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Sincerely, Vintage (Part 17)
Sincerely, Vintage (Part 17)

Sincerely, Vintage (Part 17)

lyngbakr82๐•๐•ช๐•Ÿ๐•˜๐•“๐•’๐•œ๐•ฃ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿš
1 Review

Vince

It took all of Vinceโ€™s concentration to focus on the tech he was fixing. Tracey sat next to him, talking and laughing with Hrida and Derrick, oblivious to the turmoil she was causing. Her neon hair kept catching Vinceโ€™s eye, but he kept his head down, pretending he was lost in his work like always.

It felt like it took an eternity for everyone to finish their coffee and go separate ways. Vince took his time cleaning up the mess heโ€™d made, so he was the last one out the door. Further down the street, he saw Tracey vanishing into the crowd. She turned to wave goodbye to Hrida, her mouth moving with words he couldnโ€™t hear.

Vince turned and walked the other way, head down, hands in his pockets. The twists and turns of the city blurred together until he looked up and found himself near the docks at the edge of the city. Barely anyone lived out here, so the streets were empty except for a breeze coming through from the ocean. The buildings dwindled until only an abandoned warehouse stood before him.

The screech of the doorโ€™s rusty hinges echoed eerily in the empty space. Vince stepped into the warehouse, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dim light.

Dusty skylights let in some of the early morning sunshine. Graffiti decorated the walls in places, and a few windows were left open to let in some fresh air. The building had been built out of concrete and steel, making it a perfect place to practice.

Vince kicked off his shoes, leaving them next to his sweatshirt in the corner. He stood in the middle of the empty warehouse for a moment, breathing deeply and listening to the wind whistling through the windows. He closed his eyes and brought his hands together. When he felt a small flame spring to life in both of his palms, he leaped into motion, racing across the room. He thrust one hand out, blasting fire from his clenched fist, then anchored his right foot, swinging the other around to release a blistering wave of flame.

Time melted away until he only existed in a continuous state of motion, the fire dancing around him as he struck at invisible enemies. He felt wide awake for the first time in a while, aware of the energy racing through him and igniting at his fingertips. The fire reminded him every time as if it had a voice.

This is how it feels to be alive, human and breakable, and only a step away from ruin.

Vinceโ€™s eyes snapped open, and the fire faded away, leaving him standing there, surrounded by silence and echoing space. He sank to the floor, pressing his palms against the cold concrete. Anything to keep himself stable. When he brought his hands up in front of him, they shook.

He kept up a calm front around his friends, but deep down, fear wreaked havoc on his mind, the kind that grabbed your heart and lungs in an iron fist and squeezed until you couldn't breathe. He didnโ€™t want to face Kol, but at the same time, he couldn't let one of his friends take his place.

It has to be me.

Vince slipped out of the warehouse and headed back to the inhabited parts of the city. The cluttered chaos of the streets made a sharp contrast against the silence of the docks. When he opened the door to his apartment, he didnโ€™t even turn the lights on. He grabbed his headphones off the desk on his way to the balcony.

He sat down with his back against the brick wall, eyes closed to the sunshine, music bouncing in his ears. Before he knew it, his head drooped closer to his chest, and he drifted off.

โ€”-----

The glint of afternoon sunlight in Vinceโ€™s eyes told him that heโ€™d slept longer than he meant to. He picked himself up off the balcony floor and stretched his arms over his head. The light caught the clouds of smoke above the city, outlining them in neon.

If only my camera wasnโ€™t out of film.

He soaked in the view for a moment longer, then climbed down the fire escape and began making his way to Traceyโ€™s apartment. He hadnโ€™t been there since the night of the monster attack when heโ€™d walked her home. That felt like forever ago.

A few minutes later, he emerged from the stairway that led to the roof, holding a hand up to block the light.

โ€œHey, Vince!โ€ Hrida stepped down from a ladder, moving back to admire the string of lights sheโ€™d just hung.

โ€œWhereโ€™s everyone else?โ€

โ€œDownstairs. Theyโ€™re getting all the food together.โ€

โ€œNice.โ€ Vince knew Tracey would never admit it, but she was a great cook. Every time the group of them got together, she always showed up with something good, even though there werenโ€™t many options for food these days. As if he'd been summoned, Derrick nudged the door open with his foot and came out onto the roof, balancing platters of steaming food in both hands.

โ€œLet me help you with that.โ€ Hrida went over to take one of the trays from Derrick. Vince didnโ€™t miss the look that bounced between them. He took a seat near the roof's edge and gazed out over the skyline.

The view up here was incredible. Below them, the city rolled on and on, like the train rug he used to have when he was a kid. Heโ€™d spend hours laying on the floor and watching the mechanical engine whir around the tracks, fascinated with how electricity could bring an inanimate object to life.

Derrick came to sit next to him, offering him a drink without saying anything. Vince took it, and they sat in comfortable silence, watching the world pass by.

โ€œFoodโ€™s ready!โ€

Vince turned around and almost fell out of his chair. Even in a white crop top and jeans, Tracey looked radiant. The light of the setting sun seemed to soak into her skin, illuminating her from the inside out.

He stood up like nothing was wrong, trying desperately to clear his head, but when Tracey turned and smiled at him like that, he almost fell apart.

Pull yourself together.

The evening flew by, and the shadows lengthened until they had to turn on the lights strung back and forth across the roof. Derrick pulled out his speaker, and before anyone could stop her, Tracey commandeered the playlist. Vince recognized the intro of one of her favorite songs playing.

She grabbed Hrida by the hand and pulled her to the middle of the dance floor, waving her hand for Derrick to turn it up. The bass vibrated in Vinceโ€™s chest, and he felt himself smiling.

Now he really wished his camera had film. The glow of the lights played on Hrida and Tracey as they danced, their arms in the air, lit up Derrickโ€™s smile as he cut in and took Hridaโ€™s hand. Tracey shook her head and laughed, then kept dancing even though she was by herself now.

As the song changed, Vince took his chance.

โ€œDance with me?โ€

When Tracey turned around, he almost lost his nerve. Suddenly, coming over here didnโ€™t feel like such a good idea.

But then she grabbed his hand and gave him a twirl, a playful smile on her face.

This canโ€™t be happening.

But it was definitely happening. Tracey closed her eyes and tilted her head back, still dancing. For a moment, he went back in time to the moment when theyโ€™d spent the day painting and danced together, and heโ€™d told her-

He stopped himself. So much had changed since then. For now, all they had was this moment, music blaring while they danced on the edge of the roof, and for this moment, everything felt beautifully, perfectly okay.

Author Notes: Made another soundtrack! :D
Walking to the city's edge: https://youtu.be/9ykYzrwVZKk
Practicing for the fight: https://youtu.be/8RDy31N0gdY
Music in his headphones: https://youtu.be/SUmA6e0L5gc
Tracey's favorite song: https://youtu.be/Imm0jZqB79I
Dancing on the roof: https://youtu.be/uD4SrW5m8NE

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About The Author
lyngbakr82
๐•๐•ช๐•Ÿ๐•˜๐•“๐•’๐•œ๐•ฃ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿš
About This Story
Audience
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Posted
18 Apr, 2022
Words
1,313
Read Time
6 mins
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Rating
5.0 (1 review)
Views
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