Chapter Text
“I want to break up with you.”
The words that came out of the blonde girl's mouth didn't make sense.
“Wait, what?!” Bruce said, almost screamed, wide-eyed. “What do you mean by that?!”
“Bruce. Be honest with me.” Bruce could see the sad look on Ashley's face. She was standing in front of him with her arms crossed. “You don't love me.”
“What? Wait, what? No! Of course I love you, Ashley!” The words rushed out, showing that Bruce was starting to feel anxious.
“You don't, you don't love me.” She spoke, lowering her gaze, tears threatened to fall down her cheeks.
Bruce didn't want to admit it, he didn't want to admit that she was right.
“But—”
“No. Let me talk now.” She held her arms tightly, her white skin would turn a little red with the squeeze of her fingers. There was a certain anger in her voice. “Don't lie to me. You— you— I know, Bruce. I noticed very well how different you looked at the boys.”
Bruce's body became tense, visually tense. He felt like he was going to throw up.
It wasn't new news that queers weren't treated very well all over the world.
And one person, other than Bruce himself, knowing that. Knowing he was a fag, it scared him completely.
He remembers well, at first, he didn't even know what that word meant, but when he did, he felt nauseous every time someone said the word.
Bruce knows Ashley would never tell anyone that. Ashley would never intentionally harm someone. But at the same time, this thought that someone discovered, that with a simple setence someone could completely ruin his reputation and popularity.
What if it wasn't Ashley who found out?
Did anyone else know?
His parents? Oh God, imagine if his parents found out?
They would be completely disappointed, wouldn't they?
His sister. Amy, would she be disgusted by him? Did she know what those words meant?
“Bruce?” Ashley's calm voice took him out of his thoughts. She saw that Bruce paid attention to her again and continued. “Don't try to deny it, okay? I'm not going to tell anyone, I would never do that.”
“I know...” Bruce said, almost whispering.
“Bruce, this break-up is better for both of us.” She sighed. “I don't want to date someone who doesn't love me. And you— you can't keep faking that. Faking to everyone, to me, to yourself.”
“You used to kiss me so— so emotionless. It was like I was nothing, like I was a stranger. At first, I tried, I tried very hard to make it work. In fact, I hadn't even noticed. But then, it just became ridiculous. I could see how differently you looked at him.”
Him. The 'Him' in question was Vance Hopper.
Yes. Vance Hopper.
The Vance Hopper who would punch anyone who looked strange at him. The Vance Hopper who beat up a boy just for ruining his game.
He saw a lot of Vance's fights. And how he never lost any. Even if it was with guys almost twice his height.
He remembers one in particular, one that he always passed on in his mind. He was walking, along with Amy, going to a new ice cream shop that had opened. On the way, near Grab n Go, he saw a little commotion in one place, he was going to pass straight, but Amy ran towards it, and Bruce ran after her. He heard people shouting 'That's it! Punch him! ' and 'Go Vance! ' when it came close. He walked past a few people and held Amy's hand, ready to pull her out of there. But he saw Him, Vance was sitting on top of a boy, repeatedly punching the boy in the face. Honestly, Bruce didn't know who he was, he didn't recognize the boy's face. But who cared about him? I mean, of course he would prefer it if the boy wasn't being beaten. But his focus was on Vance.
Vance had an angry face, a little blood on his face, and a lot of blood on his fists, it seemed like he wasn't going to stop the fight anytime soon. Bruce wondered if the police were going to show up. Probably not. And even if they did show up, Vance has already done good damage to the boy.
Unexpectedly, Vance stopped punching the boy, who was practically unconscious, and stood up. He glanced at the crowd, and stopped looking at Bruce. Immediately Bruce cringed, would he be the next to be beaten? He hadn't even done anything for Vance. Instead of Vance approaching and starting hitting Bruce, he simply looked away and started walking.
Bruce held Amy's hand again and this time he pulled it out and ran off.
“God! Did you see that?” Amy asked, more excited than she should be, when they stopped running.
“Of course I did, I was on your side.” Bruce rolled his eyes. “You know, you shouldn't be so happy about that. That boy could have died.”
“Was I excited? I wasn't the one who stared at Pinball Vance as if he were a king or anything like that.” Amy stared at him, crossing her arms.
