Dear Virgil Sanders [✔️]

Chapter 17: Ten Books

Life goes on.

Hearts break and mend and break once more. Time does it's work.

Slowly, the sky begins to open.

Virgil finds himself in a vast green field.

As far as the eye can see: rows and columns of wooden stakes planted in the grass. Tied to each stake is a small spindly tree.

An orchard.

Patton, sitting on a wrought iron bench, waits, nervous.

After a moment, Virgil breaks the scene.

"Hey."

Patton smiled. "Hi."

It's awkward.

They're awkward.

Awkward silence.

"How are you?" Virgil asks, trying to break the ice after almost a year of not speaking.

"Good. Pretty good." Patton tucks his hands under his legs. Virgil's still standing.

"You graduate soon, right?"

"In two weeks."

"Wow." Virgil remembers the feeling. "How's being a senior?"

"Busy."

Patton doesn't say much.

"I remember that."

Virgil's trying to relate.

"How's being a freshman?" Patton asks.

"Oh well, I actually decided to take a year off..."

"Oh.."

"Yeah. Trying to save some money, get a job. I've been taking classes at the community colleges so I'll have some credits to transfer in the fall."

"That's smart."

"Yeah. We'll see."

A pause.

"I'm the meantime, though, I can get you a friends and family discount at Pottery Barn. If you're looking for... overpriced home decor." Virgil takes out a coupon.

Patton laughs. "You know, not at the moment."

"Well if you change your mind.. I'm only working there for a few more months, though, so the window of opportunity is closing fast."

They smile.

It's nice.

The real them just talking for the first time ever.

"I always imagine you and Janus here. Even though, obviously..."

"This is my first time." Virgil says, taking a look around. He sits on the bench. "I mean, I've probably driven by it a thousand times. I just, every time I think about getting out of the car, I feel like... I don't know. I just... feel like I don't deserve to, I guess." He pauses for a moment. "It's nice. Peaceful."

"My parents, there here all the time. We do picnics, like, every weekend. It's helped them a lot. Having this."

A moment of silence.

"They never told anyone." Virgil noticed that he wasn't getting backlash. The website had gotten deleted after the incident. Some copyright issues from the music Logan would put over his videos speaking to the blog. "About Janus's.. about the note. About... who really wrote it." He paused. He was doing that a lot. Patton nods. "They didn't have to do that. They could've told everyone. What I did."

"Everybody needed it for something."

"That doesn't make it okay."

Patton kicked some dirt with his shoe. "It saved my parents."

"It's weird."

Virgil said after a bit of time.

"I... over the fall, I found this yearbook my class made in eighth grade. Most people did like, collages of their friends. Janus's was a list of his ten favorite books. I've been trying to read them all. I know it's not the same thing as knowing him-it's not at all, but, I don't know it's..."

"Something." Patton finished for him. "It's been hard... it's been a hard year."

"I know." Virgil looked at him. Patton met his eyes for the first time since the beginning of their conversation. The second time since the truth came out. "I've been wanting to call you for a long time. I didn't really know what I would say, but then I just... I decided to call anyway."

"I'm happy you did."

"I wish we could've met now. Today, for the first time."

"Me too."

They look at one another for a long time.

"I should probably go.." Patton says after a bit. "Exams are this week."

"Patton, wait." They we're standing now. Patton's bag was sling over his shoulder. Virgil looked down at him. "Can I ask you...? Why did you ask me here today?"

A long pause.

Patton looks around.

"I wanted to be sure you saw this."

Patton goes.

Virgil stands there, taking in the sight around him.

He sits down.

He grabs his journal.

And he begins to write.