“Joy.” Troy's sarcastic tone wasn't lost on Peter. Together the two boys walked up to the line, waiting to get on to the ride home. Peter moved off and got on his bus, leaving Troy alone with his jerk brother. Steps away from the bus, Troy felt someone shove his side and he fell to the ground.

His brother stood half a foot taller, which gave him the ability to loom over the smaller Patterson boy. Vance's arm cocked back as though he were going to throw a punch, making Troy bring up his arms to block. “Fag.” His brother laughed at him before getting on the bus. At the top of the steps he stopped and looked at his brother who was just watching him. “Come on little baby. Maybe we should get you home and change your diapers!” The kids on the bus started to laugh loudly.

October 1st 1982
Northern California

It was yet another day of school. One good thing was that is was Friday. Another good thing for Troy was that his brother, Vance, was in the middle school, so he didn't have to worry about him making his school life a living hell anymore, well for at least a year when he went into middle school. He wasn't free of his brother yet, not by a long shot. Both the Elementary and middle schools were at the same place, just in different parts of the school.

So he didn't have to be next to his bother in classes, but Vance could still find him before and after school, as they had different times for lunch and recess. Troy had to ride the bus with his brother and that was a living hell too. Only two miles from the school to their house, but their mother always made them take the bus.

Troy's mind wasn't on his classes though. He paid attention, as best as he could. He did the class work, but he just wanted, needed to get home so Tracy could come out. That wasn't the only problem. His grandfather would be home this weekend, so that killed any chance of him being able to relax as his alter-ego. As the last bell rang, he stepped out in the usual mass exodus and made his way to the bus stop.

A boy about his age fell in step next to him. The boy was a bit bigger, both in height and in weight. He wore an Dukes of Hazzard shirt and had a dark blue pack over his shoulders. “Hey Peter.” Troy smiled at his friend. The two of them had gone through school together since the second grade. Now three years later, they had grown to be like brothers. But this had been the first year when they weren't in the same class.

“Hey Troy, doing anything today?” The bigger kid asked.

“Going home and hiding from Vance. He's been a jerk lately.” Troy replied.

“I don't see why you just don't stand up to him. He's not that much stronger then you. You got that kung fu stuff you know and he couldn't even box.” Peter asked as they stood off to the side and waited for the buses.

“It's Dad. Vance can hit me and if I say anything, I get in trouble for tattling.” Troy shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. “Yet if I hit him back, Vance runs off and tells Dad and I get in trouble, but he doesn't. It sucks. If I wanted to hurt Vance, I could, but I wont. I just want him to leave me alone. We used to get along, but I don't know why he hates me now.” Troy sat on the ground near a wall.

“So Vance can do what he wants and you can't? That sucks.” Peter sat next to him.

“Wanna come hang out at my place? Maybe you can avoid your brother till your parents are home?” Peter suggested.

Troy shook his head. “No, I'll get in trouble if I don't ask and Mom is busy and can't take personal calls at work and Dad doesn't have a phone that he can use.” A bell rang on the middle school let out, more kids began to pile up around the bus stop area.

“Oh. Sorry.” Peter said, sighing as he did.

“It's okay.” Troy shrugged and lowered his head.

“May be I could come over?” Peter asked.

“No without asking first. You know how my parents are.”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, I know.” Several long buses pulled up and Peter looked up. “Hey, our rides are here.”

“Joy.” Troy's sarcastic tone wasn't lost on Peter. Together the two boys walked up to the line, waiting to get on to the ride home. Peter moved off and got on his bus, leaving Troy alone with his jerk brother. Steps away from the bus, Troy felt someone shove his side and he fell to the ground.

“Ooooohhhh.” A tall, thin boy sneered down at him. “Did the wittle baby fall?”

Troy scrambled to his feet and glared at his attacker. “Go to hell Vance.” He spat out.

His brother stood half a foot taller, which gave him the ability to loom over the smaller Patterson boy. Vance's arm cocked back as though he were going to throw a punch, making Troy bring up his arms to block. “Fag.” His brother laughed at him before getting on the bus. At the top of the steps he stopped and looked at his brother who was just watching him. “Come on little baby. Maybe we should get you home and change your diapers!” The kids on the bus started to laugh loudly.

Troy could barely hear the bus driver trying to get the kids to settle down, but he didn't care. He turned from the bus stop and began to walk to the other end of the school.

“Awww the Baby's gonna cry!” He heard his brother call out.

But Troy didn't care. He stormed passed the other kids who were now laughing at him. He pushed past a few teachers too. He didn't know where he was going, he just needed to get away from all of the kids at the bus stop. He went out to the playground and made his way to an empty swing set. He could see the kids on his bus still watching him, Vance was in the back, but he didn't care what he was doing.

He got to thinking about life as he sat there. What did he want when he was Tracy. Did he want to keep her around? He was happy being a boy, except dealing with his brother, father and Grandfather. But would they accept him as Tracy? But then he wasn't wanting to make Tracy full time, then Troy's problems would be Tracy's.

