your beauty never ever scared me.

chapter three

vance's pov

for the first couple of minutes walking no words were exchanged. he was just peacefully looking around at his surroundings and waved back at anyone who greeted him. bruce was like that , always so nice to everyone. he wasn't someone super popular but he was well known for being on the baseball team. i've been to one game before , never really had an interest in sports but i didn't really have anything else to do on that particular afternoon so i went anyways not expecting to see him there. he caught my eye though.

i always knew there was something wrong with me , i found chicks hot but i find bruce to be more beautiful than any of them. i don't think he swings that way though , i don't even know if i swing that way. i don't really know what these feelings mean , is it a bad thing? all i know is that bruce is the prettiest person i've ever seen.

right now we're just walking and i decided to speak up , going back to what i was thinking about. " bruce? do you- have a crush or something? you don't have to answer i was just wondering. " i didn't want to push it , he obviously doesn't know me that well and i don't have the best record on my name but i was still curious.

he looked at me when i asked , still walking the same pace we were. "hm. no i don't think so , i don't really focus on that stuff with school and baseball and all. " a solid answer. i felt somewhat relived he wasn't currently swooning over someone , someone else. i just nodded in response and it stayed quiet for a few seconds before i heard him again. " why do you ask? " he said looking at me again , he's so beautiful. " i uh , just wondering you know. everybody likes somebody these days. "

" do you? "

shit. i don't know how to answer that. do i even like this guy? he's so sweet , he cares about everyone , he's smart , he is attractive , he's perfect. i can't just blurt that out to him though , is this shit even normal? out in the open too , someone would probably hear me if i said that- people talk. a lot. goddamnit. i clammed up for a moment , inhaling deeply. he must've noticed because the next thing he said was " you don't have to tell me if you do you know. it's none of my business. " why's he so respectful? kids be paying their friends to tell them this kind of shit.

bruce's pov

me and vance were just walking in a peaceful silence , no awkwardness or anything. although i did feel slightly nervous , maybe it's because i'm walking next to vance hopper? i never disliked vance , he's popular for his troublemaking and usually nobody talks to him let alone go near him. he's so nice though- i don't know , maybe i'm just imagining things. was he trying to make a friend? vance doesn't make a lot of those , why me? i'd gladly be his friend i mean , maybe it'd give me some kind of security you know? people don't tend to mess with me either but not for the same reason as vance , i'm just a good kid i guess. i'm not worried about my reputation after being seen with him either , people say he's a bad influence and sure i may be on the baseball team with top class students but i never cared about my reputation.

" bruce? " he spoke up so i looked up at him , " do you- have a crush or something? you don't have to answer i was just wondering. " that was random. i never really thought about that , i never catch myself thinking about girls or relationships no matter how hard i would have to try. i mostly just think about school or baseball but those things come easy to me so i'd have a lot of time to think and worry about those things , but i don't. i catch myself looking at vance again , he's very pretty. would i date vance? why would i think about that , of course i wouldn't he's a boy. do boys date boys? i think they do- they might , but would i? would he?

"hm. no i don't think so , i don't really focus on that stuff with school and baseball and all. " that was the best i could do right now. in that moment i started contemplating about boys dating other boys , and about dating vance. i'd definitely expect him to be interested in girls , he just seems like that kind of guy. though i can't help but think about vance as a boyfriend , 'boyfriend'. that almost sounds funny to label vance as such , i'm not saying i wouldn't not date him i just don't even know if that's allowed , or if either of us would. people talk a lot and say offensive things to others , it just isn't right. why would someone be shamed for loving who they love? i don't get it , but if someone were to say something about me i'd be done for. as selfish as it may seem i don't see vance having a reputation to uphold , i do.

" why do you ask? " i got curious now.

" i uh , just wondering you know. everybody likes somebody these days. " he replies. that is true , love is always in the air when you get to our age.

" do you? " i got even more curious.

i noticed him getting visibly , nervous? did i say something wrong.. does he actually like someone? " you don't have to tell me if you do you know. it's none of my business. " i didn't wanna push him to tell me something he doesn't want to tell. he starts shaking his head frantically " no no no it's fine , i think i might. " oh. lucky girl.

i smile just a little bit , i was happy for him that he might've found somebody to love. he needed that , i just couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous though. " what's she like? " i asked , i didn't really care that much i just didn't want to end the conversation there.

" she uh- yeah she's really sweet , super smart , nice smile. i don't know , i don't think she'd like me back. " he says.

oh wow , he really does like her. i'm going to think about this all weekend now. " she'd be dumb not to. you're cool , and very sweet , and have you seen your hair? she'd swoon. " all of this was true and my honest opinion. vance is very cool and very sweet and rocking a killer hairdo. i think i might love him , but he likes someone else.

he just chuckled in response along with a short " yeah. "

that was the last thing we said before we got to my house.