Vance Hopper's sexuality crisis

02

Bruce was sitting at his desk. He'd been trying to do his homework but he couldn't focus on anything. After Vance had left him at the park he'd been on his mind twice than before.

He'd almost got run over while walking home with how distracted he was. He quickly neutralized the situation by giving the woman in the car a sugary sweet smile.

He was trying to figure out how to get control of the situation. But how could he control something he didn't understand? He tapped his pencil against the desk aggressively, throwing his head back in frustration.

Amy was passing by the hall and peeked in. "Something bothering you?" She asked. Bruce could've sworn he'd almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice.

"Jesus! You scared me." He said as he sat back up and clutched his shirt as his heart raced dramatically.

"I couldn't tell." She said sarcastically, as she invited herself into the room and sat on his bed. She continued, "So what's bothering you?" She asked calmly.

Bruce sighed and rotated his chair so they were facing each other. "If I tell you, you can't tell anyone." He said, trying his best to look serious.

"Yeah, yeah, not a word." She said, motioning a zipper over her mouth. Bruce smiled brightly at her.

"Okay, so, I think I..I think I have a crush on a boy." He said, getting more and more nervous by the second. He had no idea how she'd react to the subject. Everyone in their house tended to ignore it.

They two sat in a tense silence for a few seconds before Amy spoke up. "Who is it?" She asked the question innocently, but Bruce felt like she'd just slapped him in the face. That wasn't her fault of course but it wasn't a feeling he particularly enjoyed.

"Well, uh.." Bruce rubbed his neck awkwardly. Being into boys was one thing and being into Vance Hopper was a whole new one. His mother especially frowned upon the ruffian. Commenting on how she doesn't know what she'd do if any of her children behaved like that.

His father, however, mentioned how good he'd be at baseball. He always earned a look from his mother and shut up. Who knows how Amy felt.

He decided to just suck it up and come out with it, he was this deep in already anyways. "It's Vance Hopper." He said, breaking the intense eye contact they'd been holding.

Her expression went from curious to unreadable. Bruce thought for a moment that she was about to burst out his room and tell everyone who'd listen. He trusted her but he couldn't be too careful.

"Vance? Like the Vance that beats kids half to death for fun? Have you ever even spoken to him?" Amy asked, raising her eyebrows. She doubted the two had even had a single interaction.

Bruce rolled his eyes at his sister, "Of course we've spoken, well as of recently. That's why it's so sudden." This seemed to peak her interest.

"Recently? Do explain." She said, her eyes gazing into his very soul. Kind of like Vance's.

"Well we hadn't interacted at all before but now I catch him staring at the time, and I mean all the time. And earlier today I bumped into him in the hall and he grabbed me by the collar and like, zoned out and he just held me there for like, at least a full minute. And once he came to again he dropped my collar and stomped out of the school. It was super odd. And after-" he was about to continue his story before Amy raises her hand to stop him.

"Are you telling the truth, Bruce? This sounds nothing like the Vance I've heard of." She stared at him skeptically, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Yes, I know. That's why I'm weirded out, now will you let me finish?" She nodded her head after rolling her eyes at her older brother.

"Okay so, I couldn't stop thinking about how weird he was in the hall so when school ended I went for a walk to that one park I like, and guess who was asleep on one of the benches? VANCE. He looked almost angelic with his face so relaxed," Amy fake gagged as Bruce described Vance's apparent beauty.

"Rude. Anyways, I walked over to him and he stirred awake and looked at me like I was insane. As if I was the one who stared at him attentively for a minute in the middle of school. But he questioned me and then invited, well, told me, to walk with him. And then we walked to one of the exits and he left. I was stunned." Bruce let out a hearty sigh like the story was the most intense thing he'd ever told.

"And you're serious? Because it kinda sounds like you aren't the only one who likes boys, Bruce." Amy said, a weird smug smirk on her face.

Bruce didn't believe her. There's no way in hell that big bad Vance liked boys. He'd pummel anyone who'd try to suggest it. For now he'd have to focus on his own feelings, but how did he do that?

Then it hit him. There were two people he knew that liked boys, well they liked eachother. Finney and Robin. How hadn't he realized it earlier? God, he really was dumb sometimes. The two were the only queer kids in the school, or the only ones that would admit it.

He figured he could ask Finney about tomorrow. Amy seemed to notice his sudden epiphany and slid off his bed. "I'll leave you to your thoughts now, think about what I said." And then his door was shut.

He sighed and changed into pajamas, deciding he was done for the night. He switched off his lamp and crawled into his bed.

So much for homework.