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Thomas paced around the living room, occasionally glancing down at his watch. There was a debate going on inside his head and it looked like he was losing. Thomas decided he might as well make this debate real.
“Can everyone meet me in the living room? Please it’s an emergency?” Thomas called out loud to summon his logic, morality, anxiety, and creativity.
First, his logical side, dressed in business casual as usual, popped into the room.
“Is everything alright, Thomas?” Logan asked with a slight face of concern. A few emotions slipped through his stoic face. Logan tries to keep an appearance of seriousness, but Thomas and the other sides know Logan does care a lot.
“I’m-" “THOMAS, ARE YOU HURT?!?” Patton rushed into the conversation, interrupting Thomas.
While Logan and Patton were busy trying to figure out what was wrong with Thomas, Virgil quietly snuck in. Like a cat, Virgil stood on the steps observing everyone, waiting for his opportunity to make his presence known. His purple eyeshadow glimmered in the light. As grumpy as he pretends to be, his eyeshadow clearly gave away that he was having a good day.
Finally, the most dramatic side appeared.
“Oh god! Thomas! This is really an emergency. Your hair is absolutely atrocious. This must be why you called us here so suddenly.” Roman summoned a hairbrush, “Don’t worry as the most stylish side I got you covered.”
“My hair isn’t why I called you all here.” Thomas tried to correct Roman, but Roman was not listening. He threw the hairbrush at Thomas. It flew through the air, then went straight through Thomas’ head. Roman tended to forget since he was part of Thomas’ mind that anything he summoned Thomas could not touch. Thomas blankly stared at his sides as the hairbrush fell onto the floor. “Still isn’t about my hair.”
“Are you sure?” Roman raised one eyebrow in a questioning matter, “Couldn’t hurt for me to teach you to style it.”
“Ok. Moving on. This is wasting time. Thomas, why have you called us here?” Logan huffed at Roman’s antics as he returned the floor to Thomas.
“Maybe he’s dying.” Virgil deadpanned.
Thomas continued talking about his emergency, ignoring the dying comment, “So there’s this party. And this really cute guy invited me to go. But I don’t know if I should actually go.”
Logan rolled his eyes, “You must learn what is a real emergency.”
“A party! With a cute guy! Thomas, you’d be insane to say no.” Roman happily said.
“I don’t know guys. Crowded places aren’t always the best setting for Thomas. We should politely decline and go under our covers instead.” Virgil said looking a bit uneasy.
“Oh, Virgil. Being a downer as usual.” Patton said, “Thomas as your side that is your happiness you have to go. Socialization is great. Plus if Virgil said no you automatically know to do the opposite. When is listening to anxiety ever good?”
“What if the cute guy doesn’t show? Do you know anyone else at this party? What if the host doesn’t want you there? Will there be alcohol or drugs? Who am I kidding, it’s an adult party of course there will be alcohol and drugs. What if you get taken advantage of while not completely in your senses?” Virgil’s eyeshadow turned to a slightly darker purple, all the glimmer disappeared.
“Now you are just being stupid, Virgil. Real life isn’t as bad as your mind tells you it is. Thomas, trust me. I’m your morality. Would I ever really do something to harm you? This party will be good for you, for all of us.” Patton glanced at Virgil, “It will be especially good for dear Virgil here. You know how a little bit of alcohol can take the edge off. Maybe a few drinks and the nagging voice in your head will calm down.”
Virgil’s eyeshadow turned another shade darker. The purple started to mix with black. The joy from Virgil’s eyes was long gone. “If you drink you might not be able to make a rational decision. How well do you know this cute guy? What if he has bad intentions?”
“Please don’t listen to Mr. Fearful over here. Virgil is overreacting. This isn’t even an argument. Everyone knows you should go to the party and you really want to.” Patton smiled at Thomas. Virgil knows that smile and recoiled a bit, pushing his hood over his head, “So you’ll go to the party, right? Wouldn’t you love a night off from anxiety?”
Thomas shifted from one foot to another, he could feel the tension. “I’m not so sure I want to go now.”
“It’s because of Virgil isn’t it?” Patton pointed his finger accusingly at Virgil, “Maybe next time only bring the important sides if you actually want to get anything done.”
The room got deadly silent for a second. The only sound to be heard was heavy breathing.
Virgil’s eyeshadow turned completely black. His eyes dulled in color as well. He wobbled a little as the room spun.
