kitkat's ★ vance hopper

[08] 20.10.79

20TH OCTOBER, 1979.

8:09, SCHOOL COURTYARD.

CAROLINE AND VANCE MAKE UP.

Vance couldn't care it anymore.

It was his fault, the whole argument was his fault.

Caroline was just trying to help him, he could be smart. He knew now he could be smart. It didn't even matter that Caroline had hurt his feelings, he could get over that any day. What really hurt was that they hadn't talked in days, and it was entirely his fault. He wanted his KitKat back.

She hadn't looked at him once during any of their shared classes from Monday. It was now Thursday morning and Vance had been trying to prepare an apology for her. He'd gotten every single thing that could possibly make her forgive him. He'd bought a packet of KitKats, a small bouquet of flowers (she'd told him she'd always wanted someone to buy her flowers) along with a hand written apology he'd tell her. He only wrote it down because Vance thought he'd mess up if he faced her and said it off the top of his head.

Yesterday, he'd found Marilyn during the free period they both had. Although she was initially shocked by him talking to her, Mary listened to the situation at hand. She'd heard of the argument already from Caroline, but after Mary had given sympathies, her heart broke to hear a quiet 'i miss Vance' from her friend. Mary agreed to guide Caroline to him that thursday morning.

So now Vance was sat on one of the empty lunch tables on the school courtyard, hoping that Caroline had been convinced to come.

"Morning vancey." Caroline said, sitting down across from him.

Immediately, he brought out the packet of KitKats and the pink flowers for her. The petals had become slightly squished as he carried them to school, but didn't look too terrible. Cautiously, he took the messy piece of paper from his pocket. It was crumpled and had scribbles all over it from the various ways he'd tried an apology. Even so, he began to speak in a shaky voice, not daring to look up at the girl.

"I know it's stupid to have prewritten this apology, but we both know I would have messed up if I didn't.

KitKat, I don't think I could ever forgive myself for what I said to you. It was stupid, and I wasn't thinking.

In fact, those insults were just plain wrong about you. You're one of the strongest and kindest people I know. It isn't wrong just because you tryz really it just shows how much you care. You cared about me, and my grades and you knew I could do better. Just because I didn't want to believe it I was unecessarily angry with you.

I'm sorry, I really am sorry. And I miss you more than I ever thought I would. You mean a lot to me. You're not gonna be like your dad, you're worth more than that stupid pinball machine.

Truthfully, I think you're one of the most beautiful people I've ever seen. I don't understand how you could ever dislike what you see in the mirror. As much as you dislike it, I will always love it.

I don't know if you'll want to forgive me, but I really really hope you do."

Vance stopped now, and shoved the piece of paper into his pocket. Still refusing to meet Caroline's gaze. "Are these for me?" She asks, gesturing towards the KitKats and the flowers on the table. "Oh yeah, I probably should've said that before."

"Did your mum help you write that?"

"Uhm yeah. She kinda misses you."

"I miss her too. Not as much as I miss you though Vancey." They both smile, before it goes quiet again.

"I'm sorry too." Caroline now says, fiddling with the straps of her back pack.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for."

"I said things too, I said mean things."

"Only in retaliation to me."

"Still."

They sat quietly for a few minutes, occasionally meeting each other's eyes and giving shy smiles.

"I forgive you." Vance beams at this, sitting up from the bench and pulling up Caroline from her seat. He pulls her in to a tight hug, wrapping his arms around her waist. She responds by hugging onto his neck. "I really missed you, KitKat."

After letting go, Caroline moves back to the pink flowers that had been forgotten about on the picnic table. "I can't believe you bought me flowers."

"Well you said you always wanted someone to buy you flowers so, I thought now would be a good time."

"Thankyou Vance, would you mind walking me to english?"

"Not at all."