hatred | vance hopper

seven

It was project presentation day and Layla felt bittersweet. She was ecstatic for the project to be over because she despised Chemistry. However, she was not ecstatic for her time with Vance to be over. They hadn't even known each other for that long, really; only about a month. But, to Layla, it felt like she had known him forever. She had really begun to like Vance, and the fact that he didn't feel the same towards her made her heart hurt.

Layla sat down in Chemistry class, diorama in one hand, essay in the other. Mrs. Bailey looked at Layla with a raised brow, "Miss Everson, did you do the project all by yourself?"

"No! I just had all of the material at my house. He helped, I swear," Layla said.

Mrs. Bailey looked unconvinced but left it alone. Layla assumed that Vance typically forced his partners to do all the work since she reacted that way; it didn't surprise her at all. Vance huffed into the classroom and threw his stuff down on the floor. He obviously was already in a bad mood.

"Who pissed in your Cheerios?" Layla whispered.

"Fuck off," Vance said, rolling his eyes.

"Okay then," Layla said, scooting her chair away from him. If he was in one of his explosive moods, Layla was going to get as far away from it as she could.

"So, what? You're a cunt to me last night and now you're perfectly fine? You on your period or somethin'?" Vance growled out.

"Excuse me?" Layla asked. That was the one question you never ask a girl.

"You've been weird for the last week. What the fuck is your problem?" Vance snapped, "I just want my friend back."

Layla's face flushed slightly, He thought they were friends, too? But before she could respond, the bell rang and class started.

"Alright, it's presentation day! You'll turn your essays in to me, and then you'll present your dioramas to the class. Vance and Layla, you're up first!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Layla was ready to go home. The school day had drug along extremely slow, and Vance was in a terrible mood. Layla was used to him being snippy, but it was extra bad today.

"Hey, Layla!" She heard a voice call.

Layla turned around to see a boy from her Chemistry class. She had never really talked to him before, but he seemed nice enough. He was average height with shoulder-length dark brown hair and he had a bandana wrapped around his head.

"Hey! Robin, right?" She asked.

"Yeah! Your project was pretty good. I'm surprised Hopper participated any at all," He joked.

Layla smiled at him, "Yeah, getting him to cooperate was definitely not the easiest thing in the world."

"I bet not, he seems like he can be a handful. It's cool that you are friends, though."

"Yeah, I guess so," Layla laughed slightly. She didn't mind talking to Robin, but she had no idea why he was.

"You guys are just friends, right?"

Layla quirked a brow at him, "Yeah, why?"

Robin smiled brightly, "Good because I was going to see if you wanted to go on a date with me."

Layla pursed her lips in thought. She didn't want to go out with Robin at all. She wanted to go out with Vance. That would probably never happen though, so why the hell not? Who knows, maybe it could lead somewhere.

"You know what? Yeah, I'd like that," Layla smiled at Robin.

"How about 7 o'clock tomorrow? We can go to the drive-in." Robin offered.

Layla nodded and smiled, "Yeah, that would be great." Soon after that, Vance walked up to the two.

"What are you two talking about?" Vance gruffed out.

"Nothing, amigo. I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" Robin said, winking at Layla.

Layla's face blushed a bright red and she nodded at the brunette boy as he walked off.

"What the fuck was that about?" Vance snapped.

"Why do you care?" Layla asked as she started walking towards her house. Vance was hot on her trail.

"Tell me. Why were you talking to Arellano?"

"It doesn't matter, Vance."

Vance grabbed Layla's shoulder and whipped her around to look at him. He held onto her shoulders tightly, "Fuckin' tell me!"

"He asked me on a date, damn! I don't know why you care so much!"

Vance's eyebrows furrowed and he glared deeply into Layla's eyes, "Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Layla asked, laughing at the blonde.

"It's not fuckin' funny!" He seethed.

Layla shoved his hands off of her and started walking again, "I don't know why he asked me on a date, he just did! What's the big deal?!"

Vance was, once again, following quickly behind her, "I don't think you should. I don't trust him."

"You've never even talked to him!"

"He doesn't have good intentions. He probably just wants to get in your pants. Don't go."

"Vance, I'm going."

Vance stomped his feet in anger, "Why?!"

Layla whipped around and glared at him, "Because if someone wants to show interest in me and take me out on a damn date, I'm gonna let them!"

"Girls and their fuckin' dates," Vance huffed, "What's the big deal? He takes you out to see some shitty movie, cops a feel, and then never speaks to you again. Why do you want that? You could just stay home and-"

"-And what, Vance?"

Vance's mouth opened and closed like he wanted to finish what he was going to say, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Exactly. You know what? Just leave me the fuck alone," Layla stomped off. This time, Vance didn't follow.

"Hang out with me..." He mumbled, watching her figure slowly fade away in the distance.

Vance didn't know what the hell his problem was. All he knew was, that seeing another guy talk to Layla made his heart burn; a white-hot fury filled him that burned brighter than when someone fucked up his pinball game.