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Virgil shared a few classes with Roman Sanders.
He was in his first two periods, and the only student (other than Patton) that Virgil actually took note of being in his class. Though, that was because it’s almost impossible to not notice him.
Roman was a really quiet kid, one that teachers hardly ever called on and was always excused from doing presentations (lucky bastard). Virgil had only heard him talk a handful of times, and he wasn’t exactly popular either. The thing that really made Roman stand out, however, was the giant golden retriever with a service dog vest that followed him everywhere.
He’d seen dozens of kids go up to him asking to pet his dog, met with a lot of refusal and Roman leaving the class if it got bad enough. Usually he would only sit at his desk, quietly doing his work while his dog curled around his feet and didn’t make a scene. If Virgil wasn’t a loner himself, he’d go up to Roman and maybe strike a conversation. But the guy always seemed to be calm when he was alone, and Virgil sucked at starting conversations, so they never actually talked.
It was only a month into school when Virgil had his first conversation with him. And it was absolutely not his intention.
Virgil was checking his phone at his designated lunch spot when Patton slammed his lunchbox on the table. “ Virgil!”
“...Yeah?”
“There’s a cute little puppy over there!” Patton pointed to the other side of the lunchroom, but Virgil couldn’t see what he was talking about from this distance. How far do those damn glasses make you see? “I wanna pet the good boy so bad!”
Virgil kept looking where Patton was pointing. “Is it the drug dog again?”
“No, it’s a different one!” Patton seemed to be vibrating with excitement where he was standing, jumping up and down with the biggest grin on his face. He seemed to be fighting a fruitless internal battle before he loudly announced “I’m gonna go pet the puppy so much!”
The moment Virgil realized what was happening was almost in slow motion.
First, he saw a secluded table away from all the others, right behind the table Virgil thought Patton was pointing to. There, he saw Roman Sanders eating his lunch, his service dog under the table just like how it was during class. Patton ran across the lunchroom to go to the secluded table, dodging any kids that got in his way. Virgil realized in horror that Roman wouldn’t be able to stop Patton before he dived under the table just to pet a dog. And doing so could fucking kill Roman.
Virgil sprung up from his seat and shoved everyone out of his way to get to Patton in time, no matter how many bitchy remarks the other students made. Roman didn’t have time to look up and notice Patton approaching before Virgil pounced on his friend, nearly toppling them both to the ground with the force of him smacking himself into Patton. The security guards looked at them both as if preparing to break up a fight, but looked away when it only seemed to be two guys being kids.
Roman may not have noticed the bubbly kid charging at him before, but he certainly did now, looking up to see Virgil and Patton basically wrestling each other.
“Patton, don’t pet the dog!” Virgil yelled.
“Awwwww, but why not!?”
“It’s a service dog, you can’t distract a service dog or you could literally kill someone!”
Patton relaxed in Virgil’s grasp, “...Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.”
“Uh…” Virgil and Patton both looked at the poor kid that almost got attacked, “Do you...need something? Or…?”
Patton’s eyes lit up. “Your dog is so cute! What’s his name?”
Roman smiled shakily to hide his flinch. “Her name is Princess.”
“Princess? I love it! What breed is she?”
“Golden retriever…?”
“She’s such a good girl! I love her, she’s adorable!”
“Uh, thank you.”
Virgil let go of Patton, but still kept a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t scare the poor dude, Pat.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, I just really like dogs, and Princess is so cute and fluffy! I have two dogs of my own, but they’re a lot smaller, and I’d have a bunch of cats too if I wasn’t allergic.”
Roman’s voice gained a little more confidence. “Princess is the only dog in my house. My brother has a bearded dragon, though.”
“A bearded dragon sounds awesome! I don’t know much about reptiles though, and I’m always scared to hurt them because they’re so tiny. They’re super cute though!”
Virgil rolled his eyes. “Don’t mind him, he really likes animals. I’m Virgil, and this is Patton.”
“Oh yeah! I forgot to mention that! I’m Patton, do you how do?”
Roman laughed, but didn’t mention the reference. “Roman.”
“You’re in my first two classes, aren’t you?” Virgil asked, “With Mrs. Jones and Mr. White?”
He nodded. “...Didn’t you like...yell at Mrs. Jones a couple days ago over assignments?”
