Marks // Prinxiety and Logicality \\ Soulmate AU

Chapter 1: Virgil

The first few chapter will be short, as they will just be catching you up on the character's present day situation. I will go ahead and tell you, they won't all just be the same thing from each character's point of view ( That'd be boring) but these first 4 chapters are like a prologue.

Enjoy.

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I started off the school year as someone who didn't talk to people often. I'm sure I'd seen some people pointing as I walked the halls alone. Perhaps the mask on my face was suspicious.

I regularly wore a doctor's mask to cover my lips out in public. My excuse was that I had a terrible immune system. No one wants to deal with someone who gets sick easily. Sure, there were down sides to wearing it constantly. One being the lack of friends, or even the rumors floating around. I could live with them, though. They were so much better than the gossiping you'd hear if I removed it.

My lips were stained black. At first, people assume I wear black lipstick. I look emo enough, it would make sense. Then again, that's also weird. I am a man as far as they know. High school is rough. One little slip up and you can be dubbed a 'whore' or a 'slut' for the rest of your time there. I would know, this is the second time I've switched schools.

Normally, you'd never expect a man to be called such names. Even in my circumstances. But it happened to me. I was the guy that would kiss his soulmate being even touching them. I'd seen people with slap mark stains on their faces, yet I was still the center of attention. This time, I was determined to change that. I would wear this mask all year and make friends only if given the opportunity.

A part of me will always envy those born with easily covered or non-embarrassing marks. I would love some close friends or something to look forward to after school. The other students took their after-school plans for granted.

     I go through all the motions for school, with as little human interaction as possible, and head home. I've moved out of my folks' place into a small apartment by myself. It took a few extra shifts at the grocery store, but I finally made it happen.

     Soon I'd be graduating. The majority of my peers had already found their soulmate, yet mine refused to show. I didn't dare try to fall in love and ignore the soulmates thing like some, but I was getting worried. What if my soulmate moved away? What if I met them when I was too little to remember on the playground? What if they had died?!

     Despite always repressing them, the dark thoughts reared their ugly little heads every now and again. Living alone provided lots of opportunities to stare at the ceiling and regret past mistakes. It was a decent enough hobby.

     At school the next day, I made sure to be even more distant. I didn't spare a glance in anyone's direction. Not until lunch time. There was a crowd clustered around a table in the center of the room. I heard a few mention something about a new student. I also picked up words like 'Cute'.

Is it bad that my first thoughts were Oh no! and Oh~ who?

I didn't look though. If I had, I'd risk gaining attention. Or so I thought. Instead, a couple people turned and I started hearing a few whispers about the one person who wasn't looking at the new student. That was enough warning for me. I picked up my bag and threw away my half-eaten lunch. I made my way nervously to edge of the crowd. I peaked over someone's shoulder enough to catch a glimpse of the center of attention.

     I rolled my eyes mentally and left. The new guy was clearly full of himself. He sat there with the most egotistical smile I had ever seen. He was wearing a red jacket with a white undershirt and jeans with red gloves. Who wears gloves in this weather?! I pulled my hoodie up over my head, adjusting my mask to make sure it covered my face.

The halls were still quiet since the majority of people were buzzing around the lunchroom. A perfect time to slip into the next class unnoticed.

School ended quickly enough. The new guy was still the topic of most conversations. Mostly from girls ( and some guys) who hadn't found their soulmates yet. It would die out soon, but for now I put up with it. I dragged my feet outside of school grounds and kept my eyes trained on my feet. I felt more at ease the farther from that horrible building I got. Less anxiety gripped at my heart.

It wasn't until someone tapped me on the shoulder that it returned at full force. I pulled off the hood and turned to face whoever it was. I wasn't inexperienced in fighting. I could get out of a nasty enough situation if it arose.

Now that I had turned around, however, I wished that were what was happening. I inwardly reassured myself of the mask covering my lips. It would do little to protect me, though, since I came face to face with one of my bullies and his friends from a previous school.

" Ah, Virginia!" I tried to hold in a wince. " It's really you! Hey what's up with that stupid mask. Hidin' your beautiful face." He mocked me. I couldn't react fast enough as he reached over and yanked off my mask.

" Look at that. Still not a normal color. Guess you haven't found your soulmate yet." The boy snickered. His friends that I had yet to meet were surprised. He suddenly remembered that they didn't know about my little secret and took it upon himself to explain.

" Oh yeah! This little whore has a mark on his mouth from where he'll kiss his soulmate before even shaking hands with 'em."

There it was, the reason I switched schools. I didn't reply. It would only encourage him more. A friend of his with neon green hair looked amazed. " Wow, I didn't know sluts like that existed. He must be really desperate."

I stared at the sidewalk. The weeds protruding through the cracks laughed at me. They boasted how easily they went unnoticed and untouched. How they had all sprouted together in a click of sorts.

The guys in front of me didn't like being ignored. " Hey!" The main one yanked my head up. " Reply to me when I'm talkin' to you! I wanna see some words come out of that little whore mouth!"

I was on thin ice. One more wrong move and I would start throwing punches. I'm sure he saw that in my eyes, so he opened his mouth for more taunts and I braved myself for an inner struggle.

" What's going on here!?" An unfamiliar voice sounded from behind them. The crowd of bullies parted just enough for me to see who had intervened.

Of course it was the new kid.