Head over Heels || brance

XXIV

Bruce walked up to the Grab 'N Go, looking into the windows as he passed. He could see the pinball machine with the very familiar boy standing in front of it, he wondered if Vance had even heard what was happening, he was suspended anyway, and Bruce didn't know how much of the town could know.

He pulled open the door, hearing the bell chime overhead. He smiled to the lady behind the cash register and she gave a tight smile back. He hesitated before walking up to the pinball machine, he was nervous of what Vance could be thinking and he didn't want anyone to see them together and suspect the truth.

Vance was about to beat his new high score, which he heard was just achieved last week, and he could see the numbers flipping through each time the ball avoided the slot. He slowly approached Vance, standing to his side with his heart in his throat.

"What are you doing here?" Vance asked, his voice just as concentrated as his face was. Bruce liked how Vance pursed his lips when he was focused on the game, how his eyes slightly narrowed while he watched the ball. Bruce had never watched him play pinball, he didn't understand why Vance liked it, it seemed boring to him plus he didn't know how to play.

"I wanted to talk to you." Bruce watched the ball bounce around, the only sound to be heard was the harsh press of buttons and the noise of reactions caused by the ball hitting posts.

"I should've known something like this would happen. I bet it was all your fucking friend Billy's fault." Vance said, and Bruce bit his lip. He didn't assume it was Billy, he was with him that night and morning, when would he have the time to tell anyone? No one knew yesterday. "I don't want to be seen with you."

Bruce looked away from the game, looking over at Vance who moved slightly as if he was the ball. Bruce felt that nauseous feeling again. He stared at the bruise that sat on his cheekbone.

"Because of you, everyone in this town thinks I'm a fairy. I should've fucking said no to you when you asked." Bruce saw Vance's hands becoming messy with anger as he almost missed the ball. "Everyone is going to think I'm a freak."

"They already do, Vance." Bruce mumbled out.

"Well, fuck that!" The ball fell through the slot and Vance hit his fist along the glass. "I don't need that, Bruce. My life was going fine before you walked in and did this."

"I did this?" Bruce furrowed his eyebrows. "I didn't tell anyone, and you could've said no! But you didn't so it isn't just my fault, Vance."

Bruce's body was tingling in anger as he stared at Vance who tensed his jaw. He should've known that Vance wouldn't act well over the fact that people were talking about them, but he at least hoped Vance wouldn't try to force the blame onto him.

"I don't want to be seen around you anymore. This lie is over, I'm not going to your house anymore or your games or even seeing you after school. I don't care about your dad or how it will effect you. I don't give a shit." Vance's voice was slowly becoming calm and it made Bruce's eyes swell with tears. "I'm going to tell someone that it was all just a rumour, that whatever they think is happening between us isn't happening. Things are going to go back to how they were and this stops." he motioned between them.

Bruce didn't know what to say. Vance looked back at the game before looking over his shoulder at the lady behind the counter who stared at him as if waiting for him to punch Bruce. He looked away from her.

"You're just gonna have to find someone else to do this with." Vance sighed, reaching his hand into his pocket to find a coin. "Leave me alone."

Bruce felt like the world was crumbling beneath him. First with his family, then school, and now Vance. He felt like he had lost everything. He wiped at his cheek, feeling the phantom of a tear but at least he wasn't actually crying. He heard the sound of the game coming back on and he decided that he would leave. He would let Vance forget this thing between them every happened, he'd let him tell the town that it was just rumours however he would do that, he would go apologize to his family and tell them the truth. He'd go back to being who he was before.