𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚 | tbp.

HALLWAY GIRL (ii), V.H.

pt. 2 of 2
!!! LOVESTRUCK / "UNREALISTIC" VANCE TROPE
TW: Mentions of fire, strong language.
she/her prns

Vance sat at home, lighter in hand, at 1:09 p.m. Yes, he was skipping school again, despite the fact he promised himself he wouldn't. But that was three days ago, and Vance was never known for keeping promises.

He set the lighter on his thigh and took out his wallet. He flipped it open, retrieving the polaroid of her he had taken for his own in one selfish act of lovestruck need and lust. He had told himself that's all he felt for her; lust. Infatuation. She was hot and his type, that's it. She was a scumbag, a sexy one. That's what made him like her so much. But he knew he was lying to himself. Truth be told, she was the first to make him feel like Vance Hopper. Not Pinball Vance or whatever else he was labeled as. She made him feel like he could drop his gruesome, "tough kid" demeanor because she wouldn't see him any differently. That alone made him turn to mush.

But she has a boyfriend. The beautiful, sweet, envied Y/N Yamada, is dating a fucking lowlife; Someone who doesn't deserve her; Someone who doesn't talk to anyone important and probably doesn't even pay attention to anything but her boobs; Griffin Stagg. The ginger fuck that never necessarily bugged Vance, until now.

Momentarily, Vance struck his lighter and let the flame burn the corner of the polaroid, statements of refute and riot flooding into his mind. He dropped the polaroid, letting it burn away, the small and delicate crackles causing the tears to brew.

This isn't the first time he's cried over her. It wasn't the first time he's gotten mad at himself for crying over her, either. He thrusted his fist into his mattress, turning his head to the right as if to hide his tears from the nothingness staring at his pathetic, pink face.

{❗ }

Y/N sat in the empty stands as she watched her brother practice batting. His colleague, Pete Londale, pitched to the best of his ability. Y/N took sips of her soda, occasionally standing up and walking about a half mile to the Grab N' Go for snacks, or just roaming Denver's streets in hopes of seeing something new. But nothing ever changed there. Well, maybe some things.

She had recently started seeing someone. His name was Griffin, he was nice. Girls shunned her for it, saying she could do better, but she ignored them. Griffin made her happy, and that was what had mattered.

However, she noticed a few changes since their relationship had publicly started; Her teachers had stopped smiling at her in the halls. Maybe it's because Griffin has quite the rep of not caring about his work and getting constant zeros on his assignments. It was one of Y/N's least favorite things about him.

The thing that caught her attention the most was that Vance, a boy who had stumbled over his words when he read in class or took her picture in the halls and blushed when she noticed, hadn't been showing up to school. He hadn't been playing pinball, either. She had only seen him once, and he was getting groceries. She tried to smile at him but he ignored her and scowled.

Gwen said he had a crush on her. As did Donna. As did Bruce. Finney, however, said something so similar, yet so compelling; something that stuck with her. He said, "You're hurting him. All he wants is you, and he knows he can't have that anymore, so he's being hard on himself. I'm shocked he isn't taking it out on you. Maybe he just loves you that much."

"Loves". A word that kept repeating itself in her mind. Vance didn't love her, he took one picture. One, single picture. That she was aware of, at least.

Little did Y/N know, this had been happening for months. Vance had been staring, and staring, and using his imagination for various things he would say to her, how he'd make his move. All that brainpower went to shit, so he's hiding. He's waiting for his moment to re-enter the world as if Y/N never existed. Little did he know, that'd be easier said than done.

Vance had decided to do something productive. "Productive" in his eyes is walking forty feet to the Grab N' Go to spend money on a stupid game to try to get to 997,537 points instead of 997,536.

As it turns out, that's Y/N's definition of productive as well.

Time froze as she walked into the store, his back facing her. The bell on the door distracted him, a rarity. He turned his head to yell at whoever had messed him up, made him restart his game, only to falter. His face softened involuntarily and Y/N smiled at him. His heart skipped a beat and his mind told him to stop. She has a boyfriend, Vance. She has a boyfriend.

He didn't listen.

He watched her as she walked over to the pinball machine, standing next to it and leaning against the wall. She allowed her back to slide down the slick glass. The denim of her jeans made contact with the dusty ground as she pulled out Pride and Prejudice from her tote bag and flipped to page 76.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Vance stuttered, turning around slowly. Y/N flicked her eyes up to him and squirmed, making herself comfortable as her eyes skimmed across the lines in her book.

"Reading." She replied. Vance reluctantly asked why, "Why here? With me?" He said the last part as if it was the most disgusting thing to ever leave his mouth. Y/N felt her heart break a little.

"Because I like you," She said simply. Vance's heart fluttered and his brain swarmed with encouragement. Kiss her, pull her into a hug, tell her everything you've been feeling.

"You're not some big, mean, tough guy. You're sweet." She complimented, smiling kindly. Vance had an idiotic grin plastered on his face, unable to contain him emotions. He lost control of himself and let his heart think for him.

"Good. Because I like you too, more than that Griffin kid." He said, scowling at the name being said. Y/N looked up at him and had an slightly unreadable yet debunkable expression on her face.

Vance came to the conclusion it was half agreement, and half regret.

She sighed. "I know, Vance. I know," She answered symathetically. "I'm just giving Griffin a shot. If I'm being honest, I don't think we're gonna work out like we planned." She admitted, trying to advert her attention back to her book. Vance let her, simply nodding and approaching his beloved pinball machine. He pushed a quarter into the coin slot and began to play.

"I don't think we're gonna work out like we planned."
"You're sweet."
"Because I like you."

Her words echoed in his mind. His hands expertly pressed buttons and moved the lever just as he was meant to, not directing his attention to the game at all whatsoever - all he could think about what that he, Vance Hopper, had a chance with Y/N.

His hand faltered and the game was over. He looked at the score. It read 997,537. He smiled widely as his eyes traveled from the machine before him and Y/N.

She looked at him curiously before seeing the score for herself. She grinned halfheartedly, trying to get as excited about his win as he was.

She was startled as Vance pulled her into a hug. Her arms hesitantly wrapped around his neck, his around her waist, soon letting the tenseness flow out of her body and allowing herself to melt into Vance's warm embrace.

Griffin was never going to last that long anyways.