In the shadow of your heart // TBP

two;the plan

"Who says you're not successful if you're happy doing what you're doing?"

Vance Hopper / Third Person

To be honest, Vance was glad that his parents had a final decision and adopted his two new siblings. It was a change, sure, but it didn't really matter because it was for his little sister.

At first, it was only Gwen that they wanted, a sister for the daughter. Vance grew up with his sister Bailey, but she grew up knowing her sister, but then her sister disappeared and in came her brother.

Vance felt guilt swallow him whole when he heard the words, "Where's my sister?" from his younger sibling when he came home from surgery. It pained him because he had thought about Bailey's feelings and it was exactly like that.

His parents went to the orphanage to finalize the papers and the headmistress had told them that Gwen refused to get adopted without her brother, Finney, so they decided to foster them for a while before coming to a decision.

When the two came into the house, they introduced themselves and had shared a room and a bed for the time they spent at the Hopper House. During their stay, Gwen got along with Bailey, which was excellent news to Vance.

Finney, however, didn't speak much with Vance, which had irritated him and he complained to his group's GC. Of course, his boyfriend reminded him to talk about the boy's interest and somehow manage to strike up a conversation.

Bruce: You can't really expect a guy to suddenly warm up to the school's strongest dude with the most fight streaks

Vance sighed and kept to himself, mumbling that he shouldn't lose his temper or the kid'll run away. Rockets and space, he managed to dig up Finney's interests and suddenly he was a chatterbox, he felt victorious.

Since it was summer break, they all mostly stayed home. Vance was in charge so he couldn't hang out with his friends more, Finney just stayed on his phone or read a book that their parents had let him borrow.

Gwen and Bailey were stuck in Bailey's room playing with dolls and make-up toys. Vance would occasionally pass by Finney reading, though he was sprawled all over the place, stools in the kitchen, couches and armchairs and the floor in the living room, too if the stairs, bottom of the stairs, and in his temporary room.

He would rarely ask things similar to, "how's the book?" and Finney would answer cheerfully and rather ecstatically.

After two weeks in the Hopper House, Finney and Gwen went back to the orphanage and Vance and Bailey prayed that the two would get adopted. When their parents got back home, Vance and his sister were sitting by the door, playing rock-paper-scissors, waiting for their parents to arrive back home.

The two were filled with glee when their parents had told them the good news, Vance just didn't show it as much as Bailey did. So his plan was set, make Finney feel included, and have Gwen and Bailey become best-friends/sisters.

So on the day that Vance knew that the two kids would move in, he invited four of his friends; Griffin, Bruce, Billy, and Robin. It was a subtle, on-purpose slip-up about the new kid next to his room and his friend, Griffin, perked up.

Griffin excitedly went to the next room and invited Finney over to Vance's room, so that Vance wouldn't have to do it himself, it was a flawless plan, one might say.

Bruce and Finney both played baseball so he knew they'd have common interests and they'd get along well as they both have great academics as well.

Billy could care less about people, but Vance guessed he didn't mind Finney's presence as long as he got someone new to tease and make fun of.