TW!
70s homophobia, homophobic language (not condoned by author however realistic to time era), kidnapping, mentions of death

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'I WAS TOLD A MILLION TIMES,
OF ALL THE TROUBLES IN MY WAY'

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Music has always been such a calming notion, a simple melody flowing through your walkman as you ignore every issue society flings at you. Well, almost every situation.

Everywhere you went in this sweet, quiet town of Denver a slightly yellow-tinted piece of paper reminded you of the young boy who went missing. This time, stapled over Billy's pleas for help, was Griffen Stagg. A thirteen year old boy who was invisible before the town pretended to care for him when someone took him away from his quiet, unnoticed family.

"Zach! Zachary! Oh my god are you even listening to me dumbass?" a slightly pissed off voice asked.
"No, what were you saying?" Zach asked, looking slightly ahead of him to see his permed, blonde headed friend rolling his eyes.

"Fuck sakes, you wanna head to the Grab'n'Go?"
"We have school, Vance," Zach partially glared, the two had already skipped school three times this week - it was only Thursday.

"We have school Vance-" the mentioned mimicked, "shut up, let's go. What are we even learning anyway?"
Zach shrugged, he knew what they were learning but was it worth arguing with Vance? No. No it was fucking not.

When the two arrived at the Grab'n'Go it was unusually busy for a school day, they assumed it was just people grabbing unnecessary items before heading to school and wishing they hadn't gone.

Vance, obviously, went straight to the pinball machine to beat his high score while Zach went to get them both a slushy. He placed the cups under the slots and filled them both with the flavours he knew they liked, cherry for Vance and coca-cola for himself. Zach zoned out for a moment, tapping the machine rhythmically to the Queen song playing through his walkman, mumbling the lyrics to himself. That was until a boy younger than him and a bit shorter than him bumped into the machine, "what the fuck- hey watch where you're going!" Zachary yelled, grabbing the cups so they didn't topple over.

"Sorry- sorry, I tripped over my lace," he said, genuinely looking apologetic.

"Ah, no worries, are you ok?" Zach asked, putting a straw in and a cap onto the slushes, holding them in each hand.

"Yeah, I'm Finney by the way, you're Zachary right? Jenny's brother? I think your sister is friends with mine, she's called Gwen,"

"Ahh, yeah, she is. Nice to finally meet you, Finney," Zach smiled and went off to see Vance, "tryna beat your high score?"

"Trying? I'm obviously going too," Vance said, looking slightly over at the slushie's, "which one is mine?"

"Red one," Zach said holding it out in front of him so Vance could take a drink while still playing. Once he had taken a swig of the icey drink Zach held it away from him again so Vance could concentrate. However, while Zach drunk his, he noticed a black van parked outside, he had noticed it numerous times that day and it was starting to freak him out a bit, "Vance, that vans back again,"

"Oh yeah? Maybe it's the grabber coming to get you," Vance teased, nudging him before aggressively tapping the buttons on the machine.

"Oh shut up, you're such a dick," Zach smiled, trying to laugh it off but something didn't feel right. It wasn't often the same car drove past you more than once in this neighbourhood, especially not five times in an hour, "seriously though, I have a really bad feeling about this,"

"You're starting to sound like a loon, shut up will you? You're distracting me imbecile,"

Zach rolled his eyes at Vance's comment but shut up, moving the latter's drink over to him when he wanted it. He was unbelievably close to beating his score and you could tell he was happy about that - until a boy crashed into the side and made him lose.

"Ah jesus-" Zach mumbled, putting the drinks in a safe space before Vance started yelling all sorts at the boys and began beating the shit out of them.

One boy, the smallest of the lot, took a pocket knife out of his, well, pocket and ran towards Vance. Only to be stopped by Zach and flung into the wall, dropping the knife and wheezing roughly as he tried to catch his breath again. A second boy, one who had escaped Vance's attacks grabbed onto Zach by the throat and pinned him against the wall, earning a loud and painful groan from the boy.

"Get off my friend you fucking fag!" The boy strangling Zach yelled, not realising that caught Vance's attention.

"Mother fucker!" Vance yelled, leaving the boy who was battered and bruised and going to the one who just attacked his friend, grabbing him by the hair and throwing him onto the floor and began beating him up.

The lady who ran the shop picked up a phone and called the police, "Vance, let's go. C'mon." Zachary groaned, holding his neck as it throbbed in pain.
"Why?! These sons of bitches asked for it,"
"The lady's called the police! Now come on!"
But, by the time Vance listened to him, three policemen had arrived, two restraining Vance and the third having a hold of Zachary (who put up far less of a fight than his friend).

They were put into the back of the same vehicle since when they were there (nine times out of ten) they were no bother and just sat there, looking out the window.
"You two are becoming regulars, you aren't even 18 yet." one officer said, "what's wrong with your neck?"
"Got choked,"

"Wait hang on, are you sure these two even did anything that wasn't self defence?" the second officer asked.

"Explain to us what happened,"

"They bashed into the fucking machine, I told them to fuck off, they didn't and started a fight, then one dickhead came at me with a pocket knife and Zach stopped him from fuckin' stabbing me," Vance said, sitting back against the seat, "so one of the other guys grabbed Zach by the neck and I defended him by beating the shit out the imbecile who choked him,"
The car stopped, "right, get out then, you guys were in the right, but try stay out of bother next time, ok?" the car stopped right before a bridge that went over a small river which ran through the town.

The two nodded and got out the police car, staying quiet until the car was out of earshot.

"Bend the truth a bit there, curls?"

"Oi fuck off I got us out of trouble dimwit," Vance said, shoving his friend and sitting on the railing that ran across the bridge.

