(COMPLETE) The Teaching Elective - A Logicality Fanfiction

Chapter 6 - The Notebook

Summary: After the failed meeting between Logan and Roman and Virgil, the pair realise Logan had left his backpack. Roman can't help but snoop.

I love the dynamic of Roman making impulsive decisions and Virgil bullying him out of it XD. Also, there will be Prinxiety in this book - just as a side ship.

I've been thinking of changing the name of this book from 'The Teaching Elective' to 'You Can Teach Me A Thing Or Two' - any opinions on the title will be great!

Virgil and Roman watched their best friend run after their newly introduced friend. Roman just furrowed his eyebrows at the whole situation while Virgil looked absolutely shell-shocked. "Did we say something wrong?" Virgil immediately asked, as if Roman would have the answer. Roman just shrugged.

"Maybe he doesn't like crowds?" This was an unusual situation definitely, but Logan was the definition of introvert so he possibly just didn't like the situation he was in. Roman could identify Virgil jittering and collecting his Tim Burton backpack. "We should leave them to it. Remember how you are when strangers try to help you avoid a panic attack?"

Virgil let out a deep breath, focusing on the food in front of him. Roman already had a mouthful of pasta to occupy him. It wasn't normal for Roman and Virgil to be alone like this. Janus and Remus were always there being lovey-dovey near them but they were at some kind of senior study session. And with Patton gone... Virgil didn't trust himself and his feelings when facing his middle school crush.

"Looks like Pat might like to be alone with Logan to be fair, do you think Patton's pining yet?" Roman almost choked on his pasta in a laugh and quickly nodded. Cute moments like that were how Roman became Virgil's first gay crush.

"That guy's a hopeless romantic I swear, crushing on every straight guy he talks to." Roman laughed when he finished his mouthful, rolling his eyes at their friend's misjudgement of interest. "At least I crush on non-straight people like 50% of the time."

"All your crushes are fictional though."

"Still counts!" The boys laughed and ended up chatting about Roman's latest crush from this anime that Virgil had recommended him to watch. He knew Roman's exact type.

But Patton interrupted the rendezvous by running back to the cafeteria table, flustered with a worried face. "I absolutely petrified him! I'm such a bad friend, oh goodness." Patton collapsed back on the table, hands over his eyes, sighing into his palms. He only jolted when he felt a backpack fall against his foot. "Oh! Logan left his stuff here – he doesn't want to talk to me – what do we do?"

"First, calm yourself. Whatever happened is not the end of the world if you're still here." Virgil started, placing a hand on Patton's shoulder until his body was acting at a normal speed. "Second, I'll take the backpack to the front office after lunch, I pass it on the way to class anyway and that's where lost stuff goes. Trust me, I know." Virgil used both hands to lift the backpack onto the now empty chair between Virgil and Patton. But a book fell as the bag lifted.

The fatal flaw of Roman King was that he snooped into everything. So as soon as that book dropped Roman was on the scent and raced to hold it first, starting to open the pages even though his friends were arguing about it. "Come on! It's probably just schoolwork – and if it isn't no-one puts real vulnerable stuff on the first page."

The blue notebook had Logan's neat handwriting inside, but it wasn't any schoolwork or assignment – at least that Roman knew about. It was instead a book of handwritten poems. And the first one was labelled 'Belonging'.

In a crowd of laughter and shared embrace,

I stand on the outskirts, an outsider in this space.

They wander like stars, a constellation of kin,

But I remain adrift, longing to fit in.

I watch them intertwine, like a dance in the skies,

Each step in unison, like butterflies they rise.

Yet I stand lonely, like a whisper in the breeze,

Longing to belong, my heart fraught with unease.

But in this journey of exile, I find solace in me,

For I'm stronger than I thought, you see.

I embrace my uniqueness, my individual light,

And rediscover my worth under this starless night.

"Oooh, looks like your Teach is a secret Shakespeare." Roman giggled like a schoolchild as he turned the notebook around for his friends to see. Virgil continued to stare at Roman displeased – but the curiosity got the better of Patton. It was a beautifully written poem, maybe he should take the notebook and show it to the first grade teacher next class! Well, he should ask for Logan's permission first. He could just tell the teacher Logan likes to write poems beforehand.

The notebook was taken once Patton finished reading it and was placed back in the backpack. "Even the first page is personal Ro, you should remember that from my song lyrics in middle school."

Roman held his hands up to surrender his guilty ways. "Fine, alright. I won't snoop again."

"I'll give you two days for you to break that promise." Virgil retorted back, trying not to let his cheeks blush at Roman's shocked doe eyes and surprised princely noises. "Do you think Logan's coming back, or would he head to the school nurse or counsellor?"

"He'll probably not want to come here again, maybe it was a bit much to persuade him to meet you guys here. He was really reluctant to leave the library." Patton's heart broke again visualising how scared Logan looked to be near Patton. When he saw it, Patton just wanted to hold Logan close in a hug and reassure him everything was alright. He needed to know Patton's friendship group would love Logan – he belonged with their group as long as he feels secure. Maybe soon Logan will be fully comfortable with Patton. Logan looked like he gave good hugs... And maybe he gave good kisses when he was comfortable.

Oh... Fiddlesticks.

"I think I might have another crush on a straight boy." Patton managed to utter, expecting to see his friends equally shocked and asking for more information. But when he came to, he just saw Roman and Virgil smirking at each other knowingly. "Was it really that easy to guess?"

"We know you Pat." Roman started just as the bell rang. Virgil took control of the new friend's backpack as well as his own. "Your Mom probably guessed it weeks ago, right?"

Patton wasn't going to give that suggestion a dignity of an answer... Because it was a correct suggestion. He just rolled his eyes and brought his satchel over his chest. Virgil gave him a sympathy pat on the back. "If it helps, we'll happily feed your delusions and eat lunch in the library if that makes Logan more comfortable. He's a good guy from what we saw of him."