knew he'd have to get up and go to school. With a sigh, Vance stands and changes his clothes before heading to the bathroom. There, he brushes his teeth and then heads downstairs. A thought of sitting on the couch and allowing himself to fall asleep crosses his mind for a moment.

Vance pulls on his shoes and walks outside anyways. The two girls walking ahead of him look over their shoulders. After spotting him, they cross the street to the opposite side.

Although he enjoys people avoiding him out of fright — which means he doesn't have to speak to anyone — Vance wishes people would just realize he is not a monster. Yes, he looses his temper and he gets violent, but that doesn't mean he punches any person to get within two feet of him.

Vance hasn't actually gotten in a fight since two weeks ago. People have learned better than to say rude things about him or his friends. The only outcome was them having their teeth punched in.

He reached a corner where three boys cut in front of him. As if Vance had jinxed it, the boys started talking about someone who he recognized as Robin's friend.

"Finney fucking Blake. I'm going to kill that kid, I swear. He's about just as useful as a pile of rocks," One of them said, which got a laugh out of another.

"What'd he do again?" Asked the one on the far left.

"For starters, exist. And he tried bitching out of a fight with all of us, remember that? He told the principal," The one in the middle said.

"Three against one really isn't all that fair though, is it?" Vance spoke up. Not with Finney it wouldn't be, Vance would sure as hell give those boys a fight.

They all collectively stopped walking and turned around. Vance wasn't moving from where he stood. He's met Finney a couple times, he's friendly and smart. Whatever these three have against him must be one shit-filled hatred.

"Well, uh, not really," Said the one in the middle. The other two glanced at each other before nodding.

"Then maybe leave him alone," Vance said, not removing his gaze from the middle kid. He has a feeling he's more of the group leader. "We would, but-"

"Shut the fuck up. I bet you only go after Finney because that fights an easy win. I don't know if you expect people to fear you or glorify you, but a three against one fight with a kid who doesn't want anything to do with you ain't gonna get you there," Vance tells them.

"No, none of those. Finney's done stuff, we're just teaching him-" Once again, Vance cuts them off.

"I think you're a bunch of little bitches, actually. You want a fight? I'll give you a fight." Before any of the boys can deny that, Vance throws a punch to middle one's face.

He stumbles back and before any of the other boys can hit Vance, he elbows one in the neck and the other gets a punch to the nose. He goes back to punching the kid he first attacked. He's interrupted by someone kicking his back. It hurts, but Vance stands and drops that boy to the ground before delivering a hard punch to his face.

Vance stands up, looking between the three boys, seeing them all too frightened to try swinging at him again. Then, he realizes what he's done.

He just beat three kids and is now leaving them in the street. Vance keeps walking to school anyways. They deserved it, they need to start leaving Finney alone, He tells himself.

Upon arriving to school Vance finds himself late for class. He walks in and gives the teacher all the work he's managed to complete before sitting at the back. It's not long until he's called to the office.

He trudges into the room, taking a seat while waiting to be told he can proceed to another room.

"Vance, come this way," the vice principal tells him. Vance follows, noticing Bruce sitting in the office too. Did he tell on Vance for punching Stella?

Vance sits next to him and the vice principal begins talking. "I've heard from your teachers you've started trying in your classes. I'd like to keep it that way, and I know you do too-"

No you don't. You care about the money you're making from me, Vance says in his head.

"- So Bruce is here to help you achieve that-"

"He's in eleventh grade," Vance states.

"Yes, i'm aware. He is the smartest in that grade, and since you're supposed to
be there, I thought-"

"Stop thinking. I don't need help, this is just going to make me drop out," Vance interrupts. Before she can say anything more, Vance stands up and leaves. Bruce follows.

"You do need help. You don't try," Bruce says. Vance tried blocking his voice out of his head as he walked back to class. "You're not going to get anywhere if you don't try."

"I am trying. I'm fucking doing that right now," Vance snaps at him.

"Should've started doing that two years ago," Bruce said. Vance stops walking now, and so does Bruce.

"What? Seriously, what do you care? My school life doesn't effect you in the slightest. If it's making you look good, you have approximately everything else in your life with the same purpose," Vance said, which he regret after.

"It's not that. I just think-"
"What you think doesn't matter." With that, Vance turns around and keeps walking. Bruce doesn't follow.

Vance completes his day at school without once seeing Bruce. When he starts walking home, he does encounter Robin.

"Hey, you heard Matty, Matt, and Buzz got jumped or something?" Robin said. Vance stood next to him.

"Yeah, I heard something about that," Vance told him. Robin gave him a questionable look before responding, "Was it you?"

Vance nods. "Heard them talking about Finney. Something about him backing out of a fight I think, which I assume he didn't agree to in the first place. So I told them, if they want a fight i'd give them one."

"Nice! He thinks I did it since I was late to my first class, but that's just because I was out last night watching a movie with my uncle and woke up late."

"Then tell him I did it," Vance shrugs. Robin nods before he spots Finney and says a goodbye.

Vance doesn't respond and instead walks off to the grab n' go. He knows Rita is working today, so maybe he'd talk with her a bit too.