Ghost of You // Vance Hopper

XXI

"What?" The picture of Bruce sent Finney back to the day he had his game, how after, he had a sleepover with you and Robin. He then realized how much he missed you, even if he tried to push down those feelings. He didn't want to get his hopes up too high, since you were missing for a full day now. Who knows what could happen in a full day of someone being missing? He didn't even want to think about it, because all it would do is bring his hopes of finding you down even more.
"Mr. Yamada's putting them up again." Gwen had an uncomfortable look on her face. The only thing on her mind was the dreams she was having lately, especially the one about Bruce. You don't think they're gonna find them, do you?" Finney watched her expression shift, and how she now looked slightly scared.

"...Not how they want to." She thought back to you. Last night, the girl tried her hardest to have a dream about you, even praying before going to sleep in order to get something, even something small, that could help the police find you.
"Come on, let's go. We're gonna be late." She started walking again, not wanting to look at the missing posters for even a second longer. Up ahead, kids rushed into the street and crowded around two unknown people. Gwen and Finney rushed to the scene, wanting to see who was fighting.

There, in the middle of the commotion, were Moose and Robin.
"You think you're so tough, huh? You can't even find that girlfriend that you're sharing with Vance Hopper." Moose spat with venom laced in his voice. People all around the two chanted 'fight!', and Robin was beginning to get fed up.
    "Let's find out." He stood still, clenching and unclenching his fists, waiting for Moose to back down like he usually did. He was always too scared to put up much of a fight, since he usually got his ass kicked in the end, and made a fool of himself.

    "I will pound you like a nail," he looked the smaller boy up and down with a scoff.
    "You scrawny little beaner." Students gathered around gasped, surprised that Moose was being bold for once. He never had the balls to say something like that straight up, he was only good at talking shit behind someone's back.
    "Then do it," Gwen and Finney exchanged expecting glances to each other, already knowing what the outcome to the fight would be.

    "Unless you're scared." A smirk creeped up Robin's face, and Moose threw the first punch. It was fairly slow, so he had time to duck down in order to not take the hit. Robin sprang up again, reaching forward and latching onto Moose. He leaned back and kicked the bigger guy in the face, sending him flying into a street sign. Moose tried landing another punch, but Robin caught it this time, holding him in a headlock until he could throw him onto the ground.

    The wind was knocked out of Moose upon making contact with the grass harshly, and he groaned from the impact. Robin looked up and made eye contact with Finney, gaining more confidence to do what he was about to do. His fist made contact with Moose's face, and girls crowded around them gasped. Some of them laughed, some threw a hand over their mouth to cover their shocked faces. There was another punch, and another, and another. Moose took it all, all the while he could hear the kids screaming at Robin to hit him harder. Moose's face was messed up badly, and Finney now knew it was time to take Gwen to school.
    "Let's go." He ushered her away from the crowd, and shouted another 'let's go' before she got a move on.

    Robin didn't stop, not until he knew the lesson was learned.
    "Keep her name out of your mouth, cerebro de mierda!" Moose's was was bloodied up, and now he finally knew not to mess with him and his best friend.

   Translation: shitbrain. 🫣..

    "What the hell? That was Moose." Gwen asked Finney while they made their way to school, Robin following after them not too far behind.
    "I don't care," he replied calmly to his sister, not wanting to elaborate on why he thought Moose didn't need a beating that bad.
    "Moose is a giant asshole."

    "I know,"

    "But last year when he made your nose bleed?" Finney cut her off, not wanting to think back to when Moose punched him across the face. That day, Moose was lucky neither you or Robin found out what he did.
    "He had it coming." She reminded Finney with a small grin fighting its way onto her face.
    "No one has that coming." He shot back.

    "Finney, he beat up our friend, and you!" Finney didn't want to think about those Polaroid pictures, not again. He never knew that would be the way he found out what happened to you.
    "I know, Gwen. I was there, remember? Okay? I just don't wanna talk about it..." the two continued on their journey to school, changing the subject to forget about you. Every time they brought you or the other kids up in a conversation, Finney felt a heavy weight weighing him down. He didn't like talking about you in past tense, he didn't like it one bit. The boy believed you were alive, and he wasn't gonna give up thinking so until proven wrong.

    "Well, he was stupid to pick a fight with you, Robin. You're the toughest kid in school since the Grabber got Pinball Vance Hopper." There it was again, bringing one of the kids up. It darkened the mood even more, and Finney could feel how angry Robin was trailing behind them.
    "I wish you wouldn't call him that." Robin listened in to their conversation silently, kicking at the rocks in the sidewalk along the way to their school.
    "Everyone called him Pinball Vance," Gwen gulped.

    "That's not what I—" Finney was cut off by Gwen, who knew what he actually meant by 'him'. Everyone knew who the 'him' was. He was the reason you weren't walking with the group today, the reason Vance wasn't there to make everyone angry in the morning by being in a pissy mood about not having breakfast.

    "I know who you mean, Jerkface. Even the papers call him the Grabber." Gwen retaliated, looking down at the sidewalk as they passed each house. Robin still didn't say a word, thinking about how horrible he felt. Why did he have to pick a fight with Mason on Friday? If he didn't, maybe you wouldn't even be missing in the first place!
    "I just.. wish you wouldn't say his name."

_

Didn't know how to end this chapter I'm sorry LMFAO but bro I am craving some hot Cheetos rn 😩