Pieces of Us: Living in Parallel

Chapter 8 - Virgil: First Movie Night

Summary: Virgil, a post-foster care kid, has dealt with rejection throughout his life. Now faced with roommates, he has to learn how to build relationships without the constant worry about being thrown away.

Dreaming was the only time Virgil felt true peace. People didn't think when they were just a visual figment in Virgil's brain. That's why he grew up prioritising naps above anything else, napping in class and after class and getting an early sleep after dinner, sleeping in until noon on weekends and school breaks. That wasn't an advantageous routine for foster care though.

The placement before his two mothers was the one that broke him. He had just had his thirteenth birthday, his parents' parental rights had been terminated a couple of years before, but he had meetings with caseworkers quite often. People around him were thinking overly excited thoughts so things were going to change soon.

"Two parents want to adopt you." Virgil couldn't believe when those verbal words came out of the caseworker's mouth. Smiles were all around him, everyone was so proud of him inside and out. The shy, hard-to-please seventh grader was finally getting a home to call his own – with a couple who felt 'compelled by God' or whatever to open their home to a teenager.

Move-in day was just like any other move-in, but Virgil was reassured this would be his last one. It was smiles and hugs all around, and a 'welcome home Virgil' hang on a banner just above the kitchen. Things settled into a comfortable quiet as his mom started cooking, thinking about times and ingredients, and his dad watched TV, cheering on his favourite football team both mentally and physically. He was expected to stay downstairs, but he wanted to make a good first impression, so he watched TV. The footballers weren't that bad to watch to be honest.

On Sundays, Virgil was dragged to church, but he accepted he couldn't be picky with his new family just yet. He was paraded around as a saved soul and got the many sympathetic comments and thoughts... But at least he was an 'adopted kid' now, not a 'foster kid'.

The church service started with the average thoughts and prayers for sick members of the community. People suffering with illness or grieving, or who had been in an accident. Or people who had 'strayed'. People experiencing same-sex attraction and living a sinful lifestyle. People – like Virgil – who preferred watching the football team over the cheer team.

The thoughts around him weren't exactly assuring. Multiple pews were condemning these people, including his own parents. Virgil tried to think similarly to them, tried to thirst over the cheer team like other middle school boys, but he could only do that for a year. He couldn't think about the opposite sex like everyone else was doing. So, if his new parents weren't going to like Virgil's same-sex attraction they weren't going to like a lot of things.

He stopped trying to be the normal, good kid soon after his fourteenth birthday. Arguments started over his grades at his posh private school and his lack of extra-curriculars. In six months the placement ended, much like all the others, as Virgil couldn't be saved. And he was thrown into the system again.

*****

"Good boy Bert, you're finally getting used to here, aren't you?" Burton was the only thing Virgil could speak to that didn't combat with thoughts. Being in his room with Burton was the only time Virgil felt true peace. He was glad Burton was finally exploring his new enclosure and getting used to his new surroundings.

This situation was just another placement though. Renting would work out similarly to all his placements before. These four guys weren't going to be his family, Virgil knew he had no family, but it was better than having an unaccepting one.

A knock came from the door and the door opened a creak. The explosion of thoughts made Virgil groan, Roman was super worried about getting the place ready for Patton's arrival. "Hey Verge, are you available to talk?"

"For a bit." Patton would probably not care whether the pillows are adequately fluffy, why was Roman even thinking about that? The man probably was just excited to have a roof over his head in this expensive city. "Anything bothering you?"

Roman walked in and sat on the bed, wondering how Virgil could deal with such a dark and dreary room. "Just wanted to chat. What are you up to today?" Yes, Virgil needed to make his bed, and his Diet Coke collection needed to be moved to the trash, he was just going to get to that.

"Just finished a draft and fed Burton, then going to empty the trash. Are you ready for Patton?" The worried thoughts came again and Roman rubbed his hands together.

"I wanted to talk about that with you. No pressure of course, but I was thinking we could all watch a movie tonight? Lo's agreed, and Patton said he can get pizza for us. Could be a nice time to get out of your shell?"

Virgil severely disliked the term 'get out your shell'. It was the thing that adoptive mother said to coach him downstairs, or go to church, or try flirting with girls he had no interest in and who would just insult him in silent thoughts. It was the thing foster placements would say to try and cheer him up, when they thought how Virgil must be severely traumatised from foster care, or he was a moody argumentative teenager. Never was he just a normal person who preferred his own company.

Roman was still watching Virgil crunch a chip packet in silence. He didn't push anything; he didn't think how ungrateful or antisocial Virgil was. "I'm not annoyed with you for anything by the way." Roman looked confused but smiled. "I'm just... I take a bit to warm up to friendly people. I'll join for the movie night though."

The ginger maniac smiled wide and pretty much jumped from the bed. "Brilliant! Are you cool with mozzarella? Logan requested Hawaiian pizza, can you believe that? I thought I'd never meet someone who liked pineapple on pizza in my life." Roman's mouth was going with chatter, but one thought kept repeating in his brain: 'God I'm talking a lot, hopefully that's not annoying him, it annoys other people'.

"I'm cool with that." The voice stopped and Roman tilted his head. "The uh – I'm cool with you talking a lot by the way, and the mozzarella pizza. Not the pineapple thing, I agree with you that's weird." Both men chuckled, and the conversation ended. Roman was just about to leave – but Virgil didn't have work to do. "Do you need help puffing up the pillows? I know a tactic to get them extra fluffy."