Logan took a step closer to Virgil, “Virgil, you are looking pale. Do you feel alright?”
Virgil promptly collapsed to the floor before sinking out.
Complete chaos broke out the second he disappeared.
Thomas was too stunned to talk. He’d seen Patton and Virgil not get along before, but never to this degree.
“What the hell, Patton?” Roman yelled at Patton.
Logan was trying to hold back his anger, “You crossed a line this time.”
“I didn’t say anything there rest of us weren’t thinking.” Patton shot back.
“I don’t have time for this. I’ll lecture you later.” Logan turned to Roman, “Make sure Thomas is alright. I’m going to check on Virgil.” Logan sunk out.
“Patton please leave”
“But kiddo”
“No. You’ve done enough.” Patton pouted, then left the room in defeat.
…………………………….
Logan appeared in front of Virgil’s door. “Hey, Virgil. Are you in here?” He knocked on the door and waited for an answer. A minute passed; No one answered. He knocked again, “It’s Logan. I’m concerned.”
He attempted to open to door since Virgil was starting to worry him. He twisted the knob; It was locked. “Please, Virgil. I am truly worried.”
Still no answer. Logan sighed and took a seat next to Virgil’s door, “I don’t know if you can hear me but I’m going to give this shot. Take a deep breath. In for four. Hold for seven. Out for eight. Repeat. In for four. Hold for seven. Out for eight.” Logan breathed in and out as he instructed Virgil on his breathing. He wanted to give off as calm of an aura as possible.
“Getting in touch with your senses usually works to help ground you. What are five things you can see? You don’t have to say them out loud if you don’t want to.”
Logan heard a few mumbles from the other side of the door. It sounded vaguely like, “Bed, plushies, lamp, door, fan.”
“Very good, Virgil. Now four things you can feel.” Logan felt an immense sense of relief hearing Virgil’s voice.
“Carpet, clothing, impending doom, coldness.” The door lock clicked open.
“May I come in?” Logan stood up, putting his hand on the doorknob. He waited for Virgil’s response.
It was quiet for a few moments, a small “yeah” was heard in the background.
Logan slowly opened the door. “Three things you can hear.” He said as he walked in.
“Door creaking, sound machine, your voice.” Virgil closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“You are doing great. Two things you can smell.”
Virgil started to sniff the room, “Lavender and your hand sanitizer.”
Logan sat down next to Virgil, “One thing you can taste.”
“Umm, my tongue I guess?” Virgil wiped his eyes, smudging his eyeshadow.
“Physical contact?” Logan asked.
“Yeah, I’m good with physical contact today.”
Logan took Virgil’s hand. He helped Virgil stand up and lead him to the bed. Virgil collapsed into Logan’s arms and started hysterically sobbing.
“I am just trying to protect Thomas and be helpful,” Virgil mumbled into Logan’s chest.
Logan rubbed circles on Virgil’s back, “I know. I think everything you said had a valid point. It is always important to think about safety.”
“I don’t understand why Patton hates me so much.”
“I do not see the logic in him hating you. We are a team. Targeting one of us will just be counterproductive.” Logan ran his fingers through Virgil’s hair, “Tomorrow I am going to give Patten a stern lecture.”
Logan heard a small laugh from Virgil. He looked up to meet Logan’s gaze, “You’d do that for me?”
Logan smiled, “Of course. You know I love a good lecture.”
Logan shifted Virgil off his lap and onto the pillow. He carefully slid off the bed.
Virgil reached for him, “Please stay.”
“I will be right back, I promise.” Logan went into the bathroom connected to Virgil’s room. He pulled out a container of makeup wipes from the draw. Logan gently took off Virgil’s eyeshadow to prevent it from ruining his bed or getting in his eyes.
Virgil’s eyes drooped in tiredness.
“I think it would be best to call it a night and go to sleep.” Logan pulled the spider web patterned comforter over Virgil.
Virgil reached out and tugged on Logan’s wrist, “Stay here tonight.”
“Of course, Virgil.” He pushed the comforter over and slid over it. Logan pulled Virgil into his arms and kissed his forehead. “Sleep tight, my dear.”
Virgil’s breaths eventually evened out as he fell asleep. Once Logan was sure Virgil was soundly asleep he pulled Virgil closer and fell asleep. Logan held onto Virgil all night to let him know was he always there for him.