Ghost of You // Vance Hopper

XXI

Before you guys start coming for me, I'm Mexican lol, I wouldn't put the slur into the book if I couldn't reclaim it
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Monday 1979. 7:49AM.
???
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    Someone was standing in the corner. You didn't know how long you've been staring at them, but you know it's been a while. He hasn't yet from his spot, but from the smidge of light that came in through the cracks of the window, you knew he was staring straight back. He never talked. He was just there. Maybe you were already going crazy. With no sense of time in the dingy basement, you couldn't even tell how long you'd been down here.
    "What do you want..?" His eyes didn't leave your form, examining every single movement you made closely, like he was testing you. Waiting, waiting to see if you'd do anything.

    He adorned a faded grey jacket, from what you saw in the dark, and there was a deep cut running along his cheek. Dried blood stuck onto his face, just below it, and everywhere else alone his chest and neck had scattered cuts and blood. You woke up, you thought, about an hour ago. He was there, in the corner, near the door, simply staring at you. No talking, not once, and he didn't move a muscle either. He almost looked like a statue there with how still he was, but you could faintly hear his breathing from across the room. How he looked calm, but his breathing pattern told you otherwise, you didn't know. Maybe he would go away if you didn't pay attention?

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Monday 1979. 7:49AM.
FINNEY
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Finney sipped his cereal loudly as he stared down at his magazine, stealing a quick glance at his father going to sit down at the table. He opened the morning newspaper with a sigh and got to reading. On the side that Finney could see, there was a small margin on one side about the new missing kids. Specifically, you and Vance. A picture that Finney remembered taking of you was plastered onto the paper, whilst Vance had one of you and him at some sort of fair together.

He read through the small section of words while he ate his cereal, skimming over everything until landing on two words. 'CURFEW: 5PM'. They thought a curfew would help out? All of the kids, from what the police gathered, were kidnapped during the day. An early curfew wouldn't do anything but anger the already worried parents.

"You think you can slurp that a little louder?"Finney's father mumbled slowly, lowering his magazine to get a good look at his son's neutral expression.
"I don't think they can hear you up in Boulder." Finney raised a brow at his father in annoyance, but complied. There was no point in fighting, since he already knew how it would end anyway.

Gwen passed her brother, heading straight for the bread box. The door was heavy, so she dropped it instead of lowering it. The door fell with a loud 'thump' and startled the two sitting at the table. Finney's head shot up and he glanced at his sister, then to his father in anticipation.
"...Sorry, Daddy." She apologized with a cringe before taking the bread out and trying her best to open it quietly. Finney, on the other hand, took one last look at his little sister, who imitated their father reading the newspaper. He gave her a small grin and went back to eating.

"I don't know, everyone says Fonzie or Richie. Millie says Potsy. But I don't think anyone should ever trust anyone who wants to grow up and marry Potsy." The two siblings walked down the line of fences together, on their way to school, where they'd have to go to lunch without two of their friends.
"I think I'll just stick with my current plan and marry Danny Bonaduce." The girl spoke of the Partridge Family as if she knew them, speaking so casually about marrying Danny.

"You're not gonna marry a member of the Partridge Family.." Finney hit her with the hard truth, but slowed down his walk upon a poster catching his eye.
"He's so crucial. I love his voice." Gwen swooned, but made a stop with her brother when realizing he already did.
"It's new." He stared down at the poster of Bruce Yamada, one he knew he saw before. The boy's father had been putting up posters all around town since his son's disappearance, and the new one was placed straight on top of yours and Vance's.