High School Problems (completed)

Chapter 5

It had been a few weeks at his new school and Virgil was starting to settle into day to day life. Remus and Janus had insisted on coming around to his house every day to walk him to school. Janus because "it's better than walking alone" and Remus because "anything I have to do to get away from my brother, I will do" but Virgil didn't really mind their over-protective behaviour around him. He really liked his new friends and he enjoyed their company. What he didn't like were the incidents that always took places when going to Remus's house.

"Do we have to go around to yours, Rem? You know Virgil doesn't like going there." Janus said as they all walked towards Remus's house. Virgil shook his head. "It's fine, Janus. I'll just wait in Remus's room with my headphones on as I usually do." Janus still didn't like the idea but he decided to let it be. Remus opened the door and overdramatically bowed as Janus and Virgil went into the house. Virgil chuckled at this. Remus's impressions of Roman never got old. "Ah, so you've found out how to make Hot Topic laugh?" Shit. Roman was sitting on the table, holding a can of coke. Remus rolled his eyes. "Come on, Roman. Off the table. Mum doesn't like it-"

"When I sit on the table, yeah, yeah. I know." Roman said, begrudgingly jumping off the table and making Virgil snicker again. "What're you laughing at, Hot Topic?" Roman asked sharply.

"The fact that you listen to your younger brother is quite funny, really." Virgil said, smiling slightly.

"And you would know about the power younger siblings hold, would you?" Virgil's small smile disappeared at this. He knew full-well about the power younger siblings held. His younger brother held the power of guilt and depression over Virgil ever since the crash. Virgil left the room and ran upstairs muttering something like "bathroom". Roman looked down, confused.

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked. As if as an answer, they heard a door slam from upstairs. Remus looked at Roman, his voice full of venom when he spoke. "Oh no. You did nothing wrong." Remus and Janus quickly ran upstairs to check on Virgil. The bathroom door was closed and locked. Janus knocked on the door quietly. "Virgil, can you open the door? It's me and Remus." There was no reply and the door didn't open. Janus tried again but to no avail. Eventually, Remus lost his very short temper. Remus banged on the door with the side of his fist and yelled "Virgil, open the God damn door! This is my house!" While there was no reply, the lock clicked and the door opened. "Virgil what was that abo-Virgil, are you okay?" Virgil looked like he had just been crying. His eyes were rimmed red and his eyeshadow and pale face make-up was streaked down his face. Quickly he wiped his face and tried to smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Virgil, we know you aren't. You look like you've been crying. Was it something one of us said?" Janus and Remus looked so genuinely worried that Virgil decided that he could tell them.

***

"Are you sure you want to hear what happened?" Virgil asked. Both of the boys nodded. Virgil sighed. "S-so I told you that I moved here because my mum got a new job. W-w-well she did get a new job but she choose to leave. A few weeks earlier, we'd gotten into a crash. Me, my mum, my dad," Virgil took a breath "and my brother. He didn't make it." Virgil looked down and tried not to blink, he didn't want his friends to see him cry. "I'm sorry, Virgil." Janus said while Remus just got up and hugged Virgil tightly. "It's okay. You didn't know. Just, do me a favour, don't tell Roman about this. He won't leave me alone if he finds out."

"He doesn't leave you alone as it is." Remus said, making them all laugh. This broke the tension in the room and for once in his life, Virgil felt as happy as he had felt when Remy was alive.