Zachary chuckled, climbing over the railing and jumping down. The gap between the bridge and small river wasn't massive so it was easy to get up and down, it was just that damn rail that stopped him getting up as easy. Zach picked up a flat, small stone and skimmed it while Vance ate some sweets he had taken from the shop, watching his friend either fail miserably at skimming rocks or do it rather successfully.

"You suck at that, massively,"

"Oh shut up Vance, like you can do it any better,"

"As if, dipshit, I could do it way better than you," Vance responded shoving another sweet in his mouth before throwing one down to Zach.

"Come down and do it then,"

"No, I'm not wasting my talent," Vance said, causing Zach to laugh.

Then that black van drove past, stopping at the end of the bridge.

"Vance-"

"Yeah I know." he looked at the man who just got out the vehicle, "Oi, fuckard. What do you want?" Vance asked, getting up off the railing.

"Want to see a magic trick?" He asked.

"No? Now fuck off,"

"Such bad manners,"

It didn't hit Zach for a moment but then he realised, the stranger didn't know he was there.
"What the fuck?! Get off me you fucking pedo!" Vance yelled. The guy especially didn't know Zachary was there when he took the balloons out his car and drugged Vance, "ZACH!"

"VANCE!" Zach yelled, clambering up and trying to haul himself over the rails, however the van had drove off. With his friend inside.

If only those damn rails weren't there.

"-and he drove a black van?"

"For the fiftieth time, yes. He drove a black fucking van!" Zach yelled, slamming his hands on the desk, "he had been following us all morning! I told Vance we should've gone to school today, fuck sakes. Why does he never listen to me," he mumbled, returning his hands to his head, running them through his hair.
"Thank you for this, Zachary, we'll call you if we get any information,"

With that Zachary left, walking out the station with his sister and mother.

The ride home was silent, his mother was probably high as a kite while Jenny was sad anyway since she was fairly close with Vance. By the time they got home however, Zachary's dad was yelling and his mother shouting back while the two siblings went to Zach's room, "Zach, I'm so sorry-"

"It's not your fault,  Jenny. I should've gotten over that railing quicker or just told him to go to school," Zach sighed, leaning back to try and relax - like that was going to work.

"I'm sure they'll find him, plus anyone would let Vance go or they'd be in danger themselves," Jenny smiled, trying to make her brother feel a bit better.

"The other boys haven't been found,  Jen, he's not coming back," Zach said, "but I appreciate what you're trying to do."

Jenny nodded before leaving the room and going to her own.

Often, being alone was Zach's favourite thing. Listening to music by himself with no one to interrupt it, however it suddenly felt so, well, lonely. He hated it. Thinking back on it, most times he spent alone Vance was there somewhere, either at a distance or sitting on the floor of either his or Zachary's room and throwing a ball up and down or playing music he liked. That's why it didn't feel so lonely. His eyes darted around the room, memories flooding back to him faster than he wanted them too.

Everything from his room screamed his friendship with Vance, the random dents in the walls from when Vance got pissed off and came to Zach's to relax, a splatter of pain on the floor from when Zach accidentally spilt paint on Vance's leg. Or even that sodden tan bandana Vance kept in his pocket that he left at Zach's house once accidentally. He never got to give it back. He never will give it back.
Zachary decided it was best to just try and go to sleep, think about it in the morning instead.
Eventually though, when he forced his eyes shut it didn't greet him with any comfort, instead he dreamt of his friend that night. Nothing major or special just memories of him he never wanted to forget.

When he awoke the following morning however, Zach noticed his pillow was wet, tears were still running down his face as he tried to wipe them away and get ready for school.

He shoved some clothes on and grabbed Vance's tan bandana, sighing and tying it around his wrist, "c'mon Jenny we're gonna be late," Zach called as he walked past her door, she quickly followed him out and the two left for school.

While walking the two of them spotted Finney and Gwen, Jenny immediately ran up to her friend while Finney stopped and looked back, beckoning Zach over. The latter jogged over and said hi, earning a sad smile from Finney.

"I heard about Vance, are you doing ok?"

"Best I can be doing," Zachary said, forcing a small smile.

"Amigo! Wait up!" another boy yelled, running over to Finney, "who's this?" he asked, looking at Zach.

"Ah right yeah, Robin this is Zach and Zach this is Robin,"

"Oh yeah! I remember you, you hung out with Vance right?" he asked, "sorry to hear about that hombre,"

"No worries," which was exactly what Zach wasn't doing but what else was he going to say? 'Oh it's fine, he's probably dead anyway'? Absolutely not.

The three of them walked together, Zach kept a close eye on Jenny and Gwen but stayed in the conversation the three of them were having. However when they got to school, Zach got tones of special treatment he didn't want.

Another school assemblage was held to announce the situation and give the same cautions everyone else got. But, now that Vance of all people were kidnapped, people began realising anyone could be.

"We want to remind you all to be careful and please do not walk alone," except that wasn't always what saved you, was it? "if you see any suspicious behaviour please contact the police even if you think you're being paranoid. We also need you to remember to be kind to those affected by the kidnappings,"

The people sat around Zachary turned to look at him before he mumbled a, "fuck off," and they turned back around.

When the assembly was over, everyone piled out the halls and to their lessons, walking into his class Zach felt strange, the seat next to him was empty and would probably never have its original person back in it. He sighed and walked over to his seat, sitting down and looking out the window.

The class was painfully slow, maths was always such a bore, and when the teacher told the class to begin working independently Zachary took that time to watch the clock slowly tick by and wait until he could finally go have lunch.