Head over Heels || brance

II

Bruce walked down the hallway, the day had just started and he felt so exhausted. He wished he didn't take that lazy Sunday for granted. School started too early, he already didn't want to be there but being in a building with teens who stunk and were annoying were part of a huge deal-breaker.

It was also loud. His school was always loud. He could hear the conversations around him of different students, people laughing, people yelling... people yelling? He sighed, rolling his eyes as he passed a corridor that led to an exit, he saw the group gathered there and that was enough for him to know what was going on.

He neared the circle of people, standing on the tips of his toes to peer over the other students, and there he saw Vance Hopper beating the shit out of Martin Walters. Martin was a trashmouth and always had something to say and it was usually ignorant, he's honestly surprised it took this long for him to get punched.

He turned to the person beside him.

"What happened?" He asked. She shrugged.

"I heard that Martin called Vance a loser and immature." She turned back to the fight as the crowd hissed at the impact of Vance's fist against Martin's face. Bruce honestly agreed somewhat with what Martin had said, he as well thought Vance was immature.

Bruce has hated Vance since elementary school when he fought Robin Arellano on the park. Robin was one of Bruce's best friends when he was younger and he hated seeing him fight Vance and falling off the equipment, but he remembered thinking it was cool that Robin broke his arm.

That wasn't the only thing Bruce hated about Vance. He hated that he fought with people all the time over such small inconveniences. Weather it was someone bumping into him or saying one word, he would find some reason to fight them.

He hated how Vance acted so tough.

He hated how Vance skipped school.

He hated that Vance talks bad about him because he's 'Bruce Yamada'.

He hates Vance Hopper.

He didn't stay long after that to finish watching. Fights always made him uncomfortable. Another great pro about being him, was that no one ever wanted to fight him, he was loved by everyone.

Bruce entered first period, taking a seat next to Billy Showalter, the town's paperboy. Bruce never really talked to Billy, he's sure he's nice but Billy is quiet and Bruce is bad at starting conversations. Every once in a while Billy would strike up a small conversation about the lesson or about the baseball game he'd watched but it never really stuck.

Bruce knew that Billy must've been a fun person to be around once you get to know him. He had seen him sitting with Finney Blake and Robin Arellano at lunch and he knew they were great people.

The teacher entered the room and the students chatter died down. The lesson began and Bruce could feel himself falling asleep, algebra was boring.

From beside him, Billy watched as the boys eyes would slowly close and he would stay like that for a minute before jolting awake and taking notes quickly.

Billy wanted to lightly tap him on the shoulder and ask if he wanted him to take notes for him so he could sleep. But, would Bruce do that for him? So Billy stayed quiet.

-

When Bruce got home that evening, he could hear yelling from inside. He hesitated before walking in and wished he stayed outside when he noticed his mother arguing with his sister. And he had a feeling he knew what it was over.

Bruce stood at the entrance way, taking off his school stuff and wanting to quietly advert to the staircase.

"Why don't you listen to me!" His mother yelled. It seemed like they had been fighting for a while, his mother looked like she was about to cry in frustration. "I just want what's best for you, Amy."

"I can decide what's best for me, Mom." Amy was calm, she didn't want to yell back at her mother.

"Take them out, please." Bruce listened as his mother's voice got quieter but he knew that her calmly speaking to Amy wasn't going to make her take out the earrings. Bruce didn't understand why his mother was so against it, it was just her ears, it wasn't like it was her eyebrow.

He also didn't understand how she got caught so soon.

"No." Amy replied. Their mother let out and annoyed sound, her face stuck in irritation.

Bruce decided he didn't want to see what was going to happen next, so he went upstairs. He jumped as he opened his bedroom door to see his father sitting on his bed.

Had Bruce done something wrong too? Was he about to get his lecture?

"Ah, how was school, son." His father smiled as Bruce went to sit on his desk chair.

"Good." He replied, smiling softly as his father, not showing any teeth. His father laid his hands in his lap.

"I wanted to ask you something, you're not in trouble." Bruce's shoulders dropped, he never realized he allowed them to tense up upon seeing his father. "Do you know those kids.... Finney Blake and Robin... A..."

"Arellano?" Bruce interrupted. His father made a sound of approval. "Yeah, I know them. I play baseball with Finney sometimes, remember?" His dad nodded.

"Well...." His father hesitated as if not knowing how to carry on with what he wanted to say. Bruce raised an eyebrow, feeling a bit impatient. "Well, there has been talk that..."

"What?"

"They're homosexuals." Bruce was taken slightly a back. His was shocked, Finney and Robin? How had he never heard about this? How had he never noticed? All he could think about was it was just rumours, no one knew, it was just talk.

"Who told you that?" Bruce said softly as he leaned his arm on the back of his chair.

"Just heard it from a few people at work. They were talking about how there were some fairies in town-"

Bruce stared at his dad dumbfounded. "Dad," He spoke, his eyebrows furrowed again. "Don't call them that."

His father pushed away his discomfort with a swing of his hand. Before making a 'tsk' sound and continuing with what he wanted to say.

"I'm just bringing this up because... I don't want you hanging around them anymore." His father made eye contact with him. "I don't want you to get any ideas. You need a nice girl, Brucey. A girl you can show off and spoil. If you hang out with those two, you might... I don't know... don't make me out to be mean in this, okay? I just want what's best for you."

Bruce stayed quiet. The room was filled with silence. Bruce felt a bit awkward at his father's comment. He didn't care if Finney and Robin liked each other, and he wished his dad wouldn't care if it was him in that place.

At times his parents irritated him a lot. This was definitely one of those moments. He, however, kept quiet. His father had no right to firstly control everything about him, but secondly control who he loved and hung out with.

He hadn't really spoken with Robin and Finney. He had only seen Finney at baseball games and that was as much as they cared to acknowledge each other. As for Robin, the two lost contact after middle school when Robin became a fighter. Bruce wasn't allowed to be involved in that, so their relationship never stuck.

Sometimes he felt like he had no real friends... sometimes he wished he kept that bond with Robin or talked to Finney more but what would his father say now if he heard?

His father went to open his mouth but was cut off by Amy bursting through the door, her ears red, her face red, and angry heat radiating off her body.

Their father took that as his sign to leave.