my girl - Vance Hopper

12

"You'll never know," I laughed as I opened the door to the house.

As the bell rang, indicating the end of school, I headed towards the supermarket. I had told Robin I needed to run home to grab something and to wait on the bleachers with Gwen, Donna and Finney for me.

I didn't know what to get Vance for his birthday, so I searched the shop's aisles, looking for the perfect gift to give him once we found him. Gwen had told me she saw the door to the house in her dream again last night, so it gave me some more hope.

I picked up the odd ornament that he could place somewhere in his cluttered room but decided they weren't enough. I entered the electronics aisle, not thinking I would find anything within my price range, but when I saw a walkman on sale, I had to buy it, it was perfect.

"I wish I had a walkman, I could listen to my music anywhere," Vance sighed.

"I just wish I had something to listen to music with, I usually just go into Robin's room and use his stuff," I looked at him.

He got up and walked over to his wardrobe, and pulled out an old cassette player.

"You can have this, it doesn't work, but maybe we could try to fix it up?" he smiled at me.

"That sounds great, thank you," I looked up at him and leant my body weight on his as he sat back down beside me.

We never managed to fix the machine, but the fun we had trying was a memory that would last forever.

Once I had picked up the walkman, I found a card and went to pay, I finally had something to spend the pocket money that Malcolm was giving Robin and me on.

I took a seat just outside the supermarket and pulled a pen out of my backpack and began writing on the card.

'To Vance,

Happy 17th birthday, I know it's definitely not the birthday you imagined, but when you read this I know you're safe and back home, and we can make up for it!

I miss you and I can't wait to see you again, I don't think I'll leave your side again (if you let me that is) :)

I just wish we could go to the arcade together again, or even listen to music in your room and chill.

I wish you were here.

Love, Nessa x'

I placed the card in the envelope and made my way over to his house.

"Hello Vanessa, is everything okay?" Julia said when she opened the door. She looked exhausted, I felt awful.

I looked up at her and smiled sadly.

"I know it seems stupid, but I have something for Vance, for his birthday," I pulled the present and the card out of my bag and handed them to her.

Tears formed in her eyes.

"It's not stupid sweetheart," she pulled me into a hug.

"He can open it when we find him," I said into her shoulder.

"Yes, he'll be so pleased," I heard her sob as I pulled out of the hug.

I looked down at my nails and picked at the nail varnish I had painted onto them.

"Please tell me if he comes home," I asked her politely as my eyes watered.

She nodded "Of course, I will, I'm sure he'd love for you to be here," she smiled at me and stroked my hair.

"I'll see you around," I said to her and smiled.

"Goodbye sweetheart, you're welcome to come round anytime, for anything," she waved before shutting the door.

I choked on the tears I was holding back once she shut the door. I turned and immediately burst into tears as I walked back to the school to watch Finney at his game.

"What took you so long?" Robin asked as I took a seat next to him.

"Nothing," I rolled my eyes.

"Have you been crying?" he asked, looking at my red eyes.

"No," I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Fine, I'll leave it," he held his arms up in surrender as we watched the game.

Finney's team won, of course, I hadn't seen them lose a game since the game against BRuce's team. We congratulated him and then decided to go back home before it got super dark.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong then?" Robin asked while the two of us laid on his bed talking.

"It's Vance's birthday tomorrow," I replied "So I got him a present and a card, then took them over to his house," I shrugged.

"Is that it?" he urged me to continue talk

"I felt so bad for his mom, she looked awful, and I made her cry by bringing the present around, which made me cry," I admitted "I just can't help but think how different things could be right now," I smiled sadly while looking at Robin.

"I'm sorry Ness, I wish I could do something, but I can't, I hate seeing you like this," he told me.

"I feel like I want to cry all the time, but I shouldn't be crying because Vance very clearly hated me the day he went missing," I sighed.

Robin rolled his eyes "I know it's hard, but we just have to get on with life, realistically, Vance wouldn't want you to be like this would he?" he looked at me.

"You're right, he'd probably want me to be beating his score on the pinball machine," I laughed "Actually no, I think he would kill me," I shook my head.

"Let's just wait till Saturday, see if Gwen has had any more dreams and go out looking, it's all we can do," he said supportively.

"Yeah, why are you right about everything?" I laughed.

"Because I'm just so wise," he flicked his hair behind his shoulder in a girly manner, causing him to fall into a fit of laughter.

"I'm smarter than you, shut up," I pushed him.

"That's mean, you're going to make me cry," he joked, sniffling at my comment.

"Aw, does likkle Wobin need a hug," I pulled him into a tight hug, nearly suffocating him.

"I can't breath," he managed to say through short breaths.

"Oops," I smiled, letting him go.

It felt as if Saturday took years to come around, it was 2:04 pm and Gwen was on her way round to our house. Robin and I had spent the day coming up with a plan and now Gwen was coming, we could add more to the plan.

Gwen ran in through the door, drenched by the rain, breathing heavily.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You're not going to believe this," she shook her head while taking her coat off and coming to sit in the kitchen with me and Robin.

"Anything coming from you, I believe," Robin raised his eyebrows.

Gwen explained how the two boys who had gone missing before Vance had appeared in the middle of the street as she was riding her bike from Donna's house to here, she told us they looked like ghosts, and that blood was covering them. She told us how the black van was to her right and the door that she had seen in her dreams was the same door on the house with the black van.

I turned my head between Robin and Gwen.

"So you're saying," I started.

"I think I know where Vance is," she looked me in the eyes.

I gulped and ran to fetch my raincoat from my room, grabbing Robin's on the way.

"Come on then, let's go," I threw Robin's coat at him as I opened the door and began running towards Donna's house.

sorry this chapter is so short just bc the next chapter is obvs gonna be v important and i want it all in one :)