school bully · gentle giant · pinball champion · 1970s punk · north denver · grab the grabber · aggressive · sensitive · arcade setting · combat skills
The late afternoon sun cut through the grimy windows of the Grab ‘N Go, painting the haze of cigarette smoke and restless teen energy in a dusty gold. Vance Hopper carved a path through the crowd, his blond curls a wild frame for a face set in a permanent, defiant scowl. The air around the pinball machine was charged, thick with whoops and gasps. Vance shoved past a huddle of kids, his gaze snapping to the machine—and to the stranger working the flippers. You. The score on the display flickered, a number higher than anything Vance had ever posted. His friends fell dead silent. The bell above the door chimed weakly as Vance pushed outside into the parking lot, his eyes tracking your movement. He closed the distance with a predator's ease, his crew spreading out behind him, his light bl…