CHAPTER ONE!
the grab n' go.

       NO ONE EVER understood why Vance Hopper owned the Grab n' Go. They knew that he enjoyed the pinball machine and that it had practically become his property, but they didn't understand why the Grab n' Go was his. Sure, it was the holder of his pinball machine, but the old store had a deeper meaning to him. It had to.

Those floors were not dirtied with the mud of his shoes and the blood and tears of people who faced him for nothing.

Vance could remember, all the way back to when he was seven, playing on the pinball machine while his mother picked up her prescription. He could vividly recall the sound of the buttons as he clicked, the chime of the bell when someone stepped in or out; the feeling of his mother's hand clasped in his as they made their way back to their home on the outskirts of the town.

He could remember how they would always stop at McDonald's and how she would let him get either a Fillet-o-Fish or large fries. It was always a pricey spend for them, but she would allow it so long as he promised not to tell his father.

The secrets held between Vance and his mother stayed between them; even while he lay curled up in a ball, crying and screaming in agony from the wounds his father inflicted, those secrets remained.

Even while he stood in front of the pinball machine, with the sleeves of his denim jacket covering the discoloration on his arms, their secrets remained.

Vance continuously hit the buttons on the pinball machine, watching as his score continued to rise.

All around him, the Grab n' Go bustled with life.

It was a Saturday, and people didn't want to be in the house, especially not in the everlasting June heat. Everyone was at the arcade, the Grab n' Go, the drive-in, or the park. Those were the teen hot spots of North Denver, and if anyone ever needed to find their child, they could almost always count on finding them there.

If Vance's parents ever needed to find him―for whatever reason―they could find him there.

With the Grab n' Go being such a popular place for the teens of the town to hang out, it was never a shock when the doorbell chimed, but it was a shock when it sounded for someone that was not Vance, and the store went silent. The quiet was eerie, even for Hopper himself. The silence that surrounded him was only known when he stepped foot inside the store, so why was it so silent now?

A string of whispers floated around the store, but one name continuously came up in practically every sentence. Leon Nickelson.

Leon was North Denver's golden boy. He was the son of the richest family in town. He went to a private school that was so expensive that Vance would have to sell his entire family to get in―not that he would get accepted in anyways.

A sudden bump and thud knocked Vance off his game. Someone had hit his machine. Leon had hit his machine. He watched as the metal ball fell through the metal flaps of the machine, and then he viewed his score. He hadn't beat his high score.

To say that he was angry was an understatement; Vance was beyond livid. The silence grew quieter, and this time there were no whispers, just the sound of Vance's breathing.

"You little shit." His voice was quiet, but it was harsh enough to get his point across.

Leon turned around, his face contorted into one of confusion. "Are you talking to me?"

Leon knew that he had bumped into the pinball machine, but he saw no reason to apologize for it. He was one of the few people in town who knew nothing of Vance's obsession with his pinball game. It quickly registered in his mind that he had messed up Vance's game, and his expression of confusion became an apologetic one.

"Did I mess up your game? I apologize."

"Did I mess up your game? Yeah, dipshit, you did."

"I apologize, I didn't mean to." Leon's voice was soft and gentle, just like his mother taught him.

       When you apologize, always keep your voice soft. It shows that you're genuine.

Vance was not buying that shit even for a second. The soft voice was something he'd grown accustomed to whenever people were apologizing to him, and it wasn't something he was just going to succumb to.

To him, that gentle tone showed fear. It showed him that he had power over a situation; that he was in control and that he was the one pulling the strings.

"Oh, I apologize. I didn't mean to," Vance mocked.

He began walking closer to Leon, shortening the distance between them. Leon held eye contact, just as he'd been taught.

       When someone is talking to you, you are to hold eye contact, no matter what.

"Listen, man, I'm sorry about your game. I can give you the money for a few more rounds. Maybe even buy you a soda? I don't see a need to cause a scene."

Vance was intrigued now. People standing up to Vance was rare. The only person who'd ever done it was Robin Arellano. No one else ever had it in them.

"Who knew that Leon Nickelson had a death wish."

"Death wish? I wouldn't say that I have a death wish. I'm actually trying to diffuse this situation."

Vance rolled his eyes and backed up slightly. "Yeah, I can see that. I'm not fucking stupid, Nickelson."

"I never said you were." Leon raised his arms defensively before turning around to grab a soda from the fridge. "I'm assuming that you are the infamous Vance Hopper? Pinball Vance, I believe is what they call you?"

So Leon knew who he was... interesting.

"Yeah, that's me."

"That explains a lot," the brunette muttered, grabbing the soda he wanted. "I heard that you beat kids up over that pinball game." Leon turned around, his curls spinning with him.

Vance had to admit when the sun hit Leon's face just right, his skin shined bronze. But it wasn't a rust type of bronze. It was like a fresh penny. His skin was just the right complexion―a fine mix between warm and cool-toned.

"What about it? What's it to you."

"Absolutely nothing." Leon shrugged as he walked up to the cashier, placing his drink down and grabbing a bag of gummy bears before fishing his money out of his pocket. "I was just making sure that I knew who you were."

"Yeah, well, you do."

Leon muttered a soft thank you to the cashier and grabbed the bag that held his stuff.

"Yeah, I do. I'll see you around, Vance Hopper."

▻ SPENCE SPEAKS

Hey! Okay, so this chapter was actually a really easy one to write, which is crazy to me because of how much I normally struggle to write the first chapter for my books. I think I'm going to make this my main fic and focus on my other ones separately. I really like the premise and plot for this one, and I have so many ideas for Vance and Leon!!

Anyways, enough of that. I hope you all enjoyed this first chapter. <3

CHAPTER END !

word count | 1,225 words !
page count | around 6-15 pages depending
on the font & text size !

© meru4ms | 2022