Lavender Thorns

Chapter 17- Virgil

I woke squeezed my eyes shut as my alarm blared in my ear, eventually groaning and turning it off. I yawned loudly and rolled off the bed, literally, and ungracefully.

I hit the floor with a thump and groaned, knowing anybody up would have heard. 

Sure enough, I was right. Roman came bursting into my room to find me picking myself up off the floor, rubbing my forehead. I heard him laugh and glanced over to see him leaning against my door-frame.

"You are extremely graceful, would have never guessed."

I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue at him, getting up off the floor as he walked back to the living room. 

I grabbed my clothes for the day, a pair of ripped black jeans and a dark purple pullover hoodie with black drawstrings. I got dressed with my door closed, grabbing my eyeshadow and foundation.

My hands stopped as they reached my face, freckles fully exposed. I couldn't bring myself to put the makeup on though, which confused me. I put makeup on every day. 

I knew why though. It was clearly obvious.

Roman had called them beautiful. He didn't judge me for them.

Sure, Remy and Cassidy had told me before they weren't bad.. But never like that. For some reason I cared what Roman said about how I looked, which I had never done before. I couldn't give a flying fuck about what people thought of me most of the time, but with him?

I sighed and put on the foundation, not finishing the thought. Soon after the foundation, followed the eyeshadow, bringing back my dark edginess..

I hummed as I grabbed my bag and walked into the kitchen, beginning to make my coffee that fueled me for the day. I didn't see Roman sitting at the island, or the disappointment flash across his face upon seeing the eyeshadow beneath my eyes.

He tilted his head to the side a bit. "You know, you look better without makeup," he said softly, slightly smirking.

My face turned so red that a blush made its way through the foundation I had on, and I gulped, putting a lid on my coffee cup. "I could debate otherwise."

He smirked lightly, which made my stomach flutter. I needed to figure out what the heck I was feeling. Maybe I'd ask Patton or Logan later- Nevermind. Patton's probably a better choice.

"I'd like to hear that debate."

I rolled my eyes and spun on my heel. "Shut up or I'll leave you behind and you can walk alone." 

He scrambled up from his stool to catch up with me, stopping his teasing immediately. I turn around and paused, chuckling as he got to my side.

"Alright, alright," he still smiled at me, and I felt those weird butterflies again.

I looked down at my feet as we began walking, and we didn't talk too much for awhile, just walking  in a comfortable silence, before he cleared his throat and looked at his feet too.

"Uh.. When do you wanna do a dance lesson next?" He seemed slightly uncomfortable, but I was (surprisingly) glad he asked.

I quickly thought up a day that wouldn't get in the way, was close, but wouldn't make me seem too clingy. "I'm okay doing it Friday if you are," I smiled softly and looked up at him.

He smiled back and we continued on our way, seemingly savoring the moment, even though it was the same as always. It was the same walk, same person, but it felt different. It felt better.

We made it to the Performing Arts Center, and opened the large auditorium doors to find only a few people on stage conversing. Valerie was already there, and I tried to go the back of the stage so Roman could talk to them, and I could be alone; but before I could, he grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me with him towards the other three.