3RD OCTOBER, 1979.
16:02, THE BIKE RACKS.
CAROLINE REALISES SHE LIKES VANCE.
Caroline had been waiting at the bike racks for about five minutes now, she had shown up fairly early and it's not like she gave a specific time. After school could mean any time after school ended. She was fairly excited about going to Vance's house, wondering what his room would be like. Her worries about him forgetting were gonna as she spotted Vance walking alongside his friend.
"You haven't been waiting too long have you?" Vance asked once he was in her range of hearing. "Only about five minutes." Vance said goodbye to his friend and took Caroline's hand in order to lead her to his house. "I only live about 15 minutes away, you don't mind walking right?" Caroline shook her head in a no, while following Vance's direction.
"So how was your free period, vancey?" Although Vance blushed at the sweet nickname, he groaned outloud knowing it was a joke. "That's such a stupid nickname." With a fake look of shock on her face, Caroline giggled. "Oh you know you love it." He did, he did love it. "Whatever, I didn't do anything in free but hang around the principals office."
"What did you do this time?"
"The funny thing is, it wasn't even me this time! It was moose." He groaned in annoyance. Vance wasn't the type to vandalise, he stuck to fights.
"Oh, well I'm proud of you for staying out of trouble." Vance became bashful at this. For the rest of the walk neither said much, maybe a joke about a passerby on the other side of the street. Resulting in quiet laughs and odd looks from other pedestrians. Vance walked up to the metal gate of his house.
"Uhm, my mum is home. She won't say nothing though." Caroline nodded and followed Vance into his home. On the walls were various childhood photos of him, mostly with his mother. At the end of the hallway was one bigger photo of Vance with both of his parents, the only one of his father in the whole hallway. She stopped to look at it, nobody was smiling in fact they all looked like they didn't want to be here.
"Oh, there's not many of my dad cause he isn't around a lot. Probably for the better anyways." Vance moved over to the edge of the stairs to call up to his mum, Caroline stays looking at the childhood photos of Vance (noting how adorable he was). "My mum's gonna love you by the way."
Soon after, Vance's mother came rushing downstairs to greet her son and his guest. She was a short woman, around the same height as Caroline. Like Caroline and her mother, Vance and his shared many features. She had curly blonde hair, with occasional Grey's, bright blue eyes and a sweet smile. "Hello, you must be Caroline! I've heard so much about you." She was a warm woman, who immediately offered a hug to Caroline. Although it was a short one, it made both Caroline and Vance smile.
"Hope he's not been telling you I'm a complete loser."
"Oh god no, he talks all about how beautiful you are and sweet." Vance's initial smile watching Caroline and his mother interact dropped out of embarrassment. He should of known that his mother would be like this with the first girl he brought home. Even if it was just for tutoring.
"Well isn't that sweet of him." Caroline blushed. "Oh well he can be a sweet boy when he isn't fighting everything that moves." They shared a laugh while Vance took Caroline's hand in his. "Ok mum we're going and studying now you can be quiet about things I told you in confidence!"
Caroline now sat on Vance's bed in his room, staring around at the walls while Vance attempted to find his physics notes (which did not exist). His room was not completely bare, a few posters were on one wall and he had various old things he clearly hadn't cared to move since he was young.
"Those physics notes don't exist do they?"
"Yeah no they don't."
"Thought so. You can just use mine, I know all of it already."
Caroline started carefully moving through the energy topic with Vance, ignoring how close they were sat. Ignoring how she could feel his breath fanning on her neck as he looked at her notes. Ignoring how he kept biting his lip in concentration.
"Do you get it now? Even just a little bit better?" After the hour and a half she's spent explaining it, Caroline finally looked up to face Vance. They were mere inches apart, and her eyes grew wide. The door clicked open, and Caroline and Vance split apart faster than light.
"I hope I'm not interrupting but I was wondering if Caroline wanted to stay for dinner? We're having pasta." It was Vance's mum.
"I'd love to! As long as it isn't too much trouble for you."
"Oh it's no trouble at all."
"That'd be nice then, can I call my-" Caroline thought for a second to say she'd call her mum, but her mum wouldn't pick up, even if she was home. Then, maybe she'd lie and say she was calling her dad, but that was even stupider. So Caroline settled on the only person who would care. "Brother, he needs to know to not make me dinner."
"Does your mother not make dinner, dear? What about your father?" Caroline's face paled, but it's not as if Vance's mother knew about her family life. It wasn't some dig at her. "Oh, my dad doesn't live with us and my mum works late. Plus, my brother likes cooking. He's real good." Mrs Hopper gave a sympathetic smile as she pointed to whete the house phone was. "Thankyou Mrs Hopper." "Oh please, just call me Victoria. Mrs Hopper makes me feel old."
Caroline punched in the numbers to her house phone, and stood nervously as it rang.
"Caroline? Is that you?"
"Yes, Reggie it's me."
"Where even are you?"
"I'm at Vance's house, I called to stay I'm staying for dinner. You don't need to make me any."
"Vance? Who's Vance?"
"My friend Vance."
"Friend or boyfriend?"
"Friend, Reggie."
"I don't know about that."
"Well I do."
"Not sure you do either."
"Anyways, I don't know what time I'll be back but it won't be late."
"Ok, I'll see you later."
"Bye."
Caroline quickly rushed back upstairs in embarrassment of her brothers words. Reggie had always been suspicious whenever she spent time with a boy. Only this time could he actually be right. She re-entered the room to find Vance laying horizontally on his bed.
"Can we not do any more physics? It's so boring."
"Yeah ok." Caroline lay next to Vance on the bed, far enough so they weren't touching.
"I didn't know you didn't live with your dad."
"That's because I never told you Vance. I haven't told anyone."
"Not even Frances and Marilyn?"
"Not even them."
"Can I ask why? You don't have to tell me"
Caroline hesitated before answering. Out of all of her friends, Vance could understand. Vance could see her apprehension, Vance could see her feelings. So she continued.
"My dad's head was never really quite screwed on right. It ain't his fault really, but my parents had a nasty divorce and he's ended up in jail. I don't blame him at all, he needs the help."
"My dad's still here, but you know, some bruises ain't exactly my fault. I do blame him though, he doesn't deserve my mum. Thankfully he just ain't here often."
Instead of offering apologies for situations neither of the teenagers could control, their hands slowly neared eachother. Their pinkys interlocked in a comforting manner. That's when Caroline knew.
Caroline knows she's head over heels for Vance Hopper, and she can't do anything about it. She isn't sure how he knows, but he knows she doesn't want apologies for her father. He knows she likes it when he isn't angry around her. He knows she likes sweet compliments. He knows her without even asking. Caroline likes Vance like Caroline wants to be liked.
She likes his hair and his smile and his eyes. She likes his stupid denim vest. She likes his love for pinball. She likes how he tried in physics, even if it was just for her. She likes how she understands him. She even likes how he'd beat someone up within seconds in she wanted to. She likes how he's always sweet to her, no matter what. Caroline can accept his anger, because he has every reason to be angry.
If Caroline could give Vance all the quarters in the world to play pinball, and have herself sit by him for all of eternity. Caroline would. To see him happy, and to be with him.