Head over Heels || brance

VI

After the game, Bruce went home, his mother asked if Vance wanted to come but he declined and made up some excuse and in a way, Bruce was both upset and okay with it.

The car ride home was awkward and silent, no one talked and Bruce was scared that his parents would never talk to him again.

When they got home, he went straight to his room, not making eye contact with anyone. He closed his door, dropping his baseball bag on the floor.

"What have I done." He murmured to himself. He tossed his hat off somewhere in his room, before flopping on his bed, still in his dirty baseball uniform.

The door opened and Bruce felt his heart drop, he didn't want to deal with his father or his mother or anyone. He knew that if his father entered, he would somehow guilt trip him into not being like this, into ending this fake romance.

To his relief, it was his sister. She entered the room and softly closed the door, walking over to sit on his bed.

"Dad hates me, doesn't he?" He asked softly, his face squished against the pillow. Amy didn't look in his direction.

"I don't know. Before I came up here, I heard Mom telling him not to be so mean to you." Bruce felt his eyes brimming with tears. At least his mother wasn't so mad about it. But his father was one of his favourite people in the world, and it meant everything to him that they were still the same.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done this. Vance and I aren't even dating and if Dad found out it was all a lie, he'll be even more mad at me." Amy looked over at him.

"No. It's a good thing you did this, Bruce. It's one thing that Dad and Mom try to make you be a perfect replica of them, but it's another when they try to control who you can be with. Even if you aren't with Vance, this fake thing between you two is the first step into independence."

Even though Amy was younger than Bruce, he looked up to her a lot. She always knew what to say to make him feel better, she never judged him too hard and she always made sure he was okay and knew he was loved. Amy was Bruce's best friend, and sure that sounds pathetic because their siblings, but if it wasn't for her, Bruce would've probably introduced a smart girl to his parents at the game today.

"You should've told Vance to come over after the game." She spoke.

"Why?"

"Because usually couples are together all the time. Like, glued to the hip, especially when their relationship first starts. And if you don't want Mom and Dad to suspect anything, you need to tell him to act more like your boyfriend." Bruce knew she was right, but Bruce didn't know how to be a boyfriend, he never was one before. "Tell him to come over after school on Monday."

Bruce would take her advice to the grave, and if she knew how to make this believable, he would listen to her every step of the way. He nodded at her.

"Okay."

"And don't worry, Mom and Dad won't want to see you guys make out or anything." Bruce's face turned to disgust at the thought of ever kissing Vance Hopper. "Now go shower, you actually stink." She gagged and Bruce slowly shoved his foot in her face.

-

As far as Bruce knew, his father would never talk bad about him. He never would assume that his father would go into work on Monday and say mean things about him and his "boyfriend" to his co-workers. But that was the thought that had been eating at Bruce the moment he stepped on school grounds.

He watched anxiously at all the kids who weren't even giving him any attention, but to him, they all knew.

He stopped at his locker, grabbing his text books. He went down to class. He sat in his chair. That's what he did, no one looking at him except for the occasional smile because he might've forgotten his popularity if no one gave him sharp smiles and suggestive eyes.