The Only One

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: TW toxic relationship, panic attack

When he got home he ran straight to his room and locked himself inside. He stood by the door for a few seconds swaying slightly before breaking down. He felt extreme physical pain: it pressed up through his stomach and heaved its way up through his throat, putting pressure behind his eyes and forced a sound from his mouth he had no control over.

He was crying.

He was sobbing desperate tears, his fingers shook, his whole body ached. It hurt in his head, and in his body, and in his heart. He cried like he did in his head when he was alone and stuck screaming in his mind, but this was so much worse. Horribly worse. Impossibly worse. He couldn't breathe; he felt like he was suffocating on his own feelings.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket. That was weird, pretty much the only people that had his number were Janus and his parents, and Janus never really texted except for homework. He tried to wipe his tears away, but they kept coming and he had a giant bruise on his cheek from Marina, so he gave up. Looking at the screen through bleary eyes, he saw 7 messages from an unknown number. How hadn't he noticed these before? He opened them:

Unknown: Hi Virgil, this is Roman from school. I asked the dude with the hat you hang out with for your number. Are you ok?

U: Please don't ignore me, I've had my share of experience with her. Are you ok?

U: Hello? Are you alright?

U: Should I be concerned?

U: Virgil! Please, answer, just yes or no if you don't want to talk, are you ok?

U: Seriously, you can tell me if you're not, if you need help or anything. I'm not here to judge. I told you, I've had my time with her, I know what she's like.

U: Can I call you? If you're not answering I need to know that you're fine.

Why did he care so much? Virgil couldn't understand what was up with this dude. Sure, he's had "experience" with Marina. It doesn't take a genius to figure out she's homophobic, so what? Lots of people are homophobic. At the moment, they were dating, and sure, Virgil wasn't thrilled about it, but anything she'd done was justified by their relationship.

V: i'm fine don't call me

R: Oh my god thank you for answering. I was seriously starting to freak out.

V: jeez why do you care so much we barely know each other

R: Listen, I'm telling you, she and I went to the same school once before. I actually changed schools because of her but apparently she changed too. I was glad at first that she stopped targeting me but now it's affecting you, so it's my responsibility.

V: lots of people are homophobic shes nothing new

V: i'm fine seriously, she just called me a fag a couple times, that's not special

R: We both know that's not all. She took you to her house. She did the same to me once.

R: So again, I'm asking, and please answer honestly, are you okay??

V: i have no clue why i'm telling you anything

V: no, im not ok

R: Meet me at the park two blocks away in 5.

V: how the hell do you know where i live you creep

R: Virgil, have you seriously never noticed that I live six houses down from you? Time is ticking, you have 3.5 minutes left to get here.

V: jesus ok whatever

V: idk why im agreeing

R: Awesome. See you in... 2 minutes.