“Let's go.”
At that time, he had never really spoken to Vance. He was too afraid to do that. But after Vance showed up behind him, right after one of the baseball games ended, to congratulate Bruce on his team's victory, they kind of became friends.
He discovered that Vance, despite all that reputation as a bully, also had a fragile side.
Vance's family was destabilized to say the least.
His father was a complete alcoholic. And his mother was a poor thing, who was always beaten by her husband, but who always defended him, and scolded Vance if he treated his father badly. Not that Vance dared to do that, he had already received a lot of slaps and punches by his father.
Bruce remembers hugging Vance in tears at a random dawn. Vance only showed up outside Bruce's window, and even though it was late, Bruce was awake, studying for a test that would take place the next day. Vance said that his parents fought again, and that he could no longer bear all the pitiful noises his mother was making, so he ran to Bruce's house.
Bruce didn't try to hide it, but even so, he was kind of surprised when one of his colleagues from the baseball team came to talk to him during practice.
“Dude, what the hell are you doing hanging out with Vance Hopper?” It was all of a sudden, Bruce freaked out a little, turning towards the boy. Dylan Prescott.
“What?”
“Everyone knows that you're walking around with Pinball Vance. Did you go crazy?”
“He's not that bad. You would know if you talked to him.”
“Dude, I'm trying to warn you, stop hanging out with that freak. If you do something for him, he beats you until you pass out, you've seen his fights right?” Dylan said, placing a hand on Bruce's shoulder.
“Yes, I did.” Bruce spoke, moving away from Dylan's touch. He walked away from Dylan. He heard him say 'I'm just warning you!'
“Bruce! I'm trying to make it smooth for both of us, okay? But please listen to me.” Ashley's voice, this time a little irritated, knocked Bruce out of her thoughts again.
“I'm sorry.” Bruce looked down at the ground.
“It's okay. Look, I really like you, okay? But that's not going to work, we both know that. So let's just end it all.”
Even though Bruce didn't feel any romantic feelings for Ashley, those words still hurt. In fact, he was hurting more to see her like that. Ashley was always so excited, happy, and always with a smile on her face, and seeing her like that, with her eyes downcast, tears falling down her face, and so vulnerable, hurt Bruce. He started to feel guilty. After all, he was the reason she was like that, right?
“Don't— don't feel guilty or anything like that.” Ashley said, as if she had read Bruce's thoughts. “It's not your fault for being like that. You didn't choose to be like that, I think. But if we keep faking it, it will only hurt even more. I'm going to hurt myself, you're going to get hurt. And you know how much I hate to see you hurt, right?”
She looked up, and raised her arm, holding Bruce's cheek with her hand, and then she wiped away tears that Bruce didn't even know were running down his face.
“Don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry.” She had a little laugh.
Bruce ran and hugged her tightly, placing his head on her chest.
“I'm sorry, Ash, I'm sorry.” He said, a few tears soiling Ashley's yellow blouse. “I'm sorry, I'm sorry.”
Ashley stroked Bruce's head, brushing the boy's black hair.
“Don't be sorry, Bruce.” She rested her chin over Bruce's head.
They stayed like this for a while, hugging each other, crying in the company of the other.
“Hey...” Ashley said, breaking the silence. Bruce raised his head to look at her. “It's getting dark. Your parents are going to be worried. And so does my mother.”
Bruce's parents. How is he going to tell them that he and Ashley broke up? They like her so much.
“You know. I've never liked boys shorter than me.” Ashley said, having a little laugh. And Bruce also laughed a bit. “Can you take me home?”
“Sure.”
And they started walking, Ashley on Bruce's bike, and Bruce walking beside her. They didn't say anything the whole way. And it didn't take long for them to arrive.
Ashley stepped off the bike, holding it so she wouldn't fall.
“I hope you're all right.” She approaches Bruce and gives him a kiss on the forehead.
“Bye, Ash. Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Sure, you know my mom would never let me miss school.” She smiled before walking out, and before entering the house she gave Bruce a wave.
Bruce smiled too, now him holding the bike. After a few seconds of staring at Ashley's door, he got on his bike and walked home.