Together, Never (Sanders Sides Highschool AU)

Chapter 4: Tattoos and Nightmares

*Virgil POV*

After we left the McDonalds Remus drives me home. I got it all recorded to send to Jan. Remus must have really outdone himself today because it usually takes a few trips for him to get banned. Remus pulls up to the apartment complex and I grab my stuff and leave.

"Thanks for the ride rat!" I say while walking out.

"No problem bat-hag!" Remus calls back.

I unlock the door and walk inside. I toss my backpack on the couch and go to the kitchen to grab a snack. I consider playing my guitar later when I remember I left it at school. Oh well. I walk into the kitchen and almost double back in shock. Standing there, looking out the window, is Jan.

"Hey Jan," I say calmly, despite the fact I'm freaking out on how he got in here

He turns around, his hair covering the right side of his face.

"Hello, Virgil." He says, "Guess where I was after school?"

"Remus said detention," I say

"I didn't tell Remus." He replies

"So where were you?"I ask.

He lifts up his hair and on his cheekbone, I see a few scale tattoos. Like snake scales.

I gasp, "You finally got them."

Janus smirks with pride.

"Yep."

Jan has always wanted scale tattoos. He originally wanted half his face, but his mom said no. So he settled on a few on his upper cheek. Jan has loved snakes all his life, and for him, this is a near dream come true.

"So on to the bigger question." I say, "How did you get into my apartment?"

Jan gives me an are-you-stupid look.

"You gave me a key, remember? That one night there was a party Remus talked you into going to and you-"

"Yeah, yeah I remember," I say.

There was a party one night and I wanted to leave badly so I gave Jan a spare key to my apartment and had him 'break-in' so I had an excuse to leave. It got me in big trouble with my parents, who thought there was an actual break-in.

"So how was your first day loser?" Jan asks

"Fine," I say.

"Want to try that again and tell the truth?" Jan asks.

"Ok, ok. It wasn't that great. Roman is a popular kid and already hates me, so the rest of this year is going to be a living heck." I groan, "and I'm partnered with one of his lackeys for a stupid project."

"Oof," Jan says, "Well we still plan on convincing the principal to get you back, but I don't know how hard we'll have to push." 

I grin.

"I heard about your prank earlier. Nice one. Wish I could've seen the look on his face." I say.

None of us ever really liked our principal. But in our defense, he acts like he's the president or something, and is seriously incompetent. Two years ago he thought he under-budgeted because he had a bunch of leftover money from the school, so he gave it to the football team. That was the year our forensics team didn't go anywhere. 

"It was a proud moment." He says, "So when are you gonna return my bowler hat? I left it here last week and still haven't gotten it back."

I had forgotten about Jan's hat. I go to my room and grab it. I reenter the kitchen and toss it to him.