Maybe it's different
Bruce was just a naive and slow boy about some things...
Nobody loved Vance Hopper, nobody liked him either, everytime he stepped into a room he could feel the unsettling feeling of fear that wrapped around him like he was a walking red sign. Vance knew they had every right to feel that way about him. He was a monster.
Vance doesn't know how it happened. Him and bruce just clicked out of no where, and became good friends. Bruce faces the guilts of his parents getting mad at him losing games a lot more often, and Vance faces bullies. Even if he keeps a straight face and fights back, it does bruise him inside harsher then he wishes. A...
Bruce was always hard on himself. His family expectations for him were often breaking him down. He knew his family only wanted the best for him, he just needed a break. Bruce found himself hanging out with the toughest guy at school...who knows? Maybe Vance is the best for him.