𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍 - 𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑

-ch. 27-

Age: 23

-Vance POV-

We were sitting by the tree, opening gifts.

"Woah...what are these? Are these the sticks like uncle Bruce has?" Ruby lifted drumsticks.

"Well, we saw you wanting to play with them, so we got you some! Look inside."

"Woahh! A drum!"

"We got you one for the time being, so when you can reach the real ones, you'll know how to play a little bit!"

"Okay! Yay! Thank you mommy and daddy!" Ruby smiled.

"Of course." I wasn't surprised she wanted drums instead of a toy. She never liked toys anyway. Bonnie, loved dolls and books even if she couldn't read most of them. So Liz reads them for her.

Bonnie opened hers, and it was a Barbie.

"Magic Moves barbie!!"

"We know you really wanted one when it came out." Liz smiled.

"Thanks guys! I love her, she's so pretty!"

"She looks a little like you!"

"Oh yeah, she does! There's another box in the bag..." she took it, and it was another Barbie.

"Ooo! Barbie and the rockers! I love that show!"

"Mhm! We got you two so they can be friends!"

"Yay! Thank you mommy and daddy!"

We nodded, smiling at them. Yes, we already had presents, we got them on our own though. And the band gave us theirs on our last gig before Christmas break.

I was walking to Victor's for Christmas, to give Brady a present. I knocked on the door, and victor opened it.

"He's not home."

"Victor."

"He isnt."

"You're lying. Again. Why do you want me away from Brady so badly?"

"Because he doesn't need you anymore. He needs to man up."

"Right, I think he 'maned up' when his best friend died due to murder. I pushed past him, and went upstairs to Brady's room."

Brady was just sitting on his bed, next to his sketchbook. Not even moving. This was worse than all the other times I've visited.

"Captain?"

"Hm?" He looked up.

"Hey! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, bucky..."

He called me bucky? That was...odd.  "I got you a gift for Christmas..." i handed him a new sketch book, since he had to use paper to fill up the sketchbook with more drawings. He ran out of pages a long time ago.

"A new sketchbook? Thanks.." he seemed really weak. He was barely moving, barely talking...

"Hey, you okay?"

"Me? Yeahh..." He was playing with the string on his ripped jeans.

"Alright, well...why don't we watch a movie?"

"A movie?"

"Yeah! What do you wanna watch?"

"Hm...Lost In Space?"

"Lost in Space? Since when do you watch Lost in Space anymore?"

"Since now...just this once."

He was acting pretty weird, but I went along with it. "Okay...C'mon."