11:44am
Gosshhh
Au
—
"Why can't you be more like your brother?"
Is a phrase Virgil heard nearly everyday. His brother, Logan, was academic, attractive, had everything going for him, while Virgil was as smart as a shoe, average at best, and couldn't even find a job as a janitor. He still lived with his parents at age twenty one, while Logan moved out at eighteen to go to university. Their parents paid for it, of course they did, but didn't for Virgil because he wanted to take music, and they didn't like that.
Due to Logan living his life at some laboratory getting more money than their entire family combined, Virgil never really saw him - not that he cared, he and Logan never really had that great of a relationship due to their parents always bugging Logan to do more, and hassling Virgil to be more like him. The two slowly split until the last few years Logan lived with them they didn't speak to one another at all.
Virgil was strolling down the street after storming out the house. His parents finally pulled his last straw, and he was currently looking for a good enough bridge to sleep under for the night. That was until he came across a bar. Shrugging, he sat inside and tiredly leaned against the table, watching the band play up on stage. He watched them for awhile, they were actually really good, and Virgil wondered why they didn't do any bigger venues.
Then he shrugged to himself. Whatever, he doesn't care. Leaving the bar a few minutes later, he leaned against the wall and let out a long breath of air, staring at the night sky for what felt like hours.
Around the side of the bar, a door bursted open and loud voices filled Virgil's ears. "You're not good enough to do larger gigs!" Someone yelled angrily. Curious, Virgil leaned around the side of the building to see the band from inside arguing. The one holding the guitar looked furious while the singer, pianist and drummer were trying to calm him down.
"No! Fuck you all! This is it! I quit! I found a better band, anyway!" The guitarist threw his guitar to the ground and stormed away, leaving the remaining three members to pick up the guitar and talk to each other about what they were going to do. "We can't do this without a guitarist" the pianist frowned, holding the instrument delicately. The singer ran a hand through his rainbow-coloured dyed hair. "I know, I know.." he sighed, leaning on the wall.
"But what can we do?"
Virgil stepped forward, hands quivering under his sleeves. He can't believe he was about to do this. "Hey..." he trailed, catching their attention. "I can..uh..I can play the guitar.." he gestured to it meekly, shrugging after. "How long?" The drummer asked accusingly. Virgil tensed and scratched the back of his neck.
"Since I was seven.."
"How old are you now?" Singer questioned.
"Twenty one.."
They all shared a glance. Pianist smiled and handed him the guitar. "Go for it, Kiddo" Virgil nodded and pulled the strap around his neck, holding the guitar gently as he strummed the strings. In a flash, music was floating around through the alleyway, Virgil moving his hand across the neck of the guitar with expertise as his other hand glided across the strings fast, without making a single mistake. The other three watched with slacked jaws, none of them expecting this stranger to be that good.
Finally, Virgil finished the song, heart rapidly beating in his chest with the overflow of adrenaline. Then, he remembered he had an audience and looked up sheepishly, anxiously awaiting their opinions. "Kiddo.." pianist drifted, then grinned. "That. Was. Amazing!" He cheered, clapping his hands. The singer grinned, too, holding his hand out to the boy.
"We'll gladly accept you"
Virgil felt elated. "Thanks...I-uh..Virgil"
"Roman" the singer responded, then pointed to the drummer. "That's Remy, they're non-binary" Roman whispered under his breath, "and that is our pianist, Patton!"
Virgil couldn't believe it. He finally found a place he belonged.
They allowed him to stay the night in their shared flat, as long as he was fine on the couch. He didn't mind, anything better than sleeping on the street. He didn't tell them that, yet. He didn't want them to think he was just doing this for the money. Although he was more anxious than he has ever been in his life before their first gig (and had a few panic attacks) as soon as he started playing, it all flowed out of him in an instant, and he had never felt more alive.
When he suggested they do something bigger, they all agreed instantly, and slowly went from bars, pubs and clubs to stadiums, tours, and by the end of their third year as a band, they had a record deal that was selling across the globe. In three years, Virgil had accomplished things he never thought he would. He imagined he'd live on the streets for the rest of his life, but now he was living with the other members in a house bigger than the one he grew up in, and he couldn't be more happy about it.
Everything was going great until he had a phone call.
"It's my..." he gulped, "mom"
The other members tensed, Virgil had trusted them with the information about his parents and brother, so they all knew how badly this phone call could turn.
"Here, I'll take it" Remy spoke, "I want to give this bitch a piece of my mind"
"So do I!" Roman added, sitting up.
