~The Black Phone • Vance x Finney~

-Chapter 14-

Tw/cw: f slur, child abuse, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, murder, violence, smoking, bullying, racism/racist slur

⚠️This chapter has been modified a bit since when I first posted it!⚠️

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Monday school was an absolute nightmare for Finney:

1) F’s in all of his classes,
2) scolding from his teachers,
3) so much staring,
4) and no sign of Vance so far…

Now it's the fifth period of the school day, and Finney raises his hand.
“Yes, Mr. Blake?” The teacher asks coldly.
“May I use the restroom, please?”
“Come back quickly. You, mister, are on thin ice,” she responds shortly.

Finney rolls his eyes and steps out of the classroom. He pushes the bathroom door open and walks in. Before he could zip down his pants, he stopped to see Matty and his allies all smoking weed.

“Heyyy, Finney-winneyy! Haven’t seen you around for a while,” says Matty, giggling and walking over to Finney. Matty throws his arm over Finney’s shoulder and gives him a noogie.
“Buzz, here, tells me about what pinball-Vancey did to him,” Matty says again, letting Finney out of his grasp.

Finney, meanwhile, looked over at where Buzz was slumped against the wall. His face was barely a face anymore. Blue and purple sploched all over like water-colors. His left eye was swollen shut, and small cuts covered his face, still bleeding.

“He didn’t have to tell me much, of course. His face is about all you need to see to know what happened.”

“What-” Finney sputtered.

However, he was cut off by a punch to the face from Matty. Finney collapsed to the ground and was rendered speechless. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he got a chance, Matty spit into his mouth. It tasted like tobacco and skunk. It slithered down Finney’s throat before he could spit it back out.

Buzz took control once more. When will these guys ever quit?

He picked Finney up by the shirt and pulled the hair on his scalp back so it felt like it was going to rip off as he held his head back.

“You listen here, sissyboy. Your little faggot fighter may have got me bad that time, but I swear I will never stop tormenting you,” Buzz hissed.

The redhead yanked on Finney’s hair once more and even managed to rip some tiny strands out before shoving him down to the floor again.
The bathroom door slams open. Everyone flinches. In the flesh: Robin Arellano.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Finney’s second boyfriend,” spat Buzz, “the beaner boy.”

Robin took one loathful look at Buzz and time stopped once he beat the boy’s face in. You thought it couldn’t get worse? It did.
Three more punches was all Matty and Matt needed to get out of there. Buzz was unconscious and Robin tossed the limp boy across the floor.

“Hey, Finn. What’s happenin’?” Robin asked, smiling and crouching down to Finney, observing him for any injuries.
Finney chuckles and says in response, “Oh, y’know. Just keepin’ on, keepin’ on, I guess.”

The door opens once more. Robin stands up quickly and turns around, ready to punch someone else. But it wasn’t trouble. Or was it?

There, standing in all of his glory that only Finney could see, was Vance.

Robin loosens up and says, “Oh, hey, man. How’s it goin’?”

Vance takes one look at Finney, and his face–previously laid back–deadpanned. He runs to Finney, almost knocking Robin over, and grabs his face worriedly.
“What happened? Why are you on the floor? Who-”