all the world's a stage // prinxiety ✔

♡ 19 - this had better come to a stop ♡

Every word Declan said floated around in Virgil's mind and wouldn't go away.

"You are such an attention whore!"

"I never wanted to love you!"

"Nobody likes you! Just shut up!"

"Dating you was a fucking mistake!

"Get off my dick! You know, nobody wants you around anyway!"

"Do you have to be such an idiot all the time?!"

And of course,

"If you were gone, I'd kill myself!"

He couldn't help but wonder if that was true. If Declan would keep his word. He prayed that Declan was just being dramatic, but... anything's possible.

All this time, he made excuses for Declan but he was at his last straw.

But it still hurt to think about breaking up with him. He was truly suffering.

He isn't my responsibility. I did everything I could, and he didn't listen. He needs to get help. It's not on me... There's nothing to fear.

Why was he begging for Virgil to break up with him? It made sense, and yet, it did not, since the man had put such effort into getting him to stay.

It's what's best for both of us. Do. It. Now.

I'll do it tomorrow. I promise. Let's pretend that nothing is awful.

♡

Well, just like that, it was the night of previews and he broke that promise a long time ago. Well, three weeks ago to be exact.

"Yeah, I know I promised, Ro! But if we break up now, it'll be so awkward between us for however long this show's going to run for!"

♡

Previews was... strange.

Well, obviously.

Roman was thrilled for his first show on the big stage while Virgil was terrified, but excited.

What was really strange was Declan's behavior. During the show, he acted almost completely different than he did during dress rehearsal. He was angrier than he'd ever been when Marvin was angry, and he was crying more than he ever had in I Never Wanted To Love You.

But, to be fair, everyone cried way too hard during that song.

Declan, though... He was unstable, to say the least.

Virgil and Roman were talking in Virgil's dressing room during intermission. Virgil was shaking a bit, but act one went extremely smoothly, except for when he hesitated before saying "I'm Whizzer!" in the opening number and his excessive crying during the chess game, but he knew it fit, so he let it go.

Declan barged in and grabbed Virgil's wrist, the place he had done so three weeks earlier, and practically dragged him to his dressing room.

"De!" Virgil whisper-shouted. "What was that for? I'm still getting ready!"

"Why is he always here?" Declan demanded.

"He?"

"Roman!"

"You can't be serious. Our first show and you have to act like this? Don't you want to be successful? I need to go back to my dressing room!"

"To what? Make out with Roman?"

Virgil scoffed. "Oh, fuck you! So I'm not allowed to have friends?"

"You are, but not friends who you're always with! Plus, you're getting closer to Roman than the others, and can you blame me for caring?"

"Don't start explaining, I'm sick of explaining! Don't you know what a best friend is?"

"Best friends don't hold hands with their faces close together during lunch break when everyone else is talking and doing normal things!"

Oh.

Oh.

Declan raised his eyebrows. "So? Just break up with me so I can finally be reassured that nobody really likes me anyway and my life is worthless, since you like Roman so much!"

Virgil opened his mouth to say something. Anything.

To apologize? To finally break up with him? To stammer meaninglessly?

Declan took the silence as his cue to leave Virgil alone in the room.

But Virgil only had less than three minutes to recover before he would go back on for second act.

Forget about him...

I mean, you have to cuddle and kiss him and tell him you love him throughout act two, but-

Nevermind. This was going to go to shit.

Then he remembered.

He bolted back to his dressing room and threw on the sweater around his shoulders and desperately combed his hair, barely getting it neat.

Then the red light turned on, and he went on and sat on a block on stage in front of a huge audience, with his facial expression still grim and a few dried tears on his cheeks probably somewhat visible to anyone sitting near the orchestra.

He hid it quickly and pulled out the Nancy Reagan blow up doll, his favorite part, and he lost himself in the character.

Drop it and smile.

He was going to get through this.