ANGEL ~ vance hopper x reader ~

⌗ 𓂃 𖥔༌ ᰷ ﹅chapter 26﹅ ᰷ 𖥔༌ 𓂃⌗

"it's not that bad! honestly!" I huffed angrily.

"if it's not that bad, then why does everyone have to keep it a fucking secret from me?!" I yelled before slamming the receiver down. I flopped back onto my bed and resumed my angry screaming into my pillows.

***

the next day at school, I aired everyone that had anything to do with the amanda-secret situation.

"baby, just talk to me." vance stood beside me at my locker, the late bell had rung so hall was empty as I pulled my last books out. vance trying to get me to say at least a word to him but I stayed silent. "y/n! come on, stop it with the freezing me out!"

"I have to go to class." I said before shutting my locker and walking towards my {optional class} classroom. vance had product design when I had {option}, so he would be on the other side of the school to me.

I heard vance let out an angry yell and kick the lockers beside him, making a few loitering freshman beside him jump. I sighed and sped my walk up, not wanting to be later than I already was but knowing that I could use my corridor pass.

***

"c'mon, y/n! I would tell you, but it's not my place!" bruce whined. it was break and bruce had stopped me from going up the bleachers to the rest of the group by standing in front of me and blocking my way.

"excuse me, bruce." I said, my voice monotone.

"stop trying to freeze me out! I can't say, if I could, I would!" he side stepped me, stopping me from going around him.

"what about all those other times we weren't meant to tell each other something, but we still did. what, are we not that close anymore? what's so different now? are you better friends with amanda than me?" I sassed.

"it's not amanda's secret! it's vance's, and I'm scared of vance! you and I know that." he mumbled the last bit.

"move, bruce."

"I'm sorry, y/n."

"fine!" I sighed as I looked into bruce's sad eyes.

"it's not fair that vance isn't telling you and he totally should, but he's sworn me to secrecy. with the threat of losing a few fingers and I don't doubt him." he stropped.

I sighed again before moving closer to bruce and catching his arm with mine, spinning him around as we walked arm in arm up the bleachers.

"I can't fucking stay mad at you, you prick." bruce gave me a wide smile. "I know it's not your fault, I just hate people keeping secrets from me."

"it's not about you. if that helps." I sighed again.

"not really, but thanks," bruce smiled sadly this time. "hey, guys!"

***

"...and he's just so sweet. when he wants to be. nobody's ever seen the real him. he's only ever really shown me." I rolled my eyes as I heard amanda babbling behind me to one of the other popular girls. she was sat on the desk behind me in our french class with the other girl — kady maddox. the teacher had gone out to run an errand and the class was chatting. I was on my own in this lesson, I was the only one that was in french in my friend group.

kady was ok, she was always nice to me and never really horrible to anyone. she just didn't talk to anyone that wasn't her group, really.

"that's so cute!" I rolled my eyes again as kady fell for amanda's bullshit.

"and now he's dating this new chick, and she suddenly thinks she's all that just cuz she's dating vance hopper, like girl. rumours are going around that they've had sex outside of the bingo hall! isn't that right, y/n." I turned around to see amanda with a stupid smirk on her face. I just gave her a blank look.

"no, it wasn't the bingo hall." I said before turning around. amanda's face blanched and she was silent for a second before talking again.

"see, she's such a bitch! and a whore. like just cuz your dating vancey doesn't mean you're the shit." she muttered.

"maybe you should leave her alone? she's been through a lot recently. with all the tom shit..." kady replied.

"whatever. she deserves it, it's her fault vancey got shot. I bet she faked the sexual assault for attention." amanda said the last part loudly, gaining the attention of the class and stunning it into silence.

my breathing stopped and my body froze. I felt eyes on me as people waited for my reaction, but I was stuck in my own head.

what if I'd blown the situation way out of proportion?

what if I got it wrong?

was it really sexual assualt?

I'm the reason vance got shot. it's my fault. it's all my fault.

my. fault.

for the first time since the incident happened, I started to doubt myself.

"well, are you gonna say anything, survivor?" amanda said the last word mockingly but nobody laughed.

all I could do was scoop my books into my arms, shoulder my bag and leave the classroom in a hurry. as I hurried down the corridor, I heard amanda's laughs echoing in my hazy mind and twisting my insides. I suddenly felt sick and faint.

"y/n?" the voice that called my name was distant, as if a million miles away. "y/n!"

footsteps ran towards me and I turned to the direction of them.

"vance." I croaked out through my tears.

I could hardly see anything. my vision was blurred by my tears and the edges were tinted with a fuzzy black. vance was saying words, but they were muffled and dim.

"I... I can't..." my eyes were glued to the floor and my head felt heavy, as if I couldn't lift it to see vance. "breathe."

I tried to choke in breaths through my tight lungs and closed-up throat. my books tumbled from my arms as they dropped to my sides. my body swayed to the side, threatening to fall before vance caught me. my head had a splitting headache and it felt as if my skull was being ripped in two.

"let's get you to the nurse."

***

-AMANDA HOBBS - BREC BASSINGER