Unstable || Prinxiety

Chapter 6

(Roman's POV)

"Loser!" Eyes on my food, I eat quickly and try to block out the sounds of voices around me. The sounds that are obviously hurting the person in front of me. "Failure," The sounds I should be able to stop, yet can't. "Danger," I also try to block out the face of the person opposite of me, try not to focus on his pleading eyes as they bare into mine. "Freak," As each second goes past, as each word echoes through my brain, I feel the familiar touch of anger simmer harder under my skin. You see, when I chose to be the one to access Virgil, I was told that I wasn't allowed to interfere with anything. Including bullying. "Outcast," 

Over my food, I look at Virgil. This could hardly even be called bullying. I would call it assault more than anything. "Is it always this bad?" I whisper, hoping my words will make him less tense. He sends me a glace so full of dread and anger it physically causes me to gasp. He nods quickly, two sharp dips of his head the only confirmation I receive, and looks back at the glass of water resting gracefully in his hands. My heart sinks and I swallow, my throat thick; how have I not noticed that he gets picked on before? I'm surprised yet sad at how hard it is to read his emotions. He must be practiced at hiding his feelings from others. He looks almost unaffected by their jeers, but I know better. The slight shake of his hand gives away his emotions. Worry. Fear. I can see them screaming out at me through his eyes. People from all over the cafeteria surround him, chanting names that echo through the hall. Why can't I do anything? 

"Because you need to see how he reacts to this. You're here to access him, not be his knight in shining armor," my subconscious reminds me. But Virgil looks like he's almost at his breaking point, and I know I need to do something quickly. 

"Get the fuck away from him, you bastards!" My head whips painfully around as I hear a low, smooth voice project out of the throng of incomprehensible whispers and taunts. A tall figure with a hoodie emerges from the crowd and stands in front of Virgil, doing what it can to block him from the jeering mass. Virgil looks up at the figure with grateful eyes full of an emotion I can only call... love? What?

"You alright Virge?" the person worriedly asks, squeezing his shoulder and pulling him out of the cafeteria. I follow unsurely, stopping when the pair does. Something about this guy is making me feel like the third wheel, and I don't like it. When I approach, they are deep in conversation. The man turns to me, and I see that he's at least 2 inches taller than me, indicating that he's older. 

"Patton told me that you'd be following Virgil around or whatever, but I didn't expect you'd drag him to the cafeteria! What were you thinking?"

"I... I didn't realize that he was being treated like that. I'm sorry, Virge."

"You didn't what? You're the guy in charge, of course you knew!" he yelled as he stepped towards me, "And don't call him that. Only his friends can do that."

Virgil pulled the other man's arm back, still obviously shaken, "Calm down, I'm fine."

"No you aren't!" the person replied, "you were about to have an atta-"

"Stop!" Virgil warned, his voice dropping dangerously low. He took a moment to compose himself before turning away. "Thanks, Loneliness," he yelled over his shoulder as he walked to his room, "I'll see you tomorrow."

And I followed, as confused as ever. Who was that person? I don't think I'd ever seen him before.

"That was my friend," Virgil muttered as if reading my mind. 

"I didn't think you had any- nevermind," I caught myself just in time and closed the door behind me as I entered his room. Virgil sat on his bed and looked at me cautiously.

"Did you bring a mattress? Surely you're not expecting for us to share beds, right?" He questions, and it takes me a moment to realize he's right. There's only one bed. I didn't think this through.

"I - ah - of course not! I'll... sleep on the floor," I say in response, trying not to grumble. This is going to be a long night.