Dramatastic- Sanders Side Highschool AU

Chapter 22

Virgil and Roman had managed to move onto their third cans of Fanta when it was time for lunch. Evan had gone to fetch them from the kitchen.

"Hey, boys! Emile ordered us some pizza for lunch and it's just arrived!" Evan said brightly, before catching sight of all the tins. "Have you... been drinking?"

"Do you think my dad would keep alcohol in this house?" Answered Virgil, with a barely disguised sneer. He hopped off the counter, his action quickly followed by Roman. Evan and Roman made brief eye contact but Roman looked away. The last thing he needed was Virgil annoyed that he'd been friendly with the man, especially with the fact Virgil would be his co-star and designer. He walked after the smaller teen.

Emile was opening boxes on the table, the warm, delicious smell of pizza filling the lounge. He looked up as the three re-entered the room and beamed up at them, his gaze lingering on his ex-lover. "Pizza's here! Roman, could you get us all some water? Thank you!"

It wasn't just a request, it was an excuse. Emile wanted Roman to leave because he knew that Virgil had called him over to ignore Evan and Emile wanted the two to interact. But, with Roman there, it wouldn't happen. Roman shot Virgil an apologetic glance and Virgil blinked in forgiveness. The princely teen didn't know how he'd gone from being snarky and rude to the emo to hoping that he'd forgive him by fetching some water in less than a year. If Thomas had never given Virgil the stability to back away from his pile of jobs in drama, the two would've barely exchanged a word.

Roman left the kitchen door slightly ajar, hoping to listen in to whatever conversation was about to go down.

"So, Virgil, your dad's told me that you're going to star in the high schools' new play!" Evan was saying.

Virgil hummed with indifference.

"W-Would you mind telling me what play your doing?"

Again, Virgil just hummed.

"Sorry, Evan," Emile apologised, "The students are told that they aren't allowed to tell anyone what play they're doing. It's all kept on the down-low."

"Not like you'd even come to it," Hissed Virgil so quietly Roman could barely hear him, "Just like you couldn't come to anything else I ever did."

"Aw, Virgil, you know my work got in the way! I would've gladly cancelled anything for you-"

"Really? Because you had one, easily flexible meeting a week after my birthday you could have changed to be a day earlier or later for your divorce instead of getting out of my life the day I turned seven!" Virgil cut Evan off, voice containing contempt and disgust.

"Virgil, that was a long time ago-" Emile tried.

"It was eight years ago, dad. All that's happened to Evan is that he's been promoted time and time again because he decided to quit having a family after being at it for seven years. All that's happened to us is that I've learned to hate him and you managed to pine after him that whole time." Virgil was originally snappy, before quietly adding, "We were fine until he sent you that stupid email."

Roman could feel the tension building up, and quickly held two glasses of water against his chest and picked the other two up in his hands. Reentering the room, he pretended not to have heard the discussion, placing down the glasses in front of Evan and Emile before sitting next to Virgil. He instantly noticed his friends' hand tremoring as he took the glass of water.

'You okay?'  He mouthed. Virgil gave him a tiny nod in return.

Shrugging subtly, Roman helped himself to a slice of pizza, nervously trailing his eyes around the table, searching his brain for any way to break the frosty silence. 

However, it was Emile who attempted to start the next conversation. "So, Roman, at what part of town do you live?"

"Oh, um, Oakley Avenue, just on the other side of the school," Roman said, casually pretending he hadn't taken a bite of pizza when Emile started talking.

"Mhm, and would you like me to drop you off?"

"I-"

Virgil cleared his throat quickly, cutting Roman off. "I'm staying over at his house tonight. His brother is also one of our co-stars so we were all going to rehearse."

Emile frowned, suspicion hiding the hurt. "Virgil, you didn't tell me this. You know I don't like you doing things without telling me."

"I didn't tell you?" Virgil said coolly, keeping his eyes trained on the slice of pizza he was taking. "Funny, I must've forgotten."

"Would you like me to drive you boys over? My car is bound to be big enough to fit whatever you need to bring." Evan offered and Roman almost said yes. It was instilled in him to be nice to those who are nice to you.

In fact, he'd opened his mouth to respond when Virgil turned to wordlessly face him. The emo fixed his gaze sternly on the corner of Roman's', staring without expression but a threat was promised nonetheless. Roman closed his mouth and bowed his head. Virgil turned back to face Evan. "Oh, no, that surely won't be necessary. We really wanted to talk about our characters and ways they could interact in our duet songs and dances so we really can't have someone else there. Privacy, y'know?"

Evan's' smile had faltered quickly but he visibly fought against letting the sadness sweep onto his features. "Ah, I gotcha. You think I'll go running off to tell everyone what play you're doing." He forced a laugh, taking a bite of pizza. "Understandable, I always had a habit of telling people how talented my son was."

"I'm not your son anymore." Muttered Virgil.

Roman swallowed nervously as the silent tension built again. He was torn. On one hand, Virgil - a boy he'd known for ages and was getting along with remarkably well had asked him if he could be the one to help him evade a father who'd left his life for his job. Roman couldn't lie, Virgil was attractive and rather witty, someone he felt incredibly comfortable around. But, today, Virgil had flipped around on himself, suddenly different. He was rude, sarcastic and blunt, and his praise was something Roman felt he had to earn, while he had no idea why he felt this way or why he even needed the emo's' approval in the first place. Emile seemed too scared to contradict Virgil and Virgil seemed to make everyone feel uncomfortable because he decided he didn't like Evan coming back. He was a different person from who Roman knew.

And, as if a smooth transition to the opposing point of argument, on the other hand, there was Evan- a man Roman barely knew, someone who'd Virgil hated with a passion, who genuinely seemed like a good person. He'd been respective, curious and desperately attempted to be friendly. The only time he'd seemed prepared to lecture Virgil was when he mistook the cans of Fanta for alcohol.

The rest of lunch went by with hardly a word.