Chapter Text
Virgil grits his teeth as he turns slowly upon hearing his name. The boy, whatever his name is, stands there arms crossed and grinning. Not a good sign. Maybe he's just really nice, the optimistic part of him thinks.
"Hey, freak!" okay, maybe he's not just really nice. The boy saunter over and grabs Virgil's hood roughly, causing him to stumble back into the lockers behind him. He gulps, panicking slightly.
THIS IS NOT HOW TODAY IS SUPPOSED TO GO, the pessimistic part of him screams. WE'RE JUST SUPPOSED TO BE IGNORED TODAY.
It's Virgil's first day at his new high school. Unfortunately he's not quite perfected the invisibility potion yet, so he relied on the shadows to shield him from certain individuals like this boy.
Well, the shadows failed him. The bully leers in his face, hot breath making Virgil recoil and squirm his face.
"What's with the makeup, freak?" the boy smirks. Everyone is walking really fast away from this corner of the walkway, so it's unlikely he'll be saved by some handsome prince. Shame. "What are you, gay?"
Virgil chooses not to answer for some strange reason. Hes focusing on the floor, wondering when he'll be able to make his getaway. Lunch only just started so he's got a while to go before the bully is likely to let him go of his own accord, but Virgil is nimble and fast. Maybe...
Or maybe you'll die doing that, the pessimistic side argues, rather convincingly. Virgil is inclined to agree.
But if he has the chance... The bully chooses that moment to lean back, sneering at him as he crosses his arms again. Does he think that makes him look cool? It doesn't.
"I bet you have a crush on me, don't you? That's why you were staring at me in English."
He fights the urge to roll his eyes. "I wasn't staring at y-"
"Be quiet, freak!" the bully finally steps away fully, shooting Virgil a look of disgust. "You're just -"
Unfortunately Virgil doesn't get the chance to learn what he is, because he uses the momentary distraction as a chance to bolt past the boy, running as though his life depended on it. Which, as we've established, he knows it does.
He flies past teachers complaining about "No running in the halls, young man!" and bolts outside. It's easier to run there with less people, but it also means he'll be easier to spot. Sure enough, an enraged cry from behind him echoes into the air and he swerves around a hard turn, nearly running into the person on the other side.
He manages a gasping "Sorry!" and continues running, before being yanked back by a strong hand. For a second he thinks it's the bully, and he's about to die, but looking around he sees the person he nearly just ran over, smiling at him eating a tomato out of a tupperware box.
"Do you want one? I've been trying to get rid of them all day."
He stares for a second at this boy, who stands there innocently as though he cannot see the unadulterated panic on Virgil's face.
"Sure." he says, breathless, and the boy now dubbed as Tomato Boy lights up, shoving the box towards him happily. Virgil takes the tomato gingerly, before turning again
But just as he does so...
"Hey!" oh look, the bully. Virgil eyes go wide and in his panic, he flings the tomato at the boy and sprints off again . The bully is left there spluttering as Tomato Boy laughs in the distance.
___________
The next day is very fun. Virgil actually manages to avoid the boy until about midway through lunch. He is only spotted yanking his backpack out of his locker by one of the boy's friends, who points and laughs. The boy then becomes enraged for a second time, and before charging through the sea of students to reach him. Virgil quickly decides its time to leave again.
This time he heads for the library - because he's figured out where that is now and if he'd known before none of this would've ever happened - where he knows the boy would never show his face.
As he draws closer to the blue double doors of the library, a familiar face comes into focus. Tomato Boy is back in action, shoving his box of tomatoes into the faces of whoever will spare him a glance. Which is most people. He looks a little crazy, it's hard to not stare.
He grins as he sees Virgil in the distance, and grins harder when he sees who's chasing him. Virgil nearly flies into him again as he blocks the doors to the library, barely managing to avoid knocking his box onto the floor.
"What are you doing, man?" he whisper-shouts. "Let me through!"
"Wait, I wanna do something first." and lo and behold, Tomato Boy reaches into his box and starts pelting the bully with the tomatoes. Virgil watches with a growing fascination/disgust as the entire hallway turns to watch at the sight of their precious jock covered in fruit insides. Everyone is silent and the bully just stands there, probably stunned that this is even happening to him.
Tomato Boy soon runs out of tomatoes and grabs Virgil elbow, pulling him roughly through the doors of the library before anyone can move an eyelash.
They are paid little notice as the students look up and then down again at their textbooks. Virgil's quiet whispers of complaint at being dragged are ignored. Tomato Boy pulls him round all the tables to the back corner of the room, where another boy sits, dressed head to toe in black and yellow (looking like a gosh darn scooby doo villain), reading. He looks up as the two approach, resolving only to raise a questioning eyebrow at the pair of them.
"What have you done?" he murmurs, barely audible over the quiet murmur of the library.
"Good news or bad news?" Tomato Boy inquires, flopping down onto a seat next to him. He gestures for Virgil to take a seat too, but Virgil chooses to stand.
Scoobydoo Villain glares at him. "Good news."
"Well, I got rid of the tomatoes. And I made a friend!" he doesn't bother lowering his voice, and judging by the way the librarian is shaking his head, he's used to this sort of behaviour.
Scoobydoo Villain looks over at Virgil for a few seconds before replying, still staring at Virgil." "And the bad news?"
"... James might be a bit upset with me for a few... years."
"What did you do?"
"I threw tomatoes at him!"
Virgil is going to assume James is the bully.
"And who's he?"
This is directed at Virgil.
"My new friend!" Tomato Boy sounds mighty pleased with himself.
Scoobydoo Villain stares at him, waiting for more.
"I'm Virgil" Virgil mutters. "And thank you for distracting him, I'll just be going now-"
"Wait!" Scoobydoo Villain glares at him. I really need to learn their names. "Why was James after you?"
He shrugs. "Apparently I'm a freak. Also, my makeup." after a pause, he adds "Also I'm gay." because really can anyone hate him more after the first two? Yes. The answer is always yes.
The two stare at him for a few seconds. Tomato Boy grins. "Welcome to the club, then."
Virgil is confused. A long, drawn-out silence stretches between the three of them, before he replies.
"Ah, no thank you."
"Really! Join us!"
Virgil shakes his head, backing up slightly. "Man, I don't even know your names. I appreciate what you did, but I don't want any trouble."
"Well my name's Remus!" Remus seems to ignore everything else Virgil just said and focuses on the name part. "And this is-"
"No."
"This is Janus!" Remus holds his hand out for Virgil to shake and the optimistic part of him says Screw it.. He reaches forward, shaking his hand.
"Now sit!" and Virgil sits.
"So tell me." Janus sighs dramatically. "What did the tomatoes do to deserve being thrown at James' face?
And Virgil listens to Remus recount his lengthy tale of how he discovered that tomatoes were fruits, with a grin on his face the whole time. This is not what he expected for today. But it's not half bad, considering.