i need you here with me - brance

chapter 6: normal

pov: bruce

    everything felt wrong. the air felt sharp, the grass was too green, the sky was too blue. it was all wrong. it felt like there was no floor, and i was just floating away. my steps were small, every sound sounded louder. the wind, the neighbors laughter, the dog barking. my hands shook hands rapidly, my eyes swiftly moving back and fourth, expecting the grabber to come around the corner any minute now and drag us all back to the fucking basement. but he didn't.

    one thing i knew was real, vance. he and i walked out together, hand in hand, his hands were warm and shaken like mine. he had a serious look on his face, his jaw clenched and his pupils small, he kept looking back and fourth, he probably thought the grabber had come back.

     finney, robin, billy and griffin had already ran to a neighbor and called the police, it was only a matter of time before they came. but holy fuck. this can't be real. there's no way. freedom? it felt too good to be true, i felt numb, empty. i couldn't feel happy. i felt helpless and weak. but i also felt  angry, i missed so much of my own life. so much. and worst of all, i felt guilty. guilty for feeling angry and guilty for feeling empty when i should be glad. things would never be normal for me, for vance, for griffin and billy, for robin and finn. we weren't people anymore, we were victims.

     vance's grip tightened on my hand as the blue and red flashing lights approached, he looked at me, i stared into his ocean eyes and he smiled his gorgeous smile. i smiled back, i could feel my face get hot and my eyes fill with tears. everything we had endured, all the trauma, the fear, the pain. it was all over. the tears started steaming down my face faster than ever and before i knew it i was sobbing my eyes out onto the ground. vance held me close to him. the other boys comforting each other.

11:47 a.m

we were all taken to the hospital for checkups and were forced to be be held overnight, we had already given our statements to the police. the whole time i couldn't feel anything, the world wasn't the same, the sun wasn't the same, the smell of the fresh air, the cars passing by. everything reminded me of the hours before.

vance didn't leave my side, the whole time, in the ambulance, when we hugged our parents. it was him and i from now on. no matter what, i needed him, he was the only one who understood me.

vance and i sat in the ambulance together, both groggy from the pain meds.

"vance?" i mumbled, my throat felt tight.

"yea, bruce?" he turned to me.

i love you. i love you. i love you.

"never mind." i turned towards him and sighed, i gave him a crooked half smile.

3:28 a.m.

i couldn't sleep in the hospital, the sound of patients crying during the night and workers shuffling back and fourth down the halls.

i looked across from me to see finney laying in his bed, eyes open.

"finney?" i whispered.

he quickly jolted up and looked at me.

"sorry.." i said.

"it's okay. is something wrong?" he whispered back.

"it's nice to hear your voice again, finney." i smiled.

he smiled back.

"are you hungry?" i asked.

"always." finney laughed.

him and i got up, my bare feet touching the cold tile, i slipped on my hospital shoes.

"wait," finney tip toed to robin. "rob, wake up." he whispered.

robin woke up calmly, "yeah?" he mumbled rubbing his eyes.

"snacks?" finney giggled.

robin smiled and got up.

i thought of vance, no way he isn't hungry. i walked across the hall to his room and knocked on the door.

i saw vance sitting alone in the dark, he stared out the window his back to me. it was such a beautiful picture, but so sad. i could stare at his back all day.

"vance?" i whispered.

he turned around and faced me, his arms, legs and face full of small bandages; his broken arm in a sling. his face stained with tears, i could see he was crying from the moonlight beaming off his face lighting up his eyes, they almost looked white. i gestured for him to follow me and he did, i turned around and pointed at billy and griffin, he carefully shook them awake, being cautious as to not scare the boys.

we all walked down the hall together in silence, the sounds of our slippers clacking on the ground. the hospital was plain and white, white walls, white floor, white celling. it felt clean, fresh. i took a deep breath in, at the end of the hallway was a large and clunky vending machine.

"does anyone have cash?" i asked.

"i do, my mom gave me some earlier just incase" griffin smiled.

everyone got something small, we sat against the cold white wall, vance sat next to me. i put my hand on his. he looked up at me. i smiled. i reached out and gently touched his golden locks, which were now tight and clean, still damp from his shower earlier when we arrived at the hospital.

"this is insane," robin said, staring at the floor. "who would've thought that we would be here now, free?" he laughed.

"it feels fake." finney smiled.

"i'm glad we all made it out." griffin sighed with a large grin on his face.

"i don't think things will ever be normal though." billy said, his eyes dark and empty.

griffin looked at him, and then the rest of us.

"it won't, but we have each other now." i said, "how about this, we all promise to stick together no matter what, we're in this together." i smiled.

"yeah, i promise to beat the shit outta any asshole i have to for you guys." vance laughed.

robin smiled, "me too."

"and i promise to give you all homework answers when you need them." finney laughed.

"sounds good to me." billy smiled.

"me too!" griffin said.

we all sat like that for a while, laughing, telling stories, enjoying each others company.

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authors note: happy sunday!! happy chapter!!!