Chills & Thrills | Brance

six

   Vance wasn't one to observe anything, let alone even care, but that Monday he couldn't help but notice something.

"Bruce? Bruce!" Stella shouted at him, elbowing his arm in hopes he'll finally listen to her.

"Wha- sorry," Bruce said, glancing at her. Stella gave him a look of concern before saying, "I asked if you wanted half my cookie."

"Oh, no, thanks," Bruce responded and looked back at the ground. "What's up with you today?" Stella asked him.

"Nothing," Bruce said without looking up.

"Whatever. I'm going to talk to Lisa and Carol, at least they listen to me." Stella sat up from the bench they were on. She stood there for a moment, hoping Bruce would protest that. When he didn't even bother to look up, Stella walked off.

Bruce looked up after a few seconds. He noticed Stella was gone first, then he made eye
contact with Vance who was watching the interaction.

Vance gave him an unimpressed look and a scoff that Bruce wouldn't be able to notice from their distance. He then looked away and started walking to the back of the school.

"Dude, what?" Vance heard Bruce saying. He didn't stop walking but he did turn his head to see Bruce staring at him expectantly from beside him.

"What?" Vance responded, looking forward again. He probably shouldn't have gave him any look at all.

"What was that look for? I don't suppose you think that was low of me, ignoring her like that?" Bruce said, a little angry.

"I hardly care. It's a little funny, really," Vance responded, along with the fakest laugh he could come up with.

"Then mind your own business!" He said. Yet again, Vance laughed. "You're the one coming up to me and making it a whole deal," He said.

"No i'm not, I was simply asking why you gave me a look. Not like you'd be any better in a relationship," Bruce spoke, which he immediately regret. "Oh, shoot, no i'm sorry I don't mean that."

"You were anyone else i'd fight you for that. For the record, i'd be just fantastic in a relationship. For starters, probably wouldn't ignore the person i'm dating, unlike some people."

Bruce paused for a moment before he said anything. He took notice of Vance saying 'the person i'm dating' rather than 'my girlfriend'.

"I said sorry! And i'm just having a strange day. Probably couldn't pay attention to any conversation," Bruce said.

By now they had already stopped walking, only making it half way across the right side of the school.

"You've managed to hold one up with me for a few minutes," Vance pointed out.

"That's different," Bruce said with a sigh. "Yeah? How so," Vance asked.

"I don't know, it's proving difficult to not respond to stuff you say." Bruce had really been allowing anything that comes to his mind to be said today.

"What's that even supposed to mean?" Vance asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

"You talk a lot, surprisingly. Not in a bad way or anything," Bruce told him.

"What'd you expect?" Vance said. Bruce shrugged, "Like a fuck you then a punch? I don't know."

"Close enough, I guess. Didn't know you swore, that isn't very golden boy of you," Vance said, as a joke.

"Usually don't but it felt necessary." Bruce said with a small laugh. It's very hard not to like him. Vance didn't respond, because he didn't know what to say.

"You're not as bad as people say you are," Bruce said abruptly. Vance looked at him visibly confused. "I just mean everyone says you're really scary. When I talked to you like last week, someone came up to me and said I probably shouldn't do that again before I get my ass kicked. I don't think you're scary at all."

"You don't think so? Guess i'll try harder then,"
Vance said as a  joke, because he didn't want to have a serious response to that.

"I'm being serious, man. I thought you were gonna try and fight me," Bruce said. "You didn't do nothing though," Vance tells him.

"Next time I talk to you i'll keep that mind. I'm gonna go now," Bruce told him with a smile.

"Oh boy, I get a next time?!" Vance said jokingly. "Hush," Bruce said with a wave before turning around and walking away.

Part of Vance wondered if Bruce was going to talk to Stella.

Vance didn't make it to the back of the school before the bell rang. He did walk to the back where he used those doors to enter, where he headed to his locker, then his class.

What Vance noticed was that Bruce and Stella don't seem close anymore.

Bruce was not going to talk to Stella. He went back inside and stood around a few of his other friends, but like he said, he wasn't able to hold a conversation with them, he just listened. He was a little too busy thinking about his conversation with Vance.

He surprised himself with how long he talked to Vance and not even to his own girlfriend. He wonders if they should just break up, they don't really do anything anymore. Bruce finds he doesn't like Stella as much as he used to.

The bell rung and Bruce walked to his locker without saying anything to his friends. He took what he needed and as he started walking to his class he noticed Vance walking in the opposite direction. He seems to be a lot different from what people say. Bruce doesn't know him at all, but he's not too bad so far.

••(we going back in time)••

Stella had left to talk to Lisa and Carol, but she couldn't find them. She headed back to where she left Bruce, hoping to find him there so he could apologize for not paying attention to her.

However, Bruce was not there. She decided to walk around the school in hopes of finding him there. She did find him, he was standing a foot away from the school walls talking to
someone. Stella was shocked to see it was Vance.

How was Bruce paying more attention to
some guy he doesn't even know over his own girlfriend? It makes it worse how that guy is pinball Vance Hopper.

Bruce has had his head in space almost all the time he's near her. Stella missed how they used to be. Does Bruce even like her anymore? Stella knew she didn't like him very much. She thought the relationship would be better than it is. Maybe she just wasn't good enough, surely it wasn't Bruces fault.

Stella decided not to bother him and walked away instead.

After school was over, Bruce approached her.

"Stella, can I walk with you?" Bruce asked. She nodded. "We need to talk.. I don't know if I should be doing this in a different place or something but uh.." Bruce trailed off, unsure of how to say it.

"You want to break up?" Stella asked. Bruce looked at her to see she was giving him a sad smile.

"Wha-" Bruce began. "It's okay if you do, I know that's what you're going to say," Stella said.

"Yeah. I'm sorry, I just don't think it's working out anymore," Bruce told her.

"That's okay. If it's anything I did i'm so sorry. I'm also sorry with how I acted today. Sorry for everything really. I know i'm not as great as the other girls, I was surprised you chose me, though. I tried, I really did. I'm not trying to guilt trip you by the way, I respect your decision."

"No, it's not that, it's just-"
"I don't want to know. Just answer me one thing, will you?" Stella cut him off once more. Bruce nodded. "Do you like someone else?"

That question shocked Bruce. "No?"

"Yeah, alright. Bye then, I guess," Stella said. Bruce didn't say anything, so Stella left before she started crying in front of him.

—
idk how people break up man. im trying very hard to make stella stay nice because she really isnt all that bad 😓 vance is just better and sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do