Adding Shadows

Count On Me

He had five hours to kill, and nothing but schoolwork to do. So he set to it.

Virgil was decent at every subject, but math. His math grade was only just passing at a C-. Virgil felt bad for this because his math teacher tried so hard to help him learn faster, but she just couldn't.

That's when Virgil remembered she quit. Which meat they'd have a different teacher on Monday. He was not very enthusiastic about that.

Virgil didn't like change. In fact, he hated it most of the time. Some change had been good to him, having a friend for a change was good, but having a new teacher that he had no clue what they would be like? That was a whole different story.

Virgil told himself not to overthink it.

"Virgil?" Virgil looked up from his homework to look at Rosetta "Do you wanna play a game with us?"

She asked it cautiously, because Virgil didn't play games. Until last Monday. He sat and thought, she looked as though she would give up.

"Okay." He responded finally "What're we playing?" He asked with a grin, the eight year old girl grinned back.

"Me and Carly are princesses!" She exclaimed excitedly, Virgil smiled. This was an area he had been trained in.

"Then I shall be your loyal knight, m'lady." Virgil responded, standing before bowing to her. Rosetta giggled, Carly walked over and looked at Virgil.

"You're gonna play?" She asked excitedly, Virgil nodded.

"Of course, I would never leave your majesties without the protection of a knight!" Virgil laughed, and Carly and Rosetta grinned.

"Now we need a villain!"

Virgil looked straight at Abigail, who was watching them and listening. He smirked.

"She's the villain." To Virgil's surprise, Abigail cackled and ran at the girls, hands held out with her infamous tickle fingers.

"The princesses better run before I catch them!" She shouted, the girls shrieked with delight and bolted.

"Knight, save us!" Rosetta screamed, running around the couch. Virgil laughed and ran to Carly, he held out a hand.

"Come with me, princess!" He yelled over the screaming. She took his hand and ran with him to the table.

"This is the castle tower, you'll be safe here." He helped her onto the chair and then onto the table. She giggled and screamed for Rosetta.

"I'll get her, you stay here!" Virgil did the same for Rosetta, but this time before they made it to the table Abigail caught up and pretended to claw Virgil. He held his wound in pain, told Rosetta she would have to complete the journey alone.

She ran to Carly, Virgil blocked Abigail's way. She struck him with the killing blow and he made an exaggerated dying noise before falling to the ground.

"I have fallen!" He shouted after a moment of silence, and the three girls were sent into a fit of giggles.

"Me and Rosie are gonna go play outside now!" Carly informed them, her and Rosetta climbing down and running to the backyard.

"Question."

Virgil looked up at Abigail in confusion "What."

"Well that was rude. Just wondering, what would you do for this Roman kid?" She questioned, leaning against the counter.

Virgil shrugged "Almost anything?" He responded, confusion laced in his tone of voice.

"And how long have you known each other?" She raised an eyebrow, grabbing an apple off the fruit dish in the counter corner.

"About a week?" He responded in a question tone so it was open ended. Virgil stood up from his place on the floor, hugging himself slightly.

"Interesting. So if you've known each other for such a short amount of time, why do you trust him and care so much for him?"

"Because.. because he's my only friend, and he saved me." He stated. That much was true, but Virgil supposed it might be a little strange that he would've trusted Roman with his life after only a day.

"Right. Of course." Abigail agreed, looking like she had just realized something. "Later, freak."

Virgil waved slightly as she walked away, knowing not to think anything of the nickname. Scout walked inside, followed by Grace, and looked at him.

"Need some coverage, kid?" She asked, pointing in the general direction of his black eye. Virgil nodded.

"Yeah, thanks."