He got up after a few minutes and began to walk home. He walked at a decent pace, thinking over why Vance could hate him so much. He couldn't come up with any good answers, so he thought of other things, like cooking and what skirt he'd wear the next time Tracy came out.

The closer to the house he got, the sadder he became. Soon he'd be in Vance's clutches again, subject to his every whim and no doubt Vance would tell on him for missing the bus. He knew there would be hell to pay for walking. But he couldn't get on the bus after what Vance had done.

He just wanted to be a normal boy, was that so wrong? Did he have to have a sibling who enjoyed making his life a living hell. Or a father that wouldn't listen. He turned onto the road he lived on and was passed by his school bus, making him think there would be no problems. So as he reached the field by his parent's house he jumped the fence, hoping to come up from behind, in case Vance was out there.

He stopped by the old barn that lay near the house and sure enough, he could see Vance in the front yard, throwing rocks at something. Two of his friends from school were with him With his hearing as good as it was, he could hear everything the three boys was saying from his hiding spot.

“That little shit is gonna get me in trouble.” Vance turned to face a smaller friend.

“It's his own fault that he walked away from the bus.” The friend said.

“Yeah. I didn't make the little fag leave. But I'll be the one in trouble.” His brother flung another rock, hitting the wall of the house with a loud bang. “So gonna kick his ass.”

Troy heard enough and with tears in his eyes he skirted around the property. He felt tired from the stress of the day and he just wanted to lay down and cry, but if he went in the house, Vance and his friends would follow. So he went to his grandmothers place and knocked on the front door, but no one answered. He peeked through a window and saw no lights, no TV and no motion, then he remembered that Fridays was his grandmothers usual day for Doctors appointments.

He hopped off the porch in time to hear another rock hit the side of his parents house. He knew going home was stupid, so he went around to the backyard of his grandmothers place. There he saw it, he porch. He'd be safe back here, he knew it. And his grandfather had just put up a porch swing and that looked comforting.

He stepped up on the porch and the sights and smells of his lunch date with his mother came back, making him smile for a moment, then the sound of a rock breaking a window jarred him from his memories. He could hear his brothers friends panic then he heard footsteps running away. Troy put his backpack on the swing, then laid his head down on it and closed his eyes for a moment.

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[The home of Maggie and William Patterson]

It was almost seven when Maggie came home slightly before her husband and stepped into the house. She gave a look around the room. Usually her sons were watching TV, but neither of them were there. Then her gaze fell on the window of the couch. The very broken window. “VANCE!!!” She screamed out. Not just because he was always the trouble maker, but because when they were home alone, he was to be in charge.

Her eldest son stepped into the living room and looked at his mother with a very guilty look on his face. “What happened to the window?!? He flinched at the tone of her voice and his head dropped a bit.

“Frankie threw a rock and broke it.” He said, referring to his smaller friend.

“Is that so?” Maggie glared at her son and he just stood there. She went over to the phone and began to dial Frankie's parent's house. “We'll see about that.”

The color drained from his face as she began to speak. He could only hear a part of the conversation, but he knew he was dead meat. “Carol? This is Maggie Patterson. I was wondering if I could have a word with your son.” He took a seat as he listened to his mother talk to Frankie's mother, then to Frankie. When she hung up she took a deep breath before slamming the phone down.

“Okay, one more time. Tell me who broke my window Vance.” Maggie said, not turning to look at him. He knew it was only going to get worse if he didn't confess. Before he could reply, his mother cut him off. “Or do I need to call Bruce and make sure it wasn't him first?”

He looked at his feet for a moment as the door opened up and his father walked in. “Hey Son, honey.” He pulled Maggie in for a kiss, then he realized that She was pissed. “What's wrong sweetheart?”

Maggie pointed to the missing window and then at her son. “Someone broke the window and he already claimed that Frankie broke it, but Frankie said it was Vance.”

William, Troy's father, seemed to grow an inch as his anger rose. “Why the hell did you bust a window!” he yelled at his eldest child.

If it was one thing he was good at, it was lying. At least he thought he was good, but his mother could always see through it. He did his best sad child face and looked to his dad, tears in his eyes. “Well I came home, but Troy had missed the bus and I knew I'd get in trouble for it so I was mad and I threw a rock, but it slipped and the window broke and I came in and cleaned it up, then he never came home yet...”

“WAIT!” Maggie yelled over his rambling and the boy stopped. “Where is Troy?!? My god, school got out four hours ago!”

Vance stood up and puffed out his chest, sure that he wasn't in trouble anymore and his brother was doomed. “I don't know. He was in line for the bus, but then he left.”

“HE LEFT?!? WHERE IS MY SON!!!” Maggie loomed over Vance and he flinched again and sat down in his seat.

“Calm down Maggie. Maybe he's at his friends place.” William said.

She looked from her husband to her eldest son. “For your sake, he better be at Peters.” She went back to the phone and dialed.

