If the Shoe Fits (Prinxiety Cinderella AU - Roman x Virgil)

Chapter 4

Virgil glared into the mirror, not only at the bags under his eyes but also the small, dark purple bruise along the underside of his cheekbone.

A sigh escaped his lips. He didn't have any makeup to cover it and he only wished he had long enough hair to hide it.

Thomas would notice and question it for sure.

---

Virgil kept Thomas on his right side as best he could before he left for first period but the teen caught on.

"Hey, look at me for a sec," he instructed.

Joan and Talyn stopped their conversation.

He leaned on his left hand despite the pain shooting through his cheek. He forced a smile and looked at Thomas out of the corner of his eye. "I am," he laughed.

"Virge."

His breathing hitched. He admitted his defeat with a sigh, turning his body to completely face his friend.

Joan and Talyn, who'd been sitting across from them, swore quietly.

Thomas glanced at the bruise for a second before looking deep into Virgil's eyes. His voice was firm as he asked, "Who did this to you?"

Virgil hated being like this around his friends--being submissive and scared. "I don't... I-I can't..." He stood up quickly, grabbing his bag and mumbling goodbye. Don't you fucking dare, he warned himself when his breathing began to quicken.

He sat down in his desk and pulled out his phone, scrolling through Tumblr for something entertaining to calm him down.

---

Roman looked down at the paper in his hand, mentally cursing the school for messing up his schedule. Now, few of his classes were the same and he wasn't sure if he'd have any friends with him.

He supposed taking Ancient Greece and Rome in the morning wasn't the worst thing; he loved the creativity of the civilizations.

He peeked into the door to see the room almost completely empty. Not even the teacher was there, which was the whole reason he'd come early. However, the only other student in the room caught his eye.

He was the one from the hallway. He sat in the back of the room, dressed in all black.

"Hey," Roman greeted.

His eyes glanced up from his phone for a split second. "Oh, God," he grumbled. The other teen tucked his leg up against his chest, resting his foot on the chair.

Roman took a deep breath. "About yesterday, I'm really sorry."

He scoffed.

"I know what was wrong," Roman offered. "I wanted to help; I just didn't know how." He raised his eyebrows hopefully. "I shouldn't have stared and for that, I am genuinely sorry."

Finally, he looked up, staring at Roman with dark brown eyes. He seemed conflicted on whether to say thank you or not. "Thanks," he muttered.

Roman's heart fluttered.

---

The PA system beeped on, but Virgil barely paid it mind, texting the group chat with a few of his friends.

Two way-too-cheerful students began reading off sports announcements before something drew Virgil's attention back to them.

"Instead of our traditional Halloween Dance, this year, we're doing a masquerade ball!" the girl said happily.

"The attire is formal and masks are mandatory. Tickets can be purchased next week during lunch and will not be available at the door," the guy continued.

They continued on with their script.

I began texting the group chat again.

Virgil: Is this for real?
Patton: Oh come on! It sounds fun!
Virgil: You would say that
Thomas: It might be fun for all of us to go
Virgil: All of us? Like with dates?

Virgil contemplated dating as the announcements finally came to an end. His teacher began talking but his phone didn't vibrate again, as the rest of his friends were likely getting started with class.

Dating? Am I really considering...? He couldn't even finish the thought. Patton would be going with Logan; Joan, if they went, would go with Talyn as friends because the two were never without each other.

Then there was Virgil. He'd never had an interest in women and he suspected what that meant but didn't dare probe the idea. If he couldn't admit it to himself, how could he possibly explain it to his friends?

---

"Oh, come on, Virge," Thomas begged. "The ball will be fun!"

"Yes, the idea of being surrounded by complete strangers in masks in a hot, sweaty gym sounds fun..." Virgil commented, poking at his chicken nuggets with his finger. Anxiety panged in his chest, a constant reminder of his fears.

"Virgil..." He seemed to know why his friend wasn't considering it. "I will stay with you the entire time, if that'll make you feel any better."

It did. "I'll think about it, okay?"

---

Roman loved dances; he loved music and parties and dancing. The idea of a masquerade ball excited him, but, as his friends talked about coordinating outfits with their partners, his heart dropped.

He didn't have a date.

Now, that didn't mean he didn't have girls asking him out--plenty had and it was only his second day at school. He hated having to come up with an excuse every time. He wished he could just tell them he was gay; it would have been so much easier, but he knew it would also cause more problems.

Roman pretended like he didn't hear the quiet comments that his friends made about same-sex couples. It made him sick and he knew what coming out would mean.

"Roman?"

Roman blinked, looking up from his dinner plate. He looked across the small table at his father and forced a smile. "Sorry. I spaced off."

He chuckled. "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

"So, I'm gay."

The man laughed completely this time. "Yeah, I know. You told me about two years ago."

Roman rolled his eyes but couldn't fight the smile. "I was just clarifying the topic. So, I'm gay, and there's this 'ball' at the school the Saturday before Halloween."

"Oh, that sounds fun! You love dances."

"I, um..." Roman dropped his head, poking at his green beans with his fork. "I got asked to the dance by three different girls today. I hate lying to them but..."

"But what? Are you not ready to be out to your school?"

"No, no, it's not that," he insisted. "It's... the people that I hang out with. They're not very... supportive."

His father reached for his hand. "Hey. You are who you are and if they don't like that, then they don't deserve you."

Roman looked into the hazel eyes that he shared with his father. "I just don't want to be without any friends, especially after we just moved back."

"Go. Go as a group with a few of your friends; make some excuse that you don't want to be tied down. I promise that you will have fun if just allow yourself." He smiled and tilted his head in question. "Okay?" he asked when Roman didn't respond.

"Yeah, okay."