“She’s a bitch and deserves to know it. Who the fuck assigns three giant-ass chemistry packets due in three days?”
Patton waved his finger at Virgil disapprovingly. “Now Virge, just because the homework they give is ridiculous doesn’t mean you get to cuss out a teacher.”
“I didn’t say I cussed her out.”
“I know you, Virgil.”
“...The detention was worth it and I’m not sorry.”
Roman laughed again, and Patton smiled so wide that Virgil thought he would start jumping through the roof. “Hey Roman, can me and Virgil sit with you? I’d love to keep talking!”
Virgil noticed Roman’s leg begin to bounce violently. “Uh, sure…”
“Great! I’ll get our lunches!”
“Do you have any, like...allergies, Roman?” Virgil asked. Anything I might have in my lunch that could accidentally kill you? I don’t wanna kill you. Patton already almost did that. Let’s not give a second close call.
Roman shook his head, so Patton walked back to their previous spot to get their lunches. Virgil took a seat directly across from Roman, and once he did, Princess rose up from her place at his feet and lied across his lap. Roman started petting her with both hands, and Virgil felt a sense of panic rise in him. Please don’t fucking die. “You okay dude?”
Roman nodded, but Virgil pushed just in case. “Do I need to get like...a teacher? Or the nurse?”
Roman shook his head, then took a couple deep breaths in and continued to pet Princess’ fur. Virgil kept watching him carefully just in case, but it felt awkward sitting at the table with no conversation or food to focus on. Instead, Virgil mindlessly searched through Tumblr for the thirty seconds Patton was gone, placing his own lunchbox and Virgil’s tray on the table with a smile.
Virgil put down his phone and instead started eating some of his food, but Roman didn’t talk for a while. Princess still had her head on his lap with his hands combing through her fur, and the more she laid on him, the more Virgil began to worry. Why is she on him?
Well...only one way to find out. “So, Roman…”
Roman lifted his head up to look at Virgil. “Yes?”
“What kind of service dog is Princess? What does she help with?”
Roman turned his attention back to Princess, but he still smiled a little, so Virgil considered it a slight win. “She’s a psychiatric service dog. She does a very good job of helping with my anxiety.”
“Oh, mood.”
Roman raised an eyebrow. “You...have a service dog?”
Virgil’s face somehow became more pale than it already was. “Uh, no...I mean, like, I have anxiety too. Obviously not as bad as to have a service dog, but like...solidarity.”
Virgil took Roman’s second smile as an even bigger win. “Solidarity, I suppose.”
“How long have you had Princess?” Patton asked.
“About two years, I think. She was in training for a year, but she’s been my full-time service dog for this past year. I had another dog before her, but he’s retired now.”
Patton let out a loud horrified and upset gasp, “The poor baby! I’m so sorry!”
Roman’s eyes widened. “Not like that, no! Simba’s still alive, he just isn’t a service dog anymore! He keeps my grandparents company at their house.”
“Oh, good! He sounds like such a sweet puppy!”
“He is. I visit him sometimes, and he’s gotten very lazy, but he still jumps around and gets excited when he sees me.”
Patton covered his mouth with his hands excitedly. “Do you have a picture of the good boy, by any chance?”
Roman nodded and took out his phone. After a bit of searching, he tapped on a photo to show it to Patton and Virgil, causing Patton to gasp and squeal again. “Oh my goodness I love him! He’s such a good little puppy!”
“I would hardly call him a puppy anymore.”
“He’s an amazing puppy.”
“Just let it happen, dude. Pat insists every dog is a puppy.”
“They’re all babies!”
Roman smiled at the two bickering over his old dog, wondering if he should butt in with a witty quip of his own when Princess scooted off of his lap and back onto the floor. He definitely felt better now. Not completely calm, but nothing panic attack worthy. Right at the second he decided not to push his luck (saying what was actually on his mind was always harder around strangers, and he had just calmed down), the bell to signify the end of lunch buzzed through the entire school. Virgil stepped up to throw his tray away and Patton packed up his containers in his lunch box as Roman did the same.
“It was nice meeting you, Roman!” Patton exclaimed, holding out his hand for Roman to shake, which he did extremely stiffly and pulled away after only a second. Patton smiled anyway and didn’t seem to mind.
When Roman stood up to head out, Virgil came back and stood alongside Patton. “What class do you have after this?” He asked.
