BRANCE + RINNEY

Brance - Panic Attack

TW - The Grabber / Mention of sexual assault and pedophilia

(All the boys survived)

_

It's been three weeks. Three weeks since Albert Shaw was murdered by the hands of Finney Blake. Three weeks since the six boys escaped out of that dark and disturbing basement. Yes, all the boys escaped the basement that day. But their fear and trauma never went away. None of them think it ever will.

_

Saturday.

Bruce always loved weekends. He loved being away from school and the crowds of people he didn't know. Usually, before everything had happened, Bruce would spend this time with his baseball friends or with Finney. Again, this was before. Now Bruce spends his weekends and time alone in his bed being swallowed by piles of blankets. He still gets invited places, of course, but he refuses each time. The other five boys he spent his time with down in the basement frequently come to visit him, especially Vance Hopper, in hopes that he'll one day stop being part of his bed and join them outside.

They haven't had any luck yet.

_

Bruce was doing his normal routine of laying in his bed, his new favorite place, when a noise from outside his window startled him. It sounded like a rock had hit it, or something close to a rock. Bruce knew that it couldn't be the grabber out there. After all, he was dead. Bruce sighed and stood from his bed, knocking a couple blankets down to the floor in the process. He slowly opened his blinds and looked  for the source of the noise. A small smile made way to Bruce's face when he saw the five other boys looking up at him from his lawn. Bruce opened his window and signaled for the boys to come over to him.

"Guys, I love you but I don't feel well at all. I think I have the flu so.." Bruce explained, trailing off as he couldn't think of anything else to say. The rest of the boys shook their head. They knew the teen was lying.

"Bruce let us in. You haven't shown your face anywhere besides school and we miss you." Vance spoke softly, his face becoming a light shade of red when saying how the group missed Bruce. Vance had only been taken a short while before Bruce. When the teen arrived, Vance automatically grew a soft spot for him. That soft spot never faded.

Bruce looked at the rest of the group. He had missed them too. A lot actually. But he was scared to be around people since everything. Bruce knew he had nothing to fear being with the other boys, but there was still that underlying anxiety that was settled deep inside of him. He chose to let the other boys inside despite that feeling.

Maybe that was his mistake.

_

The group of six were now in Bruce's bedroom. Griffin was sitting in the desk chair, spinning wildly and laughing. Billy sat near him, laughing as Griffin almost fell out the chair more than twice. Robin and Finn sat on the floor, Vance and Bruce behind them on the bed, a discussion of baseball ensuing from the two players.

"Okay but what does 'your arm is mint' even mean." Vance had asked. Bruce and Finn had looked at each other before loudly laughing at the statement.