You're Not Allowed To Fall in Love With Me (COMPLETED)

Chapter 12

Roman didn't see Virgil all day after that but he certainly thought about him a lot. There was just something about the abrupt way Virgil had left which puzzled Roman. It was right, wasn't normal. Not even drama could dispel the thought of the other boy completely from his mind.

What puzzled Roman about Virgil was that he seemed to wear a mask around people that he didn't trust. This mask, as far as Roman could tell, was opaque but cracked. You couldn't see much of Virgil's true personality unless you looked through the cracks. And if anyone who Virgil didn't trust got close to looking through those cracks, Virgil would leave to fix his mask. The image Roman conjured up in his head when thinking about this was of a white porcelain mask, covered in thin, spidery black cracks running up and down the mask. If he could just find a way to get through the mask to the real Virgil behind it, this bet would be practically done and the £20 would be his. That was the only reason he was bothering to talk to Virgil. The bet. There were no alternate motives. Right?

Roman shook his head, trying to focus on the lesson and not the argument he was having with himself. Of course the only reason he was talking to Virgil was because he wanted to win the bet. It was a stupid bet, anyway. Of course he would win it. Sure, Virgil was a little difficult to get through to but Roman had roughly one and a-half months left. He'd be fine. He'd win, no problem.

"Hi Virgil?" Roman asked, catching up with the shorter boy. Virgil sighed and turned around.

"Why are you still talking to me?" He snapped, making Roman falter slightly.

"I wanted to talk to you. I thought friends talked to each other."

Virgil laughed slightly, the sound cold and slightly cruel. "Listen to me, Princey, you are not my friend. We are not friends. It doesn't work that way."

Virgil turned and started to walk away. Roman growled.

"What are you so afraid of?" He asked loudly. Virgil whipped round and glared at Roman. But there was this glint in his eye that Roman couldn't place.

"I'm not afraid." He hissed and there it was again. A glint of something in his voice other than anger.

"Then why won't you talk to me like a normal human being?" Roman asked, taking a step or two forwards, towards Virgil. Virgil hissed at him.

"Because I don't have to." He said and that glint was there again. Written all over his face for a split second before it was gone. What was it? Fear? Sadness? Pity?

"Fine. Answer my question and I'll leave you alone. Okay?" Virgil growled but nodded. "What are you so afraid of?" Roman repeated.

Virgil sighed and looked down. The glint was there again and this time Roman could place it. It was vulnerability. "I'm afraid of being hurt again." Virgil said in a small voice, so quiet Roman barely heard it.

"You don't have to be scared." Roman said cautiously. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Virgil laughed, the sound devoid of any humour, and looked up at Roman. His grey eyes stared into Roman's green ones and Roman fancied for a second that Virgil was looking into his soul.

"How do I know that?" Virgil asked and Roman couldn't find and answer. A cold smile quirked the corners of Virgil's mouth up before he turned away and started walking. "I can't trust you if you don't even trust yourself, Princey."