It begun when he was a young child; after realising that the others would never invite him to their group activities he decided to pick up his own hobby. Every night when the others would do group bonding he would slip on his pastel pink backpack after packing his skates and his clothes inside it and slip out of the mindscape. No one ever noticed. But that was fine, that just meant his secret hobby would stay secret and the others wouldn't make fun of him because of it like they did with all of his other interests.
Roller skating was his and his alone.
The bright lights of the roller disco, the cold bubble-gum milkshakes, the 'disco music ' and the vintage interior where the highlights of his days. The pastel pink choker and fingerless gloves matching his pastel purple skater skirt and thigh high kitten stockings with a space themed crop top where his escape to a better world. A world where he was alone by choice and not forced isolation, a world where he cold forget about the back handed compliments and blatant insults thrown his way day in day out; a world that could only be accessed when he laced up his pastel pink roller skates and stepped into the ring.
And he was alone, and everything was quiet; the music nothing but a faint buzzing in his ears and the laughter of couples and friends skating together fuelling his bitter journey round the ring. The just-too-quiet chatter added ammunition to the sarcastic remarks that would soon e fired at the others, the occasional stumble made his tongue bitter and would guarantee a nasty verbal bite when he next lashed out at another Side. Each time he lifted a skate it was another nasty phrase torn from his mind, each time the skate hit the ground again it was a momentarily clear mind.
Until it wasn't; until the others found out.
It was 3am and Virgil was returning from his usual skate-session, his skating clothes (and skates) still on, when he was faced with the other three Sides. They all looked vaguely surprised to see him in something other than his normal black hoodie yet he didn't dwell on it - instead he tried to skate past them, but Princey grabbed his arm before he could.
"Where were you? You've been out for hours!" Patton cried as he led them all to the couch in the Common Area.
"I was... Skating," Virgil replied as he gestured to the very obvious skates on his feet, he was astonished that the others had to be told that.
"What I am sure Patton means is why where you out skating until 3am?" Logan asked, Roman still hadn't let go of his arm.
"You where doing group bonding... last night."
"So? Why didn't you join us?" Roman asked, speaking up for the first time.
"I wasn't invited and I didn't want to intrude on a.... you thing," He could see their faces fall slightly as he continued, "I didn't think you would notice. You never have before."
"Oh Virg-" Patton began before being interrupted.
"No. It's fine, I enjoy skating more than I would probably enjoy movie nights or team colouring."
"What do you mean 'probably'?" Logan asked, shocking practically everyone; the conversation was very emotionally charged and everyone knew that emotions made the logical trait uncomfortable.
"I've never actually experienced a movie night with other people. Or any activity - unless filming is counted - with other people," Virgil said so matter-of-factly that it broke the others hearts.
"Do you... uh.. want to?" Roman asked as Logan tried to comfort Patton. The logical trait had pulled the heart into a slightly awkward hug and was patting the others head slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the change in emotions. Virgil almost felt bad for him.
"No thanks. You have your thing and I have mine," Virgil said as he once again attempted to walk off only to have his arm once again grabbed by Prince. "What?"
"Where are you going?"
"Too my room."
"Why?"
"Too sleep, are all you're questions this dumb?"
Prince blushed. "No, uh-"
"Well my ankles hurt like hell and I'm exhausted, so night," He said as he walked over to his room, opened the door and glided over to his bed. He untied his laces and sunk into the soft mattress.
He couldn't wait until he could go skating again.