While she talked in the background, William stood over his son. As was his normal with Vance, he played the role of good cop. “Being worried about your brother is one thing, but those windows are expensive.”

“I know dad, I didn't mean to break it.” Vance kept up the crocodile tears. “I just didn't know what to do and I got worried.”

“I understand son. Just be careful next time.” William said.

Before Vance could reply, Maggie's voice rang out. “HE DID WHAT!?!”

Maggie turned and glared at her eldest son and pointed out one finger, telling him to stay where he was. William stood there, now deeply confused. They stayed where they were as Maggie held a quick conversation, then hung the phone up.

She took a breath or two to compose herself then she stood by her husbands side. “That was Peter I just spoke too. Last he saw of your brother, you had shoved him to the ground and were teasing him in front of all the kids at the bus stop. Say's he watched Troy walk off, but didn't see where he went to. But he's not there.” She stepped closer and got in his face. “If anything happened to him, I will take it out of your hide.”

“I'll should go looking for him.” William said.

“I'll go with you Dad.” Vance said, hoping to be spared from his mothers wrath.

“Oh no. You stay here and man the phone, in case someone calls. Peter's mother is going to look for him too.” Maggie replied, putting a hand up to stop her son. “You sit. No TV till we're home, then we discuss your punishment.”

“Yes Mom.” He said, lowering his head again.

“I'll call Mom, maybe she's seen him.” William said, picking up the phone. “It rang a few times, then he heard his mothers voice. “Hello, Mom? It's William. Have you seen Troy?”

“Troy? No, he hasn't stopped by tonight and we were supposed to be cooking together. I just figured that you guys needed him over there.” The older woman replied. “Is something wrong?”

“From what Maggie learned, I guess Vance said something to him and he walked off from the school, no one's seen him since the school.” He looked up to see Maggie giving him the look.

“Connor.” He heard his mother talking to his Dad. “Maggie and William need some help. Troy ran off from school and no one has seen him yet. Yeah, he got out at three.” There was a pause, then muffled talking, then Modine spoke again. “Son, You're dad's going to take the back roads, you take the main ones and meet at the school, then call here, okay?”

“Okay Mom.” William said. “We'll call when we get there. There's still that pay phone at the school.”

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[Modine's house]

“Good luck Son.” She said into the phone. As she hung up she began to worry that she may never see her grandchild again, either side of him. She watched as her husband went out the door and from next door she could hear her Son's car start up. The two vehicles sped off towards the small town were the school was at.

She went into the kitchen and stopped by the window and said a little prayer. “God, please let no harm come to Troy. Let him come home safe and sound, please? I know I'm not the best Christian, but Troy hasn't hurt no one, don't let anyone harm him.”

She stood there for a moment, taking a few deep breaths, when she swore she heard something. She leaned closer to the window and listened harder. She could barely make out the sounds of someone snoring. She headed to the backdoor. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but maybe, just maybe.....

She stepped out onto the porch and saw the young boy on her porch swing, his back to her and still sleeping. She walked over to him and shook his shoulder. “Troy? Come on Troy, baby, wake up.”

He stirred for a moment, then turned his head to see her. “Grandma?” He blinked his eyes a couple of times and sat up.

She leaned over and hugged him tightly. “Oh I'm so glad your okay.” She held him like that for a moment or two, then she let him go. “We need to get by the phone.” She said as she turned to the door.

“Why? What's wrong?” He asked.

“Your parents are out looking for you. It's past seven in the evening and their worried.” She held the door open for him. “Come on, we'll get some food in you first, before they get here and you can tell me what happened.”

He followed her inside and began to tell her what happened as quickly as he could. He made sure to tell her that there was no problems on his walk home, only at the school and when he saw Vance. Then he began telling her about how Vance could hit him, but he can't fight back.

“I know sweetie. I've seen it and you're father is just too blinded by Vance and his lying to see the truth.” She pulled out some bread and peanut butter and began to make him a sandwich when the phone rang.

Modine put the knife she was using down and picked up the phone. “Hello, this is Modine Patterson.”

“Mom, we're at the school Dad didn't see anything either. Have you heard anything?” William asked, worry filling his voice.

“I found him on my back porch, passed out on the swing. I'm feeding him now and finding out from him what happened, so come on back and Send your father home too, have him pick up some ice cream too, we're out of the good stuff.” Modine said.

She heard her son's voice, as he tried to muffle it. It was no longer filled with worry, but anger. “He's been on Mom's back porch all this time.”

Modine hung up the phone, and called Vance to let him know what was going on. She then finished Troy's sandwich. The boy at in silence, till he stopped halfway though the sandwich and he looked at her. “I'm in trouble, aren't I?”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “Not as much as Vance will be.”

This is actually a two parter, I just wanted to split it up so it wasn't a monster to read. This is the first showing of Vance, William and Connor. And yes, Vance is pulled almost directly from my own brother.