“Oh, uh...I actually go home after lunch. I do the rest of my classes online.”
“Damn, I wanted to bother you while you walked to class so I could skip gym.”
“Virgil, go to class!”
“It’s fucking gym, he doesn’t give a shit. I’m passing and that’s all that matters.”
Patton sighed but didn’t push it. It seemed he’d gotten used to it after this long. “Well, hopefully we run into you tomorrow, Roman.”
“Uh, actually…” The two looked at Roman and waited for him to speak. Princess pawed on his leg to warn him he was getting too worked up, but Roman ignored it this time. Definitely not his smartest idea. You can do it. Just say it. “...If you two wanna sit next to me, maybe, I wouldn’t really, uh...mind…”
Patton smiled, soft and reassuring. “We’d love that. See you at lunch, then?”
Oh hell yeah! “Yeah...see you tomorrow.”
Virgil walked ahead and waved a hand at Roman from behind. “See ya.”
“See ya, Roman!”
With that, Roman was left alone again, but this time he didn’t necessarily mind. His heart was beating out of his chest, and he couldn’t tell if it was from adrenaline or a sign of an attack, but he still considered it a win. No more sitting alone at lunch.
Roman and Princess walked through the crowd to exit the building through the main office. When he got into his car with Princess in the passenger seat, he took a minute to calm down before he started driving down the road. Princess stepped over to the driver’s side to comfort him one more time today, practically sitting on his lap and letting Roman comb his hands through her hair. The ball in his chest slowly grew smaller as his breaths became easier to take, though his arms still felt weak as they shook.
But yet, this kind of anxiety was worth it. Just this once.
When Roman did start driving, pushing Princess back to her side and taking off, he had a smile on his face the whole time.
***
“Yo, bitch!”
Roman groaned at the sound of his brother coming through the front door. “ What!?”
There was no verbal response, but Roman heard the footsteps coming up the stairs before his bedroom door swung open. Remus posed dramatically in the doorway. “What’s up?”
“Just finishing up some online stuff, why?”
“Who was Mr. Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way and his friend Fluttershy?”
“...You mean the kids with me at lunch?”
“That’s the bitch.”
“Well, their names are Virgil and Patton, not whatever the hell you just said.”
“In my defense, of course the Raven Way guy is fucking Virgil.”
“What are you even talking about!?”
“Don’t worry about it!” Remus walked over to Roman’s place at his desk and threw his arms around him. Roman scoffed, but didn’t protest. “But why were they sitting with you? Do I have to commit murder? I know a guy.”
Roman tried his damn hardest not to smile. “Patton wanted to know about Princess, so we just...talked. It was actually quite nice. I even invited them to sit with me again tomorrow.”
“Roman Sanders? Making friends? Surely, you jest!”
“Says the guy who only has had one friend his entire life.”
“Janus is my ride or die and if you dare to insult him again, I’ll rip out your teeth and shove them up your nose.”
“You do that. Now get out, I’m working and you smell awful.”
Remus backed away with a gleeful smile on his face. “I rolled around in a giant puddle of mud!”
“Take a damn bath!”
Remus was out the door with a large slam before Roman could continue to argue. “I can’t hear you! But remember, if you need to bury a body, tell them you know a guy!”
Roman rolled his eyes and basked in the sudden silence. Princess looked up at him from his bed, and he couldn’t resist taking a small break to pet her. “He’s so weird, Princess.”
Although Princess couldn’t agree with her mouth, she absolutely did with her eyes.
***
A week had passed since Patton and Virgil started sitting with Roman at lunch. It had become his favorite part of the school day for more than just the ability to go home. He had friends. He was talking to people who he not only enjoyed talking to, but people who seemed to enjoy talking with him. Some people would consider only two friends too little, but Roman considered it the biggest of wins.
(His mom also seemed shocked but proud of him for socializing with people, so it was an even more amazing win than before now.)
Roman was perfectly content with his two friends. So long as he kept them, he would be more than fine. Sometimes his anxiety would act up and tell him that they’re only gonna leave him again, but he tried not to think about it. For right now, they were his friends. It was all that mattered.
What he didn’t expect was for him to get a third friend.
It was his fourth period class, right before his lunch where he was able to eat and have a good time with some company. He’d noticed the new kid that joined the school two weeks ago, but of course he never talked to him. He acknowledged his presence when the teacher introduced him, but that was it.
He was doing his math work when the new kid sat next to him. At first, Roman paid him no mind. Maybe he was getting distracted by the other students and wanted a more quiet place to work, or he liked how Roman’s table had almost no one sitting at it. It wasn’t until the kid spoke up that Roman gave him attention.
“Forgive me if this is too personal of a question, but how exactly did you train your service dog?”
Roman looked over at the kid. Oh yeah, hi, my name is Roman, what’s yours? “Oh, uh...some things I had to hire a personal trainer for, but I did some of the training on my own…”
“How long does it take to train a service dog?”
“Usually about six months, I guess...but it took me a year to make double sure she was ready.”
“Is she a medical alert dog?”
Why all the questions? “No, a psychiatric one.”
“Ah. I’m aware of psychiatric service dogs, but I have a little more knowledge when it comes to medical alert and seizure response dogs. However, I’ve never actually met someone who has a service dog. I’ve only done my own research out of curiosity, especially with my own disability.”
Roman got the courage to look up from his work at that. The kid had nerdy, square glasses over his eyes and straight black hair shifted to the right side of his face. Despite the fact that it wasn’t even fall yet and they lived in Florida, he still wore a purple hoodie that almost completely engulfed his body. The hoodie read I don’t look sick? You don’t look stupid! in white and purple letters, and on his wrist, a silicone band saying Alert! Epilepsy with a red medical symbol on both sides of the words.
Roman almost said Oh aloud. He’s not trying to be rude. He’s probably trying to find someone like him, especially if he’s new. Come on, Roman, be polite! And don’t freak out for once! “...You do have quite the epilepsy hoodie there.”
The kid looked down at his hoodie and smiled slightly. “Yes, well...it encompassed my kind of humor, and I am rather intolerant to the cold. Under this I have a Doctor Who shirt.”
“I, uh...don’t have any service dog shirts, but Princess has a lot of patches.”
“Is it alright if I look?”
“Sure, just...don’t pet her or anything.”
The kid waved it off. “Don’t worry, I know better than to get her attention.” He ducked under the table carefully, like any sudden movement would alarm Princess. He rose back up after a few seconds and gave his attention back to Roman. “She has a lot of Disney-themed patches. Where did you get them?”
Roman’s heart started beating faster. “...I actually, kinda, um...I made those ones myself.”
“You did a good job with them. They’re very intricate.”
“Thanks…”
“Oh! I apologize, I never actually introduced myself. I’m Logan.”
Roman gave him a nervous smile. “Roman.”
The bell rang, and everyone in the class started to pack up their stuff. Roman put his unfinished paper in his homework folder and stuffed it in his backpack while Logan did the same. When they both stood up, Logan addressed him one last time. “I have to go to lunch, but I hope we can talk another day.”
Roman felt that same desire come up in his throat. The desire to ask, to say something he usually would never consider asking. He couldn’t stand speaking to people, especially acquaintances, but Logan had a different energy to him. He was calmer, understanding, and a lot easier to handle than someone like Patton. Not to mention that his therapist did mention he can only get better if he pushes himself…
Princess didn’t alert Roman of a possible panic attack, so he considered that some kind of improvement. “Actually, Logan?”
“Yes?”
Come on. Do it. Say it. Three, two, one… “...Would you, uh...maybe wanna sit with me and some of my friends? Today?”
Logan’s face didn’t give him any hints to his emotions. “I would appreciate that.”
“I can...show you where it is, if you want?”
“Sure. I’d be happy for you to show me.”
The two walked out of the classroom, Roman and Princess in front of Logan to lead the way to the table. The two had a moment to situate themselves before Patton and Virgil came over, and with such a small table, Roman felt like the place was all the more crowded now. All the more welcoming.
Admittedly, a million times better than always sitting alone. He saw Remus staring from another table with those mischievous eyes, but he didn’t pay him any mind. When they were home alone, then he could bug him about it.
As always, right underneath his feet, Princess was curled into her ball, ready for any signs to jump into action. Instead, Roman looked at her under the table while the others went to get food. Apparently, he thought, you are a very good conversation starter when I need it.
“Good girl.” He whispered, although Princess didn’t seem to comprehend that he was talking to her. Instead, Roman took a mental note to give her a treat when they got home.