Dear Virgil Sanders [✔️]

Chapter 2: Waving

Virgil made his way into school, not making eye contact until he locked eyes with Logan Burns, the smartest guy in school, most likely going to be valedictorian, and Roman Kingman, his family friend... the only real friends he has.

"H-hey Roman, Logan." He called as he caught up to them. Logan greeted him with a respectful smile and Roman glanced at his arm.

"Yo Virge, what happened?" He nodded to the cast that was peeking out from under his jacket.

Virgil's cheeks went red. "I um... I fell out of a tree.." He stammered, trying not to let the embarrassment get to him.

Roman's once concerned face morphed into a smirk of disbelief. "You fell out of a tree?" Virgil nodded, looking away. "What are you? A fucking acorn?!" He laughed at the poor kid. "God, how much of a looser do you have to be to fall out of a tree!"

Logan nudged Roman. "Drop it." Roman rolled his eyes but stopped teasing Virgil, who had shot Logan a grateful smile.

"I'm gonna go, I've got bio. But hey, I'll catch you a lunch, I guess." Logan said, aimed more at Roman than Virgil. And he was gone, leaving Virgil with Roman.

Janus, the school stoner, passed them and Roman just had to provoke him. "Hey Janus! Nice hair cut! It's got a lot of nice school shooter vibes." He sneered as the guy passed. But then he turned back.

"What did you just say to me?" Janus said, now causing a scene in the hall that Virgil just wanted to avoid. "Why are you looking at me like that? Oh wait, you think I'm a freak too?" By now, Roman had left, leaving Virgil with his mess.

"N-no no no! No I like your hair cut! It's... it's um... really nice!" Virgil managed before Janus was on him.

"You think I'm a freak! Well! I'm not a freak, you are! You are the fucking freak!" He hissed in his ear as he shoved him to the ground and walked away. For Virgil time seemed to stop. No one had come to help him... obviously, why would anyone help.

'On the outside always looking in...' he thought, watching people watch him like some animal in a zoo as he fell to the ground in, to Virgil, slow motion. 'I'll never be more than I've always been cause I'm tap tap tapping on the glass... waving through a window I... try to speak but nobody can hear so I wait around for an answer to appear, while I watch watch watch people pass... waving through a window oh... can anybody see? Is anybody waving back at me?'

Time seemed to go normally as a familiar face with a foreign expression approached. Patton Picani, Janus's younger brother and the guy he had a crush on since forever ago. He came up to Virgil and offered him a hand. "I'm so sorry about my brother, he's a jerk sometimes."

"I-it's okay." Virgil muttered, accepting the hand and standing up.

Patton stood their awkwardly for a second. "I'm Patton.."

"I know! I mean! No... yes..? Sorry... I'm Virgil!" He stumbled through his words, his face burning a deeper red. "I um... you're in the jazz band, right?" Patton nodded. "That's like... awesome because I like jazz... well not all jazz but definitely jazz band jazz- oh that's so weird I'm sorry!"

Patton giggled. "You say sorry a lot."

"Sorr- I mean... yeah I've gotta go but... I'm see you sometime.." Virgil tried to smile.

"Yeah I've gotta run.."

Virgil sighed as he walked to the bathroom, the bell ringing leaving him totally alone in the hallway as he was late for his first day of senior year.

"We start with stars in our eyes, we start believing that we belong... and every sun doesn't rise... and no one tells you where you went wrong..." Virgil splashed water on his face. 'Step out, step out of the sun if you keep getting burned... because you've learned...'

He thought as he got up and walked the halls to the computer lab. He always felt like he was on the outside looking in, like he'd never be more than he's always been and while he's tapping on the glass and waving through a window. Like nobody could see and no one would wave back at him. He thought for a moment before rewriting his letter.

'Dear Virgil Sanders,

Today is going to be a good day. And here's why... okay well... maybe today isn't going to be so good. Maybe today just isn't my day, or my week or even my year. Because this year all my hope relied on Patton and even he didn't care! I wish today would be better but it won't and I know that. But tomorrow, just maybe something better will be waiting for me on the other side.

Sincerely, Me.'

"Print. Okay. Yeah yeah... it's fine. I'll just print this out and be on my w-"

"Who're you talking to?" Virgil stopped speaking as he saw Janus walk into the computer lab. He was busy printing his letter to himself for therapy. No one knew about the letters... until now.

Virgil froze. "Here, let me sign your cast."

Janus gently grabbed his arm and a sharpie and wrote 'JANUS' to cover his entire arm.

"I- um.." Virgil didn't know what to say.

Janus smiled. "There, so it looks like both of us have friends." He glanced at the printer and Virgil blood ran cold. "Here let me get that for you. Sorry about earlier by the way... I just lost my cool..." he picked up the paper and glanced it over. Then he read it.

"D-don't- Janus no it- it isn't what it l-looks like!" Virgil tried to grab it from him.

Janus's face contorted to anger. "Why is Patton in this? Are you in love with my brother! No fucking way are you gonna get with h- No! You printed this out to show me... to make me mad and to show everyone that I really am a freak Well- Well I'm not the freak! You are! You're the fucking freak!" He screamed and stormed off, the letter now shoved in his pocket.

Virgil couldn't bare to print another letter. Not after what Janus said. He just unhooked his flash drive and ran outside to go home, walking the other direction than most of the other kids so no one would see him on the verge of crying.