"You might give her what she wants" Deceit piped up. Deceit was Remy's boyfriend, they hooked up last year after a gig, and a week later they met up, started to date, and have been in love since. "Maybe ignoring her is the best way to get to her" he suggested with a shrug, holding his arms around Remy's waist to keep them on his lap.
"No" Virgil shook his head, "I'll do it" breathing in a wavered breath, he answered and held the device up to his ear.
"Uh...hi?"
"Virgil. Hello" he heard his mothers voice crackle through the speakers. He didn't understand why hearing her voice brought across him a wave of emotions. "We need to talk, don't we?"
"Do we? Do you need to remind me to be more like my brother?" He hissed out angrily, those sad emotions twisting and contaminating into anger. "I understand you'll still be mad about that. But me and your father want you home so we can talk, as soon as you can, please, Virgil"
He snorted in exasperation, shaking his head in disbelief. "Are you serious?" He questioned, glaring at the ground. "I am twenty four years old. You can't tell me what to do"
"I am you mother, no matter your age, I can do what I want"
Virgil dragged a hand through his hair that fell across his forehead again straight after. "Really?" Virgil muttered, "then make me" he growled and hung up. In a flash, his phone began to ring again, but he sent it to voicemail and blocked the number before it could call again. Then, he blocked his dad, and went to block Logan when he stopped. His finger hovered over the button for awhile, but then he decided against it. Logan was too busy with his own life to care - but Virgil wouldn't mind talking to him.
He explained everything that happened to the other band members, and went to bed afterwards. He felt worn out from the long day, and that call did it for him. It brought back such an array of emotions Virgil would rather sleep them off than deal with them.
For the next few months, Virgil didn't hear from his parents, but on his twenty fifth birthday, his phone began to ring. It was his brother.
"I'll be back now" Virgil said after the band members paused the movie. Leaving the room, he sat down in the empty, dark dining room and answered.
"Happy birthday, Virgil"
He hadn't heard his voice for so long.
"Uh...thanks, Logan" he replied awkwardly, playing with the strings on his hoodie. "How are you?" Logan questioned, feeling just as awkward, but tried his hardest not to sound it.
"Yeah good, uh-you?"
"I am adequate. Although recently I have been feeling rather out of sorts. My colleagues didn't have much great advice, so I went to therapy"
Virgil hummed in acknowledgment.
"She told me it was because of our relationship. Or rather, lack of relationship" Virgil was perplexed by that. He never realised it affected Logan in such a way. "I slept on it for awhile, and it turns out it is you. I miss you, and I am sorry for the way you were treated. My parents contacted me and tried to use me to get to you, but I stopped them before they could even suggest the idea. I do want to form a relationship with you again, Virgil, but I understand if you do not"
Virgil sat in silence for awhile. It has been getting to him, too. Not being close with his own brother. It always got to him, but he tried not to let it show. In the end, he agreed.
"Sure.."
And that was how, one month later, he, his band mates, Deceit, and his brother were all sitting in their living room. Remy and Roman were glaring at him, Patton was basically drooling over him, and Deceit was indifferent about it all. At least he - along with Patton - were polite. Even if Patton was a tad flustered.
"I never realised you were so into music, Virgil" Logan started conversation in the tense room. The man nodded, shifting on his seat. "Yeah.." he coughed, "hows-uh-how's your job?"
Logan nodded. "It is going wonderfully. Although, I am not as successful as you are"
Virgil snorted. "Whatever. You're like, really smart and stuff. I could never do that"
"Well" Logan smiled slightly. "I could never do what you do. We all grow up differently, unable to do the same thing someone else does. Our parents were wrong, they should have allowed you to be your own person" Logan didn't realise how much his words made Virgil's heart feel complete again.
"Yeah..thanks...but can't change the past, n'whatever. I'm over it, nice to see you, though"
Logan smiled gratefully. "It is nice to see you, too"
Roman sighed, crossing his arms and flopping into the couch. "It is becoming impossible to hate you!" He whined, "why are you so nice!?" He complained. Logan opened and closed his mouth, unable to respond to the question. Remy sighed, too. "You got lucky, bitch, don't ever hurt Virgil again, or I will cut off your dick and feed it to a dog"
Logan leaned back slightly. "I feel rather unsafe, Virgil"
The man laughed. "Yeah, get used to it"
Logan's job allowed him to stay for two months. In that time, he and Virgil bonded more than they ever had in their lives. They spent nearly every day together, and if they weren't hanging out, Virgil was sure to see Logan and Patton awkwardly and adorably talking to one another, falling further and further in love.
On the last day, Virgil watched his brother hold Patton delicately as they kissed in the foyer.
And in that moment, everything was okay.
